Religious Math

A ten year old boy was failing math. His parents tried everything from

tutors to hypnosis, but to no avail. Finally, at the insistence of a

family friend, they decided to enroll their son in a private Catholic

school.

After the first day, the boy's parents were surprised when he walked in

after school with a stern, focused and very determined expression on his

face, and went right past them straight to his room, where he quietly

closed the door.

For nearly two hours he toiled away in his room - with math books strewn

about his desk and the surrounding floor. He emerged long enough to

eat, and after quickly cleaning his plate, went straight back to his room,

closed the door, and worked feverishly at his studies until bedtime.

This pattern continued ceaselessly until it was time for the first quarter

report card.

The boy walked in with his report card -- unopened -- laid it on the dinner

table and went straight to his room. Cautiously, his mother opened it, and

to her

amazement, she saw a bright red "A" under the subject of MATH. Overjoyed,

she

and her husband rushed into their son's room, thrilled at his remarkable

progress.

"Was it the nuns that did it?", the father asked. The boy only shook his

head and said, "No."

"Was it the one-on-one tutoring? The peer-mentoring?"

"No."

"The textbooks? The teachers? The curriculum?"

"Nope," said the son. "On that first day, when I walked in the front door

and saw that guy they nailed to the 'plus sign,' I just knew they meant

business!"