The Maths department at EOHS is continuing to develop systematic, logical and sequential thought processes in students. The development of this part of the brain is essential for decision making, figuring things out, fixing things, following complex instructions, learning new technology, gaining more awareness of strategies, actions and consequences. It is also very important for keeping your mind sharp and your options open for a wide range of careers.

One thing we have recently completed in class is a measurement and design project. This involved designing a desk and a chair or stool and calculating the volumes for an organisation which builds new schools in Pakistan.

Currently the students in the junior school are learning about shapes and angles. In the Maths in Action module we are designing a tessellating tile pattern for a bathroom. In Maths to the Future students are studying bank interest and the changing inflation rates for NZ.

We are very fortunate at the moment to have Mr Adler, a Maths teacher trainee on a practicum. He is teaching the Maths in Action class as well as all the senior NCEA Achievement Standard classes.

Coming up next week is the Education Perfect Maths competition. From the 14th of June any points that students earn on Education Perfect will tally up their competition score, and there will be a competition scoreboard where they can check themselves against other schools. All students who are a part of a Maths class in Education Perfect will automatically be entered into the competition.

A fun and exciting development at the school is the chess club started by Mr Strang. At break times, usually on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, students challenge each other to a game of chess. The Maths department teachers have gotten behind this and are also playing against the students every week.

Another opportunity a group of 25 students have entered into is the Kiwi Maths Competition which comprises a 50 minute online session period on Tuesday 28th June. The students entered will challenge themselves solving a series of mathematical problems based on the NZ curriculum.