Mathematics Newsletter End of Term 1

It’s been a busy first term of the year, with new year 11 courses getting underway for the new Level 1 standards, getting going with a new online learning platform drfrost.org, the first maths competition of the year, and welcoming our new teachers, Ms Yang and Mr De Angelis.

Our year 11s by the end of week 10 all had completed their first NCEA Level 1 assessments, with the Mathematics for STEM Careers and Mathematics course students taking their 1.2 Mathematical Methods assessment, and the Mathematics with Numeracy classes taking their 1.1 Statistical Enquiry assessment. Each course will have switched to the other internal standard after this.

The year 12 classes have all completed their first assessments, with the Mathematics for STEM Careers students taking 2.4 Trigonometry, and the Mathematics students taking 2.5 Networks. The Mathematics course students are almost ready to sit their next assessment on 2.13 Simulations, with the Mathematics for STEM Careers classes well into 2.9 Inference (and expecting an assessment early next term).

Year 13 will also have completed their first assessments by the end of this term, with the Mathematics with Calculus class taking 3.3 Trigonometry, and the Mathematics with Statistics classes taking 3.9 Bivariate Data.

Our year 9 and 10 classes will have moved on from their initial number unit by the end of this term. Year 10 will have moved onto a short unit on relationships as we build towards the NCEA Level 1 numeracy corequisite exam in term 3 week 9), and year 9 will have moved onto a term long core algebra unit.

Our new online maths learning platform Dr Frost (drfrost.org) seems to be going well with teachers and classes. Since the start of the year, GHS mathematicians have answered 9552 questions on the platform in total, including questions set in class and questions students have set themselves for independent practice in their own time to help them build their skills and deepen their knowledge (such a great example of the school value of Responsibility there). Big shout outs go to the students in each year group who feature in the top 5 mastery points earned this term, and of course to all the winners of the Cucumber of Consistency Trophy (awarded for getting 10 questions correct in a row).

We were especially impressed with the number of students who put themselves forward towards the end of the term to sit the first mathematics competition this year, the world’s biggest mathematics competition for individuals (with over 6 million entries each year), the Kangourou sans Frontières. This year’s entry of GHS mathematicians at 42 was over 100% higher than last year’s entry. We look forward to seeing the certificates arrive next term.

Ka pai on all your mahi this term, GHS mathematicians. We look forward to seeing you develop your skills, understanding and enjoyment further next term.