Maths Department Spotlight
At Thornbury High School, our maths classes continue to engage students through a range of tasks whilst promoting problem solving and critical thinking.
Our new Year 7 students were introduced to secondary school maths with the Number Properties topic, building on their prior knowledge of number skills from primary school. Students got their first taste of a maths CAT, which ranges in difficulty from Consolidation and Standard through to the challenging Extension section, where students must tackle a 5 mark problem solving question. No multiple choice in sight.
Our Year 8 and 9 students continue to build on their mathematical ability whilst sharpening the Attention to Detail skills that will set them up for future success. In Year 8 Maths Focus, students completed a project collecting and analysing data on the Year 8 cohort, turning their classmates into data points. Meanwhile our Year 9 students put their trigonometry skills to the test, using trundle wheels and an inclinometer to measure the height of the school's tallest structures.
In Year 10 Pre-Foundation, students completed a Credit Card CAT interviewing school staff to gain an insight into credit card use before completing their own case study. Improving student’s financial literacy by paying the price for missing instalments.
Our Year 11 General Maths students completed their Mathematical Investigation SAC with a statistical analysis comparing Melbourne's weather to Brisbane's. After sketching boxplots, histograms and bell curves, they concluded that Melbourne's erratic weather might actually be easier to stomach than Brisbane's wet season.
Our Year 12 Maths students deserve special recognition for their efforts in their first SACs, completed across multiple days with a combined duration of 4 to 6 hours. A marathon effort particularly for those who spent that time staring into the warm glow of a CAS calculator.
The high standards achieved by our students can be traced back to the dedicated and collegial efforts of our staff, who work tirelessly to develop resources, refine their practice and reflect on student performance together.
The following are some quotes from students sharing their experiences in our maths classes.
Livian Phung (Year 9) on what makes THS maths special:
“THS gives many maths opportunities to everyone and supports them by having clubs like maths help club where amazing teachers dedicate their time to help you extend your maths learning further.”
Isabelle Turvey (Year 9) shared her favourite thing about maths at THS:
“I really like lessons where teachers use creative methods such as outdoor activities or online class games like Kahoot to enhance our understanding and bring our focus back.”
Inara Lau (Year 10) has some advice for younger students in maths:
“Always! ask your teachers for help when you’re struggling (they’re there for a reason) and don’t put off doing your homework or schoolwork as it will begin to pile up.”
Yilin Chuang (Year 12) explained the biggest challenge in maths was
“Completing a 5 hour Specialist Maths SAC without enough coffee and tea.”
Samuel McDowell
Head of Mathematics