Math

The primary objective of the Middle School mathematics program is to provide students with a solid foundation for the study of mathematics in the Upper School and beyond. Students begin to develop as learners of mathematics - increasing their interests, competencies, and emerging abilities as problem-solvers. Classroom activities and investigations allow students to conjecture and verify, find and impose structure, and engage in exercises of abstract reasoning.

Students in the fifth grade begin to transition from intuitive thinking to concrete operations and learn to represent mathematical structures symbolically. Highlights of the course include problem solving for everyday situations, developing familiarity with the basic number facts, reinforcing arithmetic skills, and underpinning basic algebra concepts. Communication skills are essential components of the program and are developed through class discussion and written exercises.

Students in the sixth grade learn how to solve one- and two-step equations, develop an understanding of basic geometrical ideas, and master the addition, subtraction and division of real numbers in the form of both fractions and decimals.

Students in grades seven and eight learn serious, substantive mathematics with an emphasis on algebra. But the focus is not exclusively on algebraic skill development; regular opportunities are provided for students to explore a full range of content, especially topics in geometry and data analysis.

Faculty Members

• Terry Boyd
  
• David Bruce
  
• Kevin Landesman
  
• James Stephens