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Please select your class from the links above for homework and
other class-specific information. Use the links on the left to quickly download a copy of your course's syllabus.
Palma Mathematics Department Mission and Philosophy
THE FIRST TENET
of the Mathematics Department is that our teachers will support and
implement the philosophy of Palma Jr. / Senior High School and thus
actively support the Essential Elements of an Edmund Rice Christian
Brother Education. The Math Department will focus much of its
efforts in support of the student intellectual growth goal as defined
by Palma’s ESLRs. The department will also provide support
for the Palma ESLR goals of student moral/spiritual growth, physical
growth and social growth. We are the models of learning for our
students. They will see through our actions and in how we teach
that a balanced growth of one’s whole person is a valuable
pursuit.
THE SECOND TENET of
the Mathematics department is that every student can learn and should
be guided to his highest potential. Palma math students are thus
guided to set high goals for themselves:
- to be skilled and creative problem solvers
- to develop strong mathematical skills and related
technology skills so as to be intelligent participants in civic affairs
- to prepare themselves for a multitude of future
career opportunities; opportunities that more and more depend on
mathematical abilities
- to expand one's one cultural and philosophical
horizons by exploring the great works and thoughts of mathematics.
THE THIRD TENET of
the Mathematics Department is that students learn best when their
courses of study are well defined and orderly and yet designed to help
them learn at various rates and styles. We believe each high
school student needs to have a minimum exposure of three year-long
courses in mathematics, including Algebra I and Geometry; while we
encourage every student to take four years of high school mathematics.
Palma Junior High students take math for both years. Extremely
advanced students in our Junior High are encouraged to enroll in
advanced high school level courses. By their senior year, many of
our students are prepared for exposure to college level math
work. We thus offer AP Calculus and AP Statistics courses for
such students. Honors courses will provide the highest
challenges. Regular level courses will strive to develop broad
mastery of their subjects. Basic level courses will cover material best
suited for students needing to improve their mathematical
foundations. As math teachers we share the belief that
collaboration with our colleagues is critical to our own ongoing growth
as professionals, to our ability to provide students with a variety of
problem solving strategies, and to best respond to our students' varied
learning styles. Through collaboration we strive to provide our
students a mathematics curriculum that is orderly, rigorous, consistent
from teacher to teacher, research-based, and well articulated through
established standards set for each course.
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