Numeracy
Only a few years ago, there were many jobs in Australia for people who had little schooling and mathematical knowledge. People needed arithmetic for activities like shopping, house keeping and for keeping scores while playing games. Measurement was needed for timekeeping, sewing, carpentry and travel.
Few people were confronted with the figures, graphs and statistics found routinely in newspapers, television and on computer screens today.
Life in the twenty-first century requires an unprecedented level of mathematical knowledge and skill for participation in community life and for access to opportunities in education and employment.
At St.Patrick's our mathematics curriculum is designed with this level of understanding in mind.
The Mathematics program is closely related to the familiar, everyday environment. The program structures are flexible and sequential, providing the children with easily managed developmental steps and allowing them to experience continued success. Student progress is monitored using regular checklists and assessments.
We follow the AusVELS curriculum which is organised in the following three strands:
We also subscribe to Mathletics which is an online, interactive maths program where the students can play against themselves and other students from around the world. If they have the internet at home, they are able to access this program at home as well.
Assessment Processes
Over the last two days of fourth term, each student (including the new Foundation students due to begin school in the following year) is individually interviewed and given the MAI (Maths Assessment Interview). This gives their teacher a very clear view of what their Maths needs are for the beginning of the new school year and it means that time is not wasted on teaching concepts to children who already know them.
Years 3 and 5 students do NAPLAN tests in Maths in May and the students in Years 2 to 6 complete PAT M testing in Maths in October.
These tests are essential tools for teachers. They provide effective data which helps teachers to cater for individual learning requirements in their planning and informs their reporting to parents.
EMU (Extended Maths Understanding) Program
Some children remain vulnerable in aspects of number learning and at risk of not learning mathematics successfully.
At St. Patrick's we provide an EMU Program for these students where a small group is withdrawn by a specialist teacher from the classroom for five 30 minute sessions per week for up to 20 weeks.
Children are assigned to the group on the basis of the similarity of their Number Learning Profile.
The specialist teacher, in collaboration with the classroom teacher, develops an individual learning plan for each student so they are taught at their point of need. Activities focus on counting, place value, addition and subtraction and multiplication and division. Homework is set every night and parents are invited to be a part of the child's learning.
Parent Helpers Program
Each year in March/April we run a parent helper's course. This is aimed at skilling parents or other adults who plan to volunteer their services to assist in the classroom. It is good fun and even if you don't have the time to offer your services at school, it is a valuable course to assist you with working with your children at home.
Few people were confronted with the figures, graphs and statistics found routinely in newspapers, television and on computer screens today.
Life in the twenty-first century requires an unprecedented level of mathematical knowledge and skill for participation in community life and for access to opportunities in education and employment.
At St.Patrick's our mathematics curriculum is designed with this level of understanding in mind.
The Mathematics program is closely related to the familiar, everyday environment. The program structures are flexible and sequential, providing the children with easily managed developmental steps and allowing them to experience continued success. Student progress is monitored using regular checklists and assessments.
We follow the AusVELS curriculum which is organised in the following three strands:
- Number and Algebra
- Measurement and Geometry
- Statistics and Probability
We also subscribe to Mathletics which is an online, interactive maths program where the students can play against themselves and other students from around the world. If they have the internet at home, they are able to access this program at home as well.
Assessment Processes
Over the last two days of fourth term, each student (including the new Foundation students due to begin school in the following year) is individually interviewed and given the MAI (Maths Assessment Interview). This gives their teacher a very clear view of what their Maths needs are for the beginning of the new school year and it means that time is not wasted on teaching concepts to children who already know them.
Years 3 and 5 students do NAPLAN tests in Maths in May and the students in Years 2 to 6 complete PAT M testing in Maths in October.
These tests are essential tools for teachers. They provide effective data which helps teachers to cater for individual learning requirements in their planning and informs their reporting to parents.
EMU (Extended Maths Understanding) Program
Some children remain vulnerable in aspects of number learning and at risk of not learning mathematics successfully.
At St. Patrick's we provide an EMU Program for these students where a small group is withdrawn by a specialist teacher from the classroom for five 30 minute sessions per week for up to 20 weeks.
Children are assigned to the group on the basis of the similarity of their Number Learning Profile.
The specialist teacher, in collaboration with the classroom teacher, develops an individual learning plan for each student so they are taught at their point of need. Activities focus on counting, place value, addition and subtraction and multiplication and division. Homework is set every night and parents are invited to be a part of the child's learning.
Parent Helpers Program
Each year in March/April we run a parent helper's course. This is aimed at skilling parents or other adults who plan to volunteer their services to assist in the classroom. It is good fun and even if you don't have the time to offer your services at school, it is a valuable course to assist you with working with your children at home.