Math - Seattle Academy
The Hub
Math
Seattle Academy believes that the study of mathematics is vital to a well-rounded and highly successful individual. Our department believes that all students are highly capable math students with the potential to build skill sets and develop and grow as learners over time. The curriculum and faculty of the Math Department provide opportunities for all students to develop fundamental math skills that will set them up for success in college level math courses and beyond. Further, all math classes help students develop as problem solvers, and analytical thinkers. Our math classes provide a blend of challenge and support so that each student can feel success and build confidence while also pushing themselves to learn and grow as a mathematician. We believe that students’ math capabilities are not stagnant but change and grow with the student. We have built pathways for students to seek more challenge or more support in their math studies as they grow and mature and discover themselves as mathematicians.
MEET THE MATH FACULTY
Middle School
In Middle School, our algebra-based program merges number sense, Algebra and Geometry. As Middle School begins, students hone number-sense skills and develop flexibility with concrete operations and understanding of variables. As students progress through our series, they begin to work with variables as the complexity of their work increases. Along the way, students continue to think about why math matters, and how it can be applied to real world scenarios. Students with strong knowledge of variable work, will move on to Geometry, where they will test their skills in this new context.
MIDDLE SCHOOL CURRICULUM GUIDE
Math Seminar
Math Seminar is a strategy we use in the 6th grade math classes to build an authentic math community that centers reasoning and critical thinking. Students gather in the front of the classroom to work collaboratively on complex problems, sharing their strategies and insights through partner talks and class discussions.
Upper School
Upper School students continue to develop strong skills in algebra and geometry while also strengthening their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. As nearly all of our students take four years of mathematics, or even choose to enroll in extra mathematics courses, we offer Calculus 1 and 2 and Statistics. A wide range of classes available to juniors and seniors ensures that students are appropriately placed in a class that provides a mix of challenge and support for each student. We offer most classes at a Concepts, Standard and Accelerated level. Concepts classes offer more individual support and focus on the key concepts within a given topic that will be needed at the next level of math. Accelerated classes move at a quicker pace and are for students who have strong foundations and retention of prior math skills. These classes cover more concepts than their standard counterparts and study concepts in more depth.
Upper School Curriculum Guide
Maximum Results
Students use the Calculus concept of optimization to collect and analyze real-world datasets of their choosing. Past projects have answered questions such as "How much sleep should I get each night to maximize productivity?" and "What will the world population be when I graduate from college?"
Foundational Skill Building
“With paper walls a stone roof is impossible”
- Chinese proverb. All students at SAAS must learn, develop, and practice the foundational skills to excel in the sciences.
Visualize-Communicate-Evaluate
Mathematics is a language of precise communication. Students are encouraged to visualize ideas, communicate those concepts, and then critically evaluate their own thinking.
Going Beyond the Formulas
At all levels and grades teachers encourage students to go beyond worksheets and formulas. They identify the extensions and implications of the math topics they study and take that to a higher level of understanding.
How is a student’s math course determined?
If my child is in an accelerated math program at another school, what options do they have if they transfer to SAAS?
After the school year starts, can a student change their math placement?
What does a typical day look like in a math classroom?
What are examples of math sequences for students?
What textbooks do you use?
For their first year at SAAS, the following determines how a student is placed:
transcripts and other information from previous school(s)
information provided by the family and previous teacher
placement test scores
Throughout the school year faculty observe, assess, and analyze math performance and annual placement test scores. Each spring faculty make placement recommendations for the following year.
Our guiding principle, ‘Know the Kid,’ means that we strive for a holistic approach to math placement. In addition to the extensive knowledge teachers have about student learning in their classrooms, placement tests will be used to help us understand cumulative retention from year to year and as one factor in our decisions for subsequent math classes. When used, placement tests will not be reflected in student grades.
At Seattle Academy, our priority is ensuring students build knowledge, skills, and mindsets that will support them in college and life. We use our knowledge of individual student progress to place students in the math class that best fits the student’s readiness. Before the end of the school year, students and families will receive email communication about a student’s math course for next year.
We will work with families to assess individual students and place them in a class that is mathematically and developmentally appropriate.  Please contact
mathdepartmentchair@seattleacademy.org
to inquire about specific needs.
As a note, our curriculum prioritizes students’ deep exploration of content and development of numeracy, algebraic thinking, and spatial reasoning skills over volume and speed of procedural acquisition. We take an intentionally conservative approach to math placement in our accelerated courses so that students can build a strong foundation that will set them up for long-term success in mathematics. When a student is placed in an accelerated course before they are ready – both developmental maturity and math readiness – they often struggle in the high school math and college curriculum.
Occasionally after reviewing a student’s progress in a particular math course, a teacher may recommend that a student change courses. Although course changes are rare, we strive to help each student to fully meet their math potential. The Math Department chair oversees all students’ long-term math plans and placement with the advice of teachers, testing data, and the big picture of students’ course schedules.
Variety is key! One day students might use technology to make observations and explore patterns, while another day they might investigate a new topic together and report their findings. One week students might work in groups to explore the math supporting a rover’s mission on Mars, while another week students might work at their own pace to develop and grow concepts and procedures.
View the
Math Course Sequence Diagram
Teachers draw from a variety of texts and online sources to develop their curricula and provide students with resources for learning outside of the classroom.