As enrolments at Merici continue to grow, we have been able to attract highly qualified and experienced Mathematics teachers, in a very competitive market. Mr. Michael Lewthwaite joined us from an international school in Malaysia and made a significant contribution to the Maths Enrichment program throughout the Year. He was joined on staff by Ms. Milanda Roxas, again a very experienced high-school Maths teacher with special expertise in inclusive education. Ms. Louisa Crockett also joined us from another school in the Catholic system and we were delighted to welcome back Mrs. Emma Bishop from maternity leave at the start of the second semester.
A highlight of the year has been an increasing rate of participation tin the Maths Enrichment activities conducted by the Australian Mathematic Trust. We participated in the Maths Challenge (MC), Computational and Algorithmic Thinking Competition (CAT) and the Australian Mathematics Competition (AMC). We congratulated many students on achieving personal bests with the most noteworthy achievements being Leah Shoebridge, Sara Venkat, and Pari Dhull with High Distinctions in the MC; Krithika Bumia, Emma Coot, Penelope Reeves and Georgia Scanes (Best-In-School) Distinctions in the CAT; and Jazara Nave, Leah Shoebridge and Sara Venkat with Distinctions in the AMC. Also on the Enrichment front, our Friday afternoon sessions of maths puzzles and games continued with a small but enthusiastic group of students. New members are always welcome and merely have to turn up after school to Penola Flex. Other enrichment activities included the highly-successful Year 10 Maths Day at Burgmann College, at which we were able to enter two teams and an excursion to Leidos Pty Ltd (a local high-tech company specialising in defence systems). We look forward to extending these enrichment activities in 2024.
The Faculty have continued to support the needs of students who find Mathematics difficult by running tutorial sessions on Tuesday and Friday lunchtimes. These are staffed by experienced Maths teachers and are also an opportunity for students to catch-up on homework or seek clarification on ideas they might not be sure about.
Administratively, the Faculty were kept busy with the introduction of the Australian Curriculum, Version 9 in year groups from Year 7 to 10. While changes were mainly cosmetic, some elements are now to be taught earlier (for example Pythagoras’s Theorem) and other new topics have been added (for example Network Theory). On the International Baccalaureate front, we worked on tightening up compliance aspects of the program and planned for more conceptual approaches to teaching mathematics while honouring the system-wide efforts aimed at promoting high-impact teaching methods. In that regard, we were pleased to host visitors from other schools and the Catholic Education Office who were keen to see how we were implementing this program. Some of the methods include the greater use of daily reviews of material, the use of mini-whiteboards to rapidly and frequently check students’ understanding, and questioning using ‘cold-calling’ techniques to maximise student engagement. All teachers are now expected to use these techniques and improved results are sure to follow.
We acknowledge the contribution of the school in upgrading classrooms used mostly by Maths teachers, in terms of modern interactive whiteboards. A highlight has been the creation of the “Gerard Ryan Room” which was once the Maths Staff Room but is now a modern classroom and honours the contribution of a teacher and educational leader who has been with us since the mid 1980s.
Unfortunately, Mr. Lewthwaite will be retiring at the end of the year. He will be missed by the Faculty and his students, particularly for the effort he put into the development of our most talented. This is not an easy task, and it will be difficult to replace him. Mrs. Robyn de Puit will be taking leave over the first half of 2024 and we, together with her students and Pastoral Group, will miss her.
Dr. Ed Mickleburgh
Mathematics Coordinator
