Vision
At Mernda Primary School the teachers and students pride themselves on being ‘Proficient’ when teaching or learning Mathematics. At Mernda Primary School we are proud of the differentiated Mathematics programs provided to students as they cater for individual student needs, including those requiring support or extension.
Mathematics holds a high priority at Mernda Primary School. We use contemporary teaching and learning strategies to develop students’ attitudes, confidence, mathematical skills and knowledge that are robust, adaptable and transferable in a global society. Regular assessment and monitoring informs teaching, and helps teachers address specific student learning needs and track student growth.
Overview
Mernda Primary School encourages students to develop a proficient understanding of mathematical skills, concepts and processes. Students develop the knowledge and skills to use mathematics confidently across other learning areas at school and in their daily lives.
Teachers at Mernda Primary School use the Victorian Curriculum to plan and implement programs that are differentiated and cater for student’s individual learning needs. Throughout Mathematics sessions, students are encouraged to articulate strategies used, consolidate their learning and to extend their knowledge in order to develop deeper understandings of concepts taught. Students are immersed in mathematical experiences which allow them to engage with and develop their conceptual understandings.
Curriculum
At Mernda Primary School, the Mathematics curriculum has a focus on developing increasingly sophisticated and refined mathematical understanding, fluency, reasoning, and problem solving.
The Mathematics curriculum ensures that the links between the various components of mathematics, as well as the relationship between mathematics and other disciplines, are made clear. Mathematics is composed of multiple but interrelated and interdependent concepts and structures which students apply beyond the mathematics classroom.
The Mathematics curriculum is organised into three strands, Number and Algebra (Number), Measurement and Geometry (Applied), and Statistics and Probability (Applied).
ICT and other resources
Mernda Primary School also has access to a range of ICT resources to support classroom teaching and learning programs. Some of the programs that are accessed on our wireless network include: Mathletics and Mangahigh. A range of books and activities can be accessed from these programs on student laptops and Interactive Whiteboards (IWB).
Mernda Primary School is resourced with a range of student and teacher materials and references. These resources support the planning of engaging lessons that are differentiated to cater for all the students’ learning needs. Manipulatives and a range of concrete materials are used from Foundation to Year 6, so the students can explore many concepts with hands on and visual experiences.
Assessment
At Mernda Primary School we closely track each students’ progress in Number & Algebra, Measurement & Geometry and Statistics & Probability. We use a range of assessment tools such as:
· ‘I CAN’ statements
· VCAA On Demand assessment
· Essential Assessment
At Mernda Primary School Formative and Summative assessments are completed throughout the course of the year in order to track student’s growth, monitor students’ performance and to inform future instruction. Formative assessment takes place before (assessment ‘for’ learning) and during (assessment ‘as’ learning) teaching; Summative assessment (assessment ‘of’ learning) takes place after the teaching.
Home and School Partnership
A positive partnership between home and school is strongly emphasised at Mernda Primary School. Students at Mernda Primary School from Foundation to Year 6 are required to complete weekly homework tasks that incorporate Mathematics.
Families play a significant role in their child’s learning by setting expectations, nurturing curiosity, and encouraging a love of learning.
They can help build their child’s mathematical skills through doing the following:
Families at Mernda Primary School are encouraged to participate in number fluency games and share/discuss real life situations where student’s mathematical thinking and problem solving can be applied. Additionally, Mernda Primary School encourages families to develop positive and enjoyable activities at home in order to assist with consolidating students’ skills and understandings learnt within the classroom. Click here for a list of activities families can share at home with their child.
PMSS Project
Mernda Primary School has been involved in the Department PMSS initiative for Mathematics. For more information click here
