Tag Archives: 2014

US Math Students of the Trimester – Fall 2014

I am excited to announce a new award, the Upper School Mathematics Students of the Trimester!

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Each math faculty member was free to choose whichever student of theirs they thought best exemplified what they are looking for in a model mathematics student. The official description of the award is as follows:

“Awarded to students who exemplify the math department’s core values of competence, confidence, and perseverance while helping their peers realize the relevance and importance of an exceptional mathematical education both for its beauty and for its practical application.”

The following students have been recognized as the Upper School Mathematics Students of the Trimester for Fall 2014.

Please join me in congratulating these outstanding mathematics students!

Natalia BaumNatalia Baum – Natalia is such a committed math student; she exemplifies the kind of diligence and perseverance I like to see! She is always the first person to ask a question or seek help when she doesn’t understand something, and she is committed to keeping up with all the material for each day’s class. Moreover, she is just such a wonderful young woman to have in the class – friendly, attentive, and always positive. She grasps concepts quickly, but more importantly, as soon as she doesn’t fully grasp something, she starts asking questions and seeking help. I so enjoy teaching her.
Saul BlainSaul Blain – Saul has had a wonderful first trimester in Algebra II. He is a diligent worker who enjoys volunteering answers and being challenged. He has performed at the highest levels on tests and quizzes. His work is thorough, thoughtful and very accurate. Never flustered, Saul enjoys inferring previously learned concepts into new problems even if he is uncertain. He is a class leader in participation and brings a positive attitude to class each day!
Caroline BordenCaroline Borden – Caroline has been a very strong and consistent math student all trimester long. Caroline learns the material quickly and well. She has been nearly flawless on all of her different assessments.
Eric ChenEric Chen – Eric was a marvelous algebra II student. He quickly mastered the material we were learning in the class. He was a role-model student who always completed his in-class work along with his homework assignments. Eric frequently answered difficult questions during class, always helped his classmates, and came to class with a positive attitude.
Stephen GoldsmithStephen Goldsmith – Stephen has done a great job in this class – full of outstanding students. He struggled a bit at the beginning of the term, worked hard in class, came for extra help and really came into his own with the material.
Umi KeezingUmi Keezing – Umi is a truly dynamic student who not only deeply understands the material, but can explain it to her peers with ease. Additionally, I have been impressed by her ability to find creative solutions. She has a strong work ethic and dominates class without ever demanding attention.
Katie MurrayKatie Murray – She is one of the very few students to ever get 100% on a calculus exam.
Loren PoLoren Po – A statistician’s job is not an easy one! To be a good statistician, one must attend to the details while keeping in mind the larger context. Additionally, one must interpret numerical results and explain them in a way that makes sense to anyone. A beautiful graphic is lost without an articulate explanation of the pattern it shows. Loren has worked hard to understand sophisticated theories and methods and has demonstrated his ability to eloquently use the language of a statistician with his thoughtful explanations. What I appreciate so much about Loren is his willingness to help others understand difficult concepts. Keep up the good work!.
Erika SasakiErika Sasaki – Erika demonstrated the most hard working and diligent work ethic in my classes during the first trimester. She always asks questions that help the rest of the class gain a deeper understanding of the material while maintaining a positive attitude. It has been a pleasure working with Erika so far this year.
Emily YaegerEmily Yeager – Emily has shown the highest level of engagement with all the material. She is inquisitive and willing to tackle any problem. Emily has done an outstanding job mastering the material in Honors Algebra 2.
Cade ZawackiCade Zawacki – Never in my teaching career can I recall having a student achieve a 100% on just about every aspect of the course. Cade earned a legitimate 100 on each of the four assessments he took in trimester 1. In terms of homework, although he did not do each problem perfectly the first time around, he showed clearly that he had taken the time to think carefully about each question and had used all of his resources to try to understand and solve the problem at hand. He made one small error on the final assessment but solved the bonus question, and did so in a unique way. What more can I say!
Molly ZawackiMolly Zawacki – Molly’s work in this class has been of the highest caliber. The programs she writes are concise, accurate and very well documented. Her program logic is well thought-out and shows the maturity of a seasoned programmer. Molly is enthusiastic, persistent, and greets each class with a smile!

 

Past students of the trimester can be found right here: Fall 2013, Winter 2014, Spring 2014

US Math Students of the Trimester – Spring 2014

I am excited to announce a new award, the Upper School Mathematics Students of the Trimester!

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Each math faculty member was free to choose whichever student of theirs they thought best exemplified what they are looking for in a model mathematics student. The official description of the award is as follows:

“Awarded to students who exemplify the math department’s core values of competence, confidence, and perseverance while helping their peers realize the relevance and importance of an exceptional mathematical education both for its beauty and for its practical application.”

The following students have been recognized as the Upper School Mathematics Students of the Trimester for Spring 2014.

Please join me in congratulating these outstanding mathematics students!

Cody CavanaghCody Cavanagh – Cody is my student of the trimester because of the way in which he delves into the intricacies of mathematical concepts. Cody completes all of the more straight-forward problems accurately and then spends his time and effort on the most challenging ones. He has consistently shown skill with proofs, with logical thinking, and with making connections. He has had a great year in Geometry in every way!
Marquis FrancoisMarquis Francois – Marquis is one of my most dedicated students. He is always prepared, and his quiet nature belies a strong intellect. I love teaching him, and I can always count on him to fully master the material
Lauren HelmLauren Helm – During T3 Lauren has stepped up her already strong math game. She has been even more laser focused in class, has totally dominated recent topics, and she’s a fantastic driver during small group projects. Her mature yet fun-loving attitude has helped stabilize an energetic class. Her work product has been extraordinarily consistent.
Lanxi KangLanxi Kang – Nancy has excelled in Algebra 2 honors all year. She has thought deeply about each topic that we have covered this year. Each day she has brought the highest level of preparation to class. She has shown a genuine interest in each topic that we have covered and even more importantly a genuine interest in the topic of mathematics in general.
Movassaghi,-Jasmin
Jasmine Movassaghi

Jasmin Movassaghi – Jasmin has been a B+/ A student all year. More importantly than that is her work ethic and commitment to understanding the concepts. She can always be counted on to take risks to answer questions. As important is that she will not allow the teacher to continue if she is the least bit confused. Putting all that together makes her a pleasure to teach and a great role model for her fellow students.

Gleb PashchenkoGleb Pashchenko – Gleb is our first ever double award winner! From one teacher: Gleb has done impressive work in AP statistics this year. He has come to understand the underlying principles of statistical analysis. In this course, students learn the language of a statistician and practice interpreting results with quantified measures of uncertainty. Gleb has been a model for this practice and consistently demonstrates his desire to improve his knowledge and skills. From another teacher: Gleb has excelled in all aspects of this course. He has had perfect test scores and regularly submits outstanding quality coding projects. Gleb’s attention to detail is superb and he is a joy to have in class.
Ryan PatenaudeRyan Patenaude – Ryan is an outstanding math student and has done well all year in pre-calculus. Ryan always answers difficult questions during class, completes his work with thoughtfulness and effort, and helps his classmates frequently.
Taylor PotaskyTaylor Potasky – She has been consistently at the top of the class. She works very hard and is always focused and on task. she is one of the most likeable people in the school.
Alexis RyanAlexis Ryan – Alexis is always engaged and works hard. She has been particularly responsible about staying on top of her work when she has been away from school for outside commitments. She is helpful to the others in the class and helps to keep a fun and positive atmosphere in class.
Evan StarkEvan Stark – Evan has been a very consistent student all year long. This trimester, he has been nearly flawless on all of his assessments. In class, he is always well focused and engaged in our discussions. He has been a leader, and has helped the class move forward on a daily basis.
Lindsay WhippleLindsay Whipple – Lindsay has been a diligent worker in every aspect of Geometry. Always focused and on task in class, Lindsay enjoys a challenge. She has battled through the demanding questions of the third trimester by drawing on previously learned concepts while looking for new ways to solve a problem. Her work is accurate and she has learned from the few mistakes she has made this semester. I commend her determination to be her best!

 

Past students of the trimester can be found right here: Fall 2013, Winter 2014

PSAT Math Review

Last night I ran a review session for math section of the upcoming PSAT examination. My screen recording of the session is below along with a few resource documents. A few helpful things to remember:

1) Always guess if you can eliminate at least one answer.
2) Make sure you guess randomly.
3) Make sure you are answering what the question is asking.
4) Just because the answer you came up with is listed as a choice doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the correct answer.

PSAT2014 – Math review session – my notes (PDF)
PSAT2014 – Blank practice test w/answer key (PDF)
PSAT2014 – Practice test w/my work for the math problems and the answer key (PDF)