Breadcrumb

Mathematics

The Mathematics Department in the Prep School believes everyone learns math best through exploration, discovery and problem solving. In our approach to teaching, we aim to inspire curiosity and a sense of wonder while fostering perseverance and a growth mindset. Our students are asked to be thoughtfully engaged at every level and to appreciate the process of productive struggle.

The department collaborates to design the problems that shape our curriculum with the belief that every concept is best explored from four different perspectives: numerical, visual, algebraic and verbal. Teaching through these four lenses ensures genuine and comprehensive understanding. Teachers help students recognize patterns and construct knowledge through questions and observations. In the Prep School mathematics program, students begin with an introductory Algebra course followed by Geometry, Algebra II, Precalculus and Calculus. All of the courses are problem-based and student-centered: students are exposed to problems for which they have not been given specific procedures to follow, allowing them to grow as mathematicians and develop independence, creative thinking and flexible mathematical habits of mind. 

Each of the classes are taught in a way that reflects the department’s commitment to all eight New York State Standards for Mathematical Practice. Our math classrooms are dynamic places. Students are often at the board working in groups or pairs. Creative assessments and homework assignments stretch students beyond memorization and promote collaborative, thoughtful work. The classroom is a space where students are encouraged to make conjectures, test hypotheses and learn from mistakes, all while developing a love for learning and a commitment to revising and improving their thinking.

Course Offerings

New York State Standards for Mathematical Practice
  • Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them
  • Reason abstractly and quantitatively
  • Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others
  • Model with mathematics
  • Use appropriate tools strategically
  • Attend to precision.
  • Look for and make use of structure
  • Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning