Middle School Mandarin

Mr. Jing Li and Mrs. Zhou Ju

In the process of online learning, Chinese courses will still allow students to train their Chinese language skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. There may be some differences in the exercises, but I believe students can easily get started. Let’s take a quick look at the following four areas.

Listening: We will prepare audio recordings of the textbook and our own course materials to ensure that students have a more authentic language listening environment.

Speaking: Students will have more speaking practice. Some topics may require family support and participation, but it will be a very interesting family activity. Students will share their work by recording and videotaping.

Reading: Depending on the students’ level of Chinese, they will have different reading exercises; some will be reading the text aloud and others may have some reading comprehension exercises. Students will share their work by recording and videotaping.

Writing: Students will still have writing assignments.  Students will need to take pictures of their writing assignments, and we will revise and give feedback in the Google class. At the same time, students will have more practice in typing Chinese words, which is an important skill in modern languages.

The above information is relevant information about our school’s Chinese online courses. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.  We wish you all the best and good health.

High School Math

Ms. Mattos, Dr. Santiago, Ms. Santiago

Since transitioning to online learning, it has taken some adjustment for both students and teachers.  However, the high school math students have accepted the challenge with enthusiasm and attendance has been excellent.  We make it a priority to video-conference at least 3 times a week (minimum) and teachers are able to meet their students’ individual needs via office hours or individual meetings.

Geometry: Ms. Santiago

Our 9th Graders have been introduced to the world of Geometry. Students have recently finished Unit 1, where they named, sketched and identified geometric figures; used postulates to identify congruent segments; found lengths of segments using the distance formula as well as midpoints; reviewed how to name, draw and identify complementary and supplementary angles; described angle relationships; and finally, found circumferences and areas of circles as well as areas and perimeters of polygons.   The class has just started with our second unit. This unit will focus on developing the students’ skills in reasoning, both inductive and deductive. Students will be able to write proofs that use postulates, theorems and their properties.

Grade 10 Algebra 2: Ms. Mattos

Students in Grade 10 Algebra 2 have just completed chapter 1 which involves Quadratic Equations, Functions, and Complex Numbers.  Quadratic Functions are an integral part of the foundation in higher math and must be mastered in order to excel.  We will soon begin chapter 2 which involves Polynomial Functions which are basically functions of a higher degree.

Grade 11 – Precalculus: Ms. Mattos

Students in grade 11 Precalculus have just completed chapter 1 which is  basically an intense review of Algebra 2.  It is helpful to have a refresher as it is imperative to have a strong foundation in order to excel in Precalculus.  We are excited to begin working with Rational Functions and Nonlinear Inequalities.  This is also the perfect time for students to become more familiar with the Graphing Calculator and/or other technology software.

Business Mathematics: Ms. Santiago

Mathematics is all around us. To become a smart consumer, a good citizen, and to have a successful career,  you need to understand mathematics in the context of personal finance and business. Knowledge of financial literacy is vital. The skills required to manage one’s financial resources effectively for lifetime financial security are what we want our students to have as they complete their final Mathematics course at SIS. 

Students in this class have had the opportunity to explore future careers that they would like to pursue after SIS. They researched and interviewed people they know about their chosen career. At this level in their course, students  know the importance of calculating gross income and taxes accurately. Students will be able to experience filling out their sample income tax returns based on their chosen careers.

As remote learning continues, it seems that our students were able to adjust to online learning while meeting the course requirements. Our Business Mathematics students are well adept with the use of Google Classroom as their main learning management system. All notes, lesson videos, powerpoints, independent practices, and assessments are accessible from there. A Kami license has been purchased by the school for students and teachers’ use as well as a Goformative license to aid with any formative and summative assessments during remote learning.

See also: Secondary Scoop: MS Theatre Arts and HS Mandarin

AP Calculus AB: Dr. G

The AP Calculus AB is class is doing well despite the challenges brought by the pandemic. The students are highly engaged and motivated. The level of enthusiasm from the students is indeed inspiring. Their good performance shows that they have adapted well to the online setup. Everyone has been able to attend the synchronous classes and they are on task during the asynchronous classes.

Online mathematics classes come with many challenges. In order to mitigate these challenges, the teacher uses a dual-screen system so that all the participants in the online class can be seen in one full screen while the lecture or presentation is on the other screen. This provides the classroom atmosphere that everyone is missing.

A pen tablet is also a great tool used by the teacher as it allows for writing down mathematical expressions like how it is done on a whiteboard or chalkboard. The online applications Microsoft Onenote and Kami App have proven to be effective in the aid of teaching online. The Google Classroom has always been a wonderful learning management tool, especially during online learning. The AP Calculus students also use WebAssign and the AP Classroom as part of their online learning.

The class has covered unit 1 on limits and continuity and recently had the unit test. The class will soon move on to unit 2 on differentiation and its properties. It has been a good start for the school year and the students are looking forward to learning more Calculus concepts.