SD64 Gulf Islands

Southern Gulf Islands Schools

math

University of Waterloo Challenges Middle School Students 2019

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Over 40 students at Saltspring Island Middle School participated in the Canada wide Beaver Computing Challenge on Thursday, November 14th. This nationwide discovery activity is organized by the University of Waterloo to introduces computer science to students. It is designed to get students with little or no previous experience excited about computing.

The challenge is a problem-solving contest with a focus on computational and logical thinking. Questions are inspired by topics in computer science but only require comfort with concepts found in mathematics curriculum common to all provinces. Middle School students were focussed and enthusiastic in their participation.

story and photo: Louise Doucet

University of Waterloo Challenges Middle School Students

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In the middle of November, 6715 students from across Canada participated in the Beaver Computing Challenge (BCC). The challenge is issued by the University of Waterloo and is a problem-solving contest that focuses on computational and logical thinking. Questions are inspired by topics in computer science and only require comfort with concepts found in mathematics curriculum common to all provinces.

Walterloo Contest (at SIMS)

Seventeen grade 7 and 8 students from Salt Spring Island Middle School wrote the challenge this year. Student participants came from the Middle Years Saturna Ecological Education Centre (MySEEC), the French Immersion, and the English stream. They all performed very well and four students have been awarded Certificates of Distinction.

When our learners engage in such enriching activities with enthusiasm and success, it bodes well for numeracy in our district.

story and photo: Louise Doucet

Large ‘Numbers’ Engaged at Math Night

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About one hundred people attended Math Night on the evening of Tuesday, April 26th. Mathematicians young and old came together in the multipurpose room at GISS to engage in mathematics, explore puzzles and experience some hands on mathematics. Richard Hoshino, a professor at Quest University in Squamish, was on hand to share stories of how his students are exploring the technique of reformulating hard real-world problems into simpler equivalent math problems. Richard brought this technique to life in the demonstration of the leap frog problem: how to swap girls at one end of a line with the boys at the other end of the line, without having to move anyone backwards. Audience participation helped to solve the problem, and Richard helped us work towards a solution by having us consider simpler stages of the problem. There were lots to do for everyone, and one young attendee had so much fun he was hoping to come back the next night.

Math Night at GISS (John Cameron)

Math Games Night (John Cameron)

IMG_0539(Janet-Hoag)

IMG_1095(Janet-Hoag)

IMG_0571(Janet-Hoag)

Story: Sue Robinson

Photos:
John Cameron (#1-#3)
Janet Hoag (#4-#7)

Collaboration in Action

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Bo Curtis and Sue Robinson each presented one of the over 100 workshops at the Northwest Math Conference in Whistler this past weekend.

Bo’s topic was promoting numeracy through the use of the slide rule. Participants made their own paper slide rules to use, and many packed along their own slide rules specifically to bring to his workshop!

Sue’s workshop was a hands-on construction of sinusoidal functions and the unit circle, using paper and string. Sue modelled this activity with her attendees so that they can use it directly in their own classrooms.

Sue Robinson delivering her workshop at the math conference in October.

Math Workshop

photo: Jess Willows

 

Gulf Islands Math Collaborative Inquiry Project

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You are invited to participate in the

Gulf Islands Math Collaborative Inquiry Project

“A successful face-to-face team is more than just collectively intelligent. It makes everyone work harder, think smarter and reach better conclusions than they would have on their own.”
– James Surowiecki

What is it?

A guided inquiry project for teams of educators at one or more schools who are interested in improving mathematical thinking through developing thinking skills across the curriculum.

The Goals of this project are to:

  • Provide opportunities for educators to collaborate and apply effective numeracy strategies,
  • Continue to build a teaching culture focused on improving numeracy results for all students, and
  • Use current research to foster mathematical success.

Who is invited to participate?

Teachers of math (or related field) to students in grade 4 to 12 in Gulf Islands School District.

How will it work?

We will meet as participants to:

  • Identify collaborative partners. These may be cross-grade, cross-school, or same school.
  • Develop an inquiry about mathematics learning.
  • There will be limited or no homework.
  • Participate in 4 joint sessions as well as a classroom visit from January to June 2013 (Some sessions will be full-day and some will be half-day; release time will be provided.)
  • Unpack big ideas and other elements of BC’s new Transforming Curriculum
  • Consider continuing into the 2014-15 school year.

Calendar to June 2014:

January 23rd (1:30 to 4:15) School Board Office
February 20th (all day) — Mayne School
March 6th & May 15th (to be confirmed)

Ideas you might consider:

math diagram

To express interest:

Please email with your name, school and grades taught by January 20, 2014 to:

For more info contact one of the coordinators listed above.