Mathematics
At all year levels, our enthusiastic and dedicated teachers aim to consolidate the teaching and learning of maths with real life applications and with the use of relevant technology. Our students complete mathematical investigations and are given the opportunity to apply their mathematics to unfamiliar situations. Mac technology is widely used at all year levels, and CAS calculators are used in Years 10-12.
In Years 7, 8 and 9 students are placed in mixed ability groups for maths. These year levels follow the Australian Curriculum and students are given the opportunity to cover the subject matter at a foundation, mainstream or enriched level.
At Year 10 the students are placed in classes according to their mathematical ability and interest level. Each student’s intended career pathway may also be a contributing factor in their Year 10 maths class allocation. All Year 10 classes follow the Australian Curriculum, with the Middle Maths students completing the mainstream Year 10 curriculum, while the Advanced Maths students complete the 10A curriculum.
At VCE level, all of the standard mathematical courses are offered to students. There is an opportunity for Year 11 students to accelerate their learning by studying Units 3&4 Maths in their first year of VCE. The following are the Year 11 and 12 VCE Mathematics options available to students:
- Maths Methods CAS Units 1 & 2
- Maths Methods CAS (Tertiary) Units 1 & 2
- General Maths (Further) Units 1 & 2
- General Maths (Specialist) Units 1 & 2
- Foundation Maths Units 1 & 2
- Maths Methods Units 3 & 4
- Further Maths Units 3 & 4
- Specialist Maths Units 3 & 4
Galen Catholic College is committed to offering Individual Learning opportunities to each and every student. Our high achieving students are given the opportunity to compete in the Australian Maths Challenge and the Australian Maths Competition each year. For those students who need extra support in their mathematics learning, we have GPC staff who assist in reinforcing the classroom program. There is also a homework HUB every Wednesday after school in the Senior Library, where students can get one on one assistance.