Mathematics

"Math is the beautiful language of the universe."

Welcome to the Math Department! Some of your friends and family may recognize Ms. Belcastro, Mr. Sarkissian, and Ms. Curtis as they have been teaching at St. Joan (formerly Jean Vanier) for a long time. Their passion for math and commitment to their students' education manifests in different ways.

Applied vs Academic: What's the difference?

APPLIED AND COLLEGE COURSES

Focus on core expectations
Applications are more concrete, practical, and realistic
More teacher-guided with tools such as Ipads, manipulatives, games
Courses develop organizational skills and perseverance
Step-by-step instruction
Confident in verbal skills

Meet Ms. Belcastro

Ms. Belcastro has taught math at the elementary level, giving her insight into the foundations for knowledge her students need. She has been teaching Math at St. Joan for over ten years.

She says, "Students need to know the why behind the math. They need to begin by understanding why a mathematical idea is important and the kinds of contexts in which it is useful. The beauty of mathematics is that we can find deep connections to virtually every aspect of our lives, and this is what I believe truly makes math meaningful."

MATH IS FOR EVERYONE!

"It is up to teachers to help students realize that they can get better at math! Mistakes are okay and mistakes are important! We can learn from these mistakes and uncover more knowledge by making them. Math is everywhere, and we just need to stop and see those connections and truly understand them!"

Step Into Ms. Belcastro's Classroom!

ACADEMIC AND UNIVERSITY COURSES

Explore theoretical and and abstract concepts in addition to core expectations
Activities are more concrete, abstract, and theoretical
More student-initiated, independent learning activities that require self-motivation and responsibility
Students are often more independent
Students are confident in their reading and writing ability

Annual Math Contests

Meet Mr. Sarkissian

Mr. Sarkissian has been teaching Math and Physics in Ontario for over 25 years. He is the only math teacher in the TCDSB who is affiliated with the University of Waterloo in the capacity of Math Contest Developer. Mr. Sarkissian has also regularly published math puzzles in the newspaper and his own reference book for teachers and advanced students on Trigonometric Equations.

Persevering & Aiming High!

"In the learning of everything in life one needs to persevere, as nothing is gained without great labor. The first time you shoot a basketball, it may not go into the basket, or perhaps the first time you tried to ride the bicycle, you may have fallen on the ground or lost your balance, but gradually by never giving up and continuing to work hard, one can reach high levels in any area of learning."

Mr. Sarkissian's Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How do St. Joan's EQAO scores compare to other schools?

Please see here for results.

Q. How do I get free math tutoring?

The website tvo.org/homeworkhelp has math tutors that are available from 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm, Sunday to Thursday. Ontario certified math teachers chat with the students for free and using and interactive math learning tools help the students with their homework. This service is only for grades 7 to 10.

All a student needs is the OEN number and on the site the student will choose a username and password and register for free.

Q. How does the destreamed math class serve students better than Applied or Academic?

Research shows that the students most likely to be streamed into the grade nine applied math course are students who are Indigenous, Black, from low-income households, and/or have disabilities or other special education needs. It also shows that streaming leads to a lower graduation rate, a lower transition to PSE (post-secondary education). It increases the achievement, opportunity and outcomes gap, and engenders low academic achievement.

On the other hand, de-streaming allows students of different ability levels to have an opportunity to work together with accelerated instruction. Moreover, research shows that destreaming closes the divide for many students who are left behind before they begin the secondary school journey. Our support staff and teachers work hard to create an environment that engages all students, where students see themselves, their culture, represented in the learning. They apply an asset-based approach that focuses on strengths. It views diversity in thought, culture, and traits as positive assets, and where students are valued for what they bring to the classroom rather than being characterized by what they may need to work on or lack.

Q. Does the school provide pre-AP courses for grades 9, 10, and 11 as well as grade 12, and if yes, what extra topics do the students learn in grade 9-AP class, that is different from a standard grade 9 academic course content?

Yes, Saint Joan of Arc Catholic Academy offers Pre-AP math courses for all grades 9 to 12. Students in grade 9 Pre-AP courses learn more topics than students in a regular academic class. The extra topics are usually from grade 10 mathematics curriculum and it helps the students to be better prepared for their next grade. Just to name a few, some of these extra topics are: Rational and negative exponents, Binomial Distribution (F.O.I.L.), Solving Linear Systems of equations by substitution/graphing, Factoring quadratic trinomials, Standard /slope-intercept /point-slope forms of equations of lines, The curve of best and Tech. related activities using iPad Apps / Graphing calculators.

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