mySTMC

Mathematics

The STMC Mathematics Department places great emphasis on the development of mathematically powerful students. Our curriculum focuses on numeracy skills and competencies, as well as their practical application in higher education and the workplace. We believe students learn at various rates and have created course offerings to help students at any level achieve excellence in mathematics.

STMC offers both an enriched program for students with strong mathematics skills, and programs for students who require more support. Mathematics students participate in a range of mathematics contests throughout their time at STMC.

Mathematics Courses

Mathematics 8

BC’s redesigned curriculum is centered on the core competencies of communication, thinking, and personal & social skills. Mathematics 8 is designed to help students develop these competencies through daily group work in which students have opportunities to make their thinking visible. Additionally, Mathematics 8 is centered on curricular competencies that are designed to build numeracy and mathematical thinking. The following curricular competencies are the center of all mathematics courses: reasoning and analyzing, understanding and solving, communicating and representing, and connecting and reflecting. The big ideas of Mathematics 8 include: number sense, computational fluency, linear relations, shape and space, and data analysis.

Mathematics 8: BC Curriculum Document

Mathematics 9

Mathematics 9 builds on the competencies developed in Mathematics 8 in the areas of reasoning and analyzing, understanding and solving, communicating and representing, and connecting and reflecting.  The big ideas of Mathematics 9 include: number, patterns and relations, spatial sense, and statistics and probability. Special attention is paid to operations with rational numbers and exponents. Algebra continues with linear equations and an introduction to polynomials.  Students also study the symmetry and proportional relationships of 2D objects, and further their study of data analysis, collection, and reliability. The prerequisite for this course is the successful completion of Mathematics 8. At the end of this course, students are prepared for Workplace Mathematics 10 and/or Foundations of Mathematics and Pre-calculus 10.

Foundations of Mathematics and Pre-Calculus 10

This course fulfills the Math 10 graduation requirement and keeps options open for post-secondary.  If your mark in Math 9 is in the low 60% range and below, students should talk to their parents, teachers and academic counselors to determine if this is their best option.  

Foundations of Mathematics and Pre-calculus 10 is designed to provide students with mathematical understandings and critical thinking skills identified for post-secondary studies in both the arts and the sciences.  These skills will be developed through a continued focus on the curricular competencies that are the center of all mathematics courses including: reasoning and analyzing, understanding and solving, communicating and representing, and connecting and reflecting.  This course focuses on the big ideas of proportional comparisons in trigonometry, operations with algebraic expressions, linear relations, and financial literacy. The prerequisite for this course is the successful completion of Mathematics 9. At the end of this course students are prepared for Workplace Mathematics 11, Foundations of Mathematics 11, and/or Pre-calculus 11.

Workplace Mathematics 10

This course meets the Math 10 Graduation requirement and is intended for students heading to one of the local colleges, trade schools, or directly into the workforce. If your mark in Math 9 is in the low 60% range and below, students should talk to their parents, teachers, and academic counselors to determine if this is their best option.  This course may limit a student’s options at the post-secondary level. 

This pathway is designed to provide students with mathematical understandings and critical-thinking skills identified for entry into a trades program or for direct entry into the workforce. These skills will be developed through a continued focus on the curricular competencies that are the center of all mathematics courses including: reasoning and analyzing, understanding, and solving, communicating and representing, and connecting and reflecting.  This course focuses on the big ideas of proportional comparisons including trigonometry and unit conversions, operations with formulas as applied to surface area and volume, graphical relations, and financial literacy. The prerequisite for this course is the successful completion of Mathematics 9. At the end of this course, students are prepared for Workplace Mathematics 11.

Foundations of Mathematics 11

This course is for students who intend to pursue arts in university or college. (For students heading into sciences or business, this course will not suffice) At the end of this course, students are prepared for Foundations of Mathematics 12 and will not be permitted to switch into the Pre-Calculus 12 pathway. (Currently all major post-secondary institutions except UBC, will admit students into Arts who have achieved a minimum of 60% in Foundations of Mathematics 11.) If students are in the “Foundations” pathway and want to get a university degree, it is recommended that they take Foundations of Mathematics 12 as well. UBC will only accept students to their Arts program if they have both Foundations of Mathematics 11 and Foundations of Mathematics 12. 

The Foundations of Mathematics pathway is designed to provide students with the mathematical understandings and critical-thinking skills identified for post-secondary studies in programs that do not require the study of theoretical calculus, including most arts programs. Topics include financial mathematics, geometry, measurement, logical reasoning, relations and functions, and statistics.  The prerequisite for this course is the successful completion of Foundations of Mathematics and Pre-calculus 10. This course meets the grade 11 mathematics requirement for graduation. Students may choose to take Foundations of Mathematics 12 upon completion of this course.

Pre-Calculus 11

This course is for students heading to university/college. At the end of this course, students are prepared for Pre-Calculus 12 and/or Foundations of Mathematics 12. Some students may choose to take Calculus 12 concurrently with Pre-Calculus 12. All major post-secondary institutions will admit students into Arts who have achieved a minimum of 60% in Pre-Calculus 11. 

The Pre-calculus pathway is designed to provide students with the mathematical understandings and critical-thinking skills identified for entry into post-secondary programs that require the study of theoretical calculus (e.g., sciences, business, or engineering). Topics include algebra and number, relations and functions, and trigonometry. The prerequisite for this course is the successful completion of Foundations of Mathematics and Pre-calculus 10. This course meets the grade 11 mathematics requirement for graduation. Students may choose to take Foundations of Mathematics 12 or Pre-calculus 12 upon completion of this course.

Workplace Mathematics 11

This option is designed to provide students with mathematical understanding and critical-thinking skills identified for entry into most trades and colleges. At the end of this course, students are prepared for Workplace Mathematics 12 (Offered only online). Depending on future goals, mathematics upgrading may be necessary. This course meets the grade 11 graduation requirement.

This pathway is designed to provide students with mathematical understandings and critical thinking skills identified for entry into a trades program or for direct entry into the workforce. Topics include algebra, geometry, measurement, number, and statistics.  The prerequisite for this course is the successful completion of Workplace Mathematics 10 and/or Foundations of Mathematics and Pre-calculus 10. This course meets the grade 11 mathematics requirement for graduation. Students may choose to take Workplace Mathematics 12 upon completion of this course.

Pre-Calculus 12

The Pre-calculus pathway is designed to provide students with the mathematical understandings and critical-thinking skills identified for entry into post-secondary programs that require the study of theoretical calculus (e.g., science, business, or engineering). Topics include algebra, logarithms and their applications, relations and functions, trigonometry, and combinations. Prerequisite: Pre-Calculus Math 11- a 73% standing or better is strongly recommended.

Foundations of Mathematics 12

This course is for university/college students heading to the arts not the sciences or business. If students are in the Foundations stream and plan to go to university as Arts students it is strongly recommended that they take Foundations of Math 12. In fact, UBC Arts requires Foundations of Math 12 (Foundations of Math 11 is not enough.)  The Foundations Math 12 mark might be able to be used to calculate entry GPAs at UBC but not for faculties requiring Pre-Calculus 12. Prerequisite: Foundations Math 11 or permission of Department Head if moving from Math Pre-Calc. 11.

The Foundations of Mathematics pathway is designed to provide students with the mathematical understandings and critical-thinking skills identified for post-secondary studies in programs that do not require the study of theoretical calculus, including most arts programs. Topics include financial mathematics, logical reasoning, relations and functions, and probability. 

Calculus 12

Calculus 12 is intended for students who plan to take a 1st year Calculus course as part of their post-secondary studies in disciplines such as business, economics, engineering, mathematics, and science. This course will preview most of the major topics taken in first-year Calculus. It is a great advantage for students to be familiar with the nature of the subject prior to heading to a post-secondary institution. Topics include Limits and Continuity, Derivatives and Differentiation Techniques, Functions and Graphs, Related Rates, Antiderivatives, Differential Equations, Area and Volume and Integration Methods. Prerequisite: Pre-Calculus Math 11 – an 80% standing or better is recommended. 

*Pre-Calculus is a co-requisite for Calculus 12. At STMC, students typically take these two courses concurrently

Computer Science 12

This course is designed for dedicated students who are either looking for an accelerated computer science challenge or are considering entry into a computer science university program. This CS12 course, focusing on the Java language, closely follows the CS12 AP (A) outcomes and most CS 1000-level university courses, prioritizing methodical understanding and precise computing over the development of larger projects. The final portion of the year is allocated to team development strategies and a practical project in a different language.

Students taking this course should be prepared to allocate regular time outside of class for homework and self-study; with an equal amount of time and effort, it is expected that a student would earn a higher overall grade in Computer Programming 12 than in Computer Science 12. As a Mathematics credit, a final CS12 grade may count differently towards post-secondary applications – please see an academic advisor for more information.

Prerequisite: Computer Programming 11 or with Instructor’s permission (for 2022-2023 academic year)