Girls take out maths comp

Two national wins in Mathematics for Tara Anglican School for Girls

Who ever said girls can’t do maths hasn’t met the girls from Tara Anglican School for Girls. The Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers (AAMT) has awarded their Year 8 and Year 10 classes with first places in their respective categories at the National Maths Talent Quest.

“This is a wonderful achievement for our Year 8 and Year 10 students where they were able to showcase their mathematical learning in a fun and creative way,” says Tara Principal, Mrs Susan Middlebook.

Both classes were first entered into ‘Investigating with Mathematics’ competition, a state competition run by the Mathematics Association of NSW (MANSW) designed to promote the application of mathematics to real world questions. “Through this competition, we take our students beyond the syllabus to explore theories and generalisations involving some Mathematics. Each year we enter the girls into competitions to extend their learning and they have done exceedingly well. We are very proud of all the girls who took part in the competition,” says Head of Mathematics, Mrs Desley Williams.

Mathematics Teacher, Mr Darren Brett, entered his Year 8 class project ‘The Perfect Human Eating the Perfect Meal’, which investigated the mathematics behind what makes a perfect human in relation to their body parts and the Golden Ratio. The class also looked at what made the perfect meal: the calories consumed verses the calories used by the ‘perfect person’ as well as the shape of the food and ingredients used. The class received first place in the ‘Year 8 Class’ category.

Mrs Janine Nguyen, another Mathematics Teacher, entered her Year 10 class into the same competition. Their project was titled, ‘What are the Odds?’, and saw them research the facts and mathematics behind four casino card games – Blackjack, Roulette, Craps and Baccarat. Their project investigated the probabilities involved during a game and the students deduced that the casino had a higher probability of winning rather than the player. The class received first place in the ‘Year 10 Class’ category, and were automatically entered into the national competition run by AAMT.

The AAMT is dedicated to supporting and promoting mathematics education throughout Australia. For more information on competitions, please visit their website at www.aamt.edu.au