Math Resources

The best out-of-class resource available to students is a visit to a teacher during office hours. All of our teachers post the hours they are available for drop-in questions, whether before or after school or during break or lunch. If a student’s activities conflict with his teacher’s office hours, then he should let his teacher know and the teacher will arrange an alternative meeting time.

Office hours is a block of time during which a teacher is available to answer the questions of any student who wants to come in and ask. For example, a student can ask for clarification of a concept, he can ask to work a few practice problems with the teacher, or he can ask for specific strategies for preparing for a quiz or a test. When our graduating seniors are asked what single piece of advice they would give to someone who wants to succeed in math at Bellarmine, seeking help from teachers — right away, as soon as the student needs it — is the number one response. All of our teachers are more than happy to answer a student’s question, clarify a concept, or strategize about an upcoming exam.

There are a number of reasons why office hours is the most beneficial form of outside help:

• When a student meets with his teacher, he will not only receive help but also course-specific advice that only the teacher can provide. Working together also builds the student-teacher relationship and fosters better communication.
• The conversation will provide important feedback for the teacher regarding what his or her students are struggling with and could lead to helpful adjustments in instruction.
• An office hours visit or two may be enough to help navigate the student through his struggles. When the student is back on track, he learns that seeking help and advocating for himself are useful strategies when he encounters struggle. These are the types of strategies that will serve him well when he goes off to college.
• A teacher is in a better position to make recommendations regarding additional resources after having met with a student during office hours.

We want all students to know that office hours are used by many of our most successful math students. Successful students learn to use all of the resources available to them effectively, and teacher office hours is definitely the first outside-of-class resource to try.

In addition to teacher office hours, students can meet with math tutors in ARC on a drop-in basis before, during or after school. These tutors are current college students or recent college graduates who can answer questions and help with homework as needed. ARC is located on the second floor of Lokey.

We encourage students to ask questions of their group-mates in class. Our class structure and classroom norms are designed to support plenty of opportunity for questioning and discussion between students — both for exploration of new ideas and for homework review. Many questions can be cleared up this way. But sometimes the group is stumped, or after hearing an explanation, the student is still confused. In these situations, the student should feel free to bring the question to the teacher. If the teacher doesn’t have time to answer the question at that moment, then he/she will invite the student to see him/her at the end of class or during office hours.

Youcubed.org is a website started by Stanford professor, Jo Boaler, who has conducted research into effective ways of teaching and learning math. She has also done a lot of work in the area of leveraging the benefits of a Growth Mindset for learning math. On her website, she presents a number of her findings, and she offers very practical advice for teachers, parents and students. Many of our Bellarmine math teachers have taken Dr. Boaler’s online courses, and her work influences what we do in the classroom a great deal.

Our department teachers have found Dr. Boaler’s work to be both inspiring and useful. We encourage all parents and students to visit the website.

• Youcubed Link for parents
• Youcubed link for students
• Ted Talk on Brain Research and How People Learn Math
• Four Math Messages from Jo Boaler and her students
• Seven Positive Math Norms

CPM provides students with free online access to hints and/or answers to assigned homework problems. (Note: teachers also often post answers to assigned homework problems on Canvas.) Students are encouraged to do their best to arrive at a solution on their own and to access the homework help when they need it. If a student is experiencing difficulty with homework on a consistent basis, then he is encouraged to see his teacher during office hours.

Links to Homework Help Pages:
(Note: There is also a link to the HW help page from the student’s eBook)

• Algebra 1 
• Geometry (or Geometry Honors)
• Algebra 2 (or Algebra 2 Honors, or Accelerated Algebra 2)

Sometimes students want an alternative explanation of an idea along with additional practice problems. The Parent Guide resources are arranged by chapter and strand. The format of these resources is a brief restatement of the idea, some typical examples, practice problems, and the answers to those problems. The parent guide can also be a helpful resource for parents who are working with the student. The Parent Guide is available as a printed copy for purchase at the CPM Web Store ($20) or accessiblefree in pdf format by following the appropriate link below.

• Algebra 1 Parent Guide
• Geometry (or Geometry Honors) Parent Guide
• Algebra 2 (or Algebra 2 Honors or Accelerate Algebra 1) Parent Guide

Upon completing each of our Core math courses (Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2), a student is expected to have mastered a set of key skills so that he will be adequately prepared for the course at the next level. These skills are summarized in the back of each textbook in the “Checkpoint Materials” section. The text identifies one or two problems from each chapter as “Checkpoint Problems,” which students can attempt to solve in order to determine whether they have mastered a particular skill (e.g “Solving Linear Equations). Full solutions to checkpoint problems, along with some explanation, are included in the Checkpoint Materials section. There are also additional practice problems on each topic, along with answers, to help the student develop the skill.

Checkpoint Problems can be used by a student to quiz himself as he moves through a course, but they can also be used during the summer after the course, to ensure readiness for the next level. We believe that ensuring readiness by checking skills from a student’s previous course is a better use of summer math time than trying to preview the next course. Ensuring a firm foundation is a key success factor.

The table below provides guidance regarding which Checkpoint Problems apply for each course.

*Note: If a student’s eBook subscription expires over the summer then another 1-year subscription can be purchased at shop.cpm.org for $10.

It’s important to remember that different students master skills at different rates. But it’s helpful for all students to measure and practice skills and Checkpoint Problems are a useful tool for this.

• How to Succeed in Math Department Study Plan

The transition from Geometry (regular or Honors) to Algebra 2 Honors is a very challenging one. Even if you have qualified for Algebra 2 Honors by meeting the grade prerequisites, the transition and the higher level of rigor will challenge you. For starters, you will absolutely need a rock-solid foundation in the concepts of Algebra 1 and Geometry. But to truly be successful, you must have a strong enough command of these concepts to apply them in combination and in new ways. Compared to the regular version of the Algebra 2 course, the Honors version is more rigorous, and the language is more formal. The demands of the Honors course are higher because it is designed to prepare students for the Precalculus Honors course.

This self-assessment will help you measure your command of Algebra 1 and Geometry concepts and hence, your readiness for Algebra 2 Honors.

• Algebra 2 Honors Pre-Assessment

If you decide NOT to take Algebra 2 Honors and you’ve already requested it, then you should contact your counselor prior to May 1st to request regular Algebra 2 instead. After May 1st, course requests are locked in. There is a two-week drop period at the start of the school year, but moving to regular Algebra 2 at that point will only be an option if there is space available in that course. If there is no space, the student will be required to stay in Algebra 2 Honors. Please also note that a drop in September may require changing other classes in your course schedule which would force you to leave another class that you really like.

The document below includes advice to aspiring Algebra 2 Honors students from current Algebra 2 Honors students. The advice covers a range of topics from what to expect from the course, to key success factors. A common theme is that resilience and perseverance are important when adjusting to the rigor of the course. Students should not panic if they receive poor scores at the start of the semester. Students who are prepared to dedicate extra time and effort to the course frequently finish the semester well, even after a rocky start.

• Student Advice for Aspiring Algebra 2H Students

If you decide NOT to take Algebra 2 Honors and you’ve already requested it, then you should contact your counselor prior to May 1st to request regular Algebra 2 instead. After May 1st, course requests are locked in. There is a two-week drop period at the start of the school year, but moving to regular Algebra 2 at that point will only be an option if there is space available in that course. If there is no space, the student will be required to stay in Algebra 2 Honors. Please also note that a drop in September may require changing other classes in your course schedule which would force you to leave another class that you really like.

Are you really ready for Precalc Honors?

The transition from Algebra 2 (regular or honors) to Precalc Honors is perhaps the most challenging of all transitions in the Bellarmine math curriculum. Even if you have qualified for Precalc Honors by meeting the grade prerequisites, the transition and the higher level of rigor will challenge you. Precalculus, more than any other level of math you’ve experienced so far, will ask you to draw on math concepts you have learned over the years and to apply them in combination, and in new ways. To be successful, you must have a solid command of these tools and you must recognize when to use them. This self-assessment will help you measure your command of Algebra 2 concepts and hence, your readiness for Precalc Honors. It will also help you reflect on whether you really want to take the course.

• Self-test for PCH Readiness

If you decide NOT to take Precalc Honors and you’ve already requested it, then you should contact your counselor prior to May 1st to request regular Precalculus instead. After May 1st, course requests are locked in. There is a two-week drop period at the start of the school year, but moving to regular Precalculus at that point will only be an option if there is space available in that course. If there is no space, the student will be required to stay in Precalc Honors. Please also note that a drop in September may require changing other classes in your course schedule which would force you to leave another class that you really like.

The document below includes advice to aspiring Precalc Honors students from current Precalc Honors students. The advice covers a range of topics from what to expect from the course, to key success factors. A common theme is that resilience and perseverance are important when adjusting to the rigor of the course. Students should not panic if they receive poor scores at the start of the semester. Students who are prepared to dedicate extra time and effort to the course frequently finish the semester well, even after a rocky start.

• Advice to Aspiring PCH Students

If you decide NOT to take Precalc Honors and you’ve already requested it, then you should contact your counselor prior to May 1st to request regular Precalculus instead. After May 1st, course requests are locked in. There is a two-week drop period at the start of the school year, but moving to regular Precalculus at that point will only be an option if there is space available in that course. If there is no space, the student will be required to stay in Precalc Honors. Please also note that a drop in September may require changing other classes in your course schedule which would force you to leave another class that you really like.