Mathematics

The WHS Mathematics Department offers a flexible program of study that meets the needs of all students in the 21st century.  Consistent with WHS philosophy, the mathematics department offers a variety of learning experiences and assessment opportunities through an assortment of activities. Students are taught to work independently as well as collaboratively as members of a team.  Students engage in using manipulative materials, data collection for mathematical modeling, and investigative labs to discover mathematical concepts.  Nightly homework, problem sets, course notes, student presentations, projects, posters and traditional testing are utilized to assess the student’s mathematical knowledge. All courses examine mathematical concepts in four interconnected representations: analytically, graphically, numerically and verbally. A graphing calculator is an essential tool in understanding these connections. The preferred calculators are the Texas Instruments TI-8x.
 

To gain admission to any of Massachusetts’ four-year public colleges, the Massachusetts Board of Regents requires students to take four years of high school math, including at least one math course during their senior year. WHS has adopted the four-year math requirement for graduation; however, students are encouraged but not required to take math during their senior year.