Saint John's Curriculum

MS Mathematics

In Pre-Algebra and Intro to Algebra, students are introduced to the skills that will give them a strong foundation for high school Algebra courses. Topics include operations with integers, rational numbers, ratios and rates, decimals, percents, and proportions, probability, number theory, variable expressions, simplifying algebraic expressions, and solving one- and two-step linear equations and inequalities,  as well as an introduction to the basics of geometry. Students in the two-year Pre-Algebra curriculum will be well prepared for the study of Algebra I in grade nine.

In Algebra IA and Algebra IB, students are introduced to the concepts of Algebra in a systematic fashion, with basic skills covered in the seventh-grade year in preparation for more advanced topics during grade eight. Topics include the properties of real numbers, equations and inequalities, operations on polynomials, exponential and rational expressions, factoring, functions and their graphs, and problem-solving.  Successful completion of the two-year Algebra I course during seventh and eighth grade can position a student for placement in Algebra II Honors at the start of his freshman year. Placement in this course will be determined through a qualifying exam prior to the start of the student’s seventh-grade year.

 

Below are the freshman level Mathematics courses eighth grade students can be recommended for:

  • Algebra I (1)

    This course provides a formal development of the algebraic skills and concepts necessary for students to succeed in advanced mathematics courses. The basic skills and concepts of algebra are presented in a systematic fashion. Topics will include the properties of real numbers, equations and inequalities, operations on polynomials, exponential and rational expressions, factoring, functions and their graphs, and problem solving.

  • Algebra I (2)

    This course provides a formal development of the algebraic skills and concepts necessary for students to succeed in advanced mathematics courses. The basic skills and concepts of algebra are presented in a systematic fashion. Topics will include the properties of real numbers, equations and inequalities, operations on polynomials, exponential and rational expressions, factoring, functions and their graphs, and problem solving.

  • Algebra I (H)

    This course provides a formal development of the algebraic skills and concepts necessary for students to succeed in advanced mathematics courses. The basic skills and concepts of algebra are presented in a systematic fashion. Topics will include the properties of real numbers, equations and inequalities, operations on polynomials, exponential and rational expressions, factoring, functions and their graphs, and problem solving.

  • Algebra II (H)

    This course progresses through the study of an equation to systems of equations, factoring and fractional equations, quadratics and quadratic relations and functions, complex numbers, and exponential and logarithmic functions. An introduction to circular functions and right triangular trigonometry concludes this course. The graphing calculator is required in all levels of this course. The department offers a qualifying exam for this course for any freshman who has demonstrated a competence in Algebra I prior to his coming to Saint John's.

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Saint John's High School

378 Main Street, Shrewsbury, MA 01545    (508) 842-8934
Saint John’s High School has educated young men under the sponsorship of the Xaverian Brothers since 1898. Through the Saint John’s strong college preparatory curriculum, over 900 students in grades seven through twelve pursue personal and intellectual growth in an environment that is committed to the development of the whole person and recognizes a moral dimension of life through service to God and to others.