Mathematics
General Information

John Astill
Mathematics Department Head

Ph: 508-647-6610
jastill@natickps.org


The Natick High School Mathematics Department consists of 13 "highly-qualified" teachers.  The department's goal is to meet the diverse needs of all students as they prepare to enter a world where mathematical skills are of increasing importance.  The department offers an honors track that culminates with the availability of four Advanced Placement courses.  The department also seeks to provide the extra support for students who may need additional help building strong fundamental skills to succeed on the MCAS Mathematics examination.  Throughout all of the department's courses, teachers emphasize the development of Problem Solving skills.  

At the foundation of all Mathematics Department courses is the goal of fulfilling the Natick High School Mission.  The department seeks to help students develop the skills needed to satisfy all of NHS's academic expectations, using school wide rubrics as appropriate.  The Mathematics Department is the primary assessor of the Problem Solving expectation, with this expectation being a special focus at the Algebra II level.

Academic Expectations of the Mathematics Department
Each student learns to develop mathematical models and incorporate the following into their problem solving work:

• Identification and description of the problem
• Draw information from a variety of sources
• Address all essential conditions of the problem
• Appropriately apply mathematics to the problem
• Present correct work or computation with evidence of reflection or checking
• Show understanding of underlying concepts and procedures
• Present strong supporting arguments and/or facts with great clarity and organization