The Math Department believes that using persistence and ingenuity to solve problems is essential for all walks of life. Our goals for our students are to experience the beauty of the discipline, master its essential content, and most of all, develop resilient, flexible and efficient problem-solving skills. Our students learn to experiment, notice patterns, generalize, look for counterexamples, construct convincing arguments, present their ideas orally and in writing, use precise language, consider the reasonableness of answers, and critique the arguments of others. Fluency of skills is critical for progress, and skills are learned in meaningful contexts so that each one contributes to a coherent big-picture understanding. The program is problem-centered and integrates skills from a broad range of topics. Grades 9 through 11 use Phillips Exeter Academy’s Math II through Math IV to study the topics of Geometry, Algebra II, Trigonometry, and the beginnings of Calculus. Class is structured as a seminar where students present problems and discuss their approaches. Teachers help students evaluate the effectiveness of different strategies, identify key concepts and discover connections among mathematical ideas. In this way, students develop a deep conceptual understanding and gain genuine authority as mathematical thinkers. Students in Grades 11 and 12 can select from a variety of elective courses, including a further study of Calculus.

Upper School Mathematics Sequence
Grade 9 Integrated Math 9 
Grade 10 Integrated Math 10
Grade 11 Integrated Math 11, Semester Electives (Optional)
Grade 12 Semester and Yearlong Electives (Optional)