The Home Stretch

Hello students, this is it!  Only a few classes left in the school year and all of you have a term exam coming up in your math class.  This exam is taking place some time between Thursday, June 11 and Monday, June 15, depending on your math course and which period you have math.  You should have a review package now for your respective math course and you should be diligently preparing for this exam.  For some of you, doing well on this exam can have a huge impact on your standing in math.  It could be the difference between passing and failing.  Come see me anytime this week if you need help.  You know what needs to be done.  Now, set the phone aside (just for a few days), "lock in", and get it done!

Term 3 Starts Now

Welcome back from Spring Break!  It's the start of term 3 and only 12 weeks left until the end of the school year.  That's 55 school days!  Make the most of it, don't lose focus.  Remember that learning is the primary goal.

Spring Break

It's been a long winter, but we've made it!  Whatever your plans are this break, I hope it's a good one.  Please remember to put the devices down regularly and enjoy the real world...go out for a wander, kick a ball, jump in a puddle, for real!  You don't need to live your life through the experiences of others on a screen.

Math 9 Honours 2026-2027 (part 2)

Further to my last post, here are some resources to help you prepare for the upcoming Math 9 Honours entrance assessments.

Sample entrance exam questions

Sample CNML contest (from 2018-2019) | solutions

Sample CNMP contest (from 2012-2013)

Additional practice resources and full sample contests page

Thanks to Mr. Marzouk for supplying these links.  Who says he doesn't care?

Math 9 Honours in 2026-2027

If you are currently in Math 8 and want to take Math 9 Honours next year, you need to complete two assessments this year:

1. CNML Exam - to be written on February, 17, 2026.
2. Math 9 Honours Entrance Exam - to be written in late-March or early-April.  This exam will be cased on current Math 8 topics and may include "math contest-type" questions.

Selection for admission to Math 9 Honours will be based on your scores on these two assessments in conjunction with the recommendations of your current math teacher (that's me!)  Let me know if you have any questions about this process.

Winter Break

Winter Break is finally here!  I hope you have a fun and restful time with your family and friends.

See you in 2026.

Welcome to Term 2

Term 1 is over.  Many of you put in an excellent effort during this term.  This is very often reflected in your marks.  Whether you're happy with your term 1 mark or you feel it can do better, remember that term 2 is a fresh start.  If you feel that you did well in term 1, reflect on your good work habits that got you there.  These are things you probably want to continue to do.  If you feel that you could have done better in term 1, think about what habits you need to change.  This can be things like attending class regularly, committing to putting your phone away during class time, completing practice assignments regularly, or using flex time to get help with questions and concepts that you don't fully understand.  Sometimes, a small change in your daily habits can make a big difference.

What's My Mark?

You've written a math quiz...now what?  First, you may have noticed that math quizzes (and the term exams too) don't get returned to you.  That's because there are only so many good math questions where the numbers work out the way I want them to.  Some of the questions on your quizzes will get recycled on future math quizzes.  So how do you find out what you got on the quiz?  The best way is to log in to the Family Portal (MyEducationBC).  Once quizzes are marked, the scores are entered there.  You, and your parents, can go to this website anytime to see your individual assessment scores and your current overall progress.  Therefore, if you have any issues with your Family Portal login, you should get the problem resolved. This can be done by visiting the school office.  Once you've checked your mark online, I encourage students to see me individually during flex time or after school to go over their quizzes.

Math Clinic

Asking for help when you don't understand something is one of the most powerful ways to learn, and learning math is no exception.  With that in mind, the math department is running the Math Clinic again this school year.  If you have any math-related quandaries, drop by A207 (Mr. Marzouk's classroom) during lunchtime on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  There, you'll find lots of fun and interesting math tutors, and maybe a math teacher, ready to tackle all of your math questions.  Free tutoring!  What more can you ask for?  Check it out!

Math Contests

Math contests are a great way to stretch/flex your math muscles and go beyond the basic day-to-day stuff we do in math class.  This year, registration and payment for math contests at South will be done online.  Please register early if you are interested.  There is a cutoff date, after which no further registrations will be accepted.

For more information about math contests, please refer to this outline or see Mr. Marzouk in A207.