Patrician Academy students taking part in a ‘Maths Eyes Mallow’ project on the streets of the town this week.
If you have been wondering why Patrician Academy students have been spotted recently on the streets of Mallow, photographing anything from road signs to shop fronts to buildings, then wonder no more. It’s all part of the fourth year ‘Maths Eyes Mallow’ project, an initiative spearheaded by Ms. Ann O’Callaghan and Ms. Norma Twomey-Fitzgerald, both maths teachers in the Patrician Academy, with the aim of fostering awareness of mathematical concepts on display and in use in the locality. In essence it’s about reminding the students of the day-to-day use of mathematics in all our lives. Using the evidence gathered, these students will then present their findings to a first year class, thereby ensuring the continuity of the project. According to Ms. O’Callaghan, “It’s about going back to basics with maths and looking at its use and relevance in the everyday world, which, after all is what the new Project Maths Syllabus enshrines.” The cross-curricular initiative will continue throughout this academic year and will hopefully encourage a positive attitude to mathematics throughout the school community.