A New Pathway at Menaul School for Students Gifted in Mathematics
By: Nina Denisova
STEM Department Chair
We’re excited to announce a new math program at Menaul, inspired by our own bright, curious, and motivated students. A couple of years ago, some of our incredibly gifted 9th- and 10th-graders asked me to join AP Precalculus, which is typically an 11th- or 12th-grade course. They ended up excelling not only in that class, but also in AP Calculus the following year, all earning 4s and 5s on both AP exams.
Now those students are seniors, but having already taken the highest level math that we offered, they need a new challenge — and they are not alone. In fact, they’ve inspired many of our younger students to strive for more in their math education as well. This year, several of our sophomores have stepped onto this advanced path too, and our entire 7th-grade class is tackling Integrated Mathematics 1, which is typically an 8th- or 9th-grade course.
To better serve this growing population of students, I am proud to announce the addition of a new course, Advanced Topics in Math. This course introduces students to an array of fields that would typically be seen at the undergraduate college level, including deductive and inductive reasoning, set theory, number theory, and probability. The heart of the class is formal logic, a fading but arguably essential part of a holistic education.
Really, why do we study mathematics in school? Will most students need to solve systems of equations or evaluate integrals in their adult lives? Truthfully, for most careers, no. However, everyone needs to learn how to think critically. The real reason we study mathematics is to practice the art of reasoning, to learn to separate truth from fiction, not only at work, but in the daily barrage of news and advertisements, in a world of AI-generated content, in political debates, and in daily intellectual discourse within our communities. As our students learn to critically evaluate arguments and construct their own, my hope is that they will cultivate a mindset of curiosity and humility—a willingness to question what they believe and remain open to new ideas when the evidence demands it. In doing so, they will become not just better mathematicians, but more thoughtful, discerning, and intellectually curious people.
Discover today how our local roots lead to a global reach!