02/15/2026
Bản Thông Tin Số 3 Của MMC
Matthew Math Center Newsletter
Issue #3 – February 2026
Website: www.hoctoan.us
www.sjmmc.net
Email: [email protected]
Our Mission
The Mission of Matthew Math Center is to ease the burden of learning and help students find joy in studying mathematics.
Quotation
"Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas." — Albert Einstein
Announcement and News
Scholarship Application Deadline: May 10, 2026. Award Ceremony Tentatively Scheduled: May 29, 2026. For more info, please go to www.hoctoan.us
Thank you to all families for your continued support!
Parent Corner
Building Mathematical Confidence
Confidence in math grows from productive struggle.
When students encounter a challenging problem:
Encourage them to restate the problem in their own words.
Ask: “What do you already know?”
Break the problem into smaller steps.
Celebrate effort, not just correct answers.
Struggle is not failure — it is growth.
Grade 6 — Ratios & Proportions
A map uses a scale of 1 inch = 15 miles. Two cities are 3.5 inches apart on the map.
How many miles apart are the cities?
Challenge Extension:
If you drive at an average speed of 60 mph, how long will the trip take?
Grade 7 — Percent & Rational Numbers
A jacket originally costs $80. It is discounted by 30%, then sales tax of 8% is applied.
What is the final price?
Challenge Extension:
Create a formula that represents “discount then tax.”
Grade 8 — Systems of Equations
The sum of two numbers is 50. Their difference is 14.
Find the two numbers.
Challenge Extension:
Solve using both substitution and elimination.
Grade 9 — Quadratic Applications
The product of two consecutive integers is 132.
Find the integers.
Challenge Extension:
What if the integers differ by k? Write a general equation.
Grade 10 — Geometry
A circle has a radius of 5 cm. A square is inscribed in the circle.
Find the side length of the square.
Challenge Extension:
Find the area of the shaded region between the square and the circle.
Grade 11 — Exponential & Logarithmic Functions
An investment of $2,000 grows at 6% annual interest compounded yearly.
How much will it be worth after 8 years?
Challenge Extension:
How long will it take to double?
Grade 12 — Trigonometry
Solve for θ in [0°, 360°]:
2cos(θ) − 1 = 0
Verify your solutions using the unit circle.
Challenge Extension:
Solve in radians.
Bonus — Cross-Grade Critical Thinking
A number increases by 10%, then decreases by 10%.
Is the final number the same as the original? Explain why or why not.
Math Fun Fact — Fibonacci in Nature
The Fibonacci sequence (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, …) appears in:
Sunflower seed patterns
Pinecones
Spiral galaxies
Flower petals
Each number equals the sum of the two before it.
This pattern creates the famous “golden ratio.”
Vocabulary
Function:
A relation in which each input has exactly one output.
Math Classic Recommendation
“Flatland” by Edwin A. Abbott
A fascinating story that explores geometry and higher dimensions in a creative way.
