At SIDE we’re committed to breaking down the barriers of gender stereotypes. We encourage equitable participation in every field of endeavour.
Wednesday 12 May is International Women in Mathematics Day. It is the birthday of Maryam Mirzakhani, who in 2014 won the Fields Medal, international Mathematics top prize. To find out more about Mirzakhani read her Wikipedia article.
Sharing Maths stories
Mathematics teacher Raluca Gavriliu would like all SIDE girls who have a passion for Mathematics to send her:
- a brief story about why they like Mathematics, including details of who inspired them to study/enjoy Mathematics and what they hope their interest will lead to, and
- a photo, or an image of your favourite Mathematics problem.
Amber in Year 11 has already sent in her story.
I am a Year 11 student studying Mathematics Methods ATAR and Mathematics Specialist ATAR at SIDE in 2021. My love of Maths started from a young age. It was always the subject I looked forward to in a school day. I loved the way it could be so frustrating yet the feeling of getting the answer correct made it all worth it. My mum was a massive influence on me and my fondness of the subject as she never allowed me to give up on a question and if I didn't understand something from one perspective, she would open my mind to try solve it from other angles. When I was eight, I started riding horses competitively which I believe was where my understanding of Maths flourished. I have been told by my coaches countless times that the way I approach my sport is very precise. Every show jumping round or dressage test I ride I continuously use my knowledge of angles, measurements etc. to ride as accurately and efficiently as possible. I believe my approach to riding is what sets me apart from my competitors and therefore I hope that in future it will be what takes me to my goal of representing Australia as a part of the Eventing team in the Olympics and the World Equestrian Games.
We want to inspire other girls to enjoy Mathematics too!
All contributions will be shared with Emeritus Professor Cheryl Praeger, University of Western Australia, the famous Western Australian mathematician who has won many awards and prizes, including the Ruby Payne-Scott Medal for her mathematical work on symmetry and developing algorithms that help power technology around the world. She was also recognised for inspiring future female mathematicians.
Guest Speaker
Emeritus Professor Cheryl Praeger will also be a guest in a special SIDE Webex session at 2.00pm, Tuesday 11 May. Further details will be available soon. Watch out for this announcement from your Maths teacher or through SIDE Launchpad and SIDE Essentials.
Please send stories to Raluca by Wednesday 5 May.
