欧美视频

BOLIVAR, Mo. 鈥� About 350 number-crunching students from southwest Missouri elementary and middle schools gathered at 欧美视频 on Oct. 7 for math contests hosted by the 欧美视频 Department of Mathematics.

The 19^th annual event centered on mathematical competition with individual and team components that allowed students to demonstrate their mathematical and problem-solving skills.

鈥淭he math competition at 欧美视频 generates more excitement about learning math than anything I've ever experienced,鈥� said Lisa Baldwin, a teacher at George Washington Carver Elementary in Neosho. 鈥淚t's fun to observe the fourth graders' reactions as they experience competition for the first time. They are always surprised by the number of students who love math like they do.

鈥淩egardless of how they perform that day, my students come back excited and challenged every year after the competition.鈥�

Of the 207 elementary students, 69 qualified for the next level, a regional qualifying round in the Missouri Council of Teachers of Mathematics (MCTM) contest. For most competitors, this will occur at 欧美视频 on March 10. In the middle school contest, 41 of the 142 students competing advance to the MCTM competition on March 24 in Ballwin, Mo.

鈥淭here are two main reasons I continue to participate in this contest: the problems and the environment,鈥� said Sam Garvin, a Central High School Scholars student, in his third year of the 欧美视频 competition. 鈥淭o the first, I will say that the types of problems in this contest are not like those in a school mathematics curriculum. They require creativity, deep thinking and a passion for math. Solving these problems is rewarding.

鈥淭o the second, it is nice to be able to meet with people who share a common interest with you, and build off their knowledge as they do yours.鈥�

The competition field included fourth- through eighth-grade students from participating schools: Bolivar Middle School, Carthage Junior High, Cedar Hill Elementary, Central (Springfield) Scholars, Fairview R-XI, Fordland Elementary, Fordland Middle School, Greenwood Laboratory School, Hollister Middle School, Horace Mann Elementary, Jeffries Elementary, Lamar Middle School, Lewis and Clark Middle School, Logan-Rogersville Upper Elementary, Marshfield, George Washington Carver Elementary (Neosho), Neosho Junior High, Neosho Middle School, Nevada Middle School, New Covenant Academy, Nixa Junior High, Ozark West Elementary, Pipkin Middle School, Rolla Middle School, Rolla Junior High, Stapleton, Summit Intermediate, The Summit Preparatory School, Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School, Wanda Gray Elementary, Wilder Elementary and Wilson鈥檚 Creek.

鈥淚 appreciate the work that teachers do to prepare their students and to help the day go well by helping out in proctoring the test or grading the tests,鈥� said Dr. Kevin Hopkins, professor and chair of the 欧美视频 Department of Mathematics. 鈥淥ur 欧美视频 students also help out, as does my family and fellow math professors.

鈥淥ver the 19 years of hosting contests, we have hosted more than 70 contests for more than 13,000 students. Many of these students continue to return to the contest year after year. But new students keep coming and it is a joy to see their excitement in coming to do math for the day.鈥�

For students interested in more math-centered instruction and activities, registration is available for Math Contest Camps hosted this summer by Hopkins, for fifth- through 12th-grade students. 

*Published: 10-23-17