MATH COUNTS AT OLD MISSION SCHOOL

The local Mathcounts countywide competition was held on Saturday, February 2nd, at Cal Poly. Every school in San Luis Obispo County was invited to participate. The actual competition necessitates math knowledge at the Algebra/Geometry level for all participants. Students demonstrated their academic prowess in four team events. The Sprint Round consisted of 30 problems, testing accuracy, with time being such that only the most capable students completed all of the problems in the 40 minutes allotted. Calculators were not permitted in this round. The Target Round consisted of eight problems presented to competitors in four pairs (six minutes per pair). This round featured multi-step problems that engaged Mathletes in mathematical reasoning and problem-solving processes. These problems assumed the use of calculators. The Team Round consisted of ten problems that team members worked together to solve. These problems also assumed the use of calculators. The Countdown Round was a fast-paced, oral competition for top-scoring individuals based on scores in the Sprint and Target rounds. Calculators were not permitted during this round.

The Mathcounts program is a way our adolescent youth can challenge their minds to achieve new levels of excellence. The entire experience proved to be an invaluable educational endeavor. CONGRATULATIONS to the following participants from Old Mission School for placing 2nd overall in the San Luis Obispo County team competition:

Alex Freeman received an award for placing 2nd overall in the individual competition and 3rd overall in the special invitation only Countdown Round. As a result of Alex’s 2nd overall individual finish, he has been invited to compete in the State competition at UC Irvine, Sat., Mar. 15th). Stephen Zehnder received an award for placing 16th overall in the individual competition. Other participants on the Old Mission School team were Scarlett Harris, Kate Ottrando, Alan Peterson, Eric Erbstoesser, Peter Davis, and Brennan Rivera.