About 550 number-crunching students from Missouri and Kansas elementary and middle schools gathered at Southwest Baptist University on Jan. 23 and Jan. 30 for math contests hosted by the SBU Department of Mathematics. The 17th annual competition provided a positive educational experience and encouraged the enjoyment and study of mathematics.
The competition field included third- through eighth-grade students from Kansas City,
Marshfield, Nevada, Springfield, Spokane, Rolla, Branson (pictured at right), Joplin,
Rogersville, Neosho, Buffalo, Nixa, Wheaton, Hollister and more. Participating Bolivar
students came from Bolivar Middle School.
“I have brought students to the math competitions at SBU for three years, and they always look forward to the experience and love the challenge of math,” said Stefanie McKoy, a fifth-grade teacher at Cedar Ridge Intermediate in Branson, Mo. “My students gain confidence in their abilities, regardless of if they place in the contest.”
The event centered on grade-level-specific tests with various formats and degrees of difficulty to help prepare students for larger competitions taking place later in the year. These larger competitions include the Missouri Council of Teachers of Mathematics contests, one regional qualifying round of which will occur at SBU on March 5. Based on their Jan. 23 and Jan. 30 performance, 118 elementary students qualified for the March 5 regional round.
Additionally, 10 middle-school students per grade level on Jan. 23 and five on Jan. 30 qualified for the state MCTM competition taking place April 2 in Ballwin, Mo.
For students interested in more math-centered instruction and activities, registration is available for Math Contest Camps hosted this summer by Dr. Kevin Hopkins, professor and chair of the SBU Department of Mathematics, for fifth- through twelfth-grade students. More information about these programs is may be found at sites.google.com/site/sbumathcon/math-contest-camp-2016.
To learn more about the contests and camps, please contact Hopkins at (417) 328-1675 or khopkins@SBUniv.edu.