Northampton County Schools students — both elementary and middle schoolers — came home with several awards including eight first place honors during the Math Champions competition held the first of the month on the campus of East Carolina University in Greenville.
“Math Champions is a phenomenal initiative for promoting math skills and critical thinking among elementary and middle school students,” said Grace Smith, AIG coordinator for the school system. “The competition structure is designed to challenge participants and encourage collaboration. The combination of individual problem-solving in the Math Bowl and teamwork in the Breakout competition provides a well-rounded experience for the students.”
Each northeast region district had the opportunity to enroll up to six students per grade level, spanning grades three through eight. Selection for participation relied on performance in the Math Champions independent test.
Students from Conway Middle, Central Elementary, and Gaston Stem Leadership Academy participated in the competition.
The competition featured two main components.
The Math Bowl challenged students with complex math problems displayed individually via Google slides, with a new question presented every 45 seconds.
Students were timed and maintained silence during the slideshow. Afterward, teams had five minutes to collaborate and submit a single answer sheet.
The second component involved team Breakout sessions, where grade-level teams collaborated to tackle critical thinking mathematical activities.
This segment followed the Breakout Edu model, where student solutions unlocked locks to breakout. “Participants found this part of the competition exhilarating and engaging,” Smith said.
“Northampton County students demonstrated commendable performance.”
Smith said, “Our students dedicated a lot of effort to get ready for the Math Champions competition. Their dedication paid off as evident in their impressive performance. The event was filled with enjoyable and engaging math tasks that tested students in various ways. Additionally, the students had a great time exploring the ECU campus during the tour.”
