Since the STREAM curriculum came to diocesan elementary schools, special events such as the X-STREAM Games and Diocesan Spelling Bee have taken place to highlight the special skills learned from those studying science, technology, religion, engineering, arts and math.
On Nov. 22, the Catholic Schools Department hosted a Math competition at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish in Orchard Park. Nearly 200 students from 15 diocesan schools came to duke it out over numbers.
Two grade levels each faced off over three rounds. First came the younger kids from grades three through five. In Number Sense they worked individually to solve 80 questions in 10 minutes. The Target Round followed with 20 minutes for eight questions with the help of calculators. Lastly, the Team Round saw groups of four collaborating while calculating 10 questions.
“It’s just math. You can do this,” Laurie Wojtaszczyk, special projects coordinator for Catholic Schools, told the students. “Just do your best. That’s all we ask from anyone.”
Students earn points for correct answers. There is no penalty for wrong guesses or blank spaces.
The sixth through eighth graders also had a Target Round and Team Round, along with the Knockout Round. The tense competition saw students going head to head to deal with complex word problems. Forget about solving for X. They had to solve for the whole alphabet. Questions dealt with prime numbers, percentages, areas, and how many friends Emily has. The first student to arrive at the right answer went to the back of the line and would continue in the competition. The wrong answer meant you were out of the game. With only 30 seconds to answer complex questions, some kids just stared at the blank whiteboard.
“We’re going to make the questions much easier next year,” said Wojtaszczyk.
This is the fourth year for the event that puts the M in STREAM. Math scholars from St. Francis High School and Mount St. Mary Academy served as proctors, patrolling the area to prevent cheating.
“It’s fun. Normally, the kids enjoy it,” said Wojtaszczyk. “It’s a camaraderie between the schools. They like the little bit of competition. It’s easy to show fun with math through this.”
Questions come from Mathleague.org and are based on the national curriculum. Points from a classroom round added to the Friday completion lead to the declaration of individual and team champions.
“This is a popular activity that happens in high schools,” said Wojtaszczyk. “Maybe not the same type of format, but they have Math Leagues that form in the high schools and they have math clubs. So, we’re trying to invest in the math future of all of our younger students.”
“I thought it was a great event that built team spirit around how much math can be fun, that it can be an individual and a team sport,” said Julie Gajewski, assistant superintendent of Catholic Schools for Academics. “One of my favorite parts of the day was the Knockout Round and observing the winners when they would advance to the next round and just the sense of wonder and accomplishment that was shown on their faces. I think there was a great sense of collaboration and that it’s OK to fail.”
Grades 3-5 Individual Winners:
1st – Christianna W., St. Gregory the Great, Williamsville
2nd – Eric K., Queen of Heaven, West Seneca
3rd – Gianna F., St. Gregory the Great, Williamsville
Grades 3-5 Team Winners:
1st – St. Gregory the Great, Williamsville, Team 1
2nd – Queen of Heaven, West Seneca, Tigers
3rd – DeSales, Lockport, The Numerators
Grades 6-8 Individual Winners:
1st – Eva S., SS. Peter & Paul, Hamburg
2nd – Amelia C., Queen of Heaven, West Seneca
3rd – Dominic F., Queen of Heaven, West Seneca
Grades 6-8 Team Winners:
1st – St. Gregory the Great, Williamsville, Team 2
2nd – Queen of Heaven,West Seneca, Eagles
3rd – Nativity of Our Lord, Orchard Park, Team 2
Grades 6-8 Countdown Winner:
Lily B., St. Mary, Swormville