For a growing number of Mount Douglas students the academic achievements are really starting to add up.
Mount Douglas students captured the top five spots at a recent Math Challengers competition open to Grade 9s from across Vancouver Island.
B次元官网网址淭hey did absolutely phenomenal,B次元官网网址� said math teacher Neal Johnson, who points to the flourishing math culture at the school.
That culture saw 150 Mount Doug students show up early for school one morning to take part in the University of Waterloo Math Contests.
B次元官网网址淭hey could either sleep in or come to school and write a math competition,B次元官网网址� said Johnson, who wasnB次元官网网址檛 surprised by the studentsB次元官网网址� enthusiasm.
Rafael Edora took top spot in the Math Challengers competition, calling it really fun.
B次元官网网址淚 really like how itB次元官网网址檚 all logical,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淪olving equations using different logic and rules, itB次元官网网址檚 very satisfying.B次元官网网址�
Edora and his fellow winning classmates benefit from the experience of some of the older students at Mount Douglas, with Grade 10 and 11 students working with the Grade 9s over lunch hour once a week. B次元官网网址淭hey taught us a lot. ThatB次元官网网址檚 a really big reason why we did so well,B次元官网网址� said Edora, adding itB次元官网网址檚 sometimes easier to process information coming from fellow students.
Johnson said many Grade 9s coming into a new school may question whether itB次元官网网址檚 cool to be really good at math.
B次元官网网址淏ut with these senior students training the Grade 9s theyB次元官网网址檙e totally enthusiastic about it. It makes it a lot easier,B次元官网网址� he said.
The Grade 9s will now move on to the provincial competition in April, while the marks from the University of Waterloo contest B次元官网网址� drawing students from across the country and around the world B次元官网网址� have yet to be tallied.
The students also benefit from the support of the schoolB次元官网网址檚 PAC, which provided funds enabling the students to take part in the competition as well as for the purchase of T-shirts, reading Mount Doug Mathletes B次元官网网址� You can count on us!
Grade 10 Jessica Sun is among the students to have taken this yearB次元官网网址檚 Grade 9s under her wings, after she had been tutored by some of the older students last year.
B次元官网网址淚 just find it satisfying to explain a problem in front of a board,B次元官网网址� she said, adding explaining it to others can help her understand it better as well.
Wenfei He says the part of math she most enjoys is having to analyze a problem in search of a solution.
B次元官网网址淚 just really enjoy the process of figuring out how to find the answer to a problem,B次元官网网址� said the Grade 11. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not even whether I get the answer right or not, itB次元官网网址檚 just learning how to do it.B次元官网网址�
Grace Ciarniello is another Grade 11 student who has been working with the Grade 9s and was also among the early risers to take part in the University of Waterloo contest.
B次元官网网址淵ouB次元官网网址檙e collaborating with lots of different students. You get exposure to things you normally wouldnB次元官网网址檛 see in the classroom. ItB次元官网网址檚 just really interesting,B次元官网网址� she said, adding the growing importance of technology is making math a more popular activity around the school.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 no longer a nerd thing to do.B次元官网网址�
While Johnson takes pride in the achievements of his students at this yearB次元官网网址檚 competition and the growing collection of trophies won by Mount Douglas math students, he says the awards are not the most satisfying part of his job.
B次元官网网址淭he biggest win is when our students come back to see us from university and tell us how theyB次元官网网址檙e doing,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淓very single one of them IB次元官网网址檝e spoken to so far, theyB次元官网网址檙e absolutely killing it.B次元官网网址�
