Students participate in Math Olympiad

    More than 60 students from the seventh and eighth grades at St. John’s Elementary participate in the national Math Olympiad. The decades-old program is designed to help students learn strategies for problem solving, strengthen their intuitiveness, develop ingenuity and earn the sense of satisfaction of achieving success in math.

    Any student who is interested can participate in the program. Practices take place in October and there are monthly contests November through March. St. John’s Junior High Math Teacher Sharon Closson first presented the program in 2000.
   “I feel this is an important program because it allows students to learn more about math while being with other people who have an interest in the subject,” Closson said. “It gives students opportunities to compete and receive recognition for their successes and it also promotes the discussion of math strategies. With the program students can view math as a non-threatening subject and it allows us to have a little fun.”

   Closson distributes the tests on a specific date each month. No calculators are allowed and students must work individually. A national committee scores the tests and awards are distributed at the end of the season.

   Last year 150,000 students worldwide participated in the Math Olympiad. Closson said about half of her students earn an award for placing in the top 50 percent. Awards are also given to the top achievers among St. John’s students.