Math Olympiad Season Advances
Many of Huntington's top elementary grade level math students are working hard this winter with fellow members of the district's fifth and sixth grade Math Olympiad teams. The fourth of five scheduled meets is set for this week as the march toward the county math tournament continues.
"The teams are fairly strong especially the sixth grade teams," said Maryann Daly, who coaches the students. "The outcome of the five math meets will determine who I take with me to the Suffolk County Math Tournament at SUNY Stony Brook." Suffolk's best will face off on Tuesday, May 24 in what is expected to be a grueling competition.
Mrs. Daly has a long association with the Math Olympiad program and has been coaxing exceptional performances out of Huntington students for many years. She chairs the district's SEARCH program for academically talented elementary school students and also teaches in the program.
The Math Olympiad participants are a hardworking group. The opportunity to be selected for one of the teams that will advance to the county math tournament is another reason to work hard.
"This is a big deal to the kids now, which is a great motivator, especially since Huntington has done so well for the three years this competition has existed," Mrs. Daly said. "I plan on taking the top ten scorers from the fifth and six grade Math Olympiad classes. Once I know who they are, I will arrange for them to meet me on Fridays for extra practice sessions for this tournament."
The Math Olympiad program is demanding and requires students to make a significant commitment. "It's great to see that their motivation to be a part of this tournament outweighs the fact that at times they are giving up their recess and/or eating lunch with me in order to practice," Mrs. Daly said.
Any student can access many of the Math Olympiad problems that are covered each week by logging onto Mrs. Daly's e-Board. Simply log onto the district's website at www.hufsd.edu, go to the Quick Click Bar on the right side of the homepage and select eBoards and then SEARCH Program in the District-Wide group. The e-Board has had almost 5,000 hits, proving its popularity.