Wolf Swamp students honored for Math Olympiads work

LONGMEADOW Twenty students from Wolf Swamp Road School were among the 150,000 students worldwide to participate this year in the National Math Olympiad program. They participated in a series of five monthly contests of five problems each, from November to March, and weekly practice sessions under the supervision and coaching of Sherry Walker, a fourth grade teacher at the school. The children learned to solve unusual and difficult problems and to think creatively.

The students were eager, active learners in the program, and all were recognized with certificates and awards for their participation. Several of the "mathletes" won national awards for excellence in their division (grades four through six). Trying for the trophy for top scorer on the Wolf Swamp Road School team were fifth graders Nicholas Burns and Andrew Metz. Both received trophies as well as silver pins. The silver pin is awarded to those who scored in the 90th to 97th percentiles (the top 10 percent of all participants).

As the top scorer at the fourth grade level from his school, William Shao went home with the fourth grade trophy.

The embroidered felt patch is awarded to those students in the top 50 percent of all the participants in their division. The following students from grade five earned this special patch: Shannon Bailey, Charly Blazy, Nicholas Burns, Alexander Li, Carli Marino and Andrew Metz.

Fatima Anwar, Nicholas Lachuisa, Ben Sullivan and William Shao, from fourth grade, all earned the embroidered felt patch as well.

Ten additional students earned certificates of participation, and should be commended for their hard work and dedication to mathematics. They include fifth graders Michael Joseph Brock and Isabella Santos, as well as fourth graders Vasken Fereshetian, Jake Jackowski, Michelle Kim, Mikasa Miller, Monica Rivera, Dominic Santaniello, Joseph Swanson and Brett Vuori. Congratulations to all of them!

Math Olympiads served over 4,500 teams and 100,000 students nationally and about 2,000 teams and 50,000 students from 30 other countries. Since 1979, it has provided challenging, thought-provoking problems that stretch the abilities of students in grades four through eight, strengthening their foundation for both assessment tests and more advanced studies. Our children have responded to the challenge with eagerness and enthusiasm.