RBHS will hold its annual March Mathness event Saturday, Mar. 16 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m..
The event will be put on by the RBHS Mu Alpha Theta chapter and will include a variety of interactive math related activities for fourth and fifth grade students. RBHS math teacher and Mu Alpha Theta sponsor Burke McCray said it is important to get students interested in math early on.
“If we can get students to enjoy tackling the challenges of mathematics at a young age, that will help them as they progress in more difficult classes,” McCray said. “Instead of shutting down when they face difficulties in their lives, they may willingly take on the challenge in math and other aspects of their lives.”
CPS parent Tonya Sinnott said her son went to March Mathness last year and is excited to go again this year. She said the event helped her son become more interested in learning about math.
“My son used to be very hesitant to do anything math related, and it was by far his most challenging subject in school,” Sinnott said. “I think going to this event really showed him that math isn’t just worksheets and homework assignments, it’s something we use all the time. He really enjoyed all the different booths they had. I think he seemed to be a little more comfortable doing math problems after going to the event.”
Students will take a math test at the start of the event, which will be graded by Mu Alpha Theta members. At the end of the event, students who placed first through tenth place on the test will be recognized and given medals, trophies and certificates. McCray said the event will be fun for students as well as a good learning opportunity.
“We want to show young students that there are many fun math activities out there. It can also be fun to see how well one can perform on a difficult math exam, which we hope will encourage students to continue growing their math skills,” McCray said. “The main goal is for the students to have fun. If they learn some mathematics and meet some new people, that’s great too.”
Students at the event will visit various rooms at RBHS each with different activities, such as building towers with spaghetti and marshmallows and paper airplane competitions. Sinnott said she thinks the event is good for all students, regardless of if they like math. She said students need to be comfortable doing math, as the skills learned in elementary school will form the foundation for math concepts in middle school, high school and college.
“Events like March Mathness are great ways to get students thinking about math in more applicable ways, which I think makes it a lot more interesting for a lot of students,” Sinnot said. “I’m very glad my son went to it, and I would recommend it to any parents looking to get their kids more interested in math.”
Have you ever been to March Mathness? Let us know in the comments below.
