Students Shine in Maths Competitions
Mathematics can be a challenging subject, but for those with a love of numbers, it can be extremely rewarding. Participating in maths competitions can help students advance their mathematics skills and gain other important life skills like collaboration, analytics, critical thinking, and thinking outside the box. In this blog post, we explore the benefits of participating in maths competitions and showcase the success of our students who took part in recent competitions.
Maths competitions challenge students to solve complex problems that go beyond the scope of their regular classroom lessons. These competitions provide an opportunity for students to develop their analytical and critical thinking skills by tackling new and unfamiliar problems. Moreover, these competitions also encourage students to think outside the box by exposing them to unconventional problems that require both creativity and logic to solve.
In addition to developing academic skills, participating in maths competitions also provides students with an opportunity to develop valuable life skills like collaboration. Many maths competitions are designed for students to work in pairs or teams, which requires the development of interpersonal skills like effective communication and cooperation. These skills are important for success not just in maths but in all areas of life.
Participating in maths competitions can also help students build confidence and develop a sense of curiosity. As students tackle new and unfamiliar problems, they learn that their mistakes are not failures but opportunities for growth and learning. This can help students develop a growth mindset, where they view challenges as opportunities for learning and growth.
Recently, students from Years 5 to 10 have taken part in two mathematical competitions, the Maths Challenge and the Australian Maths Competition, with some fabulous results.
The Maths Challenge is a problem-solving competition held over four weeks, where students can work in pairs to solve four big maths problems. In the Maths Challenge competition, 55 students from Years 5 – 8 participated, and there were two Distinctions and five Credits received.
The Australian Maths Competition saw 75 students from Years 5 – 10 participate in the one-hour online maths competition with some excellent results. This competition contains unique problems designed by academics to challenge and extend students’ problem-solving skills
We’d like to congratulation Elisa Zeng (Year 6) who received a High Distinction in the Australian Mathematics Competition and was also awarded the Best in School certificate for Santa Maria College. A fabulous result, considering there were much older students participating. A High Distinction means Elisa is in the top 3% of her year group across Australia.
The success of our students in the Maths Challenge and the Australian Maths Competition is a testament to the benefits of participating in these competitions.
Congratulations to all those who participated this year and encourage all students with a love of maths to consider participating in competitions and to continue to build their skills and confidence in this important subject.
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Author: Santa Maria College
Santa Maria College is a vibrant girls school with a growing local presence and reputation. Our Mission is to educate young Mercy women who act with courage and compassion to enrich our world. Santa Maria College is located in Attadale in Western Australia, 16 km from the Perth CBD. We offer a Catholic education for girls in Years 5 – 12 and have 1300 students, including 152 boarders.
