Math Whizzes Show Talent at Competition

With pencils frantically figuring, fingers flying across calculators and brains firing with knowledge, students used all of their resources battling to become the winners of the 2008 Fayette County Elementary Math Bowl.

It took a total of 26 word problems to find the winning teams of the fourth grade bowl. Students fought hard to stay in the game, answering 11 tiebreaker questions beyond the regular 15 before winners were finally determined.

The 2008 winning teams for fourth grade are (first place) Oak Grove, (second place) East Fayette and (third place) Peachtree City. Fifth grade winners include (first place) Huddleston, (second place) Kedron and (third place) East Fayette.

Teams of three students work together to solve a total of 15 timed word problems. More problems are added in the event of a tie. Students qualify for the county tournament by winning their school-based math competitions.

“All of these students are already winners representing their schools and should be very proud of their accomplishments. We are very proud of them,” says Math Coordinator Lynn Ridgeway.
Each participant received a certificate of participation. Additionally, the first, second and third place winners are awarded a trophy to take back to their schools and each team member receives a math book to help get a head start on the next grade level of math. Also, the three winning teams from each grade level will have their names engraved on the plaque of champions that is displayed in the math coordinator’s office at the LaFayette Educational Center.

This marked the 8th annual Fayette County Elementary Math Bowl featuring math teams from each of the school system’s 17 elementary schools.