The program for middle-schoolers continues today.

The program for middle-schoolers continues today.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
CORTLAND -- Six hundred middle school pupils from Trumbull County schools were testing their math skills during the two-day Equations event.
"The idea is to build confidence in using math skills," said Michele Krisher, curriculum and instruction supervisor at Trumbull County Educational Service Center.
The event, which started Monday, continued today at Gardenbrook Banquet Hall.
The event involves pupils in fifth through eighth grades with many returning from year to year.
"It was a little bit harder this year because we were with the eighth-graders," said Grace Brantingham, 13, a seventh-grader from Lakeview. "They have another year of math on us."
Joanna Novotny, 12, and also a seventh-grader from Lakeview, disagreed.
"I thought it was just the same" as other years, she said.
Maghan Malloy, 12, said she solved one problem that required her to determine the square root of nine.
"I won that one," said Maghan, also a Lakeview seventh-grader. "It was pretty easy."
Krisher said TCESC has been sponsoring Equations for at least 12 years.
How it works
Pupils from each participating school are divided into teams of four or five members. Participation is open to all pupils who are interested, Krisher said. TCESC trains teaches who prepare the pupils for the competition.
Pupils use creative problem solving as well as strategy and math skills in the event.
"Fifth graders are using square roots and exponents in the contest and those are not normally things students do that that age level," Krisher said.
Monday's meet marked the first Equations appearance for Christian Griswold, 11, a fifth-grader at Lordstown.
"It was challenging and fun," Christian said. "I think I did pretty well."
Krisher said the event also allows for camaraderie.
"They get to meet other kids from other parts of the county," she said.