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Neighbors | Abby Slanker.Hilltop Elementary School fourth-grader Luke Scolieri (center) was named 2017-18 Math Bee champion, while Sarah Doss (right) earned second place and Anna Burnett (left) earned third place.
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Neighbors | Abby Slanker.Hilltop Elementary School fourth-graders who qualified for the final round of the school’s annual Math Bee, dubbed the ‘Super Six,’ worked hard to solve the math problems presented to them.
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Neighbors | Abby Slanker.Fourth-grade students at Hilltop Elementary School went head-to-head to solve math facts to qualify for the school’s annual Math Bee on June 4.
By ABBY SLANKER
Hilltop Elementary School fourth-grade students put their math skills on display and went head-to-head to solve math facts to qualify for the school’s annual Math Bee on June 4.
The students were lined up by class and paired up one-on-one, shown a multiplication flashcard by fourth-grade teachers, and the student who solved the problem correctly and the fastest moved onto the next round.
The students went through several elimination rounds, including two rounds of basic math facts on the flashcards and two rounds of advanced problems of mental math during which the problems were still presented in flashcard form, but were more difficult problems beyond basic math facts.
The students were finally whittled down to the final six contestants. The ‘Super Six’ were seated at a table on the stage, with a round of applause from their fellow classmates in the audience.
The rules for the six finalists were as follows: students were shown a math problem and were given a two-minute time limit to solve the problem on a dry erase board. When the student was comfortable with his or her answer, he or she turned the board over to signal their final answer. Dollar signs, decimals and commas had to be correct in the answer, or the problem would be deemed incorrect.
Fourth-grade teachers checked the problems and had final say as to whether the answer was correct. Audience members could also play along, as they were shown the math problems, also.
After several rounds, it came down to the final three contestants, Luke Scolieri, Sarah Doss and Anna Burnett. After a tight race, it was determined Scolieri had earned the Hilltop Elementary 2017-18 Math Bee champion title.
A tie-breaker took place for Doss and Burnett to decide second and third place, with Doss earning second place and Burnett earning third place.
Scolieri was crowned Math Bee champion by Joe Maroni, Hilltop Elementary School principal.
“Congratulations, Luke. And congratulations to our runners-up and our Super Six,” Maroni said.
Scolieri, Doss and Burnett were presented Barnes and Noble gift cards courtesy of the Hilltop PTA.