Middle School Shines

Scholastic Art and Writing Awards

Three 7th graders were recognized for their writing submissions to the 2017 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards in the Region-at-Large (DMV). They received gold and silver keys in the Critical Essay category and a gold key in the Poetry category. There were over 1200 entries in this 7th-12th grade competition. The awards ceremony took place on March 5 at the Gala Theater. 

MathCounts Team Places at State Event
 

Ten Middle School students meet with Math Teacher Lee Bissett for math club every Tuesday after school to expand their problem-solving prowess. Four of these students competed in the MathCounts State Competition March 11, 2017. The team placed 6th overall (out of 17), and 7th grader, Julie Steele, placed in the top 10 individual competitors.

 

The problems students encounter in competition "go beyond the standards and scope of middle school math," Lee says. "These students are mostly self-directed," he adds. Lee does introduce new math concepts and skills to the team members, but simulating the pressure of performing against the clock is the most important prep for the competition. "The time pressure is what's crushing," he says. For the first two individual rounds, students solve 30 problems in 40 minutes and four sets of two problems with each set timed at six minutes. For the final round, the team works together to solve 10 problems in 20 minutes. Then, students work furiously, dividing and conquering based on each other's strengths.