McMaster hosts second annual math enrichment day for Grade 8 students

Grade 8 students across the city have been working hard and preparing to write the Gauss mathematics competition, which will be held later this spring.

For several months McMaster University students have been volunteering as tutors at 10 local public schools during after school sessions, helping prepare the students for the competition.

To celebrate the accomplishments of both the students and the volunteers, an outreach committee with the Bachelor of Health Sciences Program (BHSc) at McMaster University is hosting a Math Enrichment Day at McMaster University on Monday, March 7.

More than 150 Grade 8 students from across Hamilton will be attending the event, which is designed to entertain as well as prepare the students for the upcoming Gauss contest, which will be held on Wednesday, May 11, 2005, and will involve hundreds of elementary schools across Ontario. The contest involves 25 multiple-choice questions ranging in difficulty, to be completed over an hour.

“The volunteer program has been a tremendous success, with positive feedback from both the students and principals of the participating schools,” said Vithika Sivabalasundaram, one of the co-ordinators of the enrichment day and a second year BHSc student. “The trick was to show them that math is a game, many times it's like solving puzzles.”

“We hope to maintain the academic enthusiasm of these elementary students who have been dedicating their time to prepare for the contest, by providing them with stimulating and engaging presentations. In addition, we hope that the entire day will motivate the elementary students to continue their hard work and pursuit of academic achievement once they leave the university at the end of the day.”

The enrichment day is also designed to recognize the hard work of the more than 40 volunteer tutors that have been dedicating their time to travel to the schools to teach the students.

“We also hope our tutors understand the long-lasting impact they've had on these students by acting as both teachers and role models,” said Sivabalasundaram.

Activities of the day, which starts at 9:00 a.m. and ends at 1:30 p.m., will be held in CIBC Banquet Hall (third floor) in the McMaster University Student Center, include:

Mock Gauss math contest

Presentation and problem solving session with Miroslav Lovric, Department of Mathematics and Statistics

Sound demonstration and talk by the Physics Department

Presentation on Evolution by Jonathon Stone, Department of Biology

Pizza lunch

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Grade 8 students across the city have been working hard and preparing to write the Gauss mathematics competition, which will be held later this spring.<p><br />
<br />
For several months McMaster University students have been volunteering as tutors at 10 local public schools during after school sessions, helping prepare the students for the competition. <p><br />
<br />
To celebrate the accomplishments of both the students and the volunteers, an outreach committee with the Bachelor of Health Sciences Program (BHSc) at McMaster University is hosting a Math Enrichment Day at McMaster University on Monday, March 7.<p><br />
<br />
More than 150 Grade 8 students from across Hamilton will be attending the event, which is designed to entertain as well as prepare the students for the upcoming Gauss contest, which will be held on Wednesday, May 11, 2005, and will involve hundreds of elementary schools across Ontario. The contest involves 25 multiple-choice questions ranging in difficulty, to be completed over an hour.<p><br />
<br />
"The volunteer program has been a tremendous success, with positive feedback from both the students and principals of the participating schools," said Vithika Sivabalasundaram, one of the co-ordinators of the enrichment day and a second year BHSc student. "The trick was to show them that math is a game, many times it&#039;s like solving puzzles."<p><br />
<br />
"We hope to maintain the academic enthusiasm of these elementary students who have been dedicating their time to prepare for the contest, by providing them with stimulating and engaging presentations. In addition, we hope that the entire day will motivate the elementary students to continue their hard work and pursuit of academic achievement once they leave the university at the end of the day."<p><br />
<br />
The enrichment day is also designed to recognize the hard work of the more than 40 volunteer tutors that have been dedicating their time to travel to the schools to teach the students.<p> <br />
<br />
"We also hope our tutors understand the long-lasting impact they&#039;ve had on these students by acting as both teachers and role models," said Sivabalasundaram.  <p><br />
<br />
Activities of the day, which starts at 9:00 a.m. and ends at 1:30 p.m., will be held in CIBC Banquet Hall (third floor) in the McMaster University Student Center, include:<ul><br />
<br />
<li>Mock Gauss math contest</li><br />
<li>Presentation and problem solving session with Miroslav Lovric, Department of Mathematics and Statistics</li><br />
<li>Sound demonstration and talk by the Physics Department</li><br />
<li>Presentation on Evolution by Jonathon Stone, Department of Biology</li><br />
<li>Pizza lunch</li></ul>

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