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Melrose math team adds up
Melrose Middle School Math Counts team members Anastacia Wahl , Abraham Zimmerman, Claire Haldeman, Monika O'Shea, Colin Hegarty, Joe Valente (hidden), Kyle Yee and Matt Mroz worked on problems during the Math Counts Competition at Roxbury Latin last month.
Their annual competition ended a month ago, but members of the Melrose Middle School Math Counts Team have no desire to put down the calculator.“I like hanging out with my friends and doing math problems,” said seventh grader Kyle Yee, who has been a member of the team for several years. “It's pretty fun.”
Yee isn't alone in his enthusiasm. Although the Math Counts team attracts fewer members than sports teams or musical ensembles, its numbers are rising, said Dana Fowler, who teaches at the middle school and coaches the team.
“It's one of the biggest we've had [and] it's growing rapidly,” she
said, adding that more females are signing up after a few years of male
majority. “The kids are really excited.”
Fowler said a core group of 10 students show up every Monday around 3:15 to work on advanced math problems and learn new skills. The club has an open door policy, and some members have started bringing friends along, she said.
“It's so cool to come in and find them working on problems,” Fowler said. “They just have a blast.”
The group's dedication was evident during last month's Math Counts Competition, held at the Roxbury Latin School. Many schools participating had more developed programs and were more advanced in their skills, said Fowler, but that didn't stop the Melrose team from enjoying the day, which began at 8 a.m.
“For them to do that is pretty special,” Fowler said. “They took it all in stride. We knew we were out of our league.”
The team placed 19th out of 24 teams and will get another chance to compete later this month at a competition at Saint Mary's School in Danvers.
For Yee, participating in the program is a way to have fun while challenging himself in his favorite subject. Many members of the team are also in the advanced math class at the middle school, he said.
“I'm good at math and I like achieving stuff,” he said. “I like doing my best.”
Fowler said a core group of 10 students show up every Monday around 3:15 to work on advanced math problems and learn new skills. The club has an open door policy, and some members have started bringing friends along, she said.
“It's so cool to come in and find them working on problems,” Fowler said. “They just have a blast.”
The group's dedication was evident during last month's Math Counts Competition, held at the Roxbury Latin School. Many schools participating had more developed programs and were more advanced in their skills, said Fowler, but that didn't stop the Melrose team from enjoying the day, which began at 8 a.m.
“For them to do that is pretty special,” Fowler said. “They took it all in stride. We knew we were out of our league.”
The team placed 19th out of 24 teams and will get another chance to compete later this month at a competition at Saint Mary's School in Danvers.
For Yee, participating in the program is a way to have fun while challenging himself in his favorite subject. Many members of the team are also in the advanced math class at the middle school, he said.
“I'm good at math and I like achieving stuff,” he said. “I like doing my best.”
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