Online Winter Math Contest Club (January 14 – February 6 2025, 4 Weeks)
The Contest Club provides preparation for students interested in writing math contests such as the Math Kangaroo Contest (Gr. 1 – 12), the various University of Waterloo Contests (Gr. 7 – 12), and the Math Caribou Competitions (Gr. 1 - 12). Instruction will be geared towards the most popular contests for each grade level, which are listed below next to the course sections. The Math Contest Clubs differ from the Fall and Spring Math Clubs in that the emphasis is on pencil-and-paper math rather than hands-on activities. Students will have the opportunity to sharpen their skills before most of the contests are written in the second half of the school year.
One class section per grade range below will be offered, subject to change based on enrollment:
- Grades 1-2 (relevant contest: Math Kangaroo, Caribou Contest)
- Grades 3-4 (relevant contests: Math Kangaroo, Caribou Contest)
- Grades 5-6 (relevant contests: Math Kangaroo, Caribou Contest)
- Grades 7-8 (relevant contests: Math Kangaroo, Gauss 7/8, AMC 8)
- Grades 9-10 (relevant contests: Math Kangaroo, Pascal, Cayley)
- Grades 11-12 (relevant contests: Math Kangaroo, Fermat, Euclid)
Location: Online
Schedule: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm
Course Description: The Winter Math Contest Club will cover contest questions and problem solving strategies that students may come across when writing contests. This course will help students to hone their skills in quickly assessing how to solve a problem by recognizing its type. All students are welcome! Whether students are new to contest writing or experienced, students will gain exposure to mathematical problem solving and logical thinking in a fun atmosphere with peers and instructors who enjoy doing math.
Relevant Contest: Math Kangaroo 3/4, Math Caribou
Fee: $240
Location: Online
Schedule: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm
Course Description: The Winter Math Contest Club will cover contest questions and problem solving strategies that students may come across when writing contests. This course will help students to hone their skills in quickly assessing how to solve a problem by recognizing its type. All students are welcome! Whether students are new to contest writing or experienced, students will gain exposure to mathematical problem solving and logical thinking in a fun atmosphere with peers and instructors who enjoy doing math.
Relevant Contest: Math Kangaroo 5/6, Math Caribou
Fee: $240
Location: Online
Schedule: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 4:30 pm - 6:00pm
Course Description: The Winter Math Contest Club will cover contest questions and problem solving strategies that students may come across when writing contests. This course will help students to hone their skills in quickly assessing how to solve a problem by recognizing its type. All students are welcome! Whether students are new to contest writing or experienced, students will gain exposure to mathematical problem solving and logical thinking in a fun atmosphere with peers and instructors who enjoy doing math.
Relevant Contest: Math Kangaroo 7/8, Math Caribou, AMC 8, Gauss 7/8
Fee: $240
Location: Online
Schedule: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm
Course Description: The Winter Math Contest Club will cover contest questions and problem solving strategies that students may come across when writing contests. This course will help students to hone their skills in quickly assessing how to solve a problem by recognizing its type. All students are welcome! Whether students are new to contest writing or experienced, students will gain exposure to mathematical problem solving and logical thinking in a fun atmosphere with peers and instructors who enjoy doing math.
Relevant Contest: Math Kangaroo 9/10, Math Caribou, Pascal 9, Cayley 10
Fee: $255 + Tax
Location: Online
Schedule: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm
Course Description: The Winter Math Contest Club will cover contest questions and problem solving strategies that students may come across when writing contests. This course will help students to hone their skills in quickly assessing how to solve a problem by recognizing its type. All students are welcome! Whether students are new to contest writing or experienced, students will gain exposure to mathematical problem solving and logical thinking in a fun atmosphere with peers and instructors who enjoy doing math.
Relevant Contest: Math Kangaroo 11/12, Math Caribou, Fermat 11, Euclid 12
Fee: $255 + Tax
Online Winter Math Enrichment (January 14 – February 7 2025, 4 Weeks)
Enrichment courses are designed for students who are confident in math concepts at their grade level and are looking for greater challenges and new ways to stimulate their interest in math. We have new topics each term, please see below for more details.
Location: Online
Schedule: Tuesdays & Fridays, 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm
Course Description: Get ready to dive into a world of patterns! Students will explore repeating and growing patterns, discover numerical sequences, apply pattern rules, and examine patterns in art, math, and everyday life. Through engaging activities using virtual tools, they will enhance their mathematical understanding and appreciation for patterns in our world.
Fee: $240
Location: Online
Schedule: Tuesdays & Fridays, 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm
Course Description: Get ready to take a look into the future! This course takes a look at how real-world predictions are made using fundamental concepts of pattern recognition, data management, probability and counting. Students will practice pattern recognition and creation, learn to read data plots and create graphs, apply counting and probability principles, and develop strategies using game theory principles. At the end of the course, students will collect data about themselves to create predications about their own futures.
Fee: $240
Location: Online
Schedule: Tuesdays & Fridays, 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm
Course Description: This course will introduce students to the fascinating concept of fractals. Students will be exposed to these intricate mathematical objects, learn how to construct both 2D and 3D models of fractals, and explore their unique geometric properties. By the end of this course, students will acquire a new, insightful classification of shapes not taught in school and view everyday objects in a new light.
Fee: $240
In-Person Winter Term 2 Programs (February 1 - March 1 2025 (Excluding Feb 15), 4 Weeks)
Enrichment courses are designed for students who are confident in math concepts at their grade level and are looking for greater challenges and new ways to stimulate their interest in math. We have new topics each term, please see below for more details.
Location: In-Person (St George Campus)
Schedule: Saturdays, 9:30 AM – 1 PM
Course Description: A section of Saturday Math Club designed especially for grade 1/2. Participants will approach fundamental math concepts through a balance of hands-on activities, games, and crafts, and pencil-and-paper math. This program is designed in the same spirit as our other math clubs and summer camps, but tailored to the math skill level of our youngest participants. This program aims to teach and reinforce topics from the grade 1/2 curriculum.
Fee: $275
Location: In-Person (St George Campus)
Schedule: Saturdays, 9:30 AM – 1 PM
Course Description: Step right up to this math in carnivals course, where we’ll dive into the thrilling math behind your favorite games, rides, and attractions! In this course, students will explore foundational math concepts such as probability, algebra, financial literacy, and basic block coding logic. Together, we’ll uncover the mathematical principles that make everything—from roller coasters to ring tosses—possible!
Fee: $275
Location: In-Person (St George Campus)
Schedule: Saturdays, 9:30 AM – 1 PM
Course Description: Embark on an exciting math adventure and learn the art of cryptography by cracking secret codes and deciphering hidden messages. Learn how to budget and strategize, then put your skills to the test as you work together to solve puzzles, overcome challenges, and plan a thrilling Money Heist
Fee: $275
Location: In-Person (St George Campus)
Schedule: Saturdays, 9:30 AM – 1 PM
Course Description: Magicians never tell their magic secrets, but math can! In this course, students will explore various types of magic tricks including cards tricks, dice tricks, optical illusions, and mind reading using mathematics. We will cover topics related to foundational algebra, binary logic, arithmetic and geometry.
Fee: $275
Location: In-Person (St George Campus)
Schedule: Saturdays, 9:30 AM – 1 PM
Course Description: This course provides an engaging introduction to financial mathematics, where students will explore essential financial products such as annuities and perpetuities. By examining these products, students will connect key financial concepts to mathematical principles, including sequences and series (both finite and infinite), and linear and quadratic functions. The course aims to provide students with a foundational understanding of the mathematics underpinning real-world financial applications.
Fee: $275
Location: In-Person (St George Campus)
Schedule: Saturdays, 9:30 AM – 1 PM
Course Description: This course will explore how we can understand our place in the universe by studying the fundamental physics and mathematics that govern astronomy. We will apply these concepts to better understand the local celestial systems surrounding us. By the end of the course, you will have a deeper understanding of our immediate cosmic environment and appreciate how math plays an integral role in astronomy.
Fee: $300 + Tax
Online Winter Math in Coding Programs (February 11 - March 6 2025, 4 Weeks)
The Winter Math in Coding program is designed for students intersted in learning the beautiful connection between math in coding. If you are new to coding, we suggest joining our introduction level courses. Those with experience may join the intermediate level courses. If your level is not being offered this term, please check back in the next term.
Location: Online
Schedule: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm
Course Description: Coding at all levels have one thing in common; they all depend on logical reasoning, problem solving and mathematics. In this course, students will explore the beautiful connection between Math and Coding through fun and interactive projects that help them understand the basics of coding.
Relevant Coding Language: Scratch
Location: Online
Schedule: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm
Course Description: In this course, students will explore the beautiful connection between Math and Coding through fun and interactive projects that help them take their coding abilities to the next level. [Students are expected to have a foundational understanding of coding. This course will work towards more complex topics and projects.]
Relevant Coding Language: Python
Location: Online
Schedule: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm
Course Description: Coding at all levels have one thing in common; they all depend on logical reasoning, problem solving and mathematics. In this course, students will explore the beautiful connection between Math and Coding through fun and interactive projects that help them understand the basics of coding.
Relevant Coding Language: Scratch, Lynx, Python
Location: Online
Schedule: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm
Course Description: In this course, students will explore the beautiful connection between Math and Coding through fun and interactive projects that help them take their coding abilities to the next level. [Students are expected to have a foundational understanding of coding. This course will work towards more complex topics and projects. If you do not have a coding background, we suggest enrolling in the Grade 7/8 Introduction to Math in Coding course]
Relevant Coding Language: Python
What do elementary school children do in a Math Contest Club?
For students in grades 1 – 6, instruction will focus on questions typical of the Math Kangaroo Contest, which aims to teach elementary school children the fundaments of problem solving in fun and age-appropriate ways. Questions for younger children tend to have a visual component and build skills on logic and spatial reasoning. This helps to start to build the habits of mind needed for problem solving in general and geometry and algebra problems in particular, in later years. If you're not familiar with Math Kangaroo questions, we strongly recommend looking at the free samples of past Math Kangaroo contests for each grade level. These samples give a good indication of what type of problem solving will be covered in the Clubs for children in grades 1 - 6. If you think your child's mathematical ability may be better suited to the class one level up, these samples will help you assess that. Samples of past Caribou Contests are available for practice and review.
Whether or not students in grade 1 – 6 choose to write the Math Kangaroo Contest, the Winter Math Contest Club will provide additional exposure to mathematical problem solving and logical thinking in a fun atmosphere with kids and instructors who enjoy doing math.
What do intermediate students do in a Math Contest Club?
Many math contests are now available to intermediate and high school students. The math problems in these contests tend to be approached in a way that isn’t typical of the way math is approached in school. The Winter Contest Club will help students to hone their skills in quickly assessing how to solve a problem by recognizing its type. Areas of math to be covered will include geometry, algebra, probability, systems of equations, optimization problems, series and sequences, among others. Students will have the opportunity to work with instructors and other youth who share their passion for math and their interest in solving contest-style problems. Students will be working towards Waterloo contests, AMC 10, and COMC