Winter Math Contest Club (January 10–February 3)
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), the American Math Competitions (Gr. 8, 10, and 12), and the Canadian Open Math Challenge. 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)
- Grades 3–4 (relevant contests: Math Kangaroo, Caribou Contest)
- Grades 5–6 (relevant contests: Math Kangaroo, Caribou Contest)
- Grades 7–8 (relevant contests: Gauss 7/8, AMC 8, and Math Kangaroo 7/8)
- Grades 9–12 (relevant contests: Pascal, Cayley, Fermat, Fryer, Galois, Hypatia, Euclid, AMC10/12, COMC, Math Kangaroo 9/10 and 11/12.
Schedule
January 10–February 3, 2023
Program Fees and Financial Support
Junior Programs: $225 per term.
High School Programs: $240 + tax per term.
Winter Math Enrichment Club (February 7–March 3, Online)
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. For those already familiar with our past “Enriching Minds” clubs and camps, these courses will be in a similar vein, adapted for the online experience.
Schedule & Details
Schedule: Wednesdays and Fridays, 4:30 PM – 5:45 PM (EST)
Course Description: In this course, students will be exploring healthy eating through mathematical concepts in grades 1 and 2. Students will be exploring concepts such as geometric measurements and recipes (cups, ml, L, grams, etc), data and graphing on healthy eating, world problems that revolve around real-life healthy eating scenarios, food fractions, and visualizing and recognizing geometric shapes in everyday food options.
Schedule: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4:30 PM – 5:45 PM (EST)
Course Description: In this course we will explore how we can use mathematics to describe what we see in nature and animals. From the number of spirals on a pine cone, which are Fibonacci numbers, to the hexagons on a honeycomb; we will learn about the mathematics in nature. Concepts like fractions, algebra, geometry, probability and other mathematics behind natural phenomenon will be covered in this course.
Schedule:: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4:30 PM – 5:45 PM (EST)
Mathematics depends on logical reasoning, problem solving and strategies. In this course, students will be exploring mind-stretching games and puzzles are a fantastic way to expand your horizons about what is possible. Get ready to impress your friends with knowledge of different kinds of classic puzzles and logic games.
Schedule: Wednesdays and Fridays, 4:30 PM – 5:45 PM (EST)
Course Description: From the smallest of particles to the largest of galaxies, math plays an important role in the study of physics! This course will explore how we can use math to understand and model physical phenomena within topics including thermodynamics, relativity, classical mechanics, electrostatics, and more!
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