Online Winter Math Contest Club (January 9 –February 1 2024, 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: Gauss 7/8, AMC 8, and Math Kangaroo)
- 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 - 6:00pm
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 1/2, 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 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 in Coding
Grade 5/6: Introduction to Math in Coding [Term 1: January 9 - February 1 2024 (4 Weeks)]
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: Block Coding and Python
Fee: $240
Grade 7/8: Introduction to Math in Coding [Term 1: January 9 - February 1 2024 (4 Weeks)]
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: Block Coding and Python
Fee: $240
Grade 5/6: Intermediate Math in Coding [Term 2: February 6 - 29 2024 (4 Weeks)]
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 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 5/6 Introduction to Math in Coding course]
Relevant Coding Language: Block Coding and Python
Fee: $240
Grade 7/8: Intermediate Math in Coding (Focus on Game Design) [Term 2: February 6 - 29 2024 (4 Weeks)]
Location: Online
Schedule: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm [Time Change - Updated January 24th]
Course Description: In this course, you will design various games using block coding and python. Through your designs, you will explore the deep relationship between coding and mathematics through logic and reasoning. This course will also go over the similarities between block coding and “real” coding (i.e. a programming language like Python)
[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: Block Coding and Python
Fee: $240
Grade 9/10: Intermediate Math in Coding (Focus on Robotics) [Term 2: February 6 - 29 2024 (4 Weeks)]
Location: Online
Schedule: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm
Course Description: Robotics is a very diverse sector with many end-applications and links to many branches of engineering but more importantly mathematics. In this course, students will learn robotics and coding from a mathematical perspective. Join in to explore the world of virtual robotics and advance your coding skills through relevant projects.
[Students are expected to have a foundational understanding of coding. You will not be building a physical robotics system in this course]
Relevant Coding Language: Virtual Robotics Program and Python
Fee: $255 + Tax
In-Person Math Enrichment Program (February 3 - March 2 (Excluding Feb 17), 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, 10 AM - 1:15 PM
Course Description: A section of Saturday Math Club designed especially for grade 1/2s. 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.
[Content in this course will be different from the Fall Math FUNdamentals Term]
Fee: $275
Location: In-Person (St George Campus)
Schedule: Saturdays, 10 AM - 1:15 PM
Course Description: In this course we will explore how we can use mathematics to describe what we see in nature. 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. Geometric concepts like tessellations, symmetries, sequences and other mathematics behind natural phenomenon will be covered in this course.
Fee: $275
Location: In-Person (St George Campus)
Schedule: Saturdays, 10 AM - 1:15 PM
Course Description: Physics is the science that is integrated into our everyday lives, from simple tasks like driving a car to more broad applications like designing structures. Mathematics plays a foundational role in these concepts. In this camp, students will have the opportunity to improve their understanding of where mathematics applies in physics and the real world. By the end of the sessions, you will create your own mini design project/ experiment.
Fee: $275
Location: In-Person (St George Campus)
Schedule: Saturdays, 10 AM - 1:15 PM
Course Description: Earth is just 1 in billions of other planets roaming in outer space. Ever wondered what it takes to build a human colony in space? This course will showcase the beautiful integration of mathematics into astronomy. Join us as we explore this question in more depth and try to understand the various local celestial systems present in our universe.
Fee: $275
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