Three New Tampa schools now have some new hardware to show off after some of the best and brightest fourth and fifth grade math stars from New Tampa’s seven public elementary schools went head-to-head to see who would bring home the trophies in this year’s Math Bowl last month.
Teams compete against others from their “area” in Hillsborough County Public Schools. New Tampa teams are from Area 3, which is comprised of about 20 schools. The competition’s awards ceremony honors the top three teams in each area.
In the fourth grade event, New Tampa teams took home all three top awards. First place went to Richard F. Pride Elementary, second went to Tampa Palms, and third place to Harold H. Clark Elementary. The teams from Hunter’s Green (4th place), Chiles and Turner/Bartels (tied for 9th), and Heritage (15th) also competed at the event.
For fifth grade, the team from Clark won first place, and the team from Pride came in second. Other New Tampa teams who competed include Chiles (6th place), Heritage (8th place), Hunter’s Green (9th place), and Tampa Palms (11th place).
The annual Math Bowl is co-sponsored by Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) and the Hillsborough Council of Teachers of Mathematics, an all-volunteer, teacher-led organization. The annual event was held this year at the T. Pepin Hospitality Centre on 50th St. in Tampa.
“The Math Bowl has been in existence for over twenty years,” says Jack Fahle, supervisor of elementary mathematics for HCPS. “It got started as a Saturday event among just a few schools and no one really knows when the first one was or when the organization actually started calling it the ‘Math Bowl.’”
The competition pits teams of four against each other to see who can solve the most challenging math problems in the least amount of time.
The Math Bowl is divided into halves, with three students from each team participating in the entire competition, and two students each participating in one half or the other, giving each team a built-in alternate. The faster a team finishes a question, the higher the points they are awarded for correct answers. Incorrect answers equal zero points, so the teams have to be accurate in their work.
Each team has a coach, typically their math teacher, who helps them practice and prepare for the competition. Kimberly Terenzi, who teaches fourth grade math and science at Pride, coached the school’s winning fourth and fifth grade teams. She says they prepare with weekly practices for several weeks before the competition. Since working accurately and quickly is essential, “we also have discussions on how the team can become more efficient and eventually create their own strategies and shortcuts.”
Terenzi says the competition benefits the kids in several ways.
“They learn team building skills, how to work corroboratively, and how to stay focused in a high stressed atmosphere,” she says. “The children learn to trust each other and develop as a team.”
A competition for Math Bowl teams for first, second, and third grade students will be held in May.
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