LFCDS Students Score Big in Math Contest

Lake Forest Country Day School (LFCDS) student and Winnetka native Isabel Hernandez finished in the top 2% of 120,000 elementary students who participated in the international 2014-2015 Math Olympiad for Elementary and Middle Schools (MOEMS).

The MOEMS annual contest involves middle school students across the world taking five monthly math assessments from November through March. Each problem set consists of five unique math problems, chosen for their difficulty and requiring outside-the-box problem-solving approaches.

LFCDS fifth-grade student Isabel Hernandez registered perfect scores in four of the five problem sets administered throughout the year, missing a cumulative perfect score of 25 by one point.

According to Isabel, the LFCDS math curriculum helped prepare her for the types of complex problems she encountered during the Olympiad in-class tests.

Isabel was quick to credit her mother, Jennifer Hernandez, for supporting her. Isabel says, “I want to thank my mom for spending so much time on math with me and for keeping her expectations high.”

Mrs. Hernandez maintained high expectations for both her daughter, and for the teachers at LFCDS who taught Isabel throughout the year. “LFCDS’ commitment to meeting our daughter at her level and keeping her challenged has exceeded our expectations,” says Mrs. Hernandez.

What impressed Mrs. Hernandez most about the LFCDS math teachers and their mentorship of Isabel during the contests was their commitment to individualized attention and differentiated learning.

Says Mrs. Hernandez, “The most distinguishing element of the LFCDS math program for us has been the genuine commitment to maximizing the learning potential of every student. The teachers and administrators are continually reviewing the effectiveness of their teaching methods and show a great amount of flexibility in meeting a particular student’s needs.”

Mrs. Hernandez also cites the culture of learning embracement at LFCDS as a contributing factor toward Isabel’s math success. “Perhaps most importantly, LFCDS has made being good at math ‘cool’ among the students, which is no small feat for kids of this age,” says Mrs. Hernandez.

Additionally, three LFCDS students from the Grade 4-Grade 6 Division finished in the top 10%: Gino Farrell (Grade 6), Calvin Osborne (Grade 6), and Will Pfeifle (Grade 5).

According to Isabel, “The math Olympiad problems were from all different areas of math, so I constantly had to switch my thinking, which was difficult. But I was prepared.”

Lake Forest Country Day School serves students from more than 30 communities throughout the North Shore and beyond. A regional center of excellence for early childhood, elementary, and middle school education for children ages 2 to Grade 8, LFCDS is committed to inspired teaching, academic rigor, attention to individual needs, and responsible citizenship as well as the dedication to producing students of strong character with a passion for learning. For more information on LFCDS, please visit www.lfcds.org or call (847) 234-2350.