Russian School of Mathematics (RSM) Acton Honors 28 Students for Top Scores in National and International Math Competitions

NEWTON, Mass., May 22, 2013 —Twenty-eight students who attend the Acton branch of the Russian School of Mathematics (RSM) for after-school math enrichment will be among over 200 RSM students from more than 50 Greater Boston communities honored for posting top scores in national and international math competitions during the 2012-2013 school year.

RSM will host the awards ceremony at First Church of Boston on Sunday, June 2nd from 6-9 pm to recognize its best students for remarkable achievement on the SAT, the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY) test, the American Mathematics Contest (AMC) 8, 10 & 12, and the Math Kangaroo International Olympiad.

To qualify for a 2013 RSM Achievement Award RSM students had to meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Certificate of Achievement or higher from American Mathematics Contest (AMC) for Middle School and High School Students.
• Score of 700 or above on Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (JH CTY) SAT
• A State or National Ranking in Math Kangaroo International Olympiad
• A Gold or Silver Pin in the Math Olympiad for Elementary and Middle School Students (MOEMS).
  
“We are particularly proud of our 5th and 6th graders who took top scores on the AMC 8,” remarked Principal of RSM-Acton Igor Chernin.  “Intended for 8th graders, the AMC 8 is arguably the most rigorous middle school math competition in the nation.”

RSM-Acton Students Receiving Awards for Mathematical Excellence in AMC 8, 10 & 12 and AIME include:

Joseph Kalarickal, Grade 5, Honor Roll & Certificate of Achievement
Maxwell Wang, Grade 5, Honor Roll & Certificate of Achievement
Aaron Wang, Grade 6, Certificate of Achievement
Abigail Lee, Grade 6, Certificate of Achievement
Atharva Kasar, Grade 6, Honor Roll & Certificate of Achievement
David Kwon, Grade 6, Honor Roll & Certificate of Achievement
Ella Heitmeyer, Grade 6, Honor Roll & Certificate of Achievement
Harish Raman, Grade 6, Certificate of Achievement
Neeharika Sistu, Grade 6, Certificate of Achievement
Stefan Quaadgras, Grade 6, Honor Roll & Certificate of Achievement
Adithya Vellal, Honor Roll & Certificate of Achievement
William Yang, Grade 7, Honor RollJulia Mcclellan, Grade 8, Certificate of Distinction
Katherine Sobalvarro, Grade 8, Honor Roll
Joseph Kalarickal, Grade 5, AMC 10, Honor Roll, & Certificate of Achievement
Maxwell Wang, Grade 5, AMC 10, Certificate of Distinction, Certificate of Achievement, & AIME Qualifier
Atharva Kasar Grade 6, AMC 10, Certificate of Achievement
Ella Heitmeyer Grade 6, AMC 10 Certificate of Achievement
Adithya Vellal, Grade 7, AMC 10, Honor Roll
Amanda Li, Grade 8, AMC 10,Honor Roll & Certificate of Achievement
Julia Mcclellan, Grade 8, AMC 10, Honor Roll & Certificate of Achievement
Kenny Wang, Grade 8, AMC 10, Certificate of Distinction, Certificate of Achievement, & AIME Qualifier
Kimmy Schuster, Grade 8, AMC 10,Honor Roll & Certificate of Achievement
Akshay Karthik, Grade 9, AMC 10, Distinguished Honor Roll
Aaron Elliot, Grade 11, AIME, Certificate of Distinction

 
RSM Students from Acton Receiving Awards for Mathematical Excellence in the Math Kangaroo International Olympiad include:

Siddharth Mohakar, Grade 2, National Winner
Daniel Mai, Grade 3, 3rd Place State Winner (White Ribbon), 5th Place National Winner
Aidan Hennessey, Grade 4, National Winner
Amrit Subramanian, Grade 4, National Winner
Matthew Kalarickal, Grade 4, National Winner
Mishael Quraishi, Grade 4, National Winner
Rudra Sett, Grade 4, National Winner
Katherine Yang, Grade 6, 2nd Place State Winner (Red Ribbon), 5th Place National Winner
Richard Huang, Grade 6, National WinnerKenny Wang, Grade 8, 2nd Place National Winner (Silver Medal) 1st Place State Winner (Blue Ribbon)

For over a decade, RSM students have consistently churned out remarkable scores on standardized tests and in national and international math competitions.  This year is no exception.  Even RSM 8th graders who take the SAT three years early average 648/800 on the test compared to the US 11th grade average score of 523.  And RSM 8th graders posting perfect scores of 800 on the SAT is not unheard of.  The majority of continuing RSM 10th and 11th graders score well above 750 on the SAT.

Inessa Rifkin and Irina Khavinson, the two Russian immigrant women who started the Newton-based school in 1997, believe that anyone can do well in math given the right learning environment.   They also point out that top test scores are just one of the benefits of RSM’s unique after-school math enrichment program.  RSM students also see higher grade point averages in school, more confidence, and a strengthening of problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
 
The key, they say, is creating an enjoyable learning environment that emphasizes understanding over rote memorization supported by a systematic curriculum and well-trained, enthusiastic teachers who can pass their love of math on to their students.

Once based in the Rifkin family living room, the school has seen demand for its unique program increase dramatically over the years and today enrolls more than 8000 students at 15 math schools across five states.  RSM plans to open three new math school locations this summer in Winchester, Mass., Brookline, Mass, and Rocky Hill, Connecticut.

About the Russian School of Mathematics
The Russian School of Mathematics is a unique after-school math program based in Newton, Massachusetts that has been developing excellence in mathematics and critical thinking skills since 1997.  Families of more than 8,000 students in five states trust RSM to deliver a world-class math education for their K-12 students.  For more information, visit www.russianschool.com.


—###—
Contact:  Kristin Lynch, Russian School of Mathematics, 200 Wells Ave, Newton, MA 02459, kristin.lynch@russianschool.com, 617-332-8243.