Middle Schoolers Compete in Math Competition

For some of the students in West Orange, the chance to go to school on Saturday was actually something they were really looking forward to.

Students from Roosevelt and Liberty Middle Schools competed in this year's regional "MATHCOUNTS" competition held at Liberty on Saturday. Students participating in the afterschool math clubs were invited to take part.

The "MATHCOUNTS" Competition is a national middle school competitive mathematics program that promotes mathematics achievement through a series of fun and engaging "bee" style contests. Around 200 students from around the state attend the competition. The format of the competition is as follows:

• The Sprint Round (40 minutes) consists of 30 problems. This round tests accuracy, with time being such that only the most capable students will complete all of the problems.

• The Target Round (approximately 30 minutes) consists of eight problems presented to competitors in four pairs (6 minutes per pair). This round features multi‑step problems that engage Math-letes in mathematical reasoning and problem-solving processes.

• The Team Round (20 minutes) consists of 10 problems that team members work together to solve.

• The Countdown Round is a fast-paced, oral competition for
  top-scoring individuals (based on scores in the Sprint and Target Rounds). In this round, pairs of Math-letes compete against each other and the clock to solve problems.