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Wakarusa students count on fun time |
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Thursday, 01 March 2007 |
By Mandy McFarland Editor
NAPPANEE — Tuesday and Thursday activities add up to fun and friendly competition for students at Wakarusa Elementary School.
Competing in the annual math pentathlon is no problem for these students, who meet on a weekly basis to practice for the upcoming pentathlon, a yearly event featuring a number of area schools.
Second and third graders meet on Tuesdays and fourth and fifth graders meet on Thursdays. The groups spend approximately one hour after school learning various math-oriented games and puzzles designed to sharpen math skills.
Fourth grade teacher Justine Crillow and fifth grade teacher Ann Sauceda oversee meetings and act as coaches during events.
Parent volunteers also play a major role, attending meetings and helping the kids learn the various games.
The students train all year for the annual pentathlon, which takes place in the spring. The school holds a parent training night at the beginning of the year to teach parent volunteers the basics of the program. This year, Woodview Elementary in Nappanee has been invited to join the pentathlon.
Wakarusa Elementary fifth-graders Lauren Wenger, 11, and Will Steuve, 10, have participated in the math pentathlon since last year.
“My favorite thing is that it is math,” said Steuve. “I like the strategic thinking.”
Wenger also enjoys the games. Her favorite is Queens and Guards.
“It’s kind of like chess,” she explained.
Both students come from families who enjoy math and hope to someday pursue careers that allow them to use their math skills.
According to Sauceda, the math pentathlon is not all numbers. It also teaches things like attributes, placement and geometry, among others. Games teach active problem solving, constructive competition and computational and logistical reasoning, and are designed to meet a wide variety of math ability levels and learning styles, say Sauceda and Crillow.
The annual tournament will take place on April 28 at Elkhart Central High School in Elkhart.
According to Sauceda and Crillow, 12 of the 24 students on last year’s team medaled in the competition and five won or tied in every event. Of these, two had a perfect score.
Students who qualify may go on to compete in the Northern Indiana tournament. There is also a state tournament in Indianapolis.
This year, 13 fifth graders have returned and 17 fourth graders have joined them. There are 12 parent volunteers for the fourth and fifth grade level.
This is the first year for the second and third grade level. So far, 19 Wakarusa second and third graders have joined the pentathlon.
Ten teachers from Wakarusa and Woodview have also been trained to coach the pentathlon.
The math pentathlon is a national program that has been around since the 1970s. Lakeland School Corporation adopted it in 1987.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 09 March 2007 )
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