National Math Competition Honors Birchwood School of Hawken Students
Birchwood School of Hawken students competed in the American Mathematics Competition 8 (AMC 8) and three finished among the top 5% of all math students in the United States. Two others were also recognized for their exceptional scores.
Angela D’Souza (7th grade) finished third place in her section.
Jacob Gao (6th grade) finished first place in his section, scored in the top 5% nationally, and earned the certificate of achievement for those in 6th grade and under scoring over 15.
Jordan Gordon (7th grade) finished first place in his section and scored in the top 5% nationally.
Joshua Gordon (6th grade) finished second place in his section and earned the certificate of achievement for those in 6th grade and under scoring over 15.
Ben Miyares (7th grade) finished first place in his section and scored in the top 5% nationally.
The AMC 8 is a 25-question, 40-minute, multiple-choice examination for junior high students designed to develop and enhance problem-solving skills. The questions on the AMC 8 give competitors problem-solving experiences beyond what they typically see in math class. Above all, students find the tests fun, which promotes positive attitudes towards analytical thinking, a skill that is critical to future success in all their endeavors.
These students were coached by a team of teachers: the school’s co-founder, Mr. Charles Debelak, Mrs. Nicole Gregory, and Dr. Catherine Haskins. Mr. Charles Debelak described the competition this way, “Only the very top students, from the best schools, having a superior mathematics program, take the AMC 8. Besides, this achievement is also a credit to the extra work these students invest in their math education through after-school and weekend math classes."
Birchwood congratulates these students on their accomplishments and honors their coaches for their long-standing enthusiastic support.
