Prince William County Public Schools

Math Quest

Spring 2024

Student mathematicians competed at the third annual PWCS Middle School Math Quest, an event designed to bring students together from across the division to engage in a day filled with mathematical challenges. The event emphasizes teamwork and collaborative problem-solving with students tackling a range of problems in algebra, geometry, statistics, and probability.

Students from various schools traveled to Benton Middle School to participate, including volunteer groups from Brentsville District, Forest Park, Gar-Field, and Potomac High Schools.

Daniel Khan, a sixth grader from Saunders Middle School, appreciated the team dynamics, stating, "One thing I liked about Math Quest was that my teammates were awesome. We all worked together on a question. If I or someone else didn't know the answer, we would get someone else to help solve it."

Kiley Samko, a math coach, remarked on the organization of the event, praising the preparation and the contributions of high school volunteers. "The students were excited, engaged, and strong collaborators. The lesson ahead of the challenges served as a great tool in eliciting quality team conversations.”

"Students every year come out of the competition stating how much fun it was and how much they love math," said Karen Achico, math department chair at Saunders Middle, about the lasting impact of the Math Quest on participants.

The PWCS Middle School Math Quest is more than just a competition; it's a community event that fosters a love for learning, enhances teamwork skills, and provides a platform for young mathematicians to shine. It’s a testament to the power of collective effort and educational encouragement in shaping the problem-solvers of tomorrow.

The Power of Teamwork Awards are selected by the adult and high school volunteers for the teams they think did the best job of working together.

Team Performance Awards First Place:

Green level:

• Alana Epperly (Gainesville Middle School)
• Mahoor Anees (Lake Ridge Middle School)
• Abdullah Khairzada (Rippon Middle School)

Blue level:

• Yash Patel (Porter Traditional School)
• Mason Prime (Parkside Middle School)
• Ibrahim Lodhi (Pennington Traditional School)
• Asa Redmer (Rippon Middle School)

Purple level:

• Curtis Boudreau (Benton Middle School)
• David Wu (Gainesville Middle School)
• Carson Liu (Benton Middle School)
• Norah Biggins (Parkside Middle School)

 Individual Performance Awards First Place:

Green level:

• Alana Epperly (Gainesville Middle School)

Blue level:

• Ethan Thompson (Gainesville Middle School)

Purple level:

• David Wu (Gainesville Middle School) 

Middle Schools from across Prince William County are invited to participate in the PWCS Math Quest event. Student teams will consist of students from different middle schools. Students should ask their math teacher regarding how to participate in their school. There will be a team building activity to allow students an opportunity to get to know each other. As a team, students will rotate through two stations based on the different strands of mathematics. Problems from the geometric reasoning, probability, and statistics, and algebra and number sense will be given to both teams and individuals. In addition, there will be a special Team Challenge problem where teams will show their math reasoning and communication skills as they work on a challenging task.

Spring 2023 Middle School Math Quest

Our Middle School Math Quest took place on Saturday, April 15, 2023. The event is held to provide opportunities for students across the division to work collaboratively in groups to solve problems. Students worked individually and on teams to solve algebraic, geometrical, statistical, and probability questions.

Special thanks to Benton Middle School for hosting the event. Additional thanks to all adult and high school volunteers.

Congratulations to all our Math Quest Winners!

Teamwork Award - Blue

Team Pascal: Roha Seyoum, Sahira KC, Adam Elkhammar

Teamwork Award - Green

Jacob Downey, Emmanuel Acquaah, Melina Gates, Jotham Johnson

Teamwork Award - Purple

Team Banneker: Matthew Johnson, Brandon Mollinedo, Ethan Downs Duran, Shoumik Das

Team Performance Awards

3rd Place

Team Bernoulli: Alicia Singh, Ephratah Ngusse, Philip Butler

Team Johnson: Arhaan Gautam, Hannah Greeley, Tayba Ahmed, Landyn Leonhardt

Team Euler: Aditi Puri, Danielle Gohel, Genevieve Ngoufan, Xarah Taslim

2nd Place

Team Aryabhata: Audrey Adjei-Sarfo, Gabrielle Clemetson, Mehtab Dhanoa, Sahar Rahellah

Team Brahmagupta: Ahmad Habib, Enzo Lamberty, Lorenzo Vega

Team Vaughn: Ryan Pao, Banahene Sakyl, Eric Teng, Ryan McMichael

1st Place

Team Descartes: Edna Mekonnen, Rachel Zachariah, Thomas Keapproth

Team Hopper: Luke Kwon, Alexis Breitmaier, Haariz Ahmad

Team Euclid: Arielle Hicks, David Wu, Jarius Appiah

Individual Performance Awards

3rd Place

Blue: Sahira KC

Green: Brody Cameron

Purple: Jairus Appiah

2nd Place

Blue: Thomas Keapproth

Green: Eric Benavides

Purple: Aditi Puri

1st Place

Blue: Philip Butler

Green: Arhaan Gautam

Purple: David Wu

Spring 2022 Virtual Math Quest Challenge

Congratulations!

All fourth grade, fifth grade, and middle school students were invited to participate in a Virtual Math Quest Challenge on March 14. The PWCS Math Quest Individual Challenge presented an opportunity for students to showcase their problem-solving skills with practical problems. Students had to submit a response to a practical problem by April 8, 2022

There were five winners of the Virtual Math Quest Challenge. The Math Quest Committee selected the top students at each level.

Scores were based on the practical problems depending on how well the student:

• Can explain their reasoning.
• Show an understanding of the mathematics in an organized manner.
• Use tables, graphs, or diagrams in the explanation.
• Show the solution in more than one way or relate it to other situations.
• Extend beyond the requirements of the problem.

The winners of the 2022 Spring Virtual Math Quest Individual Challenge are:

4th Grade Mathematics

Benjamin Stanton from Tyler Elementary School

5th Grade Mathematics

Lily Lu from Alvey Elementary School

Level 1 (6th, 6th Extended, and 7th Grade Mathematics)

Chetana Shrinivasan from Gainesville Middle School

Level 2 (7th Extended and 8th Grade Mathematics)

Rihum Shaikh from Gainesville Middle School

Level 3 (Algebra 1 and Geometry)

Lucy Lu From Reagan Middle Schools

If you have any questions, please email Kristin Rojas, Professional Development Specialist for Mathematics, at [email protected] or Dr. Justin Maffei, Mathematics Supervisor, at [email protected].