Ellis Student Finishes in Top Ten at Math Competition

Ellis student Stephanie Somlo, Class of 2022, placed tenth overall out of more than one hundred students at the MATHCOUNTS competition at the A.W. Beattie Career Center on Saturday, February 11. Stephanie and the Ellis team went head-to-head against local schools to test their mathematical, probability, and problem-solving skills.
This regional chapter competition brings together middle school mathletes from all over Allegheny County to compete in live, nonroutine math problems and contests against their peers. The competition is designed for grades 6, 7, and 8 and each school enters with a team of four students. Ellis' competition team included Stephanie Somlo, Class of 2022, Genna Barge, Class of 2021, Shivani Watson, Class of 2022, and Radhika Bhargava, Class of 2022. Also participating was Sao Mai Nguyen, Class of 2022, Hannah Barsouk, Class of 2021, and Lily Baker, Class of 2021.
 
At MATHCOUNTS, each student competes as an individual and as part of their school team with individual points factoring into the total team score. The competition has four rounds – Sprint, Target, Team, and Countdown— where students solve problems and are judged on speed, accuracy, mathematical reasoning, problem-solving, and collaboration. In this typically male-dominated competition, Stephanie represented Ellis in the final Countdown round and finished in the top ten. She was one of just three girls to place in the top ranks.

“Our chapter is very competitive so the fact that Stephanie placed in the top ten is a really big deal and is really very exciting for Ellis. Last year she placed 41st and this year she was tenth, so she has put in the work at school and at home to get there. Her ability to see a problem is remarkable and proof that you can truly get better with practice for these types of problems,” said Mrs. Tomashewski.

Middle School Math Faculty, Kristy Tomashewski and Shannon Rohr, have been coaching the Ellis team since fall to prepare for the regional competition. The MATHCOUNTS team is chosen at the beginning of the school year and students meet with their teammates and coaches during club periods to practice problems, discuss strategies, and test their skills. Coaches focus on areas that aren’t as common within the standard math curriculum at this age—probability, counting, geometry—and encourage students to brainstorm and collaborate on different ways to approach problems, while emphasizing strong traditional techniques.

“MATHCOUNTS is the perfect challenge outside of the traditional classroom for students interested in mathematics. They can strengthen their reasoning skills, delve into more involved problems, and have fun while taking part in a little friendly competition,” said Mrs. Tomashewski.

At The Ellis School, Middle School faculty encourage students to think mathematically, learn through trial and error, and persevere in problem-solving. This can-do approach instills confidence and fosters fearlessness at a transitional age when girls are exploring their passions and discovering their full potential.

Learn more about math in the Middle School here.
 
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