Three first graders at Weeks Elementary have qualified for the New York State Elementary Mathematics Tournament in May. Jace Barksdale, Benjamin Darling, and Brayden Stanton are off to Albany after their winning performance in the regional competition.
“I’m excited,” said Stanton. “No, I was not expecting it.”
The trio is the only team of first graders in Broome County to move onto the state tournament. A team of 5th graders from George F. Johnson Elementary School in Endicott is also advancing. 10,000 students competed in the regional tournament on March 30th.
“I’m happy to have it,” said Barksdale about his trophy for his regional performance. “I like math. I like to use plus signs, not subtracting.”
“I’m excited,” said Darling. “I like figuring things out.”
Tournament organizers held the competition over the First In Math digital platform, which uses timed games to increase math fluency. It’s what Tina Flannery’s first grade class, including Darling and Stanton, have used all year.
“It’s something we do every day. When I first heard about the competition, I told them we’re competing against the whole state. But I told them we’ve been doing this since September, so you’ve got this,” said Mrs. Flannery.
She likes her students’ chances in Albany.
“The both participate actively in all of the classroom discussions we have and they’re both out of the box thinkers,” said Mrs. Flannery.
Jenna Pendorf is Barksdale’s math instructor.
“Jace loves math. He’s a quick learner of math facts. It’s one of his specialties. He’s quick to come up with solutions. It wasn’t a shock that he did so well. He likes the challenge of math, and he likes to solve the problems. That’s why he enjoys our math time together,” said Mrs. Pendorf.
The Black Knight mathematicians will compete on May 20th at the University at Albany.