Cool Math at the Math Olympics
by Chloë Ranaldi
For over 20 years, the Math Olympics has been making math fun and exciting for students at the Lester B. Pearson School Board.
This annual competition, designed for grade 5 and 6 students, challenges them with a series of math problems—some are solved individually, others as teams.
The event spans two days, hosted at Lakeside Academy and PCHS. “Each math problem is named after a sport,” explained Reagan Neidan, LBPSB elementary math consultant. “Students earn points not just for solving the problems, but also for how quickly they do it.”
Once a problem is solved, they hand the equation to the high school volunteers who grade the answers, while teachers assist with scorekeeping.
After tallying the results, schools were awarded ribbons and medals based on their results.
“We want to show that math is fun, not just hard,” Neidan says. “Math is for everyone. You don’t need to be an expert to participate. It’s about trying, practicing, and having a good time.”
Niedan emphasizes that you don’t need to be a top student to join the Math Olympics. “It’s about the experience, not just the grades,” she says. “Anyone can take part, and the goal is to create a math culture where students encourage each other to succeed.”
This year, 22 elementary schools took part, students prepared by reviewing past competition questions.
“One of the most magical moments is hearing the kids’ conversations as they solve problems together. It’s beautiful,” said Rebecca Binet, LBPSB elementary math consultant.
Parents also played an important part, by cheering students on in the crowd. “It’s important to have parents in the stands, just like at any other sports event,” says Niedan. “It’s a chance to celebrate students’ achievements outside of athletics or music.”
The ultimate aim of the Math Olympics is to foster a passion for math, and show students how fun doing math can be.
The hope of having grade 5 students involved this year, is also to promote the event to their peers the following year, and to cultivate a love for math that goes beyond the classroom.
