Math

Students at Williamsport Elementary Magnet School for Mathematics, Science and Technology held a reading and math initiative this past school year, according to Lori A. Ridgely, student achievement specialist. Teachers met with students on a monthly basis to set individual goals for reading and math. Students could work on their goals during school with teachers, as well as at home with parents/guardians. When students reached their goal, they earned an incentive. Each month the incentive changed (for example, free recess, board games and electronic day)

karenh@herald-mail.com An equation stating "one semester=one grade" probably will not work for some of the students math teacher Ryan Haupt has taught this year. While some students mastered skills, others might need a little more time. According to the structure of a new program at North Hagerstown High School, that's OK. Haupt is one of five teachers who are balancing the needs and abilities of more than 100 students as part of the math matrix, a two-year program covering three units of math - introduction to algebra, algebra and geometry.

Greencastle-Antrim School District met state adequate yearly progress benchmarks for reading and math last school year, but the elementary school did not. Bob Crider, director of educational operations, gave a presentation to the school board Thursday night on the district's AYP results. He said the district as a whole made AYP, but the elementary school is on a warning list due to two subgroups - economically disadvantaged in reading and IEP (Individualized Educational Program)

County math scores lead state By TARA REILLY / Staff Writer Eighth-graders in Washington County Public Schools had the highest math scores in the state on the 1999-2000 MSPAP, a feat administrators say should be credited to the teachers. continued Sixty-eight percent of the students had satisfactory scores on the test, up from 63 percent in the 1998-99 school year. The new number is just below the state's standard to have 70 percent of students score on the satisfactory level, and Washington County Board of Education administrators think students can reach that mark next year.

WASHINGTON COUNTY As a student, Jaime Mason said she struggled with math and had little interest in athletics. Then, a high school coach told her he would help her with math if she would run cross country. Now, she teaches both. A seventh-grade teacher and Clear Spring High School track and cross country coach, Mason last year was one of Washington County Public Schools' Teacher of the Year finalists. "I couldn't imagine getting up in the morning and doing anything else," Mason said after one frenetic first-period class focused on breaking down the distributive property.

MARTINSBURG, W.VA. - What are little boys made of? Snips and snails, and puppy-dogs' tails, That's what little boys are made of. What are little girls made of? Sugar and spice, and everything nice, That's what little girls are made of. In gender-segregated fourth- and fifth-grade math classes next year at Mill Creek Intermediate School, the teachers of about 100 "little boys" and "little girls" will orchestrate an experiment to find out just how differently learning varies, too. "If it helps our students be more successful mastering math skills, it's worth a try," principal Kimberly Agee said.

SMITHSBURG - Brittany Clevenger had taken every math class available at Smithsburg High School by her junior year. Now a senior, the 17-year-old plans to channel her math skills toward earning a degree in aerospace engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Math "just makes sense" to her, the world of science offers so much to learn and space intrigues her because of its vast unknowns, Brittany said. "I always wanted to work for NASA so that I can help either create or design something that will go into space," she said.

It's simple math: More school = more $ By MEG H. PARTINGTON / Staff Writer The longer you stay in school, the more money you can earn. Period. That's not to say there aren't some individuals who dropped out of high school and went on to make millions. But they're the exception, not the rule. continued Consider the numbers: U.S. Census Bureau figures from 1998 show those who didn't graduate from high school earned an average of a little more than $16,000 a year.

Taryn Shank might cut this article out of the newspaper for her scrapbook. North Hagerstown math teacher David Warrenfeltz might even cut it out and hang it on his wall. "Mr. Warrenfeltz will put the story on the board if I say something about calculus," said Shank, a North senior. "But I don't know what to say. ... I love calculus, and I love running. " Enough said. Shank pulled away from teammate Alison Harrell in the final half-mile on North's 3.1-mile course Wednesday to win the girls race in 21:40, while leading the Hubs to a convincing 15-50 victory in their dual meet with South Hagerstown.

MARTINSBURG, W.VA. -- What are little boys made of? Snips and snails, and puppy-dogs' tails, That's what little boys are made of. What are little girls made of? Sugar and spice, and everything nice, That's what little girls are made of. In gender-segregated fourth- and fifth-grade math classes next year at Mill Creek Intermediate School, the teachers of about 100 "little boys" and "little girls" will orchestrate an experiment to find out just how differently learning varies, too. "If it helps our students be more successful mastering math skills, it's worth a try," school principal Kimberly Agee said.

Robert Zollinger, a senior at Martinsburg (W.Va.) High School, and Jim Park, a junior at Jefferson High School in Shenandoah Junction, W.Va., placed among the top 15 students in grades 10 to 12 at the 39th annual West Virginia State Mathematics Field Day. They earned the right Saturday to compete in a national mathematics competition in June. Nina Saluja Jessica Hammersla Two Eastern Panhandle high school students earned the right Saturday to compete in a national mathematics competition in June.

Two Martinsburg brothers are among the many Eastern Panhandle students who qualified Wednesday for the West Virginia State Math Field Day in April. David Zollinger and Robert Zollinger took first place in their age groups to qualify for the state competiton. In addition, their brother, Matthew, is an alternate for the state competition. There were approximately 250 students in grades four to 12 who competed in the Regional Math Field Day at Potomac State College in Keyser. Participants represented Berkeley, Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Jefferson, Mineral, Morgan and Pendleton counties.

More than 100 students participated from area middle schools in the annual MathCounts Competition on Feb. 23 at E. Russell Hicks Middle School in Hagerstown. The students were from Washington and Allegany county middle schools. This year, two teams and 16 individuals advanced to the state competition, which will be Saturday, March 16, at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Every year, the local competition is sponsored by donations from the Hagerstown Chapter of the Maryland Society of Professional Engineers.

More than 100 students participated from area middle schools in the annual MathCounts Competition Saturday at E. Russell Hicks Middle School in Hagerstown. The students were from Washington and Allegany county middle schools. This year, two teams and 16 individuals advanced to the state competition, which will be Saturday, March 16, at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Every year, the local competition is sponsored by donations from the Hagerstown Chapter of the Maryland Society of Professional Engineers.

Listed are the names of those who placed in the Berkeley County Math Field Day last week at Musselman High School. The students are listed in the order they placed, followed by the name of their school.                         Fourth grade                                 1. Nina Saluja, Potomack Intermediate School                    2. Reese Luckwick, Orchard View Intermediate School                    3. Chloe Sanders, Orchard View Intermediate School            4. Cole Edwards, first alternate, Orchard View Intermediate School                    5. Kaiden Crawford, second alternate, Mountain Ridge School            6. Ethan Misera, third alternate, Tomahawk Intermediate School        7. Ava Kilmer,Orchard View Intermediate School                        8. Jordan Steward, Orchard View Intermediate School                    9. Isaac Roames, Potomack Intermediate School                        10. Emily Hott, Faith Christian Academy                                                        Fifth grade                                1. Rebekah Avey, Orchard View Intermediate School                    2. Korey Whitener, Potomack Intermediate School                    ...

Molly Murray's first-grade class at Greencastle-Antrim Primary School is learning about magnets and magnification thanks to a website, the kindness of a New Jersey resident and United Parcel Service. When Murray wanted to provide hands-on science materials for her class, she turned to an online charity - DonorsChoose.org. “We had a weekly science center going on, but I didn't feel I had enough materials to maintain it,” Murray said. Jeff Koons with Horace Mann, an insurance agency serving the educational community, told Murray about the online website that links classrooms in need with donors.

Greencastle-Antrim School District met state adequate yearly progress benchmarks for reading and math last school year, but the elementary school did not. Bob Crider, director of educational operations, gave a presentation to the school board Thursday night on the district's AYP results. He said the district as a whole made AYP, but the elementary school is on a warning list due to two subgroups - economically disadvantaged in reading and IEP (Individualized Educational Program)

When the new school year begins, one of the first assignments Luanne Murphy's seventh-grade class at Smithsburg Middle School will be given is to read a biography of cyclist Lance Armstrong. Students will use the Internet to read more current information about Armstrong and allegations of doping, Murphy said. In addition to being a cancer survivor and a seven-time winner of the gruelingTour de France, Armstrong faces allegations that he used prohibited substances or methods to unfairly improve his performance.

For many kids in the area, summertime evokes thoughts of ice cream, local pools and school-free memories with their friends. Although summer can be more than vacation time for kids, parents can also spend time brushing up on math skills before the beginning of the new school year. According to the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA), there is a considerable achievement gap for students of all ages during the summer months. NSLA reports that when students aren't learning over the summer they lose some of their skills.

Rockland Woods Elementary School held its fourth annual Math Ace competition recently. Participating students included James Haney, Sean Baer, Christopher Barnhart, Jason Huyhn, Sebastian Stocks, Jacob Miner, Malakai Pinckney, David Butts, Steven Witmer, Dylan Palladino, Xianvieve Hulbert and Ryan Barnett.