report1

Director's Office: #200-220, 1933 West Mall, UBC, Vancouver, V6T 1Z2. (604) 822-3922

Preliminary Report on the First PIMS Elementary Grades Math Contest.

by Klaus Hoechsmann PIMS Education Facilitator

This contest, conceived and organized by Dr. Cary Chien of David Thompson Secondary School in Vancouver, was received so enthusiastically (about 320 students of Grades 5 to 7 participating -- many having registered "at the door") that our modest organizational support (all volunteers) was simply overwhelmed. Based on hand-written forms or softly spoken names, and often interrupted by concerned parents, registration was very slow and delayed the beginning of the first round by an hour.

However, such details did not dampen the spirits or diminish the concentration of the contestants.

Here volunteers are distributing papers in Room #104 of the Angus Building, whose capacity had been beefed up to seat 300 people. The overflow was accommodated in Room #215.

Since the first round was delayed by an hour, so was the second. The refreshment break finally came at 3:40 pm. Some parents, like those shown here, helped with the distribution. We hope they kept a cookie for themselves.

The markers had to correct 4 sheets per student, determine the top 10 in each division, and stamp the certificates of the top 25%. They worked furiously but were not able to finish in the allotted time, thus causing a further delay.

Finally everything was ready for the Countdown Round, an exciting spectacle, in which the ten kids with the highest written scores in each division duell it out orally for first, second, and third place.

The two divisions are in separate rooms; spectators are allowed as long as they can
be quiet.

And here are the winners of the final show-down (read from left to right):

Division 1:
#3 Andrew Zhou (Gr.6),
#2 Alan Wong (Gr.5),
#1 Tiffany Yan (Gr.6).
Division 2:
#3 Daniel Pareja (Gr.7),
#1 Priscilla Mui (Gr.7),
#2 Sherwin Chua (Gr.7).

In the end, youthful energy is still abundant.
A great time was had by all -- and next year can only be better.


	Division 1: #3 Andrew Zhou (Gr.6), #2 Alan Wong (Gr.5), #1 Tiffany Yan (Gr.6).		Division 2: #3 Daniel Pareja (Gr.7), #1 Priscilla Mui (Gr.7), #2 Sherwin Chua (Gr.7).