09/28/10 — Local students can compete in Saturday Mathnasium triathlon

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Local students can compete in Saturday Mathnasium triathlon

By Staff Reports
Published in News on September 28, 2010 1:46 PM

Goldsboro will be one of the sites of the first statewide Mathnasium triathlon on Saturday. Eight regional competitions will be held, with a dozen centers represented.

The registration deadline has been extended to Thursday online, and the morning of the competitions at the centers if space is still available.

The top three place winners of each grade level competition will receive an invitation to compete in the state finals on Sunday, Oct. 17 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The Mathnasium triathlon is a math competition for third- through seventh-graders. It consists of three events, which focus on various mathematical concepts that students should master in each grade.

The three events are:

* The Counting Game, which tests students' ability to count from any number, to any number, by any number

* Magic Squares, in which students are awarded points for creativity in developing their own math problems

* Mental Math Workout, which tests student's number sense by asking them to solve given problems the 'smart' way without pencil and paper.

Healthy Communities, a nonprofit organization, is the organizing entity of the Mathnasium Triathlon.

Students who are currently enrolled in Mathnasium will participate at their enrolled locations. Students who are not enrolled in Mathnasium will have the opportunity to choose their competition location.

The Goldsboro location, the only one east of Raleigh, is at 2517 E. Ash St.

All competitors will receive a participation certificate, an official event T-shirt and a goodie bag. The first-, second- and third-place winners for each grade level also will receive medals.

Any students in third through seventh grade in public school, private school, or home schools in North Carolina can register. Participants may compete in one competition in their grade level or higher. Out-of-state participants may compete in the competition if they live within 100 miles of North Carolina and the closest Mathnasium center in their state is located more than 100 miles from their home.

The registration fee is $15 per participant, and 100 percent of that goes to event hosting expenses, awards and to benefit school math programs for each of the State Finals winners and the Nic Martinek Scholarship Fund.

Cash prizes will be awarded to the school math program of each of the State Finals winners: first, $250; second, $100; and third, $50.

The Nic Martinkek Scholarship Fund for Creativity in the Arts, Math and Computers awards disadvantaged students with dreams of working their way from community college to four-year schools and into society.

Learn more and register online at www.Mathnasium Triathlon.com.