Huntington Elementary School in Brunswick to host regional math tournament

BRUNSWICK — Brunswick elementary school students will showcase their math skills at the Greater Cleveland Council of Teachers of Mathematics 4th & 5th Grade Problem-Solving Tournament on Feb. 21 at Huntington Elementary School. Huntington fifth grade teacher Jennifer Gegorski is the event's organizer. She said fourth and fifth grade students will work in teams of four to solve problems based on state content standards, and similar tournaments will take place at 13 other sites throughout Northeast Ohio that morning. "There's four rounds of problem solving," she said. "For some of them, they're allowed to use calculators, and some of them are mental math. There's a geometry round, they call it the construction round, where they have to follow steps to draw something correctly." There will be 32 teams from Brunswick City Schools' elementary schools and one team from Incarnate Word Academy in Parma Heights competing in Huntington's competition, Gegorski said. Every school selects teams differently, but she selects students based on state test scores, benchmarks tests and grades in math. "Every kid will walk out with an award," she said. "The top percent gets trophies, and then there's blue and red ribbons." Gegorski said the tournament helps get kids more interested and excited about math. "Not everyone does sports or other activities, so it is a way for them to shine and do something that they enjoy," she said. In a media release, Superintendent Jason Niedermeyer thanked Gegorski for organizing the event and said she is an example of how staff at Brunswick City Schools create experiences that help students develop a love of learning. "Our students continue to amaze me with their willingness to give up a Saturday morning to engage in a math problem-solving competition," he said. "This tournament has become a Brunswick tradition that showcases the teamwork, critical thinking and perseverance of our students." Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.