Newman Takes Top Honors in Math Olympiad

On Saturday, April 13, the 3rd Annual Math Olympiad was held on the Metairie Park Country Day campus. Each year, 4th, 5th, and 6th graders from around the New Orleans area are invited to compete in team and individual mathematics challenges. Teams from Country Day, McGehee, Metairie Academy, Isidore Newman School, St. George’s, St. Paul’s, and St. Martin’s participated in this year’s competition. Each team answered a set of challenging math problems. Among the keen mathematical minds assembled at the meet, Newman rose to the top, taking home first and second place in the team competition and first and third place in the individual competition.

Newman sent three teams to the competition, two from 6th grade (Green and White) and one from 5th grade. The 6th Grade Green Team included Emma Freeman, Nora Nez, Audrey Singer, Ben Singer, and Will Wellons; the 6th Grade White Team included Tabor Brewster, Keil Moss, Millie Mince, Camille Patton, and Emmy Pilant; and the 5th Grade Team included Seth Cooke, Niyati Duggal, Max Moses, Harry Milvid, and Filippo Meozzi. In the weeks leading up to the competition, each team spent recess time and study periods honing their math skills, as well as tackling extra homework to work out more complex problems.

When the day of the Olympiad arrived, it became clear that the students’ hard work paid off. In the team competition, the 6th Grade Green Team won first place, and the 6th Grade White Team won second place. In the individual Olympiad, the competition heated up. Six students answered nine out of ten questions correctly, so the officials ordered a tiebreaker. Four of the six students were Newman 6th grade math athletes – Emma Freeman, Millie Mince, Nora Nez, and Will Wellons. In the end, Nora Nez won first place and Emma Freeman took third. The 5th made a strong showing and gained valuable experience to use in their preparation for next year’s competition.

Please join us in congratulating our math athletes. Their success is a testament to both the School’s and the students’ ongoing dedication to academic excellence. Newman’s 6th grade math teacher, Kathryn Simons, summed up the significance of this achievement, saying, “These mathletes’ passion and curiosity for math gave them an edge. They truly engaged with the practice problems – looking for different strategies, wanting to share how ‘I got it,’ and seeking understanding when they missed a question. They were consistently positive, enthusiastic, dedicated, and supportive, which creates an atmosphere that breeds success for any type of team.”