SIGMA Math Competition

By Jennifer Fogarty, communications content manager
Seventh graders add up points in an international math competition.
Congratulations to the seventh-grade class for placing 11th in the 2022 SIGMA Math Competition. LJCDS was one of 42 schools around the world that submitted scores for a seventh-grade team. SIGMA is a mathematics league that provides opportunities for students to apply their mathematical knowledge in new and different ways by solving non-routine problems. 

Students in Grades 6–8 take five tests throughout the year, each with eight questions on material they haven’t yet learned. Middle schoolers rely on their mathematical reasoning and logic to work through the problems. SIGMA recognizes students with the highest cumulative scores.

“This competition is a low-risk experience and an opportunity for students to challenge themselves,” shares Lori Long, Grade 7 math educator. “The questions are hard, and they only have 30 minutes. My goal is to focus on the learning and for them to make progress over the five tests.”

After taking the SIGMA test, there is a lesson on the material, and students work in teams to deconstruct the problems. Sharing their thought process with the class allows students to see there is more than one way to arrive at the same answer. This teaching tool highlights reasoning skills. The next time they see a similar problem, they’ll have more than one way to solve it.

The top cumulative SIGMA scores in each grade of LJCDS students were recognized in the Middle School Awards.

Grade 8
1st Place: Lawrence Zimo Zhang
2nd Place: Jamie Onaitis
3rd Place: Angie Hu

Grade 7
1st Place: Erik Tang
2nd Place: Nico Katz and Katherine Bevash
3rd Place: Thomas Johnston

Grade 6
1st Place: James Lila
2nd Place: Sydney Hersman
3rd Place: Anthony Casey
4th Place: Alice Chen and Matthew Onaitis
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