SMITHFIELD – Johnston County Public Schools (JCPS) held the MathCounts district competition on Friday, December 8, 2023, at Johnston Community College.
“Mathletes” from 10 JCPS middle school teams participated in the event. The competition consisted of four separate events that included sprint, target, team, and countdown rounds. Last year, around 75 students competed in MATHCOUNTS.
“The annual MathCounts events are great opportunities for our students to showcase their brilliance in a fun and friendly environment, and highlight the strength of the district’s math curriculum at the same time,” stated Amanda Byrd, JCPS Teaching & Learning Secondary Math Specialist.
McGee’s Crossroads Middle student Orrin Lam was the first place individual winner. Coming in second was Elliot White of Cleveland Middle, and North Johnston Middle’s Aiden Ernst claimed third place.
In the team event, the Cleveland Middle team won first place, second place went to the North Johnston Middle Jaguars, and McGee’s Crossroads Middle rounded out the team competition with third place.
These three schools now move on to the MATHCOUNTS chapter competition that will be held in Raleigh, February 2024. The competition series has four levels of competition—school, chapter, state and national.
MATHCOUNTS provides engaging and fun math programs to U.S. middle school students of all ability levels to build confidence, and improve attitudes about math and problem solving.
Community partner Johnston Community College, the middle school MATHCOUNTS coaches and school administrators, along with countless numbers of volunteers ensured the students had a wonderful experience.
“This is a district-wide event that is provided by many people. We are grateful for the many agencies and organizations, particularly Johnston Community College for helping to provide this for our students,” concluded Byrd.
