November 4, 2022
Ms. Darragh Leddy, Math Teacher
This year, HSArts has enrolled in the American Mathematics Competitions (AMC). The intent was to switch from the competition we previously used, Sigma, to a competition that is more widely esteemed, and offers competitions to all grade levels that HSArts has. Our vision is that our students deepen their analytical skills, confidence in math, and desire to learn mathematical concepts outside of the curriculum. As our students tend in this direction, it will open us up to more competitions; perhaps even competitions that occur in-person, on the weekends, or on teams.
All students in grades 6, 7 and 8 are going to take AMC8 the week of January 17th in school. AMC8 has many topics not yet discussed in 5th grade, and so they will merely prepare for AMC8 this year. We have given our high school students the option of enrolling in AMC, but are not requiring it. So far, we have 5 high schoolers that have opted to take the AMC10 (for 9th and 10th graders) or AMC12 (for 11th and 12th graders). The high school test is administered on November 10th and November 16th in school. The test consists of 25 multiple choice questions in an allotted 75 minutes. Students are not allowed any technology aids on the test. The AMC10 and AMC12 are quite difficult exams, requiring students to prepare in advance daily. If you believe your child has the available time to prepare for the AMC please encourage them to talk to Mrs Leddy to sign up and get caught up with preparation material. This is a nationally recognized competition that holds esteem among many universities, including MIT, as well as scholarship foundations. Taking this exam is a great privilege and one that should be treated with preparation, seriousness, and determination. We look forward to continuing to foster our students’ desire to excel in math!