A team of middle school "mathletes" from V.I. Montessori School took top honors in the St. Thomas-St. John chapter contests of the national MATHCOUNTS program Thursday at Palms Court Harbor View Hotel.
The top mathlete at the competition, sponsored by Rotary Club of St. Thomas II, was Taylor Ladd from Antilles School.
A national math enrichment, coaching and competition program designed to improve math skills among U.S. students, MATHCOUNTS prepares students for future career opportunities and success, according to a V.I. Education Department release.
The release goes to note that "those students who do not begin developing strong problem-solving, logical thinking and analytical abilities in middle school will face an uphill battle later in life if they wish to pursue a medical, scientific, mathematical engineering or technical career."
Members of the winning Montessori team are: Kayla Clendinen, Kendell Hebert, Noah Stolz and Sam Russell. The team is coached by Donovan Carroll. The team will advance to the V.I. MATHCOUNTS finals, to be held in St. Croix on March 25.
Taylor Ladd (Antilles), Sheila Joseph (Bertha C. Boschulte), Briana Rhymer (Bertha C. Boschulte), and Mikaela Carty (Montessori) will also compete individually in the finals.
Rounding out the competition was Antilles School in second, followed by Bertha C. Boschulte Middle School, Wesleyan Academy, Sts. Peter & Paul School and All Saints School, respectively.
According to the release, more than 7 million students across the United States have participated in MATHCOUNTS.