Led by Grade 11 Co-Captains Sophia and Sami, the Senior School’s Math Unbounded club has adopted a dynamic new structure to ignite every member’s passion for math. By blending student leadership, mastery through engaging contests, and a strong sense of community, Math Unbounded is an example of deeper learning in action and is a vibrant hub where students collaborate, learn, and explore mathematics together.
Each week, the club meetings look different depending on what members are working towards. Members dive into contest preparation, tackle challenging homework problems together, and enjoy interactive sessions that make math fun and accessible. For example, in the lead up to contests, the Club Captains often provide members with papers to review or host a pre-session with tips on how to work through certain problems or how to work together as a team. Around the holidays, there are often more fun sessions, like club Jeopardy games! This year, the club even had guest speakers: inspirational math professors from various post-secondary institutions.
“I would say it was one of the most successful years of the club, particularly due to the huge participation even in the younger grades!” Sophia said. “I really believe that math is something girls can excel in. By growing the club the way that we did, we have been able to get more people to discover it and enjoy it!”
Throughout, homework support is always available for students.
“We would go around to every workshop, every single meeting, and make sure that everyone is getting the support that they need, not solely the people who are doing homework,” Sami explained.
“It’s about a nice, free space where students can explore and have fun—and where teachers can explore too!” Ms Abdulla, Teacher, Mathematics, Senior School and Club Teacher Sponsor, said.
Leading in Learning
As Club Captains this year, Sophia and Sami have seen their personal growth in guiding students across all levels and teaching a variety of concepts. “When I'm working with people in the Homework Help group, I'm going back sometimes to those fundamentals I haven't considered in one or two years,” Sophia explained. “And then when I'm working with the Math Contest group, I help them learn the tools and strategies that I have acquired through my own experience in competitions.”
Celebrating Achievements
This year, club members have participated in several math contests and earned numerous awards, including:
USA Math Olympiad
Club Captain Sophia is the first student in Crofton House history to qualify for the USA Math Olympiad, one of the most selective and prestigious high school mathematics competitions. In total, six club members had earlier qualified for the American Invitational Mathematics Examination, the qualifying round for the Olympiad.
AMC Young Women in Mathematics Certificate
The AMC Young Women in Mathematics Certificate celebrates young women who excel in the MAA American Mathematics Competitions (AMC) and inspire other young women to engage with mathematics. This year, Raeka, Grade 11, earned one of the top AMC 12 scores in the region!
Canadian Mathematical Society Competitions
Canada Jay Mathematical Competition (Grade 8 and younger) |
Canada Lynx Mathematical Competition (Grades 7-12) |
Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge |
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American Mathematics Challenge (AMC) 10 & 12
AMC 10 |
AMC 12 |
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Pascal, Cayley and Fermat Contests
Pascal (Grade 9) |
Cayley (Grade 10) |
Fermat (Grade 11) |
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Fryer, Galois & Hypatia Contests
Fryer (Grade 9) |
Galois (Grade 10) |
Hypatia (Grade 11) |
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Further Contests
Euclid Contest |
Gauss |
Math Challengers |
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At provincials, Maggie also placed fourth! |