SHELBURNE FALLS — Sixth grader Jack Hendrick will represent Buckland-Shelburne Elementary School at the Connecticut Valley regional MATHCOUNTS competition on Saturday at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
This will be Jack’s second year as the sole mathlete representing Buckland-Shelburne Elementary. MATHCOUNTS is an extracurricular math competition series for students in grades six through eight, and it saw more than 65,000 competitors nationwide last year.
Jack said the competition gives him a chance to put his knowledge and understanding of math to the test, as well as learn more about his favorite school subject. He said he likes working through problems and figuring out the answer.
“It’s hard to describe. I just enjoy it and how the numbers all come together,” Jack said.
The competition has four rounds: a speed round where students are given 30 problems to complete in 40 minutes without calculators; a target round, in which students have six minutes to finish eight problems; a team round in which students in teams of four have 20 minutes to answer 10 problems; and a final countdown round in which finalists go head-to-head to answer questions.
Jack was allowed to enter MATHCOUNTS last year as a fifth grader, which is a year younger than students are typically allowed to participate. He placed 28th in the regional competition last year.
“It was a bit stressful, but I think I did pretty good for my age,” Jack said.
He added that he did well in the individual rounds but struggled in the team round, where he was on a team with other students that were sole representatives and they were competing against teams of students from the same school.
“All the singles get bunched together on teams and those don’t usually perform that well,” Jack said. “Hopefully I’ll do better this time in the team round.”
Jack’s teacher, Christina Yarbrough, said he is an incredibly bright student who tested at a 10th grade level in math during benchmark assessments at the start of the school year. Although being that advanced in mathematics can make it challenging for students to work with their peers, she said Jack has gotten better at explaining his work to classmates.
“Jack is a student that has a genuine love for math. He approaches it daily with confidence and curiosity, and he never gets intimidated by challenging problems. I think he actually enjoys facing them head-on,” Yarbrough said. “In the beginning of the year, he had a hard time working with other students because he was so advanced and quick to understand the concepts. However, a goal of myself and his parents was to get him to work more collaboratively, and it’s been amazing to watch him not only shine in math, but willingly sit down with a group and work collaboratively.”
She said Jack has gotten better at showing and explaining his work, and teaching others how he approaches math problems.
“Jack really does appreciate doing work that entails higher-level thinking and more critical problem-solving,” Yarbrough continued. “We’re taught as educators that kids get things right, but what really shows mastery is the ability to connect with their peers and break it down in a way that helps their peers.”
In addition to his studies at Buckland-Shelburne Elementary, Jack works with tutors and takes extra math courses, including a class for sixth graders through Stanford Math Circle.
“That was mainly focused on data statistics and probability, circumference of an area, triangles…” Jack said.
Jack said he enjoys all types of math, except long division.
“It’s kind of tedious if it gets up to the big numbers,” he said.
Jack is a Greenfield resident who attends Buckland-Shelburne Elementary through School Choice. His mother, Liz Greene, said the teachers and staff have been incredibly supportive of Jack’s journey in math, adding that BSE should actually stand for “best school ever.”
“It’s such a sweet, loving school,” Liz Greene said.
She said it’s been incredible to see Jack grow through these competitions and continue to explore his interest in math, as well as share his interests with his peers.
“After MATHCOUNTS, I’ve seen such a confidence in sharing his love for math,” Liz Greene said. “And he has such an openness to learn from others. He’s had a lot of different math teachers and we tried out some tutors recently, and I thought he would gravitate more toward one, and he said he wants to stay with them all because they all approach math in a different way. … It’s really beautiful to see him expanding his world.
“It was incredible to see him work so hard and be challenged,” she continued. “To see him put in the consistent commitment and thrive, and still have fun, is really important to me.”
Yarbrough said she will be going to UMass Amherst this weekend to cheer Jack on, and she believes his growth will lead to him doing well in the competition.
“MATHCOUNTS is a perfect fit for him because it rewards persistence, strategic thinking and creativity, and those are all qualities that Jack consistently shows,” Yarbrough said. “We here are BSE, and especially myself as his sixth grade teacher, are so incredibly proud of him.”
“I and the whole BSE community are so proud of his bravery to compete publicly, sharing his exceptional math skills,” added Principal Hayley Gilmore.
Jack plans to continue competing in MATHCOUNTS in the years ahead and continue to grow, with the hope that he can win the event by the time he reaches eighth grade.
“Hopefully I’ll get in the top medalists by then,” Jack said.