Elementary Mathletes Shine at Inaugural KHS Equations Club Contest

Elementary students came together for a true “meeting of the minds” at the inaugural Equations Club Contest, held at Kirkwood High School. Third- through fifth-grade mathletes were led by members of the KHS Math Club, sponsored by Olivia Rea and Katie Hall.

Over the past several months, KHS Math Club students have traveled to elementary schools to support after-school math clubs. Together, high school and elementary students play board games, solve word problems, and build connections through a shared love of math.

During the contest, students competed in the game Equations over three rounds. Participants sat with their schools in a trivia-style format, with each round scored.

The event was emceed by KHS students Lily and Dane, who kept the energy high between rounds with jokes and dance breaks.

“Today is so fun, and I love being part of it,” said Lily. “It’s so fun hanging out with the younger kids and a great change of pace during finals week.”

Her co-host Dane agreed. “They love to learn and discover new things,” he said. “This is a really fun way for them to connect as a Kirkwood school community.”

To entertain the crowd between rounds, Lily and Dane shared math-themed jokes, including: “Why should you never argue with a decimal? Because they always have a point!” and “What do you call a number that can’t sit still? A ‘roaming’ numeral.”

After three rounds of competition, team awards were announced, along with several fun category recognitions:

·       Best Team Name: Skip Me If It Involves Division — Robinson

·       Best Design: Greater Than Goats — Tillman

·       Foundations Level: Multiplying Mer-pups — Westchester

·       Explorers Level: Flaming Factors — Westchester

·       Masters Level: Simplified Sequence — Keysor

While all KSD elementary schools have a level of equations fun, the collaboration with the high school began just three years ago.

“It started with Robinson three years ago,” said Rea. “It has grown every year, with more elementary schools choosing to participate alongside our KHS Equations Team. This event helps prepare our students for the regional Elementary Equations Club Tournament in February at UMSL.”

With big smiles, clever problem-solving, and a lot of laughter, the day proved that in Kirkwood, math really does add up to fun.