Math Carnival Makes Problem Solving Fun

Wrapping up their lessons two days before spring break, these students discovered that the school Math Carnival makes problem solving fun and adventurous. By involving students, teachers, and parent volunteers, the school is alive with creative thinking and an enjoyable time. 

 

Students traveled through Glenwood Elementary School learning math in exciting ways, including weight and length measurement activities, Math Facts Bingo in the cafeteria with former Principal Anthony Gasbarro, and fraction collages in the Art room.  Many of the activities were creative, fun, and challenging.

According to Principal Siobhan Dennis,  the Math Carnival has been an annual occurrence since Glenwood became the town’s only school for third to fifth grade. It has become an event that everyone looks forward to.

“It’s really fifth-grade teacher Paula Atlas,” Mrs. Dennis said. “She came and asked if we could do it, and she organizes it and gets everyone involved.”

In addition to the teachers, aides and specialists, more than a dozen parent volunteers were on hand running the games.

Mrs. Dennis said that Mrs. Atlas is a math team leader at Glenwood, as well as the entire Wachusett district.

“This is a great way for all the kids to come together and learn about math,” Mrs. Atlas said. “A lot of kids don’t like math, but with the math carnival, they see math in different ways. There are no pencils and papers — but a lot of physical things and a lot of mental arithmetic.

“They are really engaged in what they are doing.”

Students in the gym were waiting their turn to hop down to a series of hula hoops, where they matched the shapes they were given with the ones in the hoops.

“It’s geometry,” explained third-grader Giovanni Colangelo.

In the music room, students were practicing multiplication with the game bizz-buzz, but instead of saying “bizz” or “buzz” when the count got to a multiple of 5, the students tapped a percussion stick.

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