Continental Math League
Berkeley Heights Public Schools
At Hughes and Mountain Park Schools, a new club is being offered to students in grades 3-5: the Continental Math League. Over 120 students are participating between the two schools. Students meet twice a month at each school and participate in different activities/challenges that activate their problem solving and critical thinking skills. For example, at a meeting in the fall, the students created different logic puzzles using pictures to represent numbers. In another example, the students were challenged to create a tower using only construction paper. There are also ‘competition’ days where students compete with other schools around the nation virtually.
The program is led by Math Specialist Joseph Reel who splits his time between Thomas P. Hughes and Mountain Park Schools. He told us, “I am so thrilled with the turnout and the feedback that we have gotten from the Continental Math League. Aside from the problem solving/critical thinking skills that the students are being exposed to, I think the biggest benefit of the program has been the opportunity to teach perseverance when faced with a difficult word problem. I look forward to continuing this club each year!”
Mr. Reel has been with the BHPS for 13 years. Prior to his current role as Math Interventionist at Hughes and Mountain Park Schools he was a special education teacher at William Woodruff School.
Photo by Berkeley Heights Public Schools
