Irvington 5th Graders Win Statewide 'First in Math' Tournament

IRVINGTON, NY — Main Street School’s team of fifth graders who qualified to represent the region in the statewide First in Math Tournament on May 20 won first place in the fifth-grade division.

Qualifying earlier this spring, the team of Nicholas Bugaj, Cassidy Reichgott and Ella Soleimani traveled to the University at Albany to compete among 150 elementary school students.

The state Department of Education teamed up with the company Suntex International and its First in Math program to launch New York’s first Statewide Mathematics Championship.

The championship was about a year in the making, and was open to any private, public or charter school.

The competition was based on building “wheels” using four different numbered cards on a board. Grades three, four and five had to find numbers with a common factor to build a wheel, with the number of points corresponding to that common factor.

Christine Rosner worked closely with Gail Flynn to coach the students. Gail Flynn attended the tournament as a proctor.