US Mathematics Students of the Trimester – Spring 2019

I am excited to announce the Upper School Mathematics Students of the Trimester – Spring 2019!

Each math faculty member was free to choose whichever student of theirs they thought best exemplified what they are looking for in a model mathematics student. The official description of the award is as follows:

“Awarded to students who exemplify the math department’s core values of competence, confidence, and perseverance while helping their peers realize the relevance and importance of an exceptional mathematical education both for its beauty and for its practical application.”

The following students have been recognized as the Upper School Mathematics Students of the Trimester for Spring 2019.

Please join me in congratulating these outstanding mathematics students!

Jason Albanese – Jason pushed through some significant challenges this year and ended up not missing a beat on his progression through the class. His deeply humble and genuinely cheerful nature, as well as his deep sense of empathy, make him into a group work driver. He has fun with challenges and adores ushering his peers through complex topics. Even as we faced harder material in the land of Integrals, Jason kept on leaning in, repeatedly proving he is a creative and talented problem solver.
Katherine Borden – Katie has been a very steady and diligent math student all year long. She comes to class always ready to work and to contribute her thoughts and ideas. She learns new material quickly and is able to retain old concepts well. In class, she helps other students understand the concepts better by volunteering to lend her insights into the material.
Caroline DiFiore – Caroline worked hard right through the final project. She was determined to do her best work – getting extra help from me, friends, other teachers, and the math resource center.
Lily Harris – Lily showed initiative, enthusiasm, and drive during her work in AP CSP. Her progress in our final unit on Python was especially impressive! She brings a natural curiosity and interest in programming that will drive her success as she continues to pursue it.
Molly Kinstle – Molly sailed through this course and assembled the many pieces of Java classes and their interaction with ease. She was always engaged and participated thoughtfully at every point. Her understanding of how the topics covered in this course will serve as a solid foundation in future classes.
Jerry Landman – Jerry brought a high level of insight into each class. Whether it was asking a question or volunteering an answer, Jerry challenged his classmates to think about the material at a deeper level.
Na Kyung Lee – Na consistently distinguished herself among the top students in terms of understanding of the material of precalculus. Not only did she perform outstandingly on assessments, but her ability to work collaboratively with other students became more refined as the year has progressed. I am fully confident that Na will take the foundation she has built this year to reach new heights in any mathematical endeavor she will face in the next academic year. For the reasons stated above I am honored to nominate Na as my math student of the trimester for Spring 2019.
Keyu Lu – Keyu is obviously exceptionally talented in mathematics, but she always supplements that natural ability with incredible diligence and perseverance. I so enjoyed working with her one-on-one this year.
Tucker Motyka – Tucker completed a wonderful third trimester with a strong T3 assessment and an outstanding circles test in Geometry. Tucker thrived on the most difficult work of the year by tying previously learned concepts with challenging new material. His work was organized and he was able to articulate how to attack a multifaceted problem during class discussions. He demonstrated poise, confidence and comprehension throughout the trimester as a class leader in discussions and in his written work. Congratulations, Tucker!
Noe Perry-Greene – Noe contributes in so many ways to our geometry discussions. She shows organized work from which she insightfully explains her problem solving method. She is comfortable taking feedback about her approaches and is able to allow organic discussions to take place. She additionally is able to evaluate the methods her peers use and she works towards efficient methods. Finally, Noe is able to mix fun into the classroom that does not detract from the learning process.
Connor Touhey – Connor was an excellent student and classmate throughout the year. His performance on assessments was always strong and he was diligent in homework every night. Connor was thoroughly engaged in class, always paying full attention and processing new material carefully.
Abby Vassallo – Abby is an incredibly hard worker. She puts in so much effort in and out of the classroom, which leads to her success. She is the epitome of hard work pays off.

Past students of the trimester can be found right here: Fall 2013, Winter 2014, Spring 2014, Fall 2014, Winter 2015, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Winter 2016, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Winter 2017, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Winter 2018Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Winter 2019

US Mathematics Students of the Trimester – Winter 2019

I am excited to announce the Upper School Mathematics Students of the Trimester – Winter 2019!

Each math faculty member was free to choose whichever student of theirs they thought best exemplified what they are looking for in a model mathematics student. The official description of the award is as follows:

“Awarded to students who exemplify the math department’s core values of competence, confidence, and perseverance while helping their peers realize the relevance and importance of an exceptional mathematical education both for its beauty and for its practical application.”

The following students have been recognized as the Upper School Mathematics Students of the Trimester for Winter 2019.

Please join me in congratulating these outstanding mathematics students!

Anaya Akpalu – Anaya has had a wonderful second trimester in Algebra II. From the moment we began factoring, Anaya thrived. She easily recognized and mastered a variety of factoring types and she applied her factoring skills with confidence on the most challenging problems. Her class participation is excellent, her focus unwavering and she articulates her thoughts in a positive and constructive manner during group work. Anaya sets high goals for herself as a student and her determination to be her best is contagious. Congratulations, Anaya!
Kira Bixby – Kira is a hard-working student who brings an open mind and willingness to learn to every class. She has consistently performed exceptionally in every type of assessment and actively participates during class activities. I was particularly impressed with the work of Kira’s group on the cereal and town profile projects during the winter trimester, both of which helped to set the bar for the rest of the class. For the reasons above, I am proud to nominate Kira as my math student of the trimester for Winter 2018-19.
Ethan Bradway – Ethan constantly pushed the boundaries of what we covered. Not only did he develop rich solutions to problems but he brought new material (very relevant but not covered in the class) to whatever he was doing. This spilled over into the class and brought new ideas for others to appreciate. Ethan was an excellent contributor to class and more than willing to help classmates on the work.
Rachel Burke – Rachel works hard and makes the class better. She has an unflappably calm demeanor and constantly has fun with math, two things that her peers notice and gravitate towards. She is patient and kind with her peers, and frequently is the first to ask questions in small groups and during full class discussions. She leads small groups well and also has no trouble stepping back and easily supporting those around her. She’s an excellent teacher and student.
Liam Coughlin – Liam is an incredibly hard worker. He always is asking leading questions and trying to find the connections between topics.
Avi Falk – Avi is a great example of a curious, eager learner who wants to understand everything. He is never satisfied with simply an answer, seeking the details and subtleties of a problem or situation. Avi puts his best effort into every piece of work.
Kyle Grabowski – Kyle has been a consistently strong and hard working student throughout the year. He has the ability to learn new material quickly and well. His humble and modest demeanor sometimes masks his important contributions to the class room. He is simply a model mathematics student.
Alex Marwaha – Alex shows enthusiasm and interest for the topics in AP Computer Science Principles and has dedicated himself to producing excellent work in all aspects of the class. He participates thoughtfully and truly enhances the discourse in class.
Trang Phan – Trang did consistent outstanding work this trimester, improving on her very good work in the fall. Her project at the end of the trimester was particularly well done. She worked hard both in class and on her homework to reach a solid understanding of the material we covered in Calculus. I look forward to working with her in the spring!
Taryn Queenin – Taryn is a great math student, but she always supplements her ability with incredibly diligent preparation. I can always count on her to be completely prepared for class, and she seeks out help as soon as she does not fully understand a concept. She’s also just a truly nice person to have in class – always considerate and quick to help out.
Christina Vote – Christina is a dedicated student who goes the extra mile to fully understand each concept. She strives for excellence every day and is willing to work hard to achieve her goals. Her questions and dedication to the class brings her classmates to a higher level.
Glede Wang – Glede has been so focused on the details all year. She is able to incorporate not only the correct mathematical equations but also the writing and analysis that goes along with learning statistics. She is curious, seeking out answers to her questions. In class, she facilitate discussions combining old techniques with new ones. In short, she is a rock star who has continued to impress me with her persistence and drive in the course.

Past students of the trimester can be found right here: Fall 2013, Winter 2014, Spring 2014, Fall 2014, Winter 2015, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Winter 2016, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Winter 2017, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Winter 2018Spring 2018, Fall 2018