Category Archives: Students of the Trimester

US Mathematics Students of the Trimester – Spring 2021

I am excited to announce the Upper School Mathematics Students of the Trimester – Winter 2021!

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 2021.

Please join me in congratulating these outstanding mathematics students!

Frannie Cataldo – Frannie has been a very strong student all year long. He learns material quickly and is able to apply his knowledge well. He is also very humble yet is always willing to lend his insights into the material with the rest of his classmates.
Jules Constantinople – Jules had a fantastic third trimester in Algebra II. She possesses a strong work ethic and is very engaged during class. I am particularly impressed by her ability to stay resilient. When Jules encounters a challenge, she figures out how to overcome it. Jules wants to get better each day and is willing to put in the work necessary to do this, which will serve her well in future math classes.
Lily Dardano – Lily challenged herself all year to produce the highest quality work on each assignment. She was the main contributor to class in terms of individual and group contributions. Her level of understanding of the material was one of the highest in the class because of her desire to truly understand the material.
Getchell Gibbons – Getchell approached this class, and programming in general, with the intention to extend his understanding of the fundamental programming constructs by pushing himself in each area. His solutions to problems incorporated not just past material but ideas that he explored well beyond the minimum required.
Eli Goldberg Cook – Congratulations, Eli, on this well-deserved honor. You have just completed an amazing year in Algebra II and more specifically, a spectacular third trimester. Always engaged in class, you have provided your peers with exceptional leadership and demonstrated how to be fully engaged each day in class. You have developed strong algebra skills and fostered a genuine curiosity for math. The incredible results from your evaluations showed that you could transfer your knowledge accurately on a range of topics as you strived to be your very best. It was a joy to watch you develop as a math student and I appreciate your eagerness to challenge yourself. Confident but never arrogant, you made our class better each day with your thoughtful participation. Well done!
Aaron Hammer – Aaron is the undisputed class leader for Honors Geometry. The group looks to him for help and he is always ready to assist with a problem. He shows good work on his problems and has steadily improved his ability to explain work to others. Aaron is a great example of a fully involved discussion-based-learning student.
Maeve Reynolds – Maeve’s work improved throughout the year. This trimester she really pushed herself to work outside her comfort zone, asking questions and contributing to the class conversation more than before. Her work was exemplary because of her collaboration with classmates enhancing her own understanding.
Linnea Rhodes – All year, Linnea has dug into the material. She was always willing to dig even more when she found a concept that challenged her. During T3, she made it a point to really work on organizing her work as we used multiple strategies and formulas in one problem. She’s a creative thinker, willing to offer up solutions (even if she is unsure about it) and ready to adapt her thinking.
Catie Spence – Catie has always been a strong student in Algebra 2 Honors, but this spring, she aced pretty much every assignment the class had. While she’s quiet in class, she is always ready with an answer when she’s called on, and then her answer is almost always correct! She’s been a delightful addition to the class – a gifted mathematician who supplements her ability with diligent effort and attention to detail. Great work this spring!
Gunnar Tebo – Gunnar joined App Programming with no experience coding, but you would never have known! He exemplified all of the skills this class aims to teach: coding, creativity, resourcefulness, and determination. Gunnar’s final project game also showed his ambition and eagerness to extend his learning beyond what we covered in class.
Juanes Vargas – Juanes is a very strong math student, but what makes him shine is his deeply embedded determination to completely consume every math topic he encounters. Juanes is not satiated by just knowing how to express the answer to a question. Instead, he only rests when he reaches a point when he can teach someone else how to do the problem, all while expressing where the logic of the topic comes from and how it can be creatively applied. Juanes does not rest on his Calculus abilities. He is always pushing himself to go further in a healthy, productive, and inspiring way.
Jane Wegrzyn – Jane had arguably the best detail in her work out of any of my AP Statistics student this year. This detail translated to Jane consistently scoring at the top of my class on assessments. For these reasons and more, I am proud to make Jane my math student of the trimester!

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 2018, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Winter 2019, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Winter 2020, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Winter 2021

US Mathematics Students of the Trimester – Winter 2021

I am excited to announce the Upper School Mathematics Students of the Trimester – Winter 2021!

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 2021.

Please join me in congratulating these outstanding mathematics students!

Caroline Aufiero – Caroline Aufiero does amazing work in geometry class. Her performance when being evaluated has been exceptional. She has wonderful spatial recognition, a natural curiosity when presented with new material and exceptional class participation. Always willing to volunteer an answer to the most challenging questions when the class has gone quiet either in person or during a Zoom class, Caroline has been a wonderful class leader. She is respected by her peers and is always ready to explain how and why a problem can be solved. Congratulations on this well-deserved honor, Caroline!
Zah Ewen – Zah has done phenomenal work this year. She always goes the extra mile to ensure she is doing her best work. Additionally, she works very well with other students and sets a positive example as a leader in class. Congratulations, Zah, on this well-deserved award! 
Stella Gordon – Stella got off to a bit of a slow start to the school year, but after a couple of disappointing quizzes and tests she started meeting with me for extra help once a week. That extra help made all the difference in her work, and by the end of the winter term, her grade on the trimester assessment was one of the top scores in the class.
Aaron Hammer – Aaron conceived of and created a program to track and record a drivers actions and then play them back to direct the robot in autonomous mode. His understanding of the proper structuring of a C/C++ program was excellent. He also understands the process of reflection and revision by which programs are improved over time.
Mazin Hussein – Mazin has done a fantastic job at stepping up in every aspect of class. He jumps into discussions, helps drive us through hard problems by making key observations and corrections, and it’s clear to everyone that he has a genuine interest in math. He has fun and the class is made stronger by his contributions. His hard work has paid off with excellent scores on recent assignments.
Sydni Landman – Sydni continued to do a great job in calculus. She works carefully, asking great questions and doing the work necessary to understand this complex material. She also crated a great project modeling hanging a sign in the main entrance of the Cain Athletic Center – minimizing the amount of wire needed to hang the sign. She finished the term with outstanding work on the assessment.
Sako Lively – Sako is a creative thinker and inventive problem solver. He is able to find multiple avenues to solve a problem. Not only this, but he is so helpful to his classmates and I. He is always offering up technology advice, asking good clarifying questions, organizing his work so that it is easy to follow and read, and participating fully in discussions. He listens to understand and continues to push himself to grow. 
Alan Rodal – Alan has been an excellent math student. He is able to grasp concepts quickly and apply his knowledge to learn new material quickly. He has great insights into the material, and is always willing to share it with his peers in class.
Matt Thompson – Matt is an exemplary student in many ways. Not only does Matt regularly score at/near the top of the class on assessments, but he actively participates in class-wide discussions and small group work. Matt is also able to bring creativity to projects, as displayed in his profile of Easthampton from the perspective of a Texas man. For the reasons above and more I am happy to present Matt as my math student of the trimester. 
Abigail Touhey – Abigail has been stellar throughout Precalculus. She masters every concept and practices to near perfection. Her Desmos project was one of the best I have seen with great creativity and detail. 
Sotaro Wakabayashi – Sotaro has been an outstanding contributor to each class. He has helped him to raise the level of understanding by taking risks in his thinking and looking at the material in depth. Sotaro has also grown into one of the first students willing to volunteer an answer. 

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 2018, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Winter 2019, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Winter 2020, Spring 2020, Fall 2020

US Mathematics Students of the Trimester – Fall 2020

I am excited to announce the Upper School Mathematics Students of the Trimester – Fall 2020!

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 Fall 2020.

Please join me in congratulating these outstanding mathematics students!

Riiny Giir – Riiny excelled in both classes. He has an exceptionally clear understanding of coding and problem solving. In the Robotics class, he chose to work with MicroPython in the Mindstorms setting. This was taking a definite risk and will prompt a curricular change to that language!
Liz Gluz – Liz started off the term a bit slowly, but quickly made the changes in study habits necessary for success. She saw me frequently for extra help; she did all her homework problems and then even more for additional practice; and she was always one of the first students to raise her hand with questions during class. Her extra effort made all the difference, and her final test score of the fall term was one of the best in the whole class.
Anita Hua – Anita Hua is an exceptionally strong math student, but what makes her truly stand out is her genuine joyous passion for mathematics. She leverages her enthusiasm and academic gifts to conquer even the most complex material, and also help her peers reach the same level of understanding. She was actively engaged in class and on the math team even when she was connecting to classes remotely, and her success and large impact has continued as she transitioned to attending class in person. Bravo Anita!
Felix King – Felix has been a consistently strong AP Calculus student. He comes to class well prepared and ready to work. In class, he is always well focused and engaged in our discussions. He is always willing to lend his insights into the material with his classmates which helps the class move forward. His work ethic and devotion has been exemplary throughout the year.
Andie Kinstle – Andie has been awesome overall in Honors Geometry. Her diagrams and explanations are clear, insightful, and easy for the entire group to follow. She is always willing to share her ideas and help others. She works hard not only to understand the concepts and problems, but also to clearly show this understanding. 
Calvin Klumpp – Calvin has been a leader during discussions. Calvin articulates his thoughts well, he challenges our thinking on concepts, and he gives us alternate ways of approaching problems. Calvin has provided the class with thought provoking ideas without dominating discussion. Not only has he contributed to discussions, but he also just looks out for the class. He will let the teacher know if the screen is still frozen, he will remind us to mute or unmute on Zoom, and he will help solve technical difficulties. His community approach to learner is refreshing and necessary!
Leila Minkara – This fall, despite being virtual, Leila was able to consistently demonstrate her understanding of trigonometry scoring near the top of her class on most assessments. Additionally, Leila did all her work with great detail and always managed to turn it in even when surface issues occurred. Due to her resilience, hard work, and positive attitude I am proud to nominate Leila as my math student of the trimester. 
Sean O’Donnell – Sean has completed an exceptional trimester in Geometry. He is intellectually curious, a diligent worker and a leader with his outstanding class participation. He has strong natural instincts for geometry and his deductive reasoning skills are excellent. Always ready to explain how an answer can be found, Sean supports each of his statements with sound mathematical reasoning and enthusiasm. Congratulations, Sean, on this well earned award! 
Lorenzo Redaelli – Lorenzo has done a wonderful job this fall – adjusting to class in the gym, zoom, and a new school. He has excelled academically and has worked to help others in class. He asks great questions and contributes to the class conversation. He is a leader in class. 
Nick Sobon – Nick demonstrated a fantastic work ethic during the first trimester. In class, he was always engaged and was not shy about volunteering and asking clarifying questions. Additionally, Nick set up extra help sessions on numerous occasions and developed a plan for what was going to make him successful in Geometry. The work that he handed in was also a reflection of his commitment to trying his best. Nick sets a positive example for others and is a pleasure to have in class! 
Sydney Wegner – Sydney showed determination to not only do well, but to truly comprehend all the material. She came to every class attentive and engaged. Sydney showed her peers that giving up on a problem is not an option.

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 2018, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Winter 2019, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Winter 2020, Spring 2020

US Mathematics Students of the Trimester – Spring 2020

I am excited to announce the Upper School Mathematics Students of the Trimester – Spring 2020!

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 2020.

Please join me in congratulating these outstanding mathematics students!

Badou Ba – Badou’s commitment to developing as a programmer came to a fruition this trimester. His work in coding in a new language (his third of this year!) showed considerable growth and understanding. He showed both independence and perseverance as he worked through a wide variety of challenging problems.
Avery Brooks – Avery has just completed one amazing trimester as a student of geometry under the most unique circumstances. As we entered the unknown and sometimes unpredictable world of remote learning, Avery was a role model for her classmates by coming out of her comfort zone and volunteering multiple times each class. Avery’s determination to be her best was evident daily and her consistent effort in and out of class led to her best quiz results of the year. Always engaged, Avery set a positive tone in class and thrived on Zoom. Thank you, Avery, for your leadership and congratulations on this well deserved honor!
William Chalfant – Will struggled with math for the first two trimesters, but thrived in T3. He attended help sessions, lead his peers, and demonstrated a deep understanding of the material. He mentioned that this was his best trimester in math to date and that he is incredibly proud of himself. Will is a hard worker and is incredibly motivated, not to mention kind and fun to have in class.
Abigail Dennin – Abby stepped up on multiple fronts to help drive class during a new and challenge time! She helped create new content, manage groups of students, and go above and beyond during class discussions. She was committed, and poured genuine interest into new types of assignments, thriving independently as well as in teams. He passion for mathematics and rising to the challenge of the times was impressive and noted by everyone in class!
Sage Friedman – Sage has consistently been an excellent contributor in and out of class. Her positive spirit and determination did not fade at all, even with the transition to online learning. She continued asking insightful questions, completed her homework with the same degree of thoroughness, and demonstrated exceptional understanding of concepts. Congratulations Sage!
Sophie Gontow-Calderon – Sophie had a fabulous aspring term in Honors Discrete. Her understanding of the graph theory we studied during the spring term was truly remarkable. Moreover, she always supplements her fantastic mathematical insight with exceptional diligence and effort.
Alex Latkovski – Alex did a remarkable job this year, becoming a serious student. While we learned through zoom this spring, Alex made extra effort to ask questions and participate from a distance. It was a pleasure to work with him throughout the year as he developed and took ownership of his education.
Riley Roche – Riley showed the highest level of commitment to learn new material throughout the trimester. Her determination to challenge herself was unmatched. She never let down. She has my highest praise for not only pressing on during a trying time but succeeding at the highest level.
Abby Schulkind – Abby has been a consistently diligent and hardworking math student all year long. Abby has shown genuine curiosity and enthusiasm for AP Calculus. She always wants to learn more and to fully understand the concepts that we study.
Meryl Sesselberg – Meryl continued her excellent work in Honors Geometry during T3. She is a great, independent worker who was unfazed by online learning. She referred back to previous learning to advance her own knowledge, making great connections and showing detailed explanations.
Liam Shields – During T3 of AP CSP, Liam continued to bring his energy, interest, and enthusiasm to our virtual classes every meeting. He also poured himself into his final coding project and recreated part of one of his favorite classic games: The Legend of Zelda!
Natalie Stott – Despite the challenges faced this trimester, Natalie thrived putting together her most successful trimester this year. Natalie attended every required class, asked questions, and had strong performances on each of the assessments. For these reasons and more I am more then happy to make Natalie my math student of the trimester.

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 2018, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Winter 2019, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Winter 2020

US Mathematics Students of the Trimester – Winter 2020

I am excited to announce the Upper School Mathematics Students of the Trimester – Winter 2020!

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 2020.

Please join me in congratulating these outstanding mathematics students!

Brie Banas – Brie has been a consistently strong math student throughout the year. She is intelligent, hard working and diligent yet very unassuming. She is always willing to lend her thoughtful insights into the material with her fellow classmates which consistently helps propel our class forward.
Grace Bean – Grace has had an amazing second trimester. Always a class leader in terms of participation, Grace has stretched herself on the most difficult “”ticket to the weekend “” problems. On more than one occasion, she has been the first student to complete these challenge problems. She is quick to infer previously learned concepts into new problems and she shares her thoughts enthusiastically with the classmates. Grace is always ready to learn and grow.
Anfisa Bogdanenko – In our final section on recursion, Anfisa work to create a recursive backtracking algorithm to solve Slitherlink puzzles. She took this challenge precisely because it was not readily apparent how it would work. Throughout, her analysis of the problem was incredibly insightful and ultimately led to a working solution! Very daring and very bold!
Elsa Frankel – Elsa has led the class by entering into many discussions about challenging problems. Her classmates appreciate looking at her work because it is easy to read and clear when following her steps. Finally, when I had to miss a class, I reached out to Elsa to make sure class got started properly. She went beyond expectations by providing a summary of the class discussion- what went well and we should still go over more. She’s thorough and precise in all that she does! She is always willing to help. 
Liz Gluz – Liz has worked hard all year in and out of the classroom. She has gone above trying to just understand the basics. She excelled at seeing all the connections in each lesson and has shown a high level of mastery.
Lauren Goldinger – Academically, Lauren was consistently at or near the top of her class this winter. This success was due to consistent hard work and perseverance when faced with new mathematical challenges. Additionally, Lauren regularly made a positive impact in our classroom though her ability to collaborate productively with anyone during group work sessions. For the reasons above and more I am proud to make Lauren my math student of the trimester.
Adam Johnsrud – Adam is a proactive learner. He goes out of his way to be prepared and lean into challenging material. He is actively kind, naturally makes space for others, and he goes out of his way to ask people how they are doing, and really care about their response. Adam is a model math student and a fantastic all-around human.
Sarah Kimmel – Sarah is a stellar computer scientist! She brings a natural curiosity and joy for learning to class. She’s a positive contributor to the class discourse and challenges herself during homework and project assignments.
Kam LaFountain – Kam has worked so diligently this year in Geometry Essentials. He has been prepared every day, and he seeks me out for help as soon as any information is unclear. He’s always totally on task during class time, and he obviously really wants to learn all the material.
Matt Pimental – Matt has been a great student throughout the year. He is a leader during discussions, even taking over class one day when my throat limited my speaking. He does great work on projects and is always putting forth his best effort.
Hannah Roche – Hannah puts a lot of thought and care into her work both in and out of class. She is always prepared and sets a great example for her classmates.
Tyler Varin – Tyler did a particularly nice job during the second trimester, stepping up as a leader in this class. Tyler was always ready to participate in class discussions and was willing to take risks with challenging material. His trimester minimization project was outstanding.

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 2018, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Winter 2019, Spring 2019, Fall 2019

US Mathematics Students of the Trimester – Fall 2019

I am excited to announce the Upper School Mathematics Students of the Trimester – Fall 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 Fall 2019.

Please join me in congratulating these outstanding mathematics students!

Anfisa Bogdanenko – Anfisa is a truly curious student who challenges herself to learn as much as she can. She is able to learn concepts quickly and apply them to new more complex problems. In class, she lends her insights into the material with the rest of her peers to help us constantly move forward.
Julia Borden – Julia is an outstanding math student. Always focused in class, she is determined to do her best in every aspect of learning math. Her diligence as a student has been rewarded with strong test and quiz results throughout the trimester. Julia saved her best work for her trimester one exam. Her near perfect work earned her the highest grade in the class and demonstrated great precision and knowledge. Our class can always count on Julia to ask the most insightful questions. Congratulations, Julia, on an outstanding trimester in Algebra II.
Aidan Bourbonnais – Beyond achieving high marks on assessments, Aidan always came to class with a positive attitude and ready to work. Additionally, Aidan served as a great resource in the classroom by explain concepts to classmates. This reinforced her own understanding while helping boost the understanding of those around her. For these reasons, I am proud to nominate Aidan as my math student of the trimester.
Noah Brooks – Noah was consistently on point in class during the first trimester. He asks great questions to clarify his understanding which helps everyone else in the class. He has a very good understanding of the first trimester material to build on for the rest of the year.
Connor Capshaw – Connor got off to a bit of a slow start with his first quiz in the fall term in Algebra 2 Honors, but then he reacted in exactly the way one would hope. He immediately set up times to meet with me; he carefully reviewed his initial mistakes; and he was careful to prepare diligently for all subsequent tests and quizzes. By the end of the term he was starting to really demonstrate his ability with the subject. Beyond that, Connor is also just a wonderful kid to have in a classroom – polite, friendly, engaged – a true pleasure.
Louisa Coughlin – Louisa has shown a high level of thought and care in her approach to mathematics. She is able to communicate skills and theories with her classmates that are clear and insightful. She has approach class with an excellent mindset that has enabled her to not be afraid to struggle so that she can preform at her best.
Max Graff – Max has shown great intuition for Geometry, thinking through new and challenging concepts. He is always willing to speak up in class to ask questions, share an idea, or help others. He provided great review demonstrations on proofs which really helped the entire group understand the material better.
Sam Haddad – Sam has contributed positively to class discussions. He keeps learning going through answering and asking questions. He knows how to have fun during class and also be serious about his learning. He engages in the activities and applies his learning to more challenging problems.
Felix King – Felix was outstandingly engaged in this class. He understood every lab challenge in terms of the programming tools available. In addition, he explored and used concepts that made his coding both effective and creative.
Will Sawyer – Will exhibited phenomenal work ethic throughout the first trimester. He was not shy about asking questions, and communicated his thoughts/approaches very well when addressing the class and during group work. Will took the initiative to meet for extra help on numerous occasions and always came prepared. The mentality and attitude Will brought to class each day will help him in many other endeavors in and out of the classroom.
Alice Shevchenko – Alice is a tenacious problem solver. She never gives up and makes use of all possible support structures. She works smoothly with others in small groups and is keenly aware of what she knows and what she doesn’t. She has fun with math and that enjoyment is spread to others!
Jack Zhu – Jack’s curiosity drives him to derive all he can can from all of our class activities in AP CSP. He pushes his programming skills consistently rather than relying on what is easy or familiar. He also he maintains cheerful and positive engagement throughout his time with the group.

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 2018, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Winter 2019, Spring 2019

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

US Mathematics Students of the Trimester – Fall 2018

I am excited to announce the Upper School Mathematics Students of the Trimester – Fall 2018!

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 Fall 2018.

Please join me in congratulating these outstanding mathematics students!

Graham Allardyce – Graham has enthusiastically leaned in to every aspect of class. He shows up thoroughly prepared, actively asks me questions, and most importantly helps his peers. His work shows deep understanding and it’s clear he works hard to make sure he dominates everything we cover. He is a fantastic student and person.
Melissa Baseman – Melissa is picking up English incredibly quickly, but last September she did not know many of our mathematical terms and definitions so she had to learn their mathematical meanings as well as their English meanings all at the same time. She worked tirelessly to master the material, often scheduling extra help with me to review concepts. Her understanding seemed to get better and better over the course of the fall, and she is now a frequent contributor to class discussion.
Caroline Forman – Caroline has made a commitment to being her absolute best as a math student. Always engaged in class, Caroline leads her class by volunteering often and asking insightful questions. She has performed at the highest level on tests and quizzes demonstrating the ability to problem solve and work with accuracy. Caroline has earned this honor with hard work, a positive attitude and relentless determination.
Kate Holmes – Kate was a dedicated student and curious programmer who went above and beyond in App Programming class. She began as a novice programmer but kept pace with some of our most experienced classmates. She also incorporated creative and difficult designs in her Apps and embraced the challenges these designs presented.
Ethan Huang – He had to do more individual work than others to get in the class; thus, he was better prepared and subsequently performed well at the tests as well assignments. On top of that he helped many of his peers as and when sought his knowledge/words.
Avi Kacker – Avi came to class every day fully prepared to engage in the topics at hand. He approach every topic with diligence and care. Avi pushed and challenged himself and his classmates daily for perfection.
Walter Kissane – Walter always adds rich questions and comments to our mathematical discussions. He is always thinking through different possibilities and stretching our thinking. He has adapted well to new mathematical notation and thought processes. Walter comes with an awesome attitude daily!
Aidan McCreary – Aidan has done very well in AP Calculus. He learns material quickly and is able to apply previously learned knowledge well. In class, he is always focused and lending his insights into the material with the rest of the class. He is diligent with his work, and is genuinely interested in learning.
Sofia Michalski – Sofia is an incredibly hard worker. She is always willing to help those around her and when she is confused she is quick to ask clarifying questions. She works hard in and out of the classroom to master the material.
Nikhil Sierros – Nikhil consistently produced exemplary work throughout the fall trimester which displayed both correctness and understanding of the material. In addition to his classwork, Nikhil is always willing to join the classroom conversation whether it be math related or just casual conversation before the start of class. Arguably, Nikhil’s strongest trait is his ability to befriend and welcome anyone in the classroom, helping ease the transition for some of the new students to Williston in our class. For the reasons above, I am proud to nominate Nikhil as my math student of the trimester for Fall 2018.
Brooke Smith – Brooke is an amazingly diligent worker who constantly strives to do her best. She dives into processes to make sure she understands every step and that she is able to recreate those processes independently. She is engaged in class, asking questions herself while supporting others with questions of their own. She is a great role model to show that hard work and patience can pay off! 
James White – I am happy to award the math student of the trimester to James for his consistent hard work, class involvement, and level of accomplishment in the fall trimester. He asks great questions to enhance his understanding and jumps in to help his classmates. I look forward to his continued great work for the rest of the year.

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

US Mathematics Students of the Trimester – Spring 2018

I am excited to announce the Upper School Mathematics Students of the Trimester – Spring 2018!

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 2018.

Please join me in congratulating these outstanding mathematics students!

Brie Banas – Brie has been a consistently strong leader in the class. She never hesitates to share her ideas with her classmates. Brie has never backed down from any challenging problems and pushes others to keep up with her.
Rider Bishop – Rider did outstanding work in Java this term. His curiosity, dedication, and skill are inspirational. During our final project, Rider and his partner collaborated seamlessly to attack the most challenging aspects of the project with speed and accuracy. Rider has also offered to share his talents as a peer tutor to support the efforts of other coders, a testament to his unselfish and helpful nature!
Gabby Dicomitis – Gabby made remarkable progress over the course of the year, finishing particularly well. She came to class excited and ready to do her best every day. The course challenged her and she embraced the challenge!
Ji Soo Hwang – As a freshman, Ji Soo was a very dedicated and hard working math student. She picked up difficult concepts quite quickly. Ji Soo was always a pleasure to work with in class.
Sophie Little – Sophie is incredibly thorough and thoughtful in her work. She demonstrates a remarkable persistence in her problem-solving and frequently comes to class with a list of prepared questions from the homework. This Spring, students worked on an open-ended data analysis project. Sophie chose to study the patterns in HIV and wealth in countries of the World. She was able to find some interesting associations between her variables and put together an insightful report that was sophisticated yet clear and easy to read. I appreciated her accurate use of statistical methodology and the depth of her analysis. Great work, Sophie!
Alex Marwaha – He brought in his extra knowledge from Physics and Robotics competition experiences into the classroom, completed his work at an exemplary level and then made himself available to his peers by helping them debug their work and bringing them to successful completions. He epitomizes the adage, “Show your mastery of skills by making others do it.”
Joey Nolte – Joey steadily improved over the course of the year in Algebra 2. His attention to detail in T3 was excellent and he grade rose over each trimester, eventually to a high A. His participation in class increased as well as he grew in confidence with his communication skills and his math skills.
Yana Pyryalina – Yana works. Hard. I am a huge fan of her tenacity. BC/Multi is a particularly challenging class, especially as the course develops, and Yana always leaned in to everything we covered. I expect my students to advocate for themselves and Yana smoothly did just that all year, diving into extra help sessions with a singular purpose as well as happily working in small groups. She was a fantastic role model for her classmates. Well done Yana!
Shanet Ramirez – Sahnet has had a remarkable year in Algebra II. She is actively engaged in all aspects of class and she leads her classmates in terms of participation. Everyone in room 24 has learned from Sahnet. Always ready to volunteer an answer or demonstrate her work at the board, Sahnet is a relentless student of algebra. She enjoys bringing multiple concepts together in a problem and she can articulate how she completes a question with confidence. Congratulations Sahnet!
Sabrina Shao – Sabrina has been a strong participant in class all year. She has a strong understanding of the content but also is willing to share her knowledge with the class. She has been seen day in and day out working with classmates through a problem and helping them see her organized thought processes. She doesn’t mind being challenged by the tougher problems and learns even the small details in completing a problem. The positive attitude that she brings each day helps make the class run smoothly.
Tayah Sommer – Tayah came to class everyday ready to learn. She worked incredibly hard out of the classroom to maintain a strong understanding of the material. Tayah has a great spirit and her classmates love working with her.
Steven Wang – Steven is an extraordinary mathematician – a truly gifted scholar. There was little if anything I was able to teach him this year – he already knew all of college level discrete mathematics. That said, he was an unbelievably strong student, missing fewer than five points the entire term on all assignments combined. It was also wonderful to see Steven’s humor start to emerge over the course of the year; he can definitely laugh at himself. I will remember teaching Steven for a long time.

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 2018