I am excited to announce the Upper School Mathematics Students of the Trimester – Winter 2017!
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 2017.
Please join me in congratulating these outstanding mathematics students!
Graham Allardyce – Graham has performed well in Algebra II all year and really shined in trimester two. What impresses me most about Graham is his desire to teach others around them. He is frequently helping his peers with their homework and in class during group work. He is a true role model as a student and embodies Williston’s motto of living with purpose, passion, and integrity.
Elin Blomquist – Elin is a natural mathematician, but she started out with some gaps in her background that made the trigonometry unit in the fall difficult for her. Nevertheless, she worked diligently and, by the beginning of winter term, was really starting to emerge as a leader in the class. Then, in the winter term, her facility with mathematics really came through as she showed an intuitive understanding of probability and its applications. She always works hard; she’s always prepared; and she always seeks help as soon as she has any difficulty. She’s a wonderful addition to the classroom, and I so enjoy teaching her.
Noah DeVos – Noah has been one of the most consistent and highly motivated students in AP Statistics this year. He always gets an early start on homework and ask insightful questions during class. He supports his learning with excellent study skills and works hard to understand the underlying principles of probability and statistics. His frequent contributions to class discussions show me that he is willing to take responsible risks in order to further his understanding of some very challenging concepts. He always brings insight to our conversations and serves as an excellent model for other students.
Dylan Fulcher-Melendy – Dylan has become an impressive student of geometry. She has excellent deductive reasoning skills and enjoys creating proofs. A wonderful classmate to her peers, Dylan can explain how problems tie together in clear, concrete steps. Her attention to detail is outstanding and she is relentless in her pursuit of knowledge. Despite outstanding test and quiz results, Dylan has never missed an extra help opportunity even if she has to sprint from squash practice in the freezing cold. Congratulations, Dylan, on your selection as math student of the trimester and thank you for your positive impact on our class.
Robby Hill – Robby showed great determination and work ethic this past term. We learned new intense material that challenged him. Instead of settling for an okay grade and understanding of the material, he went home, searched for practice problems and past tests on the topic, and mastered his understanding of the content. This is the definition of an honors student! His work ethic, determination, and constant class participation is why I chose him.
Sabrina Liew – Sabrina did an outstanding job this trimester, dedicating herself to fully understanding the material. Her end of term project with Destiny was well done. Her last two quizzes and last test were perfect and she had a near perfect assessment. That accomplishment came because of Sabrina’s hard work. She regularly came for extra help and asked questions in class.
Aidan McCreary – Aidan has consistently set the bar high for the quality of work submitted in this class. He is always well-prepared and asks questions that help him (and the class) to understand the finer points of robotics and programming. His Engineering Notebook is highly-detailed and carefully completed. Aidan is certainly a joy to have as a student!
Mary Kate O’Brien – Mary Kate is always attentive and engaged in every activity every day. She enjoys the challenge of every problem and her approach to class has been contagious with her peers.
Natalie Richard – Natalie has maintained a remarkable level of success throughout the entire class. Her work is impeccably organized, her focus never waivers, and she readily works with others. She also never takes her abilities for granted, always coming into all assessments more than fully prepared. She helps anchor the class and move us through particularly challenging material. All the while she is always humble about her abilities.
Alexis Ryan – Alexis was a diligent student, an engaged member of the class, and a determined and creative game designer. She executed the assignments of the class thoroughly and pushed herself to extend her understanding through each project. I was particularly impressed with her final project and how fiercely she worked toward accomplishing the very challenging design she chose for the game.
Emily Warren – Emily has been a consistently strong student throughout the year. She is very inquisitive and always willing to lend her insights into the material with the rest of the class. She is able to learn material quickly and apply what she has learned with great confidence.
Harrison Winrow – Every day, Harrison arrives in class with a cheerful attitude and an eagerness to learn more mathematics. His engagement in class is exemplary. Not only does he go out on a limb to answer challenge questions, but he frequently posits his own questions: Why does the function behave that way? What would happen if we changed that piece of the function? His questions have raised the level of discussion in class and helped create a vibrant mathematical classroom.