Hampton dominates M&M math competition
BEADLES HALL, Santa Cruz – Hampton School continued its dominance of the annual M&M Jamaica Mathematics Competition last week, topping a field of nine high schools in St Elizabeth to retain the coveted trophy which they have been winning since 2003.
With an overall score of 397 points, the all-girls’ school forced Munro College for boys to settle for the position of first runner-up with 389 points. Second runner-up Black River High scored 302 points.
The competition, which is celebrating its 10th year, is the brainchild of M&M’s CEO Donald Mullings and his wife Winnifred, who share a passion for mathematics, as well as a desire to facilitate its development within the context of the education system.
Co-ordinated by Dr Randolph Watson, the stated objectives of the competition are:
. to generate healthy competition among high school students in St Elizabeth;
. to encourage students to strive to attain their full academic potentials;
. to enhance the quality of mathematics education in St Elizabeth high schools;
. to encourage teachers to share resources; and
. to recognise and provide incentives for excellence for the victorious participants.
To this end, the first, second and third-place winners for each grade took home certificates, plaques and cash prizes of $15,000, $8,000 and $5,000 respectively.
Fifty students entered this year’s competition, which entailed the sitting of an examination based on the Reform of Secondary Education (ROSE) curriculum for grades seven to nine and the Caribbean Examinations Council curriculum for grades 10 and 11, at Munro College on March 6.
The top three schools also received cash incentives, exclusively for enhancing their mathematics programmes.
Based on the collective votes of their competing peers, St Elizabeth Technical High School’s mathematics teacher, Keisha Francis Forrest, and Black River High’s mathematics teacher, Cecil Ramsamugh walked away from last Friday’s prize-giving ceremony with cash prizes of $50,000 and $25,000 respectively for being the most impressive teachers in the competition.
