More than 300 middle school students from 19 districts, including Cassopolis and Edwardsburg from Cass County, match wits today to demonstrate their mathematical and reasoning skills, according to Brian Wood of Lewis Cass Intermediate School District.

Students competing in the 2011 regional event also include: St. Joseph County, Burr Oak, Centreville, Colon, Constantine, Nottawa, Sturgis, Three Rivers and White Pigeon; Van Buren County, Bangor, Gobles, Hartford, Lawrence, Lawton, Mattawan, Paw Paw and South Haven; and Berrien County, Berrien Springs.

Wood, one of three coordinators for the Middle School Math Meet at Southwestern Michigan College in Dowagiac, said, “Fifty-six teams of five students each will participate. Cass, St. Joseph and Van Buren counties have shared the responsibility for creating this outstanding event for the children in this area. This is another example of ISDs and local districts collaborating to do what counts for kids.”

Tonda Boothby, of Van Buren ISD, added, “The Middle School Math Meet is designed to motivate and reward students who possess exceptional ability in mathematics. Students will stretch their minds by competing in four different events, such as patterns, functions and algebraic operations, data analysis and probability, geometry and measurement and number, operation and number theory.

Activities are aligned with the National Standards for Mathematics.

Awards will be given for each event at each grade level, as well as overall district awards.

Problems have been prepared by and will be scored by members of the Michigan Council of Teachers of Mathematics, led by past president Judy Wheeler.

Said Laura Howe of St. Joseph County ISD, “Students really seem to enjoy getting together with other school districts and demonstrating their math skills. Many students view the meet both as an encouragement of their interest and a reward for their hard work in mathematics throughout the year.”