PRESS RELEASE – April 19, 2017
On March 30, 2017, the Fluvanna Middle School gymnasium was alive with a different type of competition. There were no basketballs, running, or whistles. The sounds were instead those of students solving math problems and reaching the solution of “24”. Sixty-five students in Grades 3 through 7 worked with their teachers to become eligible to compete in the Fluvanna County Public School’s Annual 24 Math Competition.
Participants play the 24@ Game, which involves a deck of cards, each showing four whole numbers between 1 and 9. When presented with a card, the players strive to be the first to combine the four numbers to make 24 using only addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. In addition to supporting pattern recognition, mental-math, and problem-solving abilities, this game has proven to elicit a high level of interest and excitement in Math from students.
“The competition amongst the students was exciting and intense to watch as students went through rounds to determine first through fourth place. Our school division is blessed to have support from teachers and volunteers that helped to make this tournament a success,” stated Kenny Yowell, Math Specialist for Fluvanna County, who worked to organize the tournament.
| Place | Grade 3 | Grade 4 | Grade 5 | Grade 6 | Grade 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Colton Ball | Simon Price | Chaz Barksdale-White | Jamie Roth | Ava Amato |
| 2nd | Noah Day | Ivan Patchett | Hunter Cooper | Will Davis | Meghan Dech |
| 3rd | Hadon Hartung | Connor Lavin | Zachary Butler | Bobby Smith | Riley Yowell |
| 4th | Jack Jeffries | Olivia Martin | Javier Gonzalez-Rollins | Addison Patchett | Ethan Hamilton |
The top four competitors in each grade level have been invited to participate in Regional 24 Tournament in Orange County on Thursday, April 20 at 5:30 PM.
For more information about the 24@ Game or interested in volunteering next year’s tournament, contact Kenny Yowell at kyowell@apps.fluco.org or 434-510-1000.