Math Indeed Counts for Middle School Students

Mention middle school math class to some adults of a certain age, chances are it will conjure up memories akin to taking a trip to the dentist for a pair of fillings and maybe even a root canal.

Mention math class to students in Christine Kedzuf’s MathCounts classes at and you’ll find students eager to attend the after school sessions. In fact, she even makes them brownies.

“They’re always a big hit,” Kedzuf said. “It’s one of the things that keeps them coming each week.”

There are, of course, other factors that keep students returning for the MathCounts program, including the desire to be better and the opportunity to work through math problems in a pace that is comfortable to them.

“What gets to each kid is something a little bit different,” Kedzuf said. “Some like to be the leader for the day and they get to work with the others in solving problems."

Peters Township Middle School has been a regular participant in the nationwide MathCounts program, which was created more than 28 years ago to inspire students to push themselves to achieve more in mathematics.

The program is comprised of the problems that are standard for middle school students from the National Council of Teachers in Mathematics.

The work of Mrs. Kedzuf’s MathCounts group paid off for students recently, as nine students participated in a countywide competition at Washington and Jefferson College; four of the nine took the top places out of more than 80 middle school students who took part from across the county.

Peters Township Middle  School winners included Connor Schwartz, who finished in first place, and received a $100 prize. Roy Wang finished second, Nick Roberts finished third, and Zenas Zhuang finished fourth. Wang, Roberts and Zhuang were awarded calculators.

All four will move onto a statewide competition in Hershey in March.

Others who participated in the competition were Raashmi Krishnasamy, Varun Sharma, Andrew Parker, Martina Zhuang, Dylan Grosz and Mohamed Morsy.

The problems presented in the competition are designed to promote critical thinking and problem-solving skills, according to the national MathCounts program.

The competitions, such as the countywide contest at W&J, have oral and written rounds, as well as individual and team contests.

Kedzuf said Peters Township Middle School receives study booklets from MathCounts to help prepare students for the events. They are used in her weekly after-school sessions, and include such problems in algebra, geometry, probability and statistics.

Kedzuf said although not all math students wish to take part in MathCounts, it’s one in which students are able to explore their minds and the adventure of mathematics.

“They like doing the problems,” she said. “It’s not like a typical classroom where they sit in their seat. They sit in circles and interact among themselves. It’s almost like some take on the teacher role where they go to the board and demonstrate how the problem is solved.”