The campus buzzed with excitement as Year 7 students attended the first ever YCIS Shanghai Math Bee on December 7. All 23 contestants showed maturity, bravery, and composure while being challenged to answer mental math questions over 3 rounds.

The campus buzzed with excitement as Year 7 students attended the first ever YCIS Shanghai Math Bee on December 7. All 23 contestants showed maturity, bravery, and composure while being challenged to answer mental math questions over 3 rounds. The event was supported by the Year 10 Information, Communications, and Technology (ICT) students who provided the on-screen scoreboard and timer.  First place winner Gillian said, “Throughout the Math Bee, I was quite nervous… I thought second place would be good enough, but I won first place and I was really surprised.  The event was very organised, and if there is a Math Bee next year, I will definitely join it.”

YCIS Shanghai has a rigorous math curriculum that has been traditionally supported by teaching staff and fun activities like Mathletics, a website where students answer math questions for points.  In starting the Math Bee this year, Mathematics teacher Edward Leaf emphasises on a challenging yet fun experience for students: “I thought of the idea as an annual competition, like a Spelling Bee…Questions are answered verbally and students have to think quickly and act calmly under time pressure while standing in front of a large crowd.  It provides a challenge for gifted students in mathematics, but also great fun for the contestants, audience, and organisers.”

Students at YCIS Shanghai are encouraged to develop a strong sense of balance across the curriculum.  Last year’s IGCSE class was recognised for Top in China in 10 subjects, one of which was Mathematics with Coursework.  Despite such high profile achievements, the commended students echo Year 12 classmate Andrew’s advice for future IGCSE students: “Take it easy! Everyone seems so nervous about [IGCSE] as if it is a gigantic burden coming to them. Getting nervous only makes you mess up.”  Another commended student, Ho Wing, adds, “…[the exams are] a qualification, not a definition of who you are as a person.”