Maples student wins national math contest

A. E. Wright Community School student Zoey Santiago recently won the Canadawide Math Kangaroo contest for Grade 1 students. 

The Math Kangaroo competition is held annually in more than 40 Canadian cities to encourage fun and appreciation for mathematics. There are 12 levels of competition, ranging from grades 1 to 12. The Winnipeg was hosted by University of Winnipeg.

Over 320 Grade 1 students took the 2017  national math challenge and Zoey achieved the top score in Canada. She was awarded a special plaque for achieveing the top score.

Zoey has been studying math concepts regularly for the past two years. Some of the learning aids that she uses are iPad apps as Mathboard and King of Math. Her father, Max Santiago, is a teacher at A.E. Wright School and is her primary after-school math tutor.

 "For us, as parents, our hope is for Zoey to be able to apply what she learns in math in real life. And that she understands that challenges are meant to be solved and not to be avoided," Max said. 

The teacher added that "it’s important for each child to have good study habits".

When she’s not solving math problems, Zoey enjoys outdoor adventures such as camping and family time at the park. She is also taking piano, ballet, and swimming lessons and would one day like to be a teacher.

Derek Dabee is a community correspondent for The Maples. You can contact him at ddabee@mymts.net