Training & Meetings:
The members meet once a week to train for conferences and competitions through various strategic techniques. Particularly, they prepare by practicing different solving strategies along with taking practice tests. Additionally, they share calculator programs, which are user-written codes implemented into graphing calculators to complete complex math calculations swiftly and efficiently. These programs help the students solve their math problems much faster with a reduction in calculation errors. During their meetings they also determine which members will be partners during competitions.
Club Members:
The club has twenty four members broken down into four freshmen, eight sophomores, nine juniors, and three seniors. The freshmen compete in Algebra 1, Sophomores in Geometry, Juniors in Algebra 2, and the Seniors participate in PreCalculus.
Competitions:
The competitions are done individually, in partners, or even teams of eight. They are completed through taking math tests – most allowing calculators. However, the competitions are not just solving equations like in a standard math class. These challenging questions can vary from being complex equations to discovering a pattern so the team must master various skills to be successful. There are also Candy Bar Contest’s where the whole team competes against other schools to solve math problems. The school with the most correct answers receives a huge box of candy bars!
Goals and Success:
The primary goal of the Math Team is for students to have fun doing math and to gain new skills! Along with meeting other students with the same love and interest for math.
The Math Team has been very successful through their outstanding performances in competitions including winning regionals twice and having the whole team qualify for state! In 2025, for the first time in the WHS Math Team history, they had a state championship, Jeremiah Saunders, who won state in the Algebra 1 division.
Despite their recent wins, Ms. Johnston emphasizes that true success in this club comes from the students’ excitement regarding their accomplishments and improvements. Highlighting that “students who come back year after year to spend their Saturdays doing math with their friends is the true success of Math Team” (Ms. Johnston).
Why to Join the Team!
The Math Team is such an incredibly fun and safe environment for students to challenge themselves in learning new, advanced, and innovative methods in order to solve math problems. Joining will leave you with new friends, greater math skills, and so much more! It also looks great on college applications!
How to Join:
Anyone with a love or interest in math including students in regular, honors, or AP math classes can participate as long as they are committed and desire to push themselves to new challenges.
To officially join, Sign up on Snap! and email the sponsor, Ms. Johnston! Any additional questions about the team and/or joining email Ms. Johnston at [email protected].