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Math team among
best in nation
Published May
8, 2008
Boaz Intermediate
School boasts a progressive and
challenging curriculum. Now, it
boasts a nationally recognized,
award-winning math team.
Barbara Asteak, vice president of
the Pennsylvania-based Suntex
International, the creators of the
24 game and the First In Math online
computer math game, awarded 15 BIS
students medals for placing first
and second in the state of Alabama
and placing 11th overall in the
nation.
Students in the First In Math online
program earn electronic award
stickers by solving problems within
eight skill sets of increasing
difficulty. The stickers earned by
each student are combined for a team
total.
On hand were Asteak; Boaz Mayor Tim
Walker; Tony King, president of the
Boaz City School Board; and BIS
Principal John Beck to present each
student with a medal.
The top five students on the
fourth-grade state second-place
“Team Magic” were Ginny Hester,
Deonta Tillman, Haden Hope, Cassi
Dobbins and Avery Nevels, who also
placed 1st in the state
individually for 4th grade.
Fifth-grade state champion “Team
Troop” top finishers were Kyndal
Hunt, Jonathan Vo, Brylee Argy,
Brent Claburn and Nick Williams, who
also placed first in the state
individually over all.
Marty Hatley’s English Language
Learners class “Team Topaz”
recognized Jamie Sebastian, Estefany
Ponce, Alberto Ramirez, Felimon
Zacarias and Juan Lucas as the top
five finishers for their team. The
group worked together to solve more
than 60,000 math problems to earn
more than 20,000 virtual stickers.
“We are extremely proud to be here,
recognizing the first- and
second-place teams in the state of
Alabama,” Asteak said. “These
students aren’t just competing
amongst themselves, they are
competing on the state and national
levels.
And out of more than 6,000 teams in
the United States, you placed 11th.
That is astounding! As a group, you
earned more than 75,000 stickers.
You are absolutely amazing.”
As a reward, Asteak said her company
planned to release user
identification and password codes
giving every student at BIS free
access to First In Math Web sites
beginning this weekend through July
31.
“Parents, kiss your computers
goodbye. After they get these codes,
you won’t be able to get them away
from the computers,” Asteak joked.
“Students tell us they learn more
and enjoy working online more than
they do in the classroom.”
Beck said the Web site was
discovered “by accident” when
teachers were searching for an
online version of the math card game
“24.” One of the math teachers
signed up for a free trial and the
company later called the school
offering a pilot program for three,
36-member teams.
King praised BIS faculty and staff
for their continued hard work
challenging the students.
“This is a great honor. This is
exactly what we strive for. We have
to give kudos to (Principal John)
Beck. Superintendent Leland Dishman
sets the bar really high and (Beck)
is under constant pressure to
perform. But this is what we work
for, to have the bar set higher and
higher and to continually meet and
exceed those goals.”
The First In Math program challenges
students in various types of math
problems, from single-step addition
to multi-step algebra. Games are
divided into eight skill-related
areas and are targeted to the skills
students need to master at each
grade level.
Players must solve 12 non-repeating
math facts within one minute and
must demonstrate mastery of all 12
facts in a fact family before moving
on to the next level, or “gym.”
The gyms provide relief from the
often-tedious drill sheets and free
up teachers’ time to provide more
one-on-one instruction, Asteak said.
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