Grade 5-8 Santa Cruz County Math Circle Starting Soon!
Does your student love math? Then the Santa Cruz Math Circle is a great opportunity to explore challenging and fun mathematics with kids from across the county. The Santa Cruz Math Circle is for students in grades 5 through 8 to meet weekly with math professors and math professionals on Saturdays, 10:00-12:00 at Cabrillo College starting February 3 through March 23rd. Register at www.XAcademy.org, a parent-led nonprofit organization offering STEM enrichment for students in Santa Cruz County. The cost is $125; financial assistance is available.
Elementary Math Circles at Baymonte, Spring 2024
New this year! Miss Bliss and Miss Hofmann will be co-leading math circles for our elementary students. Math circles are a great way to encourage discovery and excitement about mathematics. We will offer three circles, as described below. Each circle will meet three times, from 3:15 – 4:00 on Mondays. The cost for each circle is $30, billed through Gradelink.
Participating students and their families will also be invited to our Family Math Festival on April 22.
PLATO Circle
Focus: 2- and 3-dimensional shapes in space, symmetry and geometric transformations, and physical problem solving.
Target Demographic: All grade K-4 students interested in shapes and space. Differentiated closing activities will provide additional challenge for older students.
Description: This is a beginning-intermediate group. Students should be able to recognize basic geometric shapes and read and write numbers to 25. As the activities for this group will focus on geometric thinking, strong arithmetic skills are not a prerequisite.
Sessions:
| Date | Sample Activities |
| Feb 26 | Symmetry activities with mirrorsProject: making a kaleidoscopeHula Hoop Mazes |
| Mar 18 | Pattern block composite shape activities3D (and 4D!) shapes with Zometool bubblesTangram puzzles OR Drawing links and knots |
| Apr 15 | Codes and Mysterious PicturesBridges 3D problem solving challenges |
PASCAL Circle
Focus: Logic and Introductory Probability
Target demographic: Grades 3-4; strong students in Grade 2.
Description: This is an intermediate-advanced group. Students will need to understand the standard addition algorithm to be successful with the cryptarithm puzzles in session 1. Generally, students do not need advanced multiplication or division skills, though a basic understanding of divisibility will be helpful for one activity session 2. Students should also understand basic cause and effect and recognize logically contradictory statements, which may be especially challenging for younger students.
Sessions:
| Date | Sample Activities |
| Feb 5 | Knights and Liars Logic ActivitiesCryptarithm Puzzles |
| Mar 4 | More Knights and Liars Logic ActivitiesPascal’s triangle activities |
| Mar 25 | Socks in the Dark – Introducing the pigeonhole principleParity and Checkerboard problems |
FIBONACCI Circle
Focus: Patterns and Sequences; 2-player mathematical games; Problem-solving strategies
Target demographic: Grade 4; strong students in Grade 3 and exceptional students in Grade 2.
This is an advanced group. Students will need a good understanding of multiplication to make sense of the lessons on fractals and powers. Students will also be introduced to problems that require addition, subtraction, multiplication, and/or division to solve. Challenge problems to further explore and practice
Sessions:
| Date | Sample Activities |
| Feb 12 | Fractals, powers, and the Sierpinksi triangleIntroducing mathematical strategy game: 1-2 NimProblem-solving: introduction to modeling problems with multiple unknowns |
| Mar 11 | More mathematical strategy games: Nim variationsProblem-solving: more work with unknowns |
| Apr 8 | Fibonacci sequenceProblem-solving: modeling “working together” algebraic problems |
To sign your student up for an elementary match circle at Baymonte, please complete this form and return it to the office by January 26, 2024.