SCHNECKSVILLE, PA—A nation-wide phenomenon in the 1990’s, Suntex 24 Challenge® Tournaments are being revived in a big way throughout Pennsylvania in 2015.
Several of the Keystone state’s regional Intermediate Units will be hosting tournaments for students in grades four through eight, according to Suntex VP Barbara Asteak. “Pennsylvania IU’s are very important, providing technology-rich instructional and operational services to public school districts, charter and private schools throughout the state,” explains Asteak. “IU’s function as a link between the Pennsylvania Department of Education and local school districts.”
Top photo, l to r: Grade 7/8 Grand Champion: Danielle Shapiro – Penn Kidder & LB Morris, Jim Thorpe. Grade 6 Grand Champion: Sabrina Safadi – Catasauqua MS, Catasauqua. Grade 4/5 Grand Champion: Michael Whittland - Willow Lane, East Penn. Bottom photo: Joe Page (far left) and Whitehall-Coplay High School’s Mu Alpha Theta members.
Asteak and several other representatives from Suntex attended the first of the IU-sponsored tournaments on February 11, 2015 at the Carbon-Lehigh IU 21 in Schnecksville, located in the eastern part of the state.
More than 80 students, accompanied by teachers and parents, came to the CLIU 21’s Central Office building to test their 24® Game skills, playing against students from several school districts around the two-county region.
Joe Page, Educational Technologies Specialist for the department of Curriculum & Instruction at IU 21, organized the event. “The math skills and abilities of these students are truly inspiring and somewhat astonishing. Every student here, including the fourth graders, could blow me out of the water—and I am a former high school math teacher."
The competition’s proctors were Whitehall-Coplay High School’s Mu Alpha Theta members, the school’s top mathematics students. MAT’s advisor, Jason Ruch, was also impressed with the level of math mastery, “This competition is certainly helping to prepare young students to not only be ready for the rigors that await when they get to high school and beyond, but to also experience how much fun math can be.”
“Everyone had fun, and the whole event was exciting—the last championship round especially so,” says Suntex Project Manager Sande Phillips. “The intensity and focus of these kids when they are competing is inspiring.”
CLIU21 website
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How to organize a 24 Challenge event at your school!