Five Ocosta School District students were recognized by the Ocosta School Board on February 1, 2020 for making high scores on the Mathematical Association of America’s AMC-8 Test. This test is taken by students worldwide in fifth through eighth grade each November. The AMC 8 is a 25-question, 40-minute, multiple choice examination in middle school mathematics designed to promote the development of problem-solving skills. The AMC 8 provides an opportunity for middle school students to develop positive attitudes towards analytical thinking and mathematics that can assist in future careers. Students apply classroom skills to unique problem-solving challenges in a low-stress and friendly environment. The material covered on the AMC 8 includes topics from a typical middle school mathematics curriculum. Possible topics include but are not limited to: counting and probability, estimation, proportional reasoning, elementary geometry including the Pythagorean Theorem, spatial visualization, everyday applications, and reading and interpreting graphs and tables. In addition, some of the later questions may involve linear or quadratic functions and equations, coordinate geometry, and other topics traditionally covered in a beginning algebra course.
In all, fourteen Ocosta students participated in this test, which are the only students in Grays Harbor County to do so. Many of these students partake in the Middle School Math Team, which is coached by volunteer, Brook Priest. Priest, who is an engineer by trade, is passionate about mathematics and shares her enthusiasm with the students in the Ocosta School District. The board honored Syen Van Embden who received the Gold at Ocosta. Silver went to Matthew Wyland and Bronze to Raymond Priest. The top 6th grade student was Grayson Bearden and top 5th grade student was Caden Arbona. The team plans to take the test again this November.