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Whitby Students Finish in Top 5% of National Mathematics Competition

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Whitby Middle School students Sohan Javeri, Grade 5, and Elan Suttiratana, Grade 7, competed against 56,000+ middle school students across the U.S. to finish in the top 5% of the AMC-8, a national competition administered to students in 8th grade and below by the Mathematical Association of America. The AMC-8 allows middle school students to develop positive attitudes towards analytical thinking and mathematics to assist in future careers.

Both Sohan and Elan have a passion for math that developed at an early age and continues to be thoughtfully cultivated by the Whitby faculty. Elan tracks his first remembrances of math to age five when he realized that for him, “math could make order out of chaos.” Sohan recalls that his preschool teachers, recognizing he could solve math problems, enabled his math journey with number stamps before he was able to form numbers as a student in the Whitby Montessori Children’s House program. Throughout their time at Whitby, teachers have provided personalized learning experiences for both students, in line with Whitby’s ongoing commitment to create an environment where there is “no ceiling on learning.” This commitment continues today as both students study high school geometry as 5th and 7th graders.

The boys’ passion for math does not stop at the classroom door, and each participates in other competitions and programs. Elan enjoys exercising his math muscles in Khan Academy and enters other competitions when he has a chance. He is also a member of the Whitby Mathletes, a math club that is open to all middle school students and allowed him to compete in MathCounts last school year.

The Math Club is on hiatus this year due to COVID-19 and strict student cohorts, but that did not stop Whitby students in grades 4-8 from entering the AMC-8 competition. The students prepared asynchronously under the tutelage of Maureen Pica, a Whitby Middle School math teacher, and long-time Math Club coach. When asked about the value of math competitions, Ms. Pica said, “These competitions challenge students to stretch their thinking in new ways. They provide a way for students to connect with other math enthusiasts both at Whitby and in the wider community (at least in non-pandemic years when the MathCounts competition happens in person). Plus, it’s fun to compete.”

Sohan also continues to flex his math muscles outside of Whitby. He enjoys math competitions and competes whenever the opportunity presents itself. He also tutors friends and family in math and credits the Whitby math curriculum’s emphasis on explanations, proofs and justifications for his instructional skills. Although the Whitby math program challenges him, he continues to participate in programming run by the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth and the Art of Problem Solving.

Sohan had a mathematician’s response when asked how he applies his math skills outside the classroom. He said, “I think of the world as a math problem. I’m an enthusiastic sports fan, and I am always thinking about probabilities and outcomes when watching games.”

Elan and Sohan are just two examples of how Whitby students learn math in an appropriately-paced, real-world context throughout the educational continuum. For many children, this begins in the Montessori program and concludes in Grade 8. Whitby reports that more than 88% of Whitby 2020 graduates were recommended for accelerated math in high school, and 72% were on track to take AP calculus.

To learn more about the Whitby Difference or arrange for a virtual tour, go to www.whitbyschool.org.

About Whitby School
Located in Greenwich, CT, Whitby is a co-educational independent school that provides an education continuum for children 18 months through Grade 8 in the Fairfield-Westchester area. Whitby offers a Montessori curriculum in the Whitby Montessori Children’s House and the highly-recognized International Baccalaureate(IB) program in Grades 1-8. These two programs form the foundation for students to thrive and learn to think creatively and critically, preparing them as life-long learners and global citizens.

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