The Rathkeale Mathkealeans, from left, Peter Peng, Edward Rice, and Liam Gale deep in concentration during the year nine Matharapa contest. PHOTOS/ELI HILL
ELI HILL
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Some of Wairarapa’s most mathematical young minds battled it out at Matharapa 2019 on Wednesday.
During the competition, students answer questions both individually and as a team, with prizes given for best individual scores and highest team scores per round.
The two-day event, which finished yesterday, is being held at Wairarapa College Hall.
The competition is organised by the Wairarapa Mathematics Association, a group of heads of department and teachers from all Wairarapa secondary schools.
Association president Albert Chand said the event aimed to encourage an ongoing interest in maths.
Caleb Pine.
“We want to build that confidence in mathematics and to see these mathematicians flourishing. We see some of these kids year after year coming in the same team.
“Those in the primary schools are still in the secondary teams which means they’ve maintained that motivation to keep going.”
On Wednesday, Lakeview School took out the year five and six North Wairarapa event, followed by Opaki School and St Patrick’s School.
Rathkeale College won the year nine and 10 events, with Kuranui College second in both. Rathkeale was third in the year 10 event and Solway College third in year nine.
The South Wairarapa year five and six competition was being held yesterday along with the year seven and eight competitions.
All up, 161 teams made up of more than 480 students competed, making Matharapa one of the largest inter-school competitions in Wairarapa.
Edward Rice of the Rathkeale Mathekealeans said he’d competed a few times before.
“It was stressful, there were a couple of tricky questions there, but overall it was all right.”
