By Cynthia Chin
East High School
Celebrating our students: Congratulations to the following members of the Class of 2018 who were recognized in June as Outstanding Seniors in Mathematics: Isaiah Agnew, Liam Braddock, Quinn Koenig and Kaitlyn Woznick.
Two sophomores were named Trevor Knight Rising Stars in the mathematics department: Ben Schneider and Angel Gabriel Xelhua Montes
Kudos to the Women in STEM Club for hosting a science activity evening for families May 31. Watch for similar event in the fall.
Do you want to make a difference at East? Community members who can assist East students at any level of mathematics are welcome as volunteers. To assist a student one-on-one in algebra or geometry, use the Achievement Connections direct email achievementconnections.east@gmail.com. Contact Cynthia Chin 204-1603 ext. 41534 or cchin@madison.k12.wi.us to inquire about volunteer placements in the classroom or assisting students with advanced coursework.
Volunteer opportunities in mathematics and in other subject areas can be viewed on the school website and at volunteeryourtime.org (find “Opportunity,” search by “Agency,” select “Madison East High School”). Listings will be updated in September for the 2017-18 academic year.
Do you have a graphing calculator or do you need one? Information about graphing calculator purchase or rental is available at registration and from teachers during the first weeks of school. Obtaining a calculator at the very beginning of the year is strongly recommended. Thank you to the Weier and Entwistle families for the donation of used graphing calculators which can be passed on to new generations of Purgolders.
Math Club: We will be busy with math competitions and fundraisers to support the calculator rental fund. New members are welcome at all grade levels.
Engineering Club: The Engineering Club welcomes students of all backgrounds to explore engineering as a career path or just as something fun to try. We enter competitions, support each other academically and conduct science outreach programs at middle and elementary schools in the East attendance area.
First Tech Challenge: Our robot team will get an early start on its second year of competition. You will be designing, building and programming a lunar-rover-style robot (from scratch) to perform various tasks within a given time limit. View an introductory video at firstinspires.org/robotics/ftc/game-and-season. There is no cost to join a team. Interested students should provide their names and contact information as soon as possible to Cynthia Chin at cchin@madison.k12.wi.us or 204-1603 ext. 41534.
Math Modeling Team: Students interested in applying mathematical thinking and tools to complex, open-ended societal, economic or scientific problems are invited to check out East’s Mathematical Modeling Team. Creative thinking and technical writing skill are keys to success in this form of competition. Team preparations begin in late September for contests in November and February. Math teachers will announce how to sign up. If you’d like an early start experimenting with open source modeling software, send your contact information to Ms. Chin. cchin@madison.k12.wi.us.
Women in STEM: This weekly group provides young women and other interested students a regular forum for career exploration, collaborative activities and guest presentations by professionals in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Watch for announcements as to time and place. See Mr. Arnold and Ms. DeJongh for more information.
Opportunities at UW-Madison: Teen Science Café is a STEM learning, career exploration, leadership development and public science outreach model. Visit teensciencecafe.org/about/ for general information about the program.
East student volunteers plan monthly public outreach sessions for their peers, families and the larger community. In the process, students develop leadership skills and form partnerships with mentor scientists in subject areas of interest: biology, medicine, computer science, engineering, physics, astronomy and many other. An outreach liaison expert helps the students clarify and execute their plans. The outreach coordinator from the Wisconsin Institutes of Discovery is Jerrod Buckner (EHS Class of 2009). There is still room for members, and activities continue through the summer and into October. Contact Mr. Buckner for more information, 316-4675 or Jbuckner@morgridge.org.
Girls’ Math Night Out, a noncompetitive program for high school women, offers a one-semester series of weekly meetings for discussion of science careers with female faculty and graduate students, plus a guided research experience in mathematics. Investigations range from intriguing puzzles to cutting-edge applications and are selected to fit the background of each participant; students at all levels of experience are eligible to apply. Contact Professor Tullia Dymarz no later than Friday, Sept. 14, at dymarz@math.wisc.edu or visit math.wisc.edu/wimm.
Math Circle Talks, sponsored by the UW Mathematics Department, are open to any student, grades 7‒12, who has completed or is enrolled in Algebra 1. Parents and guardians are also welcome to attend. Past subjects have included coin flipping, taffy making, secret codes from WWII and origami. The 2018-19 schedule can be found at math.wisc.edu/wiki/index.php/Madison_Math_Circle. There will likely be one or two presentations from the Math Circle at East during the fall semester. Watch for announcements in math class.