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| Math Olympiad & Program Solving Training Programs | |
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F110 - Introductory Problem Solving
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F120 - Intermediate Problem Solving
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F130 - Introductory Problem Solving
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E120 - Honors Algebra Problem Solving
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E130 - Honors Geometry Problem Solving
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E210 - Introductory Math Competitions
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E220 - Intermediate Math Competitions
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E230 - Advanced Math Competitions
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G210 - Introductory Math Olympiad
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G220 - Intermediate Math Olympiad
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G230- Advanced Math Olympiad
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Dear Friends of Avid Academy,
Welcome to The Avid Learner, the online newsletter for Avid Academy for Gifted Youth. |
 | Avid to Host 2010 AMC 8 Exam |
Registration is now open for the American Mathematics Contest 8 (AMC 8) - an exam for students in grades eight and under, with exceptional math skills, seeking opportunities to challenge their intellect. Along with the satisfaction of testing one's knowledge, there are a number of awards given to high scoring participants. These awards range from certificates of merit to invitations to more selective tests such as American Mathematics Contest 10 (AMC 10), leading to the United States Math Olympiad. Avid Academy will sponsor this exam free of charge to talented students grades eight and under in Orange County.
Date: Tuesday, November 16, 2010 Time: 8:00 - 9:00 pm Location: DeNault Auditorium, Concordia University, Irvine We will reserve seats for all eligible Avid students until October 15, at which time seats will be released to the general public. The registration deadline is October 31st. For more information about the competition and instructions to register online, please visit 2010 AMC 8 Registration. |
| Avid to Host WWTBAM | |
This year Avid is offering a qualifying exam for the Who Wants to be a Mathematician national contest.
WWTBAM is a contest hosted by the American Mathematical Society in which high school students compete for cash and prizes by answering multiple choice mathematics questions. This school year, the national competition is being held Friday, January 7, 2011 at the Joint Mathematics Meetings in New Orleans. It consists of two semifinal games, each with five contestants. The winners of the semifinals then go head-to-head in the finals for the national championship and an award of $5000 for the participant and $5000 for their math department, as well as trophies to commemorate their accomplishment.
The qualifying exam is a timed, 10 minutes, closed-book test. No calculators are allowed. The top ranking male and female will have their tests sent in to see if they will be eligible to participate on the national level.
For Avid students interested in taking the qualifying exam, Avid is hosting a free event:
Date: Sunday, October 17, 2010
Time: 2:00 - 2:30 pm
Location: Concordia University, Room LA122
For more information on this event, or to see how to register for the qualifying exam, please visit WWTBAM Qualifying Exam. |
| Broadcom Launches Middle School Science Contest |
Broadcom recently launched a $6 million science competition for middle school students that urges participants to discover deeper connections between science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The four interconnected subjects are often referred to as STEM and a more complete understanding of their relationships often leads to a more innovative mind.
Broadcom plans to distribute the $6 million over 6 years into the MASTERS (which stands for Math, Applied Science, Technology and Engineering for Rising Stars) program beginning this school year. The program hopes to raise enthusiasm in middle school students and encourage them to pursue science related careers in the future. Sparking this interest early is important, and middle schoolers are at an age where they can go in so many different directions.
In the national competition judges will nominate 7,500 competitors, select 300 semi-finalists and, eventually, 30 finalists. The top 30 finalists will compete with new projects at a week-long science program in Washington D.C., with the winner receiving a $25,000 scholarship from the Samueli Foundation. Students are expected to create projects that demonstrate the concept of STEM to achieve its conclusion.
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| The OC Science & Engineering Fair (OCSEF) Schedule | |
For over 50 years now, the OCSEF has been committed to educating, guiding, and motivating students to engage in all fields of hands-on science. Over the years, they've challenged students with incredible success, watched students develop and work strategically to inquire, design and investigate topics that span the spectrum of physical and life sciences and beyond. Through its annual science fairs, the OCSEF hopes to inspire a new generation of scientifically literate, technological citizens.
Important Dates for the 2011 Fair include:
- March 9: Electronic registration deadline
- April 3-4: Student check-in and exhibit setup
- April 6: Judging / Student Interviews
- April 8-9: Youth Expo Open House
- April 10: Reception / Awards Ceremony
- May 2-3: California State Science Fair
The Science fair is for students in grades 6 - 12 and can be competed individually or in a team of no more than 3. Projects must involve an experimentally-based research design, and the exhibit must include a log-book or notebook of the students' work on the project. For more information on the OCSEF, please visit their official website: OCSEF. |
| OC Math Circle Opportunities |
The Orange County Math Circle offers FREE AMC 8 Practice and Lectures throughout the year. The next event is Sunday, October 17. To register, go to their website, OCMC AMC 8, and click on the event you'd like to attend.
 In addition, Orange County Math Circle is initiating a membership drive that offers leadership opportunities to gifted math students.
The two levels of leadership positions available are:
- Student Council: Members meet monthly to design, plan, organize, and conduct math circle events and programs. High school students are eligible.
- Ambassadors: Ambassadors are responsible for coordinating math circle programs and events within their schools. Students in grades 3 - 12 are eligible.
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| National Chemistry Week | |
This year, the National Chemistry Week will be celebrated from October 17th through October 23rd. The theme is "Behind the Scenes with Chemistry" and takes a look at the chemistry involved in movies, set design, makeup artistry and common special effects.
Fo more information on National Chemistry Week, visit the official wesite at www.acs.org/ncw. |
| 2010 Nobel Prizes | |
This year the Nobel Prize in Chemistry went to Richard F. Heck, Ei-ichi Negishi and Akira Suzuki. Together they developed new, more efficient ways of linking carbon atoms together to build the complex molecules that are improving our everyday lives.
The Nobel Prize in Physics went to Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov for isolating graphene. Graphene is a sheet of material that's just one atom thick, yet super-strong, highly conductive, practically transparent and able to reveal new secrets of fundamental physics.
The Nobel Prize in Medicine went to Robert G. Edwards for his development of the in vitro fertilization procedure, which has so far led to the birth of around 4 million people.
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| Math Whiz hones in on Cancer | | Johnny Li, 17 year-old Laguna Niguel resident and senior at St. Margaret's Episcopal School, has won a $10,000 Davidson Fellow Scholarship for his research entitled "Effects of Motility and Contact Inhibition on Tumor Viability: A Discrete Simulation." He developed math models and computer simulation to study cell's motion and the way they behave when surrounded by other cells. After analyzing data from the simulation, Li found that cancer cells, which tend to move faster, are quicker to fill open space. His research could have implications that affect advances in chemotherapy.
In July, Li presented his work at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Mathematical Biology. Currently, he is expanding his research at UC Irvine and collaborating with UC San Diego to get clinical validations. To learn more, please read his article in the Orange County Register here or watch his CBS interview here. |
| US News Releases 2010 Best High Schools | |
US News released a list of the top high schools in America based on a 3-step proficiency ranking that evaluates test scores, taking economic brackets into account. They looked at over 21,000 public high schools throughout the nation.
The top 10 are:
- Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology: Alexandria, VA
- International Academy: Bloomfield Hills, MI
- Whitney High School: Cerritos, CA
- Oxford Academy: Cypress, CA
- School for the Talented and Gifted at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center: Dallas, TX
- Newcomers High School: Long Island City, NY
- Pacific Collegiate School: Santa Cruz, CA
- School of Science and Engineering Magnet: Dallas, TX
- BASIS Tuscon: Tuscon, AZ
- International School: Bellevue, WA
Other high ranking California schools include:
- California Academy of Math and Science: Carson, CA (22)
- Animo Leadership Charter High School: Inglewood, CA (23)
- Lennox Mathematics, Science and Technology Academy: Lennox, CA (25)
- Lowell High School: San Francisco, CA (28)
- The Preuss School UCSD: San Diego, CA (32)
To view the entire list, or search for your school, please visit Top High Schools. |
| SAT Scores on the Rise | |
The LA Times recently announced that California's 2010 high school graduating class outscored last year's seniors on the SAT exam. The average went up 1 point in critical reading, went up 3 in math and went up 2 points in writing. On the overall score, out of a possible 2400, California students averaged 1517. When compared to the national average of 1509, California students can be proud that they are outperforming other states.
California's recent emphasis on writing has made the most notable advantage; it is in this category that California managed to create its 8 point lead on the national average. Still, SAT scores have dipped in recent years and students are urged to take more preparatory classes and participate in the PSAT exam. To read the LA Times article, please click 2010 SAT Score Rise. |
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I hope you enjoyed the information provided in this newsletter. Thank you for supporting gifted education in Southern California. If you have comments to improve our newsletters or would like to share articles, resources and ideas with our community, please email me at Dr.Li@AvidAcademy.com.
Sincerely,
James Li, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Avid Academy for Gifted Youth | |
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