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IN OUR SCHOOLS: South Team Wins Regional Math Masters Challenge: Red River Students Coach Team

Posted on: Monday, 20 March 2006, 09:00 CST

By Paulette Tobin, Grand Forks Herald, N.D.

Mar. 20--Five sixth-graders from Grand Forks South Middle School, coached by two students from Red River High School, placed first as a team in the regional Math Masters of Minnesota Challenge at Bemidji.

South sixth-graders Phillip Brockman, John Gangelhoff, Steven Halvorsen, John Kang and Joey Oncken won the competition March 10 that included more than 30 teams. Brockman, Halvorsen and Kang also received individual recognition.

The team coaches, Greg Brockman (Phillip's brother) and Will Hall, run a math club at South.

"The team practiced for several weeks leading up to the competition," Hall said. "It was great watching them learn to work together."

Math Masters of Minnesota began in 1989 as a fifth-grade competition with teams from 44 schools. In 1995, the competition was expanded to include sixth-graders.

Teams from private as well as public schools can compete in Math Masters. Sponsors include the Hormel Foundation, Medtronic Foundation and others.

N.D. Geographic Bee

Seven students from the Grand Forks School District have qualified for the North Dakota Geographic Bee that will be held March 31 in Bismarck.

The students: Chris Echols, a seventh-grader at Twining Middle School; Erika Gallaway, a fifth-grader at Winship Elementary School; Connor Joseph, a sixth-grader at South Middle School; Chris Liepold, a sixth-grader at Valley Middle School; Erik Sorenson, a fifth-grader at Lake Agassiz Elementary School; and Luke Whalen, a sixth-grader at Schroeder Middle School.

The contest is for students in grades 4 through 8. The National Geographic Bee will be held May 23-24 in Washington, D.C..

Loan forgiveness

Applications for a teacher incentive program aimed at retaining elementary and secondary teachers will be accepted by the North Dakota University System Office beginning April 1.

The application deadline is June 30.

The Teacher Shortage Loan Forgiveness Program will reduce student loan indebtedness by $1,000 per year, up to a maximum of three years, for teachers who work at a grade level or in a content area identified as a teacher shortage area by the Department of Public Instruction.

The 15 defined shortage areas for academic year 2005-2006 are art, computer education, driver and traffic safety education, English language arts/English as a second language, family and consumer sciences, health, health careers, languages/Native American languages, mathematics, music, science, social studies, special education programming, technology education/industrial arts, and trade and industrial education.

The program was introduced by Gov. John Hoeven and approved by the 2001 Legislature. Info/loan applications: www.ndus.nodak.edu, (701) 328-2960. Funded applicants will be notified by July 30.

Junior Bank Board

A new program of Choice Financial in Grand Forks offers high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to learn about the dynamics of business and its impact in the community and economy.

The Choice Financial Junior Bank Board teaches about fiscal responsibility and financial literacy, networking with peers, and preparing for life outside of high school and future employment, a news release said.

Choice Financial Junior Bank Board members had to apply and participate in a face-to-face interview. They also must maintain a minimum 2.0 grade point average. They are Jessica Cleveland, Callie Hall, Tyler Meyer, Beth Misialek, Jonathan Prout, Annie Sproule, Travis Wilson and Kayla Ysteboe.

Save Our History

A program of The History Channel and other partners, Save Our History is a national history education and preservation initiative that gives grants to history organizations to fund partnerships with schools or youth groups on community preservation projects.

The History Channel also annually honors teachers and students who demonstrate an exceptional commitment to local history education and historic preservation.

This year, The History Channel will award $250,000 in Save Our History grants. History organizations can apply for up to $10,000. The deadline is June 2.

Also, 24 teachers who creatively integrate local history lesson plans, activities, or projects into their classroom curriculum, and 24 students who participate in local history/preservation projects and the like, will win $1,000 cash prizes.

One teacher and one student each will receive $5,000 and a trip to Washington, D.C. The deadline is April 7.

Info: www.saveourhistory.com.

Tobin reports on education, teen news and special events. Reach her at (701) 780-1134; (800) 477-6572, ext. 134; or ptobin@gfherald.com.

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Copyright (c) 2006, Grand Forks Herald, N.D.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: Grand Forks Herald (Grand Forks, N.D.)

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