Smarty Pants

Have you met Cameron? 

He’s our smarty pants.  We have been blown away by the recognition he has been receiving this year in his academics.  Based on some previous standardized test scores, he was invited to participate in the Duke TIP program.  They offer opportunities to those students who show great promise in academics.  With enrollment in this program, students have the choice to take the SAT or the ACT for experience.  Cameron opted to take the ACT.  He scored pretty well for a 12 year old.  In fact, he scored in the top 5% of those Duke TIP participants who took the college entrance exams.  WOW!  He was already in the top percentages nationally just being invited to participate, but then to score in the top 5% – crazy impressive.

His math teachers have always begged him to participate in the PSIA math competitions.  Last year, he placed first in the district competition and went to state with general mathematics.  He wasn’t sure if he wanted to that again this year – but he was convinced to try something new…Number Sense.  Competitors have 10 minutes to (try to) answer 80 questions.  Doing all computations in their head.  No scratch paper.  No place to work the problems.  Answer in pen.  Crazy hard problems.  Crazy.

Here are the ACA kids who participated last week.  They all did great!  Cameron placed FIRST!  He is going on to state!!!  I was shocked.  It looks so hard.  He finished almost 15 points higher than second place.  He said he made some silly mistakes and could have done better, but was really pleased and proud of his work.  So – in April we are headed to TCU to compete at the state level.

Smarty Pants!

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