(May 31, 2024) More than 300 students eagerly participated in the Rochester City School District’s annual math competition, held at Virgil I. Grissom School No. 7. This competition holds a special place among elementary students, many of whom have been practicing the 24® Game since the beginning of the school year. The object of the 24® Game is to make the number 24 from four different numbers; students must manipulate them through addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division to arrive at the target number 24. Each number on a card must be utilized, with no repetition allowed.
“Mathematics is everywhere in the world,” said Enkela Paco, Executive Director of Mathematics for the RCSD. “It is exciting and important for students to build and use those skills, and I hope they take that desire to continue practicing math.”
“I want to see kids walk away knowing they have accomplished something by just getting here,” said Demario Strickland, Deputy Superintendent of Teaching and Learning. “We are always going to be proud of them for even making it this far. It’s exciting to see students doing positive things because they are more than capable of doing what they are doing here today.”
During the event, students received words of encouragement from Robert Sun, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive of Suntex International, and the creator of the 24® Game. Over the past three decades, Sun’s line of 24® games has been used by more than 10 million students throughout the United States and abroad.
This year, three outstanding students from Nathaniel Hawthorne School No. 25 not only participated in the Districtwide competition but also secured their spots in a statewide contest. Kilian Murray, Paul Schmidt, and Emilio Gonzalez-Diggs, all fourth-grade students, have earned the opportunity to compete in the statewide event scheduled in Albany on Saturday, June 1.
“I like math because it’s challenging,” said Schmidt. “I’ve had the same teacher for three years and I’ve gotten better.”
This marks the second consecutive year that these three students have represented the District at the statewide stage. They emerged as champions from a fourth-grade regional tournament held in March, securing their place among the state’s top mathletes.
