Scottish Maths Challenge Prizegiving

On the 9th of June, the award winners in the Scottish Maths challenge took a trip to Edinburgh Napier University. Dr Francesca Lezzi, Edinburgh University’s Mathematics Engagement Officer and head of the Mathematics Outreach Team, took us through a vortex puzzle. It is a board game that allows you to have two players move up to four spots along the snake. Finding a certain spot would determine the winner. After discovering the number of spots you must make on the first move, we moved on to looking at the same puzzle with a disparate number of spots. We adjusted our method and finally created a formula before ending this session.

After a five minute break, we started with the award ceremony. Different schools received their awards individually. I was really proud to achieve my gold award because I worked hard for this. I was delighted to see my fellow peers receive theirs too. We all took a picture with our awards, and then returned to school.

Overall, I thought it was a proud moment and an honourable time I will cherish forever.

Written by Samanthi (L5)

We recently went to the Scottish Maths Challenge (SMC) award ceremony at Napier University. When seated, we engaged in a very interesting game called “Escape the Vortex of Doom” involving two players. Figuring out how to win the game involved using mathematics and this was a fun and interesting challenge. It was particularly fascinating to see students offer answers or figure out challenges differently. It really showed how mathematics is fun and engaging.

After a short break, the awards were presented to the students. This was a very nice event and it was really amazing to watch student after student receiving their awards.

I felt delighted when I watched my fellow classmates walk up and receive their rewards. When I was called up to receive my award, I felt nervous yet excited as I walked out in front of everyone. I happily stood for my school picture, feeling proud of mine and everyone else’s achievements.

Written by Ashmita (L5)