All Signs Point to Success: Kells Mathletes Multiply Their Wins

When a team of six Kells Mathletes stepped through the doors of St. George’s in early April, they were nervous, excited, and prepared for a day of challenging math problems and stiff competition. According to one of the team’s members, Norah, “when we walked in, it was a bit intimidating because all the schools participating have amazing reputations and the other teams are so smart. We had to believe in ourselves and be confident so that we could succeed as a team.”

She was speaking from experience; it’s not this team’s first time competing in the Canadian Team Math Competition. In fact, they brought home a first place win last year, an incredible feat and one that the team was eager to repeat. This definitely added to the pressure, but it also gave them a quiet confidence; they knew how to win.

Math Competition Team Cracks the Winning Formula

As Ms. Ungureanu, the Kells Academy Math Specialist, notes, success in competition comes from practice, practice, and more practice. That’s why the Kells Math Competition Team meets weekly throughout the year to train for competitions like this one. Every Thursday, Ms. Ungureanu introduces complex problems so that the students can test their skills. The students have advanced so much this year that now, they are working on college-level math problems. Sometimes, these questions are two pages long and require many intricate steps to arrive at the correct answer. 

As grade 11 Sthefany notes, “If you tackle a question like that by yourself, you might not be able to solve it. But if you practice with a group, you learn different ways to solve the problem and eventually you can find the one that works for you.” The beauty of the Math Competition Team is that the collaboration necessary for solving complex problems allows the group to learn from each other, improve their skills, and think in new ways. 

Pictured: It’s all smiles during Math Competition Team meetings, as students devote countless hours to building their skills.

Expanding STEM Programming Fosters a Passion for Math School-wide

The Math Department is constantly expanding its offerings to meet the demand for STEM programs and enrichment opportunities at Kells. Students of all levels can find opportunities that suit them, whether it’s joining the Math Competition Team, opting for Math Flex, benefiting from after-school  homework help, or getting involved with peer tutoring as a tutor or tutee. 

Kells teachers are constantly looking for ways to pique our students’ curiosity and spark an enduring interest in math. For example, the Math Department recently welcomed Ty Ghaswala, an Assistant Professor at the University of Waterloo’s Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing and lead developer of Waterloo’s famous “Problem of the Month” project. He led engaging workshops on real-world math problems for all grade levels. With a background in pure mathematics and a passion for making complex concepts accessible, he brought hands-on insight into how math is applied beyond the classroom.

Pictured: Ty Ghaswala guides a group of grade 7 and 8 students through a series of complex real-world geometry problems.

Students are also taking on a leadership role when it comes to math enrichment. For example, a group of Kells Grade 12 students have launched an Investment Club to get their younger peers interested in financial literacy. This new club covers stocks, bonds, and ETFs, with students researching companies and building beginner portfolios. They’re also participating in simulation challenges to practice trading. As Grade 12 Program Coordinator Ms. Bailey notes, this club is “a valuable space where students can develop real-world skills and gain confidence in a subject that will benefit them well beyond high school.”

The Math department also recently held the inaugural Kells Math Team Competition, a special opportunity for students to work together across grade levels in a relay-style competition. According to Mr. Jankowski, Head of the Math Department, “It's incredibly inspiring to see a Grade 7 student excitedly exchanging ideas with a Grade 10 or 11 student—whether they're tackling a tricky geometric puzzle, puzzling over a word problem, or brainstorming clever problem-solving strategies.” The students worked in teams of five, one from each grade, to tackle multi-step problems. Five teams competed, with Angelis Sarbanis, Leah Chicogo-Nisa, Bill Nguyen, Simon Coeugniet, and Yutong Han prevailing as the top-scoring team.

Pictured: The Kells Math Team Competition’s first group of winners, hard at work.

Triumph at the University of Waterloo’s Canadian Math Competition

The Canadian Team Math Competition, put forth by the University of Waterloo in April, had a similar relay-style challenge, along with individual and team challenges. It took place over a full academic day, with fourteen QAIS schools competing. Originally announced as second place finishers, a scoring review later confirmed that the Kells team had in fact outscored their competitors by two points, edging out Lower Canada College (LCC) and taking the top spot.

According to one of the team members, Sthefany, “Individual hard work and teamwork were the keys to our success, along with all the support and guidance from Ms. U. There’s a lot of pressure during the competition, so you have to tell yourself, ‘you are the best, you can do it, believe in yourself.’ We’re also really good at encouraging each other. We’re lucky at Kells because we found each other and we’ve become such a strong team. We’re a family!” 

The victory of this team, including Hyun Jung, Sthefany He Chen, Norah Yang, Yutong Han, Chumeng Yi, and Molly Dong, caps a year of exceptional achievements by Kells mathletes in both provincial and national competitions. 

Pictured: From left to right, Ms. Nicoleta Ungureanu (Kells Math Specialist), Yutong Han, Norah Yang, Sthefany He Chen, Hyun Jung, Molly Dong, Chumeng Yi, and Mr. Pawel Jankowski (Kells Head of Math) pose for a picture at the Canadian Team Math Competition, held at St. Georges in April.

Kells Academy’s Track Record for Math Excellence

In the prestigious University of Waterloo Canadian Mathematics Contest held in November, the intermediate team (Grades 9-10) placed 1st in Montreal and 3rd in Quebec and  the senior team (Grades 11-12) secured 4th place in Montreal and 9th in Quebec, competing against top Montreal high schools and Cegeps. In the Cayley Contest, our grade 10’s secured first place in Montreal and second place in Quebec. Our grade 11’s ranked fifth in the Fermat contest. Meanwhile, in the Canada Jay Math Competition for Grades 7 and 8, one Kells student ranked in the First Quartile and two in the Second Quartile nationwide. 

Pictured: Throughout the school year, dozens of students from elementary to grade 12 represent Kells in math competitions. This picture was taken during the University of Waterloo Canadian Mathematics Competition in November.

Kells Academy is proud to celebrate the accomplishments of students across grade levels in math competitions this year. If you flip through newsletters from years past, you’ll quickly discover that this kind of success is part of a long history of mathematical excellence at Kells. However, winning is not the goal; it’s a happy byproduct of the Kells approach to math education. 

As Mr. Jankowski puts it, “Every student can grow to appreciate and even enjoy mathematics—when they’re supported with patience, encouragement, and the right approach. From the moment a student walks into our classroom, our priority is to make them feel safe, seen, and capable—no matter their starting point. Whether they’re struggling or already excelling, we adapt to their needs and help them discover their own potential.” 

The incredible success of our Math Competition Team is just one expression of the passion for math that is being nurtured across the school. We can’t wait to see what Kells mathletes accomplish next!