NZ's Leading Secondary School Maths Students Awarded Medals

New Zealand's Leading Secondary School Maths Students Awarded Medals for Excellent Performances in Top International Competition

Event: 1 November 2012

A presentation ceremony will be held for the annual Australian Mathematics Competition (AMC) on Thursday, 1 November at the Parliament Buildings, Wellington. The Hon. Hekia Parata, Minister of Education, will present AMC medals to the New Zealand winners. Prize winning students, parents, teachers and friends will attend.

Several hundred thousand students of all levels of ability from schools in more than 40 countries entered this year's competition. This included approximately 20,000 students from 330 primary and secondary schools in New Zealand.

Prizes are awarded to approximately one in every 300 students sitting the AMC in each year. In excess of 900 prizes will be distributed amongst students in more than 40 participating countries. In addition to the medallists, another 5 students will be presented with AMC Prize Awards and a total of 15 Prudence Awards will be presented to students in the Wellington area who achieved the highest number of consecutive correct responses in their school.

Each year a number of AMC medals are awarded to secondary level students for performances that are outstanding both within their country and overall in the competition.

There are 70 AMC Medallists globally for 2012, and five of them are from New Zealand, as follows:

Name School Year Resides Edward Chen Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu 9 Palmerston North The Correspondence School Palmerston North Christian Lee Scots College 9 Wellington Miramar, Wellington

Vanessa Guo Macleans College 11 Auckland Bucklands Beach, Auckland George Han Westlake Boys High School 10 Auckland Takapuna, Auckland

Zuopeng Xiao Auckland International College 11 Auckland Blockhouse Bay, Auckland

The principal aim of the AMC is to make mathematics exciting and inspiring for both average and gifted students from Year 4 to Year 13 so they can explore it to the best of their ability and reach their full potential. It is run by the not-for-profit Australian Mathematics Trust (AMT) under the Trusteeship of the University of Canberra.

Professor Peter Taylor, Executive Director of the Trust that also runs a range of other mathematical enrichment programs, said, 'œThe AMC aims to show students how mathematics works in their world via problem solving using the skills taught in the classroom. It is also valuable for discovering talented students, such as those receiving prizes today, and exposing them to more advanced mathematical enrichment programs and the enhanced career opportunities maths opens up for them.'

The local award winners attend the following schools:

Feilding High School Hutt International Boys' School Hutt Valley High School Naenae College Newlands College Palmerston North Boys High School Queen Margaret College Rathkeale College Sacred Heart College Samuel Marsden Collegiate School Samuel Marsden Collegiate School Whitby Scots College St Patrick's College St. Patrick's College Kilbirnie Tawa College The Correspondence School Wairarapa College Wellesley College Photo opportunity:

WHAT: Special prize giving ceremony for the 2012 Australian Mathematics Competition

WHEN: Thursday, 1 November, 12:00pm

WHERE: Legislative Council Chamber Parliament Buildings Wellington

www.amt.edu.au

SOURCE: Australian Mathematics Trust

ENDS

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