Welcome to the Rooster Springs Elementary School Math Pentathlon Club!
Mathematics Pentathlon® is a program of interactive problem-solving games. Each year students learn the rules of the five MP board games in their division, improve their strategy for those games during practices, and then play those games against five opponents at a local tournament. The games involve math, strategy, and logic as expected, but the monitoring system for the games is fairly unique. Each game is between two players and is watched by one Game Monitor who rules on challenges raised by the players. Penalties for rules infractions are not automatically doled out by the monitor; the students themselves must proactively raise challenges about rules infractions to the monitor. At the tournament the students may even disagree with rulings from the monitors and raise their objections up to another level, similar to a court system (a maximum of three levels exist for this). The math and strategy elements of this program are rewarding in and of themselves, but the challenge system and the self-advocacy skills associated with it are every bit as valuable.
Registration
Registration for 2023-24 is now closed.
Oct 5, 2023 - Confirmation Email will be sent out with payment details
Oct 8, 2023 - Last day to pay
Oct 10, 2023 - Practices begin this week
Div I: Tuesday, Oct 10, 2023 at 3pm - Room B208
Div II: Friday, Oct 13, 2023 at 3pm - Room B208
DIv III: Tuesday, Oct 10, 2023 at 6pm - RSE Cafeteria
Parent Info Session
Slides from the September 2023 parent info session are here:
docs.google.com/presentation/d/1di8H-xVrk5NuNH-PpzqohyGUJ74ZTgZq4puC3OqRMt8/edit?usp=sharing
Divisions/Grades
At the elementary school level Math Pentathlon is divided up into three divisions based on grade:
- MP Division I is for grades K and 1
- MP Division II is for grades 2 and 3
- MP Division III is for grades 4 and 5
Practices
Practices are held once a week. Based on the division and coach's availability, the practices will be held immediately after school in room B208 at RSES starting at 3pm** OR in the evening at the RSES Cafeteria. Practices are only held on days when RSES has a full school day (not on holidays, not on half-days). The weekly schedule for this year will be:
- Division I - Tue 3 - 4 pm
- Division II - Fri 3 - 4 pm
- Division III - Tue evenings at the RSES Cafeteria till UIL ends. After UIL ends in Dec, Tue after school at 3pm.
Parent Participation
In order to be successful we need parent volunteers at each weekly practice. We don't need every parent to be there every week, but 50% of the time to achieve our ratio of 1 adult per 2 kids at each practice. We have a signup sheet to make sure that adequate volunteers are present at each practice. Practices that lack adequate volunteers will be cancelled.
Also, at the Math Pentathlon tournament, every child will need to have at least one parent/adult registered as a Game Monitor. So, it is important that the parent/adult is familiar with at least one game and is able to attend the tournament as a Game Monitor.
DSISD Background Checks
Coaches and other parent volunteers need to complete a DSISD background check:
dsisd.ezcommunicator.net/edu/dsisd/login_form.aspx?app=0
Practice Signup Sheets
- Div I - www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0E4CA8A622A5F49-math
- Div II - www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0E4CA8A622A5F49-math1
- Div III - www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0E4CA8A622A5F49-44973714-diviii
Training
Trainings are held in September for new coaches (students do not attend these). The club will reimburse trainings for first-time coaches, but not for other volunteers. Other volunteers can generally learn the games just by attending practices rather than by attending trainings.
Tournament
Each MP Division has a tournament in the Spring where the students compete against other Austin-area students. The 2024 dates haven't yet been published. The 2023 dates were:
- Div I - April 1, 2023
- Div II - April 22, 2023
- Div III - April 15, 2023 (was previously a later date but it changed)
Contact
Email: [email protected]
More Info
This section has useful links regarding Math Pentathlon that are not specific to RSES.
- MP main website: www.mathpentath.org/
- MP Tournament Highlights (for Game Monitors): www.mathpentath.org/game-information-sheets/
- MP Online Store (for buying game sets): www.mathpentath.org/online-store/
- MP YouTube Channel (tournament footage, rule clarifications): www.youtube.com/user/mathpentath/featured