Celebrating a Culture of Mathematical Thinking

Sage Ridge School

Mar 11 2026

At Sage Ridge, mathematical thinking is more than a subject — it is a mindset cultivated from the earliest grades through high school. Across the Lower, Middle and Upper School divisions, students are building the confidence, curiosity, and problem-solving skills that empower them to tackle complex challenges, whether in the classroom or on the national stage.

Building Strong Foundations in Lower School

The roots of mathematical confidence begin in Lower School, where students steadily build fluency, flexibility, and perseverance through engaging, hands-on experiences that grow more sophisticated each year.

In third grade, students strengthen foundational skills through interactive math games grounded in research-based practice. Games reduce pressure, increase engagement, and promote meaningful repetition that builds lasting fluency. When students enjoy the process, they take risks, persevere after mistakes, and push through challenges — habits that define strong mathematicians.

By fourth grade, that growing fluency is actively applied in more complex, real-world contexts. After mastering concepts such as area and perimeter, students bring their learning to life through the Green Building project, measuring, calculating, designing, and problem solving with purpose. The shift from practice to application deepens understanding and reinforces that math is a practical tool for innovation and thoughtful design.

In fifth grade, students combine precision, logic, and endurance in multi-step challenges, such as a recent decimal-based mystery activity. Each correct solution unlocks a new clue, requiring sustained focus, careful reasoning, and perseverance. What begins in third grade as joyful skill-building evolves into confident, independent problem solving by fifth grade.

Across Lower School classrooms, students are not only learning mathematics — they are actively developing the resilience, collaboration, and intellectual confidence that fuel success in advanced coursework and competitive mathematics in the years ahead.

MATHCOUNTS: Building Skills Beyond the Classroom

As students move into Middle School, many choose to extend their mathematical thinking through MATHCOUNTS, a national program for grades 6–8 that challenges students to apply logic, strategy, and collaboration in a competitive setting.

Sage Ridge’s MATHCOUNTS team has been hard at work practicing every Tuesday since early November, preparing for a season of challenging competitions.

On Saturday, January 31, Sage Ridge hosted its school-level MATHCOUNTS competition. Students competed in multiple individual rounds as well as a collaborative team round, putting their critical thinking and mathematical reasoning skills to the test.

Their next challenge is the regional (chapter) competition on February 28 in Reno, NV. From there, the top individuals and teams will advance to the state competition, also in Reno, in March.

“MATHCOUNTS gives students at all levels a chance to collaborate, talk through challenging problems, and explore multiple solution strategies in a supportive environment,” says Dr. Brady Janes, Chair of the Sage Ridge Science Department. “Our meetings are after school, so while we take math seriously, we also make time for snacks, breaks, and fun. The goal is for students to build confidence and real problem-solving skills by working together, learning from each other, and seeing different ways to solve tough problems.”

It’s a bit late to join the full MATHCOUNTS program this school year, but students are still welcome to stop by on Tuesdays from 3:30 - 4:00 in Crossbow 215 to work on some math problems and join in the fun. Reach out to Dr. Janes for more information.

Test your Knowledge: Sample MATHCOUNTS Questions

MATHCOUNTS questions are designed to stretch students’ thinking and reward creativity. Below are examples similar to what students may encounter at the upcoming chapter competition. (Answers are listed at the end of this post!)

Sprint Round Sample: By switching two of the digits of the number 123,456, Rodrigo obtains a new number that is 1,980 more than the original. What is the product of the two digits Rodrigo switched?
Target Round Sample: Aiden and Bryce are racing around a race track. They begin together at the starting line, and Aiden’s car completes a lap every 44 seconds, while Br
yce’s car completes a lap every 40 seconds. How many seconds after they begin the race will Aiden and Bryce first reach the starting line at the same time?
Team Round Sample: The degree measures of the angles of a hexagon are x + 10, 2x + 80, 3x − 60, 4x + 40, 5x − 10, and 6x − 33. What is the degree measure of the largest angle of the hexagon?

National Recognition in the AMC Math Competition

In Upper School, students continue to stretch their mathematical thinking through the AMC 10 and AMC 12, the nation’s leading mathematics competitions for high school students.

AMC 10 is for students in grades 10 and below; AMC 12 for students in grades 12 and below. Each exam consists of 25 questions completed in 75 minutes, and is sponsored the Mathematical Association of America.

This past November, 10 Sage Ridge students participated in the optional, extracurricular AMC exams, demonstrating a strong interest in challenging themselves beyond required coursework. One student, Adrian Cheung ‘29, scored in the top 25% nationally on the AMC 10, an impressive achievement that reflects advanced quantitative reasoning and mathematical insight.

“The AMC competitions give students a chance to engage with mathematics in a deeper, more creative way beyond the classroom,” says Emily Dolan, Assistant Head of School. “By choosing to participate, students challenge themselves, build intellectual confidence, and develop problem-solving skills that will serve them well across disciplines and throughout their academic journeys.”