Year Six student Natalia Hamilton, was awarded first place in the Newcastle Permanent Mathematics competition and was invited to attend the Awards Function in Newcastle last week. During this Function, Natalia was invited to speak on behalf of the other 60 prize-winning students, hundreds of family members, principals, teachers, prominent representatives from the corporate world, government schools, catholic schools and independent schools.

Competition Director, Mr Merv Curran, expressed that, “To address such a gathering is quite intimidating, but Natalia displayed confidence and self-assurance as she presented her speech on behalf of the prize winners. The content of her speech was excellent and the presentation was impeccable. She brought great credit upon herself and her school.”

Of this experience, Natalia said, “I had to speak on behalf of the other winners in front of hundreds of people, be photographed with the district winners in the competition, as well as be interviewed by representatives from Newcastle Permanent. It was a great experience to speak in front of such a large group of people and to represent my family and school.”

Other students who achieved success in this competition includes Billy Hadenham, Thomas Parsons, Jacob Mills, Lucy Pither, Oenone Zirn, Aidan Siddle and Grace Wicks, who were all awarded Distinction certificates.

Throughout 2017, a group of students at Holy Name have also competed in the Australasian Problem Solving Mathematical Olympiad. The Maths Olympiad Program aims to teach major strategies and develop flexibility for problem solving, foster creativity and ingenuity, stimulate enthusiasm and enjoyment of mathematics, and provide for the satisfaction, joy and thrill of meeting challenges.

This year, over 33,000 students from the Asia-Pacific region competed in this competition and Holy Name’s students achieved some great results. Natalia Hamilton’s outstanding achievements throughout the contests resulted in her being named the 2017 School Olympiad Champion. Natalia’s results placed her in the top 10% of participants in the whole competition.

Other top performers included Mark Allan, Thomas Parsons and Oenone Zirn, whose results placed them in the top 25% for the competition. Ash Burkill finished in the top 30%, while Jacob Mills, Andrea Flores, Ethan Hudson, Layla Robinson and Aidan Siddle all finished in the top 50% of participants.

Macy Bramble received an Olympiad Special Achievement Award for demonstrating outstanding dedication, commitment, effort, and improvement to mathematical problem solving.

Congratulations Holy Name mathematicians!

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