WINCHESTER- For middle schoolers, it’s a test of cerebral fitness.

The national math competition MATHCOUNTS has been around for 29 years and area public and private school students have been participating in the contest off-and-on since the 1990s.

Treated like a sporting event, MATHCOUNTS “mathletes” start preparing with mathematical scrimmages in the fall to ready themselves for the regional competition.

On Saturday, 43 students from seven schools participated in the 2012 Blue Ridge Regional MATHCOUNTS at Admiral Richard E. Byrd Middle School.

MATHCOUNTS is aimed at promoting middle school mathematics achievement in every state and territory of the United States…

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…Julia Thompson, 11, of Powhatan School in Boyce, won last year and the seventh-grader devastated the competition this year, winning the individual grand prize and helping her team of Eli Kidd, Haley Carter and Nicholas Kesler win the team competition.

“She has a great coach, Harry Holloway,” said her mother, Ann Thompson, “He does a marvelous job, and they make hard math look fun.”

Julia placed 22 out of 80 competitors at the state finals last year in Richmond, and she is hoping to best her ranking this year.

“It’s so much fun,” she said. “You make a lot of friends.”

Click to read the full article:   http://www.winchesterstar.com/articles/view/math_competition_no_problem_for_area_middle_school_students

Specials consist of art, music, sports, and foreign language. At Powhatan, part of our approach to educating the whole child is to include “specials” in each student’s weekly schedule.  “All of our students take art, music, sports and foreign language, they are all built into the curriculum, says Mr. Royston, the Upper School art teacher. “The great thing here is that they don’t have to choose between each, they participate in all of the areas.”

Visit these pages to learn more about recent news about some of our “Specials.” Upper School art classes are creating murals  that when finished will be hung throughout the campus. The Powhatan 7th grade girls basketball team is undefeated at 7-0 in the regular season, click here to visit the Powhatan Athletics website. An annual tradition that goes back decades and one of the largest choral performances of the year, Carol Sing  was held in December. Recently, a guest presenter  spoke to the 8th grade Spanish class about her experiences living and working in Mexico and Guatemala.

Kindergarten assessment days are held on three Tuesdays during January and February. Each assessment starts at 9:00 a.m. We currently are offering three options for our prospective rising Kindergarten families: January 24, 2012, January 31, 2012, and February 7, 2012. To preregister for an assessment day, please contact Mike Hatfield in the Office of Admissions at 540-837-1009 or hatfieldm@powhatans.org. We require that all prospective families submit an application and school recommendation form prior to an assessment.

The Chinese Unit of Study culminates on Chinese New Year with a dragon parade and Chinese feast, where children sample cuisine. This cross-curricular study allows children to read fiction and non-fiction stories through shared reading and Guided Reading, write stories, study maps, discover plant and animal life, learn songs and dances, create authentic art work and become immersed in the culture.

“It’s through hands-on, real-life experiences that children truly learn,” said first grade teacher Stacy Sefton.

Friday, February 24, 2012

Prospective students grades 2-7 are invited to spend a day in class and “shadow” a Powhatan student. The Shadow Day begins at 8:15 a.m. and concludes at 3 p.m. Please R.S.V.P. by February 20 to participate.

Prospective parents will join us for a morning information session with the Head of School, a faculty panel  and tour the campus grounds.

R.S.V.P. by contacting Michael Hatfield, Director of Admissions, by calling 540.837.1009 or emailing him at hatfieldm@powhatans.org