External Math Contests
We are pleased to announce that this year we will, once again, be providing opportunities for our students to participate in external mathematics contests online with Spirit of Math. It is important for students to have opportunities to compete against their peers. The problem-solving activities delivered through the Spirit of Math curriculum serves as excellent preparation for these contests.
Math Contests are fun yet challenging for students to apply their knowledge and learn where they stand in comparison to their peers nationally and/or internationally. Spirit of Math is proud to host numerous external math contests at select Spirit of Math Campuses across Canada. You can view the External Contest Schedule per region & Register Online by clicking on the “Register Today!” link below. For any questions/concerns about schedule, deadlines and registration, please contact your Campus Director.
Registration Deadlines:
- COMC: Thursday, October 22, 2020
- Caribou: Monday, November 2, 2020
- AMC 8 & below: Thursday, October 29, 2020
- AMC 10/12: Wednesday, December 2, 2020
- CNML 6-8: Tuesday, December 15, 2020
- CNML 5: Sunday, January 31,2021
- Mathematica: Sunday, January 31,2021
- WMO: Monday, March 29, 2021
Contest Schedule & Online Registration
Important Information:
- Only students enrolled in Spirit of Math are eligible to participate in External Math Contests hosted by Spirit of Math Campuses.
- Both Spirit of Math and Non-Spirit of Math students can register for the World Mathematical Olympiad (WMO).
- Students currently enrolled in Spirit of Math may have their name used in promotional material with reference to contest results.
- Mathematica, COMC and Waterloo Contests: Participation in these contests through Spirit of Math will require your child to miss a few hours of their day school on the date and time indicated in the schedule.
- CNML 5, 6, 7, and 8: Students registered for these contests will be invited to write these contests at a Spirit of Math Campus in the evening. Parents are required to sign a consent form to attest that the external contest their child is participating through Spirit of Math is not offered through the child’s day school.
- The listed registration fee is applicable to each contest the student registers and is due at the time of registration. Please note, the registration fee is non-refundable.
- After the registration forms are received, a confirmation email will be sent two weeks in advance of the contest indicating the location and time of the contests.
Day School Opportunities to write Contests:
Many day schools offer their students the opportunity to write math contests during class time throughout the school year. Many of these contests are similar to what we offer outside of class time (refer to external Spirit of Math Contest section).
The contestants might miss a few hours of their school time to write the contest(s) at the assigned Spirit of Math campus. Some of the contests that are offered by a few day schools include: COMC – Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge (grades 7-12), Canadian National Math League (CNML) contests (grades 3 to 12), Mathematica Contests (grades 3 to 9), and Waterloo Math contests (grades 7 to 12).
External Math Contest Offerings (offered outside of regular Spirit of Math class time):
External Spirit of Math Contests are math contests that are offered to our students outside of Spirit of Math regular class times. If an external contest is offered by your child’s day school, in that case you must register for the contest with your school. If a contest is not offered at your day school, you are welcome to register and write the contest with a Spirit of Math campus near you. You also have the option to select and register your child for a contest that is above their current day school grade level; however, you cannot sign up for a lower grade contest (i.e. a grade 4 cannot write a grade 3 math contest). Please note, there is a separate fee to participate in each contest listed below.
Note: Contestants will be invited to write the contest at the contest time specified in the schedule document attached above. For all external contest with the exception of WMO and Spirit of Math International Contest, parents are required to sign a consent form to attest that the external contest their child is participating through Spirit of Math is not offered through the child’s day school. A copy of the consent form will be shared with parents prior to the external contest date.
WMO Canada – World Mathematical Olympiad
Grades offered: 3-6
Important Dates:
- Provincial Qualifier Round: April 9, 2021
- Provincial Semi-Finals: April 16, 2021
- Provincial Finals: April 30, 2021
- Provincial Finals: May 14, 2021
Time: 5:30 pm – 6:15 pm Local Time
Registration cost: $25
Register Online: wmocanada
World Mathematical Olympiad (WMO) is a global math competition that challenges the brightest elementary and middle school students with complex math concepts, focusing on creativity and problem-solving skills in both individual and team categories The competition breaks the traditional format of math competitions by challenging contestants to apply innovative methods to solve problems that focus on creative problem-solving skills.
WMO Canada is a project that is powered by Spirit of Math. Spirit of Math creates the competition papers, training material, and train the WMO Canada Team in-house to represent Canada in the WMO Global Finals. In August 2020, Spirit of Math is hosting the WMO Global Finals here in Toronto, Ontario. The 12 finalists will represent WMO Canada Team and will attend with their parents, and the WMO Canada Staff to compete with the contending countries. We are expecting delegates and teams from over 16 countries (approximately 400 students, parents, officials and educationists) to congregate and participate in the competition.
The WMO Global Finals, brings together talented young students to showcase their mathematical skills and gives them the opportunity to communicate with one another in a four-day cultural exchange including the day of the competition.
COMC – Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge
Grades offered: 7-12
Contest Date: October 29, 2020
Time: Varies depending on Campus
Registration cost: $30
Website: Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge
The Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge (COMC) is Canada’s premier national mathematics competition that is open to any student with an interest in and grasp of high school math. The purpose of the COMC is to encourage students to explore, discover, and learn more about mathematics and problem solving. The competition serves to provide teachers with a unique student enrichment activity during the fall term. Approximately the top 50 students from the COMC will be invited to write the Canadian Mathematical Olympiad (CMO). Students who excel in the CMO will have the opportunity to be selected as part of Math Team Canada – a small team of students who travel to compete in the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO). Depending on the grade level and performance, students participating in the COMC can also have opportunities to garner awards, to win prizes, to be considered for scholarships, and to get invited to camps.
Note: The contestants will require to miss a few hours of their day school on the day of the contest.
Mathematica:
Grades offered: 3-9
Date: Wednesday, April 28, 2021
Time: Varies depending on Campus
Registration Cost: $15
Name of individual contests by grade:
- Grade 3: Thales
- Grade 4: Byron Germain
- Grade 5: Fibonacci
- Grade 6: Pythagoras
- Grade 7: Euler
- Grade 8: Lagrange
- Grade 9: Newton
Calculators are permitted for Grades 7 Euler, Grade 8 Lagrange and Grade 9 Newton contests only.
Website: Mathematica
Since 1990, more than 1,000,000 students in Canada and the United States have participated in the Mathematica Contest. The contest is held at select Spirit of Math campuses. For the contest, students scoring over the national average will receive the certificate of distinction, while all other students will receive the certificate of participation. In addition, a medal will also be awarded to the champion of the contest. National plaques will be awarded to schools ranked in the first, second, and third place in Canada. Provincial plaques will be awarded to school provincial champions. Students who rank in the first, second, and third places in Canada will receive a medal resembling the Fields medal, the medal awarded to the greatest mathematicians in the world, which will have the student’s name inscribed on the back. Provincial champions will receive the same medal. Students participating and scoring a perfect score in the Pythagoras, Euler and Lagrange will receive a US$250 merit scholarship to attend the International Math Path camp. Lastly, students with the highest or perfect score will be included in both National and Provincial Honour Rolls which will be published online.
Note: The contestants will require to miss a few hours of their day school on the day of the contest.
CNML – Canadian National Math League
Grades offered: 5-8
CNML 5 – 8: Varies depending on Campus
Time: Varies depending on Campus
Registration Cost: $10
Website: Mathleague
CNML 5, is a 30-minute Contest consisting of 30 math problem solving questions. This is a multiple-choice contest, and the contestants may use a calculator in the contest.
CNML 6 – 8, is a 30-minute Contest consisting of 35 math problem solving questions. This is a multiple-choice contest, and the contestants may use a calculator in the contest.
CNML 6: Contestants must be in Grade 6 or below to participate in either CNML 6 OR CNML 7.
CNML 7: Contestants must be in Grade 7 or below to participate in either CNML 6 OR CNML 7.
CNML 8: Contestants must be in Grade 8 or below to participate in one of the CNML 6, 7, 8.
Note: Contestants will be invited to write the contest after school.
