Math Pentathlon September News Letter

November 2018 Newsletter

Give a Gift | Instructional Video Rental | Tournament Priority | Attention Coaches

NMPAT Highlights | Hall of Fame | Practice at Home | Donations

Strategic Lessons | Tournament Information

GIVE A GIFT OF LEARNING

Each year the Pentathlon Institute offers a Gift of Learning Special allowing individuals to purchase Family Game Sets at a reduced cost. Both the Regular Family Game Set and the Premier Family Game Set are on sale at:

Link to: GIFT OF LEARNING SPECIAL

November 19 through December 24

Orders placed by December 17 will be delivered by December 24.

COMING SOON!!!

Divisions 2 and 3 MP Instructional Videos

Did you attend a Fall MP Workshop, but would like a review of how to play or clarification of critical game rules? Or, did you miss the chance to even attend one of our hands-on trainings? The good news is that next month you will be able to rent our Division 2 or 3 Instructional Videos that explains the gameboards, game-playing materials, and game rules. In addition, you'll be able to rent videos for Ramrod, Par 55, Stars & Bars, and Fab-A-Diffy that provide prerequisite activities from Adventures in Problem Solving Books 1 and 2 as well as strategic analysis in Investigation Binders Books 1 and 2.

After renting a video you will be able to stream for 6 months in HD or SD on iOS, Android, Apple T.V., Roku, and Chromecast.

Divisions 1 and 4 MP Instructional Videos will be available in 2019.

TOP TOURNAMENT PRIORITY:

GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP

I n order to prepare your Pentathlete^TM for a National Mathematics Pentathlon^® Academic Tournament Coaches and Parents need to make all participants knowledgeable of the Pentathlete Code of Conduct and review the Participation Guidelines and Game Highlight Sheets .

Pentathlete ^TM Code of Conduct

Good Sportsmanship and Character Development are top priorities of the Math Pentathlon Program. For each Division Level the first Rule of our Common Rules in our Highlights is the Pentathlete Code of Conduct which is stated below:

A Pentathlete^TM is to treat adults and fellow Pentathletes with courtesy and respect and play by the rules that they know to be true. The Tournament Director will handle any infractions of this rule. Such infractions can result in loss of game (0 points) or being required to leave the tournament site.

We highly stress that you teach your students how to both win and lose with dignity. With both club and classroom use we suggest that students shake hands both before and after each game as we do at the Math Pentathlon Tournaments. While learning the games, highlight the importance of Teamwork. This spirit is seen so many times throughout tournament season when Pentathletes who did not receive medals, still enthusiastically applaud the efforts of their school team members that did. Once students can lose gracefully and win respectfully, they gain self-esteem as well as the virtues of patience, cooperation, and integrity. Make positive use of our tournament challenge system with first, second, and third opinions to teach them how to be respectful with adults and ones peers, while at the same time learning how to stand up for oneself.

PARTICIPATION GUIDELINES: Pentathlete Preparation Link

ATTENTION COACHES/SCDs: NMPAT REGISTRATION

When parents register their child online they MUST choose a game to monitor. This way all parents are aware of the critical need for volunteers and the need to be present to help in some way. After registering online parents will email their child's ticket to their Coach so the Coach can verify registration and make note of the game they signed up to Game Monitor. Once the Coach has all registrations, the Coach will verify Game Monitor assignments and send any corrections (game assignment changes or parents not monitoring) to the Center Director. ONLY THE COACH can give a child's parent a pass on Game Monitoring.

More Game Monitor info including requirements can be found HERE .

Indiana, Michigan, Ohio Center Director: Dr Mary Gilfeather

Texas Center Director: Rene LeBlanc

Once a Coach has their parent Game Monitor Assignments, complete and submit the Official NMPAT Coach's List of Game Monitor List to the Center Director by February 15. As in the pa st , MAKE sure that your GMs are equally distributed across each of the 5 MP Games.

2019 TOURNAMENT HIGHLIGHTS

The National Mathematics Pentathlon Academic Tournament Highlights are one-page summaries of each game's most critical rules. Each Highlight Sheet is divided into 3 sections: Basics, e.g. Goal, Start, Game Time Limit; Game Specific Rules; and Challenges. Each year any updates/changes in MP Rules are highlighted in red and are especially pertinent for National Tournament use. For each Division there is also a Common Rules page that describes rules that apply to all of the 5 games. Link to Highlights

Honoring 2018 Eight-Year and Seven-Year Pentathlete Awardees and Hall of Famers

Use link below to check out this year's 2018 Eight-Year Awardees who have participated in National Math Pentathlon Academic Tournaments from Kindergarten through 7th grade. These Pentathletes were awarded the Delbert Detwiler Trophy. Also, take a look at our Seven-Year Awardees who have been Pentathletes for 7 years and have only missed one MP Tournament. These individuals were awarded the Augusta McAnulty Plaque. Don't miss this year's Hall of Famers who are also listed below. These Pentathletes won ALL 5 MP Games in their respective divisions.

SPECIAL OFFER

HOME PRACTICE OF GAMES

Just as with music recitals and other such competitive events, it is very helpful to practice the MP Games at home. This provides BOTH Pentathletes and parents the opportunity to practice ALL 5 MP Games with their child. Link to Family Game Sets

MAKE A TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATION

When making your yearly donations please consider including the Pentathlon Institute, a Not-for-Profit Educational Organization. Funds raised through donations assist Pentathletes. Anything you can do to help is greatly appreciated. Fed. I.D.# 38-1645063 501(c) 3-5071

Link to DONATE

STRATEGY LESSONS TO HELP YOUR

PENTATHLETES PREPARE FOR TOURNAMENT

Adventures in Problem Solving Books 1 & 2
as well as Investigation Exercises Books 1 & 2 critical activities and exercises for students to be successful with the MP Games. Some of these have been highlighted for each division level.

DIVISION 1:
These lessons help students deal with End-of Game scenarios.

HEX-A-GONE

Adventures in PS Bk 1: Activity X (pp. 178, 186-188) - TRIPLE HEX and TETRAHEX: Using the same rules, but fewer blocks, students use these smaller boards to explore End-of Game strategies.

Investigation Exercises Bk 1: GO FOR A WIN AND CAN YOU WIN? (pp. 9-10):  Students investigate 2-Hexagon regions to analyze better choices.

KINGS & QUADRAPHAGES

Adventures in PS Bk 1: Activity 1 and Activity 2 (pp. 131-134) - FIVE BY FIVE and SEVEN BY SEVEN Ks & Qs:  These simpler versions of Kings & Quads allows student to experience end-of-game scenarios.

Investigation Exercises Bk 1: IT'S YOUR MOVE I & II (pp. 3-4):  Provides mid-game situations to help students think more deductively about game strategies.

D IVISION 2:

These lessons are essential for students to play the games in a strategic way.

RAMROD

Adventures in PS Bk 1: Activity 7 (p. 134) - COMPLEMENTS OF VALUES IN THE PURPLE-PLAYING AREA OF GAMEBOARD:  After learning the numeric values of the rods (Act. 3) as well as the rectangular values in the purple-playing area (Act. 5), students explore and learn the various combinations of exactly 2 rods that form Captures and significantly enhance strategic thinking about Ramrod.

Investigation Exercises Bk 1: RAMROD COMBOS (pp. 3-5):  Students experience algebraic thinking using the missing addend form of subtraction while reinforcing Ramrod Capture combinations.

KWATRO-SINKO

Adventures in PS Bk 1: Activity 1 (p. 213-214) - PRE-KWATRO-SINKO Students investigate all of the 3-chip number combinations that result in a win.

Investigation Exercises Bk 1: KWATRO-SINKO RECORDING SHEET (p. 3): Students use this sheet to record all of the 3-chip number combinations that result in a win.

DIVISION 3

JUGGLE

Adventures in PS Bk 2: Activity VII and VIII (pp. 15-16) - MAXIMIZING PENTOMINOES and WHAT'S THE MINIMUM?:   Pentominoes are critical polyominoes in Juggle. In these activity students explore the strategic placement of these pieces.

Investigation Exercises Bk 2:    JUGGLE PENTS and JUGGLE TETRA PENTS (pp. 3 and 4): Juggle Pents is the recording sheet for Activity VII. Juggle Tetra Pents investigates the strategic placement of BOTH pentominoes and tetrominoes.

FAB-A-DIFFY

Investigation Exercises Bk 2: HOW THE BARS WERE MADE? (pp. 3-6): These worksheets investigate equivalence among the fraction strips. This critical skill is essential since the game does not allow for paper/pencil calculations and students must understand how to conceptually convert from non-equivalent to equivalent terms.

DIVISION 4

PENT 'EM IN

Adventures in PS Bk 2: Activity III (pp. 70-74) - TWIST & FLIP:   Students investigate several problems of whether a pentomino was rotated or flipped and the type of each transformational geometry movement.

PRIME GOLD

Investigation Exercises Bk 2: CONJECTURING FOR GOLD (pp. 19-22):  Pentathletes sometimes do not take advantage of an important Prime Gold Rule referred to as Goldbach's Conjecture. While using this game rule, students can form a number sentence that results in an even value greater than 6. Rather than just placing 1 chip on the board per turn, this rule allows players to place 2 chips to cover 2 prime number values. These exercises provide many examples of game scenarios to help Pentathletes implement this critical game rule

REGISTRATION FOR
NATIONAL MATHEMATICS PENTATHLON ACADEMIC TOURNAMENTS

Tournaments are limited by space
and number of students from each school/club per division.
We take registrations on a first come-first serve basis. Several of the tournaments last year SOLD OUT before the Late Registration Deadline.

Please check with your School Contact Designee for Registration Directions.

Tournament fee is

NON-REFUNDABLE & NO SUBSTITUTIONS

$42 Regular Registration ~ Sept 1 - Feb 15

$62 Late Registration ~ After Feb 15

No Registrations allowed ~ 15 Days Prior to Tournament

2019 NATIONAL MATHEMATICS PENTATHLON

ACADEMIC TOURNAMENTS DATES

INDIANA/OHIO CENTER

Division I (K-1) - April 27

Division II (2-3) - May 4

Division III (4-5) - April 6

Division IV (6-7 - April 6

MICHIGAN/OHIO CENTER

Division I (K-1) - April 13

Division II (2-3) - March 23

Division III (4-5) - May 11

Division IV (6-7 - May 11

TEXAS - AUSTIN METRO

Division I (K-1) - March 30

Division II (2-3)

Leander HS - April 13

Austin Delco - May 4

Division III (4-5) - April 27

Division IV (6-7) - April 13

TEXAS - DFW METRO

Division I (K-1) - March 23

Division II (2-3) i- March 23

Division III (4-5) - April 27

Division IV (6-7) - April 13 (at Austin Metro Center)