Women’s Basketball Brings “Math Madness” To May Street Elementary School

Worcester, MA --- On Wednesday, January 14, the Worcester State women's basketball team spent a morning bringing "Math Madness" to the second, third and fourth grades at the May Street School gym.

11 women's basketball student-athletes individually broke up and helped each class answer grade appropriate math packets to engage the elementary school students in solving math problems related to players statistics, scores and averages.

After the seventh-annual "Math Madness" event was iced due to the freezing temperatures and the closing of Worcester Public Schools on Thursday, January 8, head coach Karen Tessmer contacted Principal Luke Robert and a make-up day was held as a regular class session at the May Street School.

In past "Math Madness" events, classes would attend a noontime women's basketball game and fill out the activity packets during the course of the contest with their teachers and root on the student-athletes while the game went along.

"With the practical application of math, kids get to do all of their classwork, but to actually utilize it and put it to real time, real situational use, is huge," said Robert.

"They don't necessarily understand that an inch is an inch, or a foot is a foot, until they get out and say, 'Oh well that's ten feet, that's 15 feet, that's 20 feet.' When they get to do stuff like that, you get perspective."

Towards the end of the packet, students are asked to measure the court dimensions, the height of the basket to the floor along with other math equations.

It was a homecoming of sorts for WSU freshman Lina Graham, who is currently pursuing a major in Urban Studies.

"It was great, I used to go there since kindergarten, so it felt good to see the teachers I used to have and it was exciting," said Graham. "The teachers are all really supportive and I still see them outside of school. It was great to give back."

Graham was still remembered by fourth-grade teacher Cathy Stefanides, who enters her 28th year teaching for the Worcester Public School system.

"I pointed it out to the students that she sat in their seat," said Stefanides. "It was just wonderful for the kids to see that connection and maybe someday, they will do the same."

Stefanides echoed a similar sentiment that Robert did when it came to applying math and real life principles.  

"The kids needed something like this," stated Stefanides. "(A program like this) puts it in a real life situation that you will be doing math every day of your life and here's how it relates to your everyday life."

Junior Bianca Langford, a criminal justice major, enjoyed the end of the packet when it was time to figure out her wingspan with a tape-measure.

"At first it was a little hard trying to get the second graders focused, but I like working with kids," said Langford. "They liked measuring the length of my arms because the kids were really excited."

Graham appreciated the enthusiasm of the students who wanted to try to figure out the dimensions of the basketball court when it was their turn to use the tape-measure.

"I had to say a number in my head, because they all wanted to go measure the court, but I could only measure it with one person," said Graham. "They all wanted the one-on-one attention."

On the last page of the activity packet, there was enough space for each student to gather autographs of each one of the student-athletes in attendance. Langford soon found herself with one of the longest lines of elementary school students who were trying to secure her signature before the bell for lunch sounded.  

"They were just amazed by how tall I was and how many points I had in the box score we used for the packets," said Langford with a smile.

"Getting to see all the college kids is always huge because you see the excitement in the student's eyes," said Robert. "When they get to work with them, you can see their attention level, their engagement is tremendous. It offers a new way to enter the math domain, other than through their teacher that they see every day."

Robert mentioned that building relationships with an institution of higher learning like Worcester State, which is right next door, is a great way to reinforce the message of continuing ones education after grade school.

"One thing we talk about all the time is college and career ready," said Robert. "When the students get to see where the college kids here, they get to hear them talk. Hopefully they are drawing the connection between education, college and their futures. That's our goal.

"We do a lot of collaboration with Worcester State, but this is a fun one."

Pictured Above: Sophomore Ashley Espinosa takes a tape-measure to freshman Nani Perez to get the correct length of her arms for a math problem

Eleven different second, third and fourth grade classes worked with each of the student-athletes during "Math Madness" day at the May Street Elementary School

Freshman Shelby Bronnes helps some second graders answer math problems out of grade appropriate math packets

Freshman Lina Graham returns back to her elementary school to answer questions for fourth graders during "Math Madness" day

Freshman Allie Lake extends a hand to help figure out the dimensions of the baseline in the May Street School gymnasium

Senior Julie Frankian reads off a mark on the tape-measure while trying to figure out the length across the basketball court

Junior Bianca Langford takes a moment to sign autographs for elementary school students at the May Street School towards the end of "Math Madness" day