Welcome to the Math Circle
Enrollment for Summer session 2018
The registration for SUMMER 2018 is now Open. Before applying for the summer session, please read the information below carefully:
1. Summer Session is for NEW students only. Summer session was created to accommodate qualified applicants who did not have a chance to experience the math circle during the academic year. Students currently in the academic year program should not apply for the summer program.
Summer program are for students entering grades 2-8 in the Fall of 2018:
Early Elementary group: students entering 2nd grade (exeptional 1st graders will be considered)
Junior Circle group: students entering 3-4th grades
Beginners group: students entering 5-6th grades
Advanced group: students entering 7-8th grades
2. Summer program dates are June 17th through August 12th. If you are away for more than 2 Sundays in this time period, it is not practical to enroll into the program. We understand that summer is travel time for many families and take this into account when developing curriculum (generally, there is less dependency on the previously covered topics). However, missing more than 2 meetings usually has a very negative effect on the student’s learning. Please keep this in mind when applying.
3. All applicants will be tested on May 20th. The exact time and location of the testing will depend on the group and will be announced by email on or before May 10th. Please keep the mornings and early afternoon (before 2pm) on May 20th open so that you can bring your child(ren) for testing.
The problems on the test require excellent command of a strong school math curriculum (usually at least 2 grade levels above) and creativity in problem solving. Please note that all students (including Early Elementary applicants) need to be able to read fluently in order to test successfully. All test-takers will be notified of their test results. Qualifying students will be enrolled.
4. Please apply for the correct grade level, i.e., the grade level into which your child will be officially enrolled in the Fall. If there are any questions as to the grade level of your child, you might be required to bring a letter from school confirming enrollment into a specific grade level.
In very rare cases when a student requires even more challenge and acceleration than the traditional math circle, we will move the student up. This is done by instructor’s recommendation only. Please do not apply for a higher (or a lower) level than your child’s official grade level.
5. Since summer program is separate from the academic year program, students do not autotically continue from the summer program to the academic year program next year. In very rare cases, when we do have an opening in the academic year program, 2-3 students from the summer program can be invited to the academic year program. However, this is not guaranteed.
Summer 2018 dates and groups:
Testing (mandatory): Sunday, May 20th
First meeting: Sunday, June 17th
Last meeting: Sunday, August 12th
Name of the group |
Grade levels |
Location |
|
|
|
Early Elementary |
1-2 |
MS TBA |
Junior Circle |
3-4 |
MS TBA |
Beginners group |
5-6 |
MS TBA |
Advanced group |
7-8 |
MS TBA
|
|
|
|
|
|
OTHER PROJECTS (information below refers to 2017-2018 school year) |
1) We are supporting current Math Circle students who are starting their own Math Circle Satellites in local elementary, middle and high schools. If you are a current Math Circle student interested in starting (or continuing with) your own Math Circle Satellite program, please look out for the information about the info session about satellites that will take place later in October.
2) We continue invitation-only Math Mentorship Program offering individual attention to dedicated current Math Circle students who require extra support. The program is taught by Mya Greene, a Math Circle alumna who currently studies at USC. Students can be recommended for the Mentorship Program by the lead instructor of their group.
3) We continue with the invitation-only Olympiad training taught by Konstantin Miagkov (assisted by Kyle Hess). The program focuses on proof techniques in Olympiad problem solving. At the moment, Olympiad training is just for students who continue with the program.
4) We will have AMC8 and AMC10/12 training led by Brent Woodhouse on dates TBA in MS 6627. We will go over a variety of topics that are often seen on the AMCs. The AMC training is open to all current Math Circle students in appropriate grade levels.
5) Our Book
"Breaking Numbers into Parts" by O.Gleizer, O. Radko, was published and is available on Amazon.com. The book is based on the math circle curriculum for the youngest audience (ages 4-7). The BNP class for K-1 students is based on this book.
What is the LA Math Circle?
Los Angeles Math Circle (LAMC) is a top-tier math circle attracting elementary, middle and high school students interested in mathematics and eager to learn. LAMC is a program of the Department of Mathematics at UCLA and over the years was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), Mathematical Science Research Institute (MSRI), the Boeing Employees Community Fund, Raytheon, a gift from the Glickman family, and math circle families donations.
Following the traditions of Russian and Eastern European math circles, the program focuses on showcasing the beauty of mathematics and its applications, improving problem solving skills, preparing students for a variety of contests and competitions, creating a social context for mathematically inclined students as well as attracting students to math-related careers.
Types of meetings:
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problem-solving sessions (most of the meetings);
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expository talks on a variety of pure and applied math topics;
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preparation for various competitions, such as American Mathematical Competitions, Math Kangaroo, Bay Area Math Olympiad;
The topics we cover are as varied as advanced plane geometry, elementary number theory, fractals, combinatorics, game theory for the older students, logic, counting techniques, basic combinatorics for the younger ones. The main goal is to learn wonderful mathematics not covered in a typical school curriculum but accessible to the mathematically inclined students. Another goal is to actively engage students in problem solving and to learn effective problem solving strategies. To get an idea of what we are doing, please look at the titles and descriptions of past meetings which are available on our "Circle calendar" for the current year and on our "Archive" page for previous years
Please refer to FAQs if you have questions about the proper placement (choice of group) and other questions related to math circle.
Please see our Directions page for details on how to get there.