Welcome to the Diamond Middle School Math Team!

Just by picking up a math team preparation packet you are participating in a long and storied tradition of competition math here at Diamond Middle School. At Diamond, we don’t choose a small group of math stars at the beginning of each year and just work with them. Instead, we keep math team participation open to everyone in the school all year long. All students in all grades are welcome to pick up the preparation packets that are made available throughout the year. Then, five times a year, we hold “Tryouts” for each of the IMLEM meets. A new team of “Regulars” and a new group of “Alternates” is selected for each meet, based on the results of the tryout. These students will then have one or two practices before the meet.

Usually, somewhere between 80 and 120 students try out for each meet. Some are just looking for some extra credit from their math teachers, but others are driven by a love of problem solving and/or really want to make the team. Even if you don’t make Regulars or Alternates, you will undoubtedly become a better problem solver yourself. It is also likely that your participation will spur on those students who want to perform at the top of the school. Those students have to work even harder if they want to stay on the team!

Each of the five IMLEM meets has specific topics in each of the categories, as shown in the table of topics on the next page and on the IMLEM website. You are encouraged to check out the website on your own and download Old Competitions. The secret to excelling in competition math is to do as many of the previous years’ competitions as you can get your hands on. If you need more materials, ask your math teacher or ask Mrs. Doonan in room 2002.

Good luck and happy problem solving!