Math Club FAQ
Table of Contents
1. What is QVMS Math Club?
QVMS offers weekly math club meetings after school from 4:15 – 5:15, 5:30 or 5:45. We generally offer three to five different main sections and 2-3 small groups depending on interest and experience levels. The most experienced mathletes will work primarily on MathCounts, MathLeague and AMC material. Our less experienced mathletes work primarily on TMSCA general math material and the small groups focus on Number Sense and Calculator.
If you want to join the QVMS Raider Math Club, you’ll need to attend an informational meeting at the beginning of school, take a placement test and fill out a questionnaire. Math Club costs $60 for the year and the funds cover compensation for our main math coach as well as supplies, materials and membership fees. After the previous expenses are covered, any additional funds go toward helping students pay for the State TMSCA competition.
2. Which competitions does the math club attend?
We attend many competitions throughout the year, however, our main competitions are:
- What is QVMS Math Club?
- Which competitions does the math club attend?
- How do I stay informed about math club activities throughout the year?
- How do I sign up and pay for a competition?
- What do I do if I missed the registration deadline for a competition?
- Which supplies do I need for the competition?
- My child wants to compete in the TMSCA Calculator test. What kind of calculator does he/she need?
- How can my child prepare for competitions?
- After a competition, where do I pick up my test(s) and/or awards?
1. What is QVMS Math Club?
QVMS offers weekly math club meetings after school from 4:15 – 5:15, 5:30 or 5:45. We generally offer three to five different main sections and 2-3 small groups depending on interest and experience levels. The most experienced mathletes will work primarily on MathCounts, MathLeague and AMC material. Our less experienced mathletes work primarily on TMSCA general math material and the small groups focus on Number Sense and Calculator.
If you want to join the QVMS Raider Math Club, you’ll need to attend an informational meeting at the beginning of school, take a placement test and fill out a questionnaire. Math Club costs $60 for the year and the funds cover compensation for our main math coach as well as supplies, materials and membership fees. After the previous expenses are covered, any additional funds go toward helping students pay for the State TMSCA competition.
2. Which competitions does the math club attend?
We attend many competitions throughout the year, however, our main competitions are:
- MathCounts
- MathLeague.org
- MAA - American Mathematics Competitions (AMC)
- TMSCA
3. How do I stay informed about math club activities throughout the year?
Make sure you’re getting the Raider Math Club emails, and check your email often. Emails are sent to the address you have on file with QVMS. Please make sure to check your SPAM folder if you believe you’re missing any email notifications.
If you discover that you are not subscribed, email [email protected].
4. How do I sign up and pay for a competition?
If the competition is TMSCA or an AMC test, we will ask you to fill out a Google Form giving us information so that we can bulk register our team or order tests. Please make sure that this form is filled out entirely and accurate!!
Next, you will be provided with a link so that you can pay for the competition online. The main link is: https://fortbendisd.revtrak.net/Middle-School/Quail-Valley-MS/QVMS-Math-Club/. We only accept online payments, and they are due the Monday prior to any competition. The week before the competition, an email will be sent confirming your payment and registration (or lack thereof).
For MathLeague.org, you’ll be able to register and pay directly via the MathLeague.org site.
If the competition is one that we advertise but teachers will not attend, you will be given a link to register and pay individually. For these competitions, you will need to plan to stay with your students throughout the duration of the event.
5. What do I do if I missed the registration deadline for a competition?
If you miss a registration deadline, you can usually register the day of the competition on site. The fee for the competition is usually increased, and you will probably need to arrive early to the competition site with your child and stay with him/her until a teacher chaperon arrives. Exact arrival times for late registrants can be found on the competition website. NO STUDENTS WILL BE ALLOWED TO COMPETE IF THEY DO NOT ARRIVE DURING THE LATE REGISTRATION PERIOD.
6. Which supplies do I need for the competition?
Please make sure your child has a writing utensil for competitions. A blue pen is required for TMSCA number sense tests and a calculator for TMSCA calculator tests.
The night before or morning of a competition you will receive an email with digital copies of practice tests relating to the specific competition. Please plan to print these yourselves at home or send your student with a device with which to access the digital copies.
7. My child wants to compete in the TMSCA Calculator test. What kind of calculator does he/she need?
Although calculator choice depends on individual preference, below are the calculators most often used by competitors.
HP 35 or 33 Calculator – This is often the calculator of choice for our most successful Calculator test competitors. It is an RPN calculator, which means that computations are entered in reverse order. Although this calculator makes computations faster than non-RPN calculators, it does take a lot of practice to become adept.
TI-84+ Calculator – This calculator is not RPN, so students are often able to learn how to use it very quickly. It is usually the second choice of our most successful competitors.
TI NspireCX Calculator – This is the calculator students use in their math classes, so they will already know how to use them. The Nspire CX calculator has many features that “do the math for them,” so some students like to use the CXs for competition. However, these are generally disliked by our strongest competitors because they take significantly longer to process computations than either the 84+ or HP calculators.
8. How can my child prepare for competitions?
There is a wealth of information online specific to each competition. You can usually find specific information about competitions as well as released practice tests. Visit the Resources link in the menu for tons of resources.
9. After a competition, where do I pick up my test(s) and/or awards?
We have amazing volunteers who can usually s help us distribute competition materials for us the week following a competition. The volunteer table will be set up during students’ lunch periods, so students can visit the table to pick up their tests and any awards received.
After that, students who do not visit the volunteer table will need to see their math teachers for any needed items. Please note, it is the student’s responsibility to pick up his/her tests and awards.
Make sure you’re getting the Raider Math Club emails, and check your email often. Emails are sent to the address you have on file with QVMS. Please make sure to check your SPAM folder if you believe you’re missing any email notifications.
If you discover that you are not subscribed, email [email protected].
4. How do I sign up and pay for a competition?
If the competition is TMSCA or an AMC test, we will ask you to fill out a Google Form giving us information so that we can bulk register our team or order tests. Please make sure that this form is filled out entirely and accurate!!
Next, you will be provided with a link so that you can pay for the competition online. The main link is: https://fortbendisd.revtrak.net/Middle-School/Quail-Valley-MS/QVMS-Math-Club/. We only accept online payments, and they are due the Monday prior to any competition. The week before the competition, an email will be sent confirming your payment and registration (or lack thereof).
For MathLeague.org, you’ll be able to register and pay directly via the MathLeague.org site.
If the competition is one that we advertise but teachers will not attend, you will be given a link to register and pay individually. For these competitions, you will need to plan to stay with your students throughout the duration of the event.
5. What do I do if I missed the registration deadline for a competition?
If you miss a registration deadline, you can usually register the day of the competition on site. The fee for the competition is usually increased, and you will probably need to arrive early to the competition site with your child and stay with him/her until a teacher chaperon arrives. Exact arrival times for late registrants can be found on the competition website. NO STUDENTS WILL BE ALLOWED TO COMPETE IF THEY DO NOT ARRIVE DURING THE LATE REGISTRATION PERIOD.
6. Which supplies do I need for the competition?
Please make sure your child has a writing utensil for competitions. A blue pen is required for TMSCA number sense tests and a calculator for TMSCA calculator tests.
The night before or morning of a competition you will receive an email with digital copies of practice tests relating to the specific competition. Please plan to print these yourselves at home or send your student with a device with which to access the digital copies.
7. My child wants to compete in the TMSCA Calculator test. What kind of calculator does he/she need?
Although calculator choice depends on individual preference, below are the calculators most often used by competitors.
HP 35 or 33 Calculator – This is often the calculator of choice for our most successful Calculator test competitors. It is an RPN calculator, which means that computations are entered in reverse order. Although this calculator makes computations faster than non-RPN calculators, it does take a lot of practice to become adept.
TI-84+ Calculator – This calculator is not RPN, so students are often able to learn how to use it very quickly. It is usually the second choice of our most successful competitors.
TI NspireCX Calculator – This is the calculator students use in their math classes, so they will already know how to use them. The Nspire CX calculator has many features that “do the math for them,” so some students like to use the CXs for competition. However, these are generally disliked by our strongest competitors because they take significantly longer to process computations than either the 84+ or HP calculators.
8. How can my child prepare for competitions?
There is a wealth of information online specific to each competition. You can usually find specific information about competitions as well as released practice tests. Visit the Resources link in the menu for tons of resources.
9. After a competition, where do I pick up my test(s) and/or awards?
We have amazing volunteers who can usually s help us distribute competition materials for us the week following a competition. The volunteer table will be set up during students’ lunch periods, so students can visit the table to pick up their tests and any awards received.
After that, students who do not visit the volunteer table will need to see their math teachers for any needed items. Please note, it is the student’s responsibility to pick up his/her tests and awards.