The Perot Museum of Nature and Science was bubbling over with energy and excitement as students from The Episcopal School of Dallas and St. Philip’s School and Community Center teamed up for the 2theXtreme: MathAlive! exhibit’s Xtreme Math Match. Each team was comprised of three fifth-grade students from the two schools, as well as scorekeepers, and official spokespeople.

Prior to the contest, each student was paired up with a meteorologist from one of the Dallas-area news stations, including Evan Andrews (Fox 4), Colleen Coyle (WFAA), David Finfrock (NBC 5), Jeff Jamison (CBS 11), Milmar Ramirez (Univision), and Kevin Roth (CW 33). Representing ESD from the Class of 2022 was Mary Grace Altizer, Connor Awbrey, Evin Bishop, Paco Gomez- Quinonez, Jackson Lutz, and Dalia Nabulsi.

“Students answered questions like, "A weather balloon is ten feet off the ground and is rising at a constant rate of two feet per second.  What is its height after three minutes?"  It was exciting to celebrate math together,” Chelle Wabrek, Assistant Head of Lower School, said.

As the Radical! Rockets and Xtreme! Snowboarders hurriedly scrambled to answer their assigned questions, fourth and fifth graders from both schools cheered their peers on in front of several museum patrons, families, and media outlets.

“I was really nervous to be up on a big stage, but it was really awesome getting to work with Mrs. Coyle to win the contest,” Nabulsi said.

“Some of the questions were kind of hard, but it was really fun to still compete with my friends and amongst the students from St. Philip’s,” Bishop said.

After the contest, the students headed downstairs to experience the MathAlive! exhibit. More than 100 students packed the 5,000 square-foot exhibit as they explored the six themed areas dedicated to STEM research and learning.

“The 2theXtreme: MathAlive! exhibit at the Perot Museum demonstrates everything that we as educators believe – everyone wants to and can do math,” Head of School, Meredyth Cole, said. “The hands-on experiments and activities make math accessible, fun, and above all, relevant to students of all ages. Through sports, robotics, fashion design, video games, music-making, and more, students of all ages can be awakened and inspired to the limitless possibilities math has to offer.”

The exhibition runs until January 4, 2015.