Math, Science & Innovation At our school, it's cool to like math and science. Mathematics At Black Pine Circle, learning math is both challenging and fun. The elementary and middle school years are essential for building math literacy and proficiency, while maintaining enthusiasm for mathematical thinking. Your child’s math abilities will be understood and nurtured, whatever level they are starting from. Students who excel in math are inspired to grow. Students who need extra support are coached toward deeper understanding. Math Faculty Our school has been fortunate to have had an outstanding math faculty since its inception. Your child’s math teacher will be familiar with their learning profile, screen them for challenges, guide them to draw on their strengths, and keep them at their learning edge. Our lower and upper school math specialists also work with classroom teachers to differentiate, plan curriculum, evaluate student progress, and provide additional scaffolding for those who need it. Anatoliy Gulimovskiy Seventh Grade Math Teacher, Math Club / Math Team Coach Played soccer on a Zambian teacher team Full Bio > Andrew Solter Upper School Mathematics and Learning Specialist Full Bio > Carwai Seto Eighth Grade Math Teacher Loves to travel Full Bio > Kathy Henderson Sixth & Seventh Grade Math Teacher Full Bio > Nataliya Vdovychenko Upper School Assistant Teacher Fluent Russian speaker Full Bio > Vera Balarin Lower School Math Specialist Summers on a small Croatian isle Full Bio > Zina Gulimovskaya Seventh Grade Math Assistant, Math Team Coach Full Bio > Why are our students so good at math? The discipline and attention to detail it takes to learn a musical instrument provide excellent preparation for the practice of building strong math skills. The link between the physical practice of music and strong mathematical abilities has been demonstrated in studies that show that children who play a musical instrument can perform more complex arithmetical operations than those who do not play an instrument. At our school, it’s not uncommon for the star of our volleyball team to excel on the Math Team....and be a wizard on saxophone. Math Team and Math Clubs After school, students in 5th-8th grade can join one of our three Math Clubs to pursue their passion for solving high-level math problems. Our Math Teams compete in a number of Bay Area competitions annually, and some of our students participate in the Berkeley Math Circle, as well as other local math organizations. Other students simply looking for a challenge enjoy extra problems in addition to regular math homework assignments. Math Awards 2023–2024 MAA School Certificate of Merit 2024 The BPC team scored 61 out of 75 possible points and was placed among the top 5% of 2,500 middle schools in the USA and abroad. Mathcounts American Club Program - Gold Level Club Status The BPC Math Club has achieved Gold Level Status since 2008. In 2024, the club submitted the Art in Math Project. Mathcounts Competition Achievements The BPC Team placed 2nd in the Bay Area Chapter Mathcounts Competition 2024 and advanced to the 2024 State Mathcounts Competition held at Stanford University. The 13th Annual Math League International 2024 Tournament The event was held in July 2024 at the College of New Jersey. The BPC Math Team participated in individual, speed, and relay rounds as well as a team round. Raman Ravikumar and Kannan Ravikumar (class of 2024) were awarded Silver Medals and Vidur Thammineni (current 8th grade student) received the Bronze Medal. Math Kangaroo Competition 2024 The BPC team (Kannan and Raman Ravikumar) attained perfect scores: 120 out of 120. There were over 6 million participants worldwide! Our students were ranked #1 nationally and in California. California Math League Contest 2024 The 7th- and 8th-grade teams ranked 4th and 2nd in Alameda County and 15th and 7th in California respectively. The 6th-grade team came in 19th place among all middle schools that participated in the competition. Science Design thinking, computational tinkering, maker education, deep inquiry, and sharing our work with the wider community Exploring Science Everywhere We believe science is not about memorizing big words. Instead, we nurture students’ natural curiosity, challenging them to make careful observations, to ask thoughtful questions, and to make connections in their world. Every BPC student participates in hands-on science weekly - facilitated by our lower school science specialist or our upper school science faculty. We prioritize deeper investigation rather than attempting to cover ever more content. Student investigations take many forms, whether hatching birds, analyzing local sampled water, running simulations that track the spread of a hypothetical infectious disease, or developing their own testable questions for our non-competitive science fair. From nearby Aquatic Park and Strawberry Creek to our school garden and chicken coop, BPC students learn science everywhere. We've Embraced Next Gen Science Standards Building on the National Research Council’s K-12 Framework for Science Education. twenty-six State Partners worked with the National Science Teachers Association and the American Association for the Advancement of Science and identified these practices (at right) as essential for science education. Six Essential Practices for Science Education Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering) Developing and using models Planning and carrying out investigations Analyzing and interpreting data Using mathematics and computational thinking Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering) Engaging in argument from evidence Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information The Q Lab - A Space for Science & Inquiry Opened for students in 2016, our Q Lab is like an exclamation point on our experiential and inquiry-based program. On an average day, in the earth and physical sciences classroom upstairs, you might see students measuring the energy generated by windmills or building pneumatic judo-bots. Downstairs, in the makerspace classroom, Kindergarteners might be experimenting with shadows, 6th graders engaged in 3D design or printing, or 8th graders might be building a bench in Workshop. In the evenings, the space might be hosting one of our Family Maker Fridays, where K-8 students and their families gather to enjoy both high-tech and classic maker activities in our makerspace. Designed for ages 5-14, every student uses the Q Lab. School Maker Faire Inspired by the Maker Faire, students work in teams to accomplish ambitious projects. more > Barbie Bungee Students engage with math and physics concepts in a playful way. more > Student projects at the Synchrotron At the Lawrence Berkeley Labs Synchrotron, student-brought items are bombarded with electrons. more > Fish Mummies Students learned how to prepare and mummify fish. more > Science Fair Students choose their projects, and work to find a scientific answer to their hypothesis. more > Cardboard Arcade Students use basic materials to create complex arcade games. more > Maker Club BPC Maker Club at the White House Maker Faire Student Presentations Expand What Can Kids Maker Using Virtual Reality San Mateo Maker Faire, 2017 3D Printing in the Classroom 3D Printing World Expo Burbank, CA, January 2015 Maker Space, Coding, and Robotics Computer Using Educators, Cool Tools (CUE) Berkeley Adult School Berkeley, CA, February, 2015 Panel on Makers for Institute for the Future Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Oct 2014 Student Booths Expand March for Science 2018 Computer Using Educators (CUE) Cool Tools 2017 East Bay Mini Maker Faire Oakland, California (since 2013) Bay Area Science Festival Discovery Days at AT&T Park (since 2013) San Mateo Maker Faire (since 2014) 3D Printing World Expo Burbank, CA, 2014 Honored Makers White House Maker Faire, June 2014 Fablearn Conference Stanford, CA, 2015 - 2016 Design and Maker Class Colloquium 2016 Steam Carnival San Francisco, CA 2015 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Pacific Division Annual Meeting 2015 Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Booth (contributor), Solano Stroll Berkeley, CA, September 2015 Awards Expand 2018 Editor's Choice Blue Ribbon for "Chicken VR", a virtual reality experience in which participants use a variety of chicken behaviors to move through a virtual space. 2014 & 2015 Editor's Choice Blue Ribbon for demonstrating creativity, ingenuity, and innovation. Program Recognition Expand Our program was featured in: Extending Education Virtually Autodesk How Making provides students the opportunity to explore new channels of inspiration and creativity Autodesk How Making inspires student agency, ownership and creativity in K12 schools Autodesk Building the Makers of the Future Microsoft Our Makerspace We explore the potential of all manner of student making, including 3D and bio-printing, and the process of getting there. more > Events for the Community Maker Club participates in a wide variety of extra-curricular and professional events. more > Student Leadership Maker Club is facilitated by the teachers, but led by the students. more > Service to Our School Maker Clubs uses design thinking and their skills for improving our school. more > Alumni Stay Connected to Maker Club Maker Club connections often extend beyond the middle school years. more > CHICKEN VR The dream of being a chicken comes true with Chicken VR. more > Science Faculty Emmeline Hill Sixth Grade Science Teacher and Sixth Grade-Level Coordinator Herded sheep by motorbike in Australia. Full Bio > Jonathan Cohen Eighth Grade Science Teacher Apprenticed with a luthier, adept with a paddle Full Bio > Nicole Lockwood Kindergarten-Fifth Grade Science and Second-Fifth Grade Garden Teacher Apprenticed at the National Theater of Croatia Full Bio > Sage Ellenwood Seventh Grade Science Teacher Kissed a shark once! Full Bio > Learn about our Music Program
