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.
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.
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Student projects at the Synchrotron
At the Lawrence Berkeley Labs Synchrotron, student-brought items are bombarded with electrons.
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Science Fair
Students choose their projects, and work to find a scientific answer to their hypothesis.
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Maker Club
Our Makerspace
We explore the potential of all manner of student making, including 3D and bio-printing, and the process of getting there.
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Events for the Community
Maker Club participates in a wide variety of extra-curricular and professional events.
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Service to Our School
Maker Clubs uses design thinking and their skills for improving our school.
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Alumni Stay Connected to Maker Club
Maker Club connections often extend beyond the middle school years.
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Science Faculty
