The brightest young minds from across the Central Coast came together recently as winners were announced in the 2024 Newcastle Permanent Primary School Mathematics Competition.
Challenging students to solve 35 questions without the use of calculators or rulers, the iconic competition drew entries from more than 300 schools from the Hunter, Central Coast, Mid North Coast, Northern Rivers, Central West, Riverina, New England and North West regions.
Central Coast students took second and third placings in both the Year 5 and Year 6 divisions, with second place in Year 5 going to Gosford Public School’s Tahsina Meherush.
In the Year 6 division, second place was jointly awarded to Niamh Fearnley and Louis Lin from Gosford Public School, Yian He from Wyong Public School and Coast Christian School’s Roy Feria Amador and Abby Wang.
Year 6’s equal third was awarded to Gio Heo, Alex Shi, Jamie Yu and Aaron Gurney from Gosford Public School, Ryan Kim from Kariong Public School and Jack Tazawa from Wyong Creek Public School,
Year 5 District Awards went to Kaito Farrell of Central Coast Grammar School and Kaede O’Connell of Wyong Public School and Aine Kim of Gosford Public School took out a Year 6 District Award.
Newcastle Permanent Chief Distribution Officer Paul Juergens presented major award winners with their prizes in a ceremony at the Newcastle Permanent Centre of Excellence on October 17, while District Awards were presented at local branches across NSW.
“It’s inspiring to see so many students take on the challenge each year, demonstrating not only their mathematical abilities but also their problem-solving skills – skills that are vital to their future success,” Juergens said.
“We’re proud to support a competition that encourages resilience, critical thinking, and a love for learning.
“Watching these students excel reminds us how important it is to invest in education and create opportunities for young people across the Central Coast to grow and thrive.”
Participants were awarded high distinction, distinction, merit or participation certificates based on their performance.
District award winners received an additional reward of a Newcastle Permanent account credit.
The Newcastle Permanent Primary School Mathematics Competition, which began in 1981, remains one of Australia’s largest and longest-running maths competition of its kind.
To date, it has engaged more than half a million students in enhancing their mathematical skills and knowledge.