Holy Cross students test their math skills

An annual event since 2004, Marmion Academy in Aurora hosted a math competition for public and parochial schools from the western suburbs on Jan. 30. Held to promote involvement in mathematics and encourage academic enthusiasm in junior high students, teams competed in two divisions based on school size. Both individual and team competitions were held.

The best and brightest math students comprised 39 teams at the event. In only its second year in existence, Holy Cross School in Batavia was represented by two teams and won honors in several categories. Seventh-grade students Stephanie Abello and Bobby Stephens placed first and third, respectively, in the seventh grade Division One competition. Students Taylor Vandenberg and Anna Ward placed in the top 10 among eighth-grade students. One of the two represented Holy Cross teams placed second in the overall competition.

"It was an honor to be invited to participate in such a reputable academic competition," said Tricia Weis, principal at Holy Cross School. "While our school is relatively new, we strive to offer students a wide array of opportunities to become involved in academics outside of the classroom. Clearly our commitment to a strong mathematics curriculum is paying off as evidenced by the success of our students who participated in the Marmion competition."

Representing Holy Cross School at the Marmion Academy math competition were eighth-grade students Jake Howland, Maria Penas, Taylor Vandenberg and Anna Ward, and seventh-grade students Stephanie Abello, Patrick Baker, Sophie Barrett, Michaela Ping, Sharbel Romanos and Bobby Stephens.

For information, visit holycross-batavia.org or call (630) 593-5290.