Champions
of Math

Join us in celebrating the people who make First in Math special

Hall of Fame

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An annual award given to the #1 Player First in Math player across all grades!

Vladamir Flys

Seventh-grader Vladamir Flys became a national math superstar, earning the #1 spot in the First In Math® Online Program across all grades. Surpassing over 105,000 students in 25 states, he was awarded a gold medal in front of TV news cameras. Inspired by a news article about a past winner, Flys committed to playing for up to seven hours a night for a month to claim the top spot. Born in Ukraine, he lived in Argentina for ten years before moving to the U.S. Fluent in Ukrainian, Russian, and Spanish, he excels not only in math but across subjects as an ESL student at Baldi Middle School in Philadelphia.

Honorable Mentions

Players

Alexa Curto (PA) Renajd Rrapi (PA) Andre Fowler (PA) Gina Robinson (PA) Karissa Liberatore (PA) Stacy Candelario (PA) Jennings Luu (PA) Daniel Candelario (PA) Shonak Patel (PA)

Team Leaders

Schools

Top Educator Players

2005

Spirit in Education

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A monthly award given to an educator who has been actively talking about math achievement on social media channels.

October

Jennifer Crane

- @MrsCrane229

Grade 4 Teacher, Endeavour Elementary School North Hanover Township School District, Joint Base MDL, NJ

2019

September

Laurie Poppa

- @MissPoppaBASD

3rd Grade Teacher , Asa Packer Elementary School Bethlehem Area School District, Bethlehem, PA

2019

April

Charity Crawford

- @MsCLCrawford

School Performance Coach, Severn Elementary School Anne Arundel County Public School District, Annapolis, MD

2019

March

John Phillips

- @MrPhillipsTeach

Grade 4 Classroom Teacher, Marvine Elementary School Bethlehem Area School District, Bethlehem, PA

2019

February

Cherelle McKnight

- @PCEmathcoach

Elementary Curriculum and Instruction Specialist Newton County School System, Covington, GA

2019

January

Brittany Burd

- @MissBurd17

Grade 4 ICR Teacher, Endeavor Elementary School North Hanover Township School District, Wrightstown, NJ

2019

December

Penny Oleschlegel

- @POelschlegel

Instructional Math Coach K-5, Tom R. Ellisor Elementary School Magnolia ISD, Magnolia, TX

2018

November

Charyl Kerns Hills

- @Good2noeMath

Math Specialist, Goodnoe Elementary School Council Rock School District, Newtown Township, PA

2018

October

Markii Jacobs

- @MJGifted

Gifted & Talent Development Teacher, Slater Elementary School Atlanta Public Schools, GA

2018

September

Josephine McKay

- @MrsJosieMcKay

Grade 4 Teacher, Towne Meadow Elementary School Carmel Clay School District, Carmel, IN

2018

Dr. Lola J. May Award

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An annual award given to educators who exemplify Lola's spirit.

2023

Jeff Markham

A teacher at Clearview ES in the Bethlehem Area SD for 20+ years, Jeff Markham is the 2023 recipient of the Dr. Lola J. May Award. "I have always enjoyed using First in Math for everything from enrichment to support. It is a wonderful complement to the curriculum and allows my students to practice skills in a fun & engaging way. This year our students ranked 9th in the nation! I am so proud of them!"

Silver Medal

Robert Beck Hiland Park ES, Bay County SD, FL

Bronze Medal

Mary Higgins St. Laurence School, Archdiocese of Philadelphia, PA

About Dr. May

Dr. Lola J. May (1923-2007) was a noted mathematics educator, consultant, author and producer of audio-visual materials. A pioneer in mathematics education and an early proponent of the new math educational process, May was beloved by her students, and became a household name among mathematics educators.