El Morro students show their math skills

Fourth- and fifth-grade teams from El Morro Elementary School of Laguna Beach showed off their geometric skills and won their respective divisions in a math competition May 17 at Capistrano Valley High School in Mission Viejo.

The teams claimed first place in the measurement and geometry category at the Orange County Math Field Day, which featured 39 schools, El Morro fifth-grade teacher and team coach Melissa Martinez wrote in an email.

Students had 10 minutes to build something out of newspaper and a long piece of masking tape that could balance a golf ball without it falling before the time was up. El Morro students rolled up the newspapers and constructed a pyramid-type structure, Martinez said.

Both teams’ pyramids were more than 3 feet tall, El Morro Principal Chris Duddy added in an email. Each student received a medal and certificate at the event, organized by the Orange County Math Council.

Fourth- and fifth-grade students were eligible for the competition, Martinez said. In January, children took a test and the top four achievers at each grade level made the team.

The fourth-grade team included Luke Anderton, Jeffrey Herkins, Georgia Keel and Eli Martinez, and the fifth-grade team included Matthew Berk, Mateo Bianchi, Sophia Ravenna and Baron Smith.

Students met weekly after school for four months to train under El Morro fourth-grade teacher Annie Bochenek, Martinez said. Bochenek went on maternity leave in April and Martinez stepped in to coach the teams.

—Bryce Alderton

Twitter: @AldertonBryce