A few times each school year, the Middle School (MS) Math Department hosts a “Vertical Celebration”. Developed by Head of MS Math and Class 6 teacher Katie Adams, the Vertical Celebration offers students an exciting opportunity to connect across grades while exploring different aspects of a particular topic through a math lens and reinforcing grade-level math skills.
Ms. Adams said, “This project is meant to spark curiosity, foster community and highlight how math extends far beyond the classroom.” She develops the themes, creates shared slides that guide learning and collaborates with colleagues to design grade-specific math activities that align with current units of study.
Last year, Earth Day and International Women’s Day served as themes. This February, the focus was on Lunar New Year, with each grade examining a different tradition connected to the holiday while applying their current math concepts in new and exciting ways.
Class 4 students discussed how Lunar New Year is celebrated across Asia and in other parts of the world. Many shared their own family traditions and reflected on ways people create a “fresh start” in the new year. The girls learned that families often decorate their homes with symbolic colors like red and gold, watch lion or dragon dances and set off fireworks to bring good luck. To spark a discussion, students considered questions such as, “Why do you think people around the world have traditions to celebrate the start of a new year? What traditions help you feel ready for a fresh start?”
Class 5 students studied the Lunar calendar and the 12 Zodiac signs, including the 2026 Year of the Horse, and the meaning behind each zodiac animal. They learned that each animal represents specific fortunes and characteristics for those born in that year.
Students in Class 6 examined the symbolism of red envelopes, fireworks and traditional customs in Chinese culture, as well as other backgrounds represented within the classroom community. After sharing personal traditions, the students discussed the meaning behind symbols of luck and renewal.
Class 7 students focused on the importance of food and community gatherings during Lunar New Year celebrations. For example, students discovered that long noodles symbolize long life and that families gather to prepare and share traditional meals each year. Many were eager to share the unique traditions they participate in each year with their own families, showcasing the different ways each culture honors the start of a new year.
Following these discussions, the students in each class, and across each grade, returned to their desks to find math packets waiting for them. Each was filled with equations and riddles needing to be solved in order to find out “who stole the red envelope.” On the first page was a list of countries that celebrate the Lunar New Year, paired with images of zodiac signs and interesting facts. The goal of the packet was to solve the clues and eliminate possible locations on the first page to figure out where the “lucky monkey” was hidden.
Students worked independently or in pairs to crack the case of the missing red envelope by solving grade-level math problems. Class 4’s packet instructed students to use fractions; Class 5, decimals; Class 6, volume; and Class 7, areas of composite figures.
Throughout this project, the girls engaged in meaningful discussions, learned from one another’s backgrounds and traditions, and experienced how mathematics can connect to the real world. As Ms. Adams said, “Vertical Celebrations are especially meaningful when students see their interests, identities, cultures or home celebrations reflected in the math they are learning.”
Later this year, the MS Math Department will embark on another Vertical Celebration with themes like Earth Day and World Bee Day that will ensure that students continue to experience math in dynamic and creative ways that connect to the larger world around them.
