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St Patrick's Day is a lively celebration that honors Irish culture and heritage. Every year on March 17th, people around the world join in to remember St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, and enjoy a day full of fun traditions and activities. The History of St Patrick's Day St Patrick's Day began as a religious feast day to honor St Patrick, who lived in the 5th century. He is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland and is famous for using the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity. Over time, the day evolved into a broader celebration of Irish culture, especially among Irish immigrants in the United States. The holiday became popular worldwide, with parades, music, and festivals marking the occasion. Today, it is a day to celebrate Irish heritage, whether or not someone has Irish roots. Traditional Symbols and Customs Several symbols are closely linked to St Patrick's Day. The shamrock, a three-leaf clover, is the most famous. It represents luck and the teachings of St Patrick. Another common symbol is the leprechaun, a mischievous fairy from Irish folklore, often shown with a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Wearing green is a key tradition. This color is associated with Ireland, known as the Emerald Isle, and is believed to make you invisible to leprechauns who like to pinch anyone they can see. Fun Traditions to Try High school students can enjoy many fun activities on St Patrick's Day. Here are some popular ideas: Attend or watch a parade : Many cities host parades featuring bagpipers, dancers, and colorful floats. If there isn’t one nearby, watching a parade online can be just as exciting. Cook Irish food : Try making traditional dishes like soda bread, corned beef and cabbage, or Irish stew. Cooking together can be a fun way to learn about Irish culture. Wear green and decorate : Dress in green clothes and decorate your room or classroom with shamrocks, rainbows, and gold coins. Listen to Irish music : Folk songs and traditional Irish tunes create a festive atmosphere. You can find playlists online or watch live performances. Play themed games : Organize a scavenger hunt for shamrocks or leprechaun gold, or try Irish dancing with friends. Table with traditional Irish food and green decorations for St Patrick's Day How to Make the Day Special Besides the usual celebrations, students can add their own twist to St Patrick's Day. Creating handmade cards with Irish blessings, learning a few words in Gaelic, or watching movies about Ireland can deepen the experience. Volunteering for a community event or sharing stories about Irish history also brings meaning to the day. St Patrick's Day offers a chance to have fun while connecting with a rich cultural tradition. Whether through food, music, or games, students can enjoy a day full of joy and learning.

Preparing for the New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment (NJGPA) can feel overwhelming for many high school students. This test plays a crucial role in demonstrating readiness for graduation by assessing key skills in language arts, mathematics, and science. Knowing how to approach the NJGPA, understanding what counts as a passing score, and learning what to do if you don’t pass can make a big difference in your confidence and results. Student concentrating on NJGPA test materials Students preparing for the NJGPA test with focused study materials What the NJGPA Tests and Why It Matters The NJGPA measures proficiency in three main areas: Language Arts Literacy : Reading comprehension, writing skills, and understanding of grammar. Mathematics : Problem-solving, algebra, geometry, and data analysis. Science : Understanding scientific concepts, experiments, and data interpretation. Passing the NJGPA is a graduation requirement in New Jersey. It shows that students have mastered essential skills needed for college, careers, and everyday life. Schools use the results to identify areas where students may need extra help before moving forward. Understanding the Passing Score Each subject on the NJGPA has a specific passing score set by the New Jersey Department of Education. Generally, students must score at least 250 on each section to pass. Scores range from 100 to 300, with 250 representing proficiency. Here’s what the scores mean in simple terms: Below 250 : The student has not yet demonstrated proficiency in that subject. 250 or above : The student meets the proficiency standard. Schools provide score reports that break down strengths and weaknesses, helping students understand where they did well and where improvement is needed. How Students Should Approach NJGPA Testing 1. Start Preparing Early Waiting until the last minute to study can increase stress and reduce performance. Students should: Review class notes and textbooks regularly. Practice sample NJGPA questions available online. Focus on weaker subjects to build confidence. 2. Develop Good Test-Taking Habits On test day, habits can impact results. Students should: Get a good night’s sleep before the test. Eat a healthy breakfast to maintain energy. Arrive early to avoid rushing. Read each question carefully and manage time wisely. 3. Use Practice Tests Taking full-length practice tests simulates the real experience. This helps students: Get familiar with the test format. Identify question types that are challenging. Build stamina for the testing period. 4. Ask for Help When Needed Teachers, tutors, and counselors can provide valuable support. Students should: Attend review sessions. Ask questions about confusing topics. Use school resources like study groups or after-school help. NJGPA practice test materials ready for study Practice tests help students build confidence and improve skills before the NJGPA What to Do If You Don’t Pass Failing one or more sections of the NJGPA can feel discouraging, but it is not the end of the road. Students have options to meet graduation requirements: Retake the Test Students can retake the NJGPA during scheduled testing windows. It’s important to: Review feedback from the previous test. Focus on areas that need improvement. Use additional study resources. Alternative Assessments New Jersey offers alternative ways to demonstrate proficiency, such as: Portfolio Appeals : Students compile work samples that show mastery of skills. Other Standardized Tests : Some students may qualify to use scores from tests like the SAT or ACT. Local Assessments : Schools may provide district-level tests aligned with state standards. Seek Academic Support If a student struggles repeatedly, schools often provide: Targeted tutoring programs. Summer school courses. Individualized learning plans. These supports help students build the skills needed to pass the NJGPA or alternative assessments. Tips for Staying Motivated Preparing for the NJGPA can be stressful, but staying motivated is key. Students should: Set small, achievable goals for study sessions. Celebrate progress, not just the final score. Remember that passing the NJGPA opens doors to graduation and future opportunities. Talk to friends or family for encouragement. Final Thoughts The NJGPA is a significant step toward graduation, but with the right approach, students can succeed. Understanding the passing score, preparing early, practicing regularly, and seeking help when needed all contribute to better outcomes. If a student does not pass, there are clear paths to meet graduation requirements through retakes and alternative assessments. Students should view the NJGPA as a chance to show what they know and to identify areas for growth. With focus and support, they can navigate the NJGPA confidently and move closer to their goals.

Chika Ofili, a Nigerian boy, 12-year-old living in London just discovered a new Formula for divisibility by 7 in maths. Multiply the last digit by 5 and add it to the remaining numbers. For Example 532 53+2 x 5 = 63 which is a multiple of 7. So, 532 is divisible by 7. Chika Ofili has been presented with a special Recognition Award for making a new discovery in mathematics. A Proof for his Discovery: If x+5b=0 mod 7 then multiplying by 10 we get 10x+50b=0 mod 7. But 50 is just 1 mod 7 so we get 10x+b=0 mod 7 as an equivalent statement.

Cicadas are large insects that appear periodically in massive numbers. They are known as a symbol of resurrection because of their interesting life cycle, based on prime numbers. Cicada in Princeton, NJ Although Cicadas spend most of their life underground, they eventually have to come up to the surface for sunlight and reproduction. While on the ground, these insects mate and lay their eggs on tree branches. These eggs then take about 6-7 weeks to hatch, after which they burrow into the soil and continue this life cycle. However, when Cicadas do emerge at the surface, there are many dangers awaiting. These insects are easily eaten by birds, bats, spiders, wasps, and the list goes on and on. You may be wondering how this species has not gone extinct yet, as it has so many predators. This is where the prime numbers come into play. Cicadas that leave their underground habitat within a year or two are quickly devoured by scavenging predators. However, this doesn’t mean that the longer they remain underground, the longer they survive. Some Cicadas that don’t come up to the surface for 15 years or 18 years still get eaten faster than those that emerge in 13 years or 17 years. How is this possible? Periodical cicadas have the longest life cycle, coming up every 13 or 17 years, longer than an annual cicada in comparison. Due to these specific prime number life cycles, predators find it very difficult to catch these types of periodical cicadas. Prime Numbers: Prime numbers are whole numbers greater than 1 that cannot be divided exactly by any positive integer other than itself and 1. Every single number can be written as the product of prime numbers and every integer larger than 2 can be written as the sum of two prime numbers. How do these prime number properties relate to the cicadas’ life cycle though? Cicadas are not the only living species with their own unique life cycle. Their predators also have one, which can be 3, 4, 5, 6, or any number of years long. Take the wasp for example, which has a life cycle of 4 years. This means that every 4th, 8th, 12th, and so on year, the cicadas will be open to being eaten by the wasps. What if the cicadas had a life cycle of 8 years? They will be vulnerable to any predators blossoming on a 1, 2, 4, or 8 year cycle. Since their predators have shorter life cycles, they prey on cicadas the year that is a multiple of the # of years in their life cycle. So with prime #s, there are fewer chances of the predator life cycle to align with the cicadas cycle. Cicadas with a 12 year life cycle have the least chance of surviving the longest because of 12 has many factors, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12. Predators with any of these life cycles can catch cicadas. If the predator has a 2 year cycle, they will catch them every 6th year since 2 x 6 = 12. If the predator has a 3 year cycle, they will catch them every 4th year since 3 x 4 = 12. This pattern repeats for all of the factors. Using this strategy, cicadas have evolved to emerge every 13th or 17th year. There are many predators with life cycles between 2-12 years without a factor aligning with 13 or 17. For example if the predator has a 7 year cycle, they have a smaller chance of catching the 17-year cycling Cicadas since 7 x 2 = 14 and 7 x 3 = 21, skipping over 17. Using this method, the same result can be found for 13-year cycling Cicadas. Why don’t Cicadas survive as much in other prime number years? The reason for this is that if these insects emerge before 13 years, like in 11 years, then starving predators awaiting their arrival quickly finish them. If they wait for more than 17 years, like 19 years, then predators would have finished and digested their last meal, ready to eat the next round of Cicadas. Let’s use a predator with a 6 year life cycle as an example. With a 13-year cycling Cicada, the probability of the insect getting caught is 6 x 13 = 78 years, while with a 17-year cycling Cicada, the chance would be 6 x 17 = 102 years. This is a much longer span than if the life cycle was not following this prime number method. Another way these prime numbers 13 and 17 prove to be useful includes the rare chance of any of these periodically rotating species to interbreed with non prime number cycling breeds. For example, cicadas breeds with life cycles 8 and 10 have a much larger chance of interbreeding and mixing species. Multiples of 8 include 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, 48, 56, 64, 72, and 80. Multiples of 10 include 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80. This means these two breeds of Cicadas will interact and emerge on the ground level together every 40 years, which is often. On the other hand, breeds of this insect with cycles of 13 and 17 interact much less often. Being prime numbers, they don’t have any common multiples until their product, 221. This means that these two breeds of Cicadas won’t interact for 221 years. The last time both of these breeds interacted amongst each other was in the year 2015, which makes the next time they emerge together the year 2236, 221 years from 2015. Clearly, prime numbers play a huge role in the evolution of Cicadas. Math is useful not only for our species, but even in nature for insects as small as Cicadas.

In 1975, Steve Selvin sent a letter to the American Statistician posing a probability brain teaser to his respondent. Little did he know, this one problem would be one of the most controversial problems to ever exist! What is this problem that stumped most of the world? Let’s say you are on a game show. You are given the choice of three doors: 1, 2, and 3. Behind one door is a brand new car and behind the other two are goats. Your goal is to attempt to choose the door leading to the new car. Whichever door you choose to start, Monty Hall will always open a different door, one with a goat. Suppose you start by choosing Door 1. He will open either Door 2 or 3, whichever leads to a goat. If both do, he will pick one randomly. Now two doors will remain, 1 and 2. The question remains, will you stick to your previous plan and choose Door 1 or switch your answer to the other closed Door 2? Which door would maximize your chances of picking the car? Why was this problem so difficult, though? Most people don’t use conditional probability, the chances that an outcome could occur after another event occurs, when approaching this problem. Instead, they attempt to formulate the answer without thinking it through step by step. Visual Approach: If you think about it visually, if you start by picking a goat, then Monty Hall will reveal the other door with the goat, so to win the car in that case, you have to switch to the other closed door. However if you start with a car, you must stay on that door to win. There is 2⁄3 of a chance you start with a goat and 1⁄3 chance you start with a car. Therefore, it is more likely you will win if you switch your answer to the other unopened door after Monty Hall opens one door. Conditional Probability Approach: To put this in a more mathematical way of thinking, let’s revisit Bayes' Theorem that we previously talked about in this Math Magazine, a very important topic in conditional probability. As a reminder, Bayes’ Theorem is a mathematical formula that can be used to calculate conditional probability for a test result, including the likelihood of a result based on a past result with similar circumstances. Formula: P(H|E) = P(E|H)P(E)P(H) In this case, H (hypothesis) represents door 1 leading to the car and E (evidence) represents Monty Hall revealing a door with a goat. P(H|E) represents the conditional probability of H, given E. So, let’s break this down into separate steps to think through this process more efficiently and understand it properly. P(H) - Since we still have no information or clues to predict which door will lead to the car, the probability of door 1 having the car will be the same as doors 2 and 3. So, P(H) = 13. P(E) - Since Monty Hall always picks a door leading to a goat, we already know this outcome. So, P(E) = 1. P(E|H) - For this variable, we can assume our H, door 1 having the car, is correct and when calculating the probability of E occurring, we know it will always happen. So, P(E|H) = 1. P(H|E) = (1)(1)(13) = 13 By using this formula, it can be concluded that multiplying the probability of the evidence occurring had no impact or change on the original probability of H, door 1 having the car. However, when looking at the other perspective of door 2 having the car, the probability will be double than that of door 1 since the car can only be in two doors after Monty Hall reveals one with the goat. The probability of door 2 will equal 26. Therefore, switching your answer to the other closed door after Monty Hall reveals one door will maximize your potential to get the problem right!

Who said math was only for those engineering and stem-based minds? Math can be applied to any profession, and its need for innovation and expressiveness makes it perfect for poets! What is the connection between math and poetry? The tie between these two subjects goes back several centuries. In fact, the numbers and rhythm involved in poetry is what helped many mathematicians develop well known formulas and theorems used today! Sanskrit poetry in particular has been very helpful in math due to its unique sequence of numbers. The stress and rhythm of the beats in a poem is what makes the different types of poetries unique in the first place. According to the Poetry Archive, stress is the emphasis that falls on certain syllables and not others and the pattern or arrangement of the unstressed and stressed words into rhythmic lines is called the meter. Scansion is the process of discovering which syllables should be stressed and unstressed and helps understand the meter of the poem. Sanskrit Poetry Dimensions: Stressed syllables AKA long syllables (longer when pronounced) Unstressed syllables AKA short syllables Long Syllables take double to time to pronounce since they take up two beats while short syllables only take up one beat Math Questions Answered Through Sanskrit Poetry: Through understanding the setup of these poems, ancient Sanskrit poets and mathematicians get excited at all the opportunities presented that were brought up even in 300 BC! One question often asked when poems are composed is how many rhythms and poetic meters can be constructed in 12 beats. There are many possibilities for this scenario. Long (6 times) Short (12 times) Long, Long, Long, Long, Short, Short, Short, Short Short, Short, Long, Long, Long, Long, Long And many, many more possibilities that would take too long to list. To answer this question, you can use the variable n to represent the number of beats (n=12 here) and find how many 1s and 2s can be added together to form this number. For example, adding 2 six times would make 12 or adding 1 twelve times would also make 12. A mathematician can approach this problem is by testing out examples to make a theorem and finally proving the theorem, the same way the Sanskrit poets did it back in the day. Step 1: Determine the pattern 1 beat - 1 way (short) 2 beats - 2 ways (short + short or long) 3 beats - 3 ways (three shorts, short + long, or long + short) 4 beats - 5 ways (four shorts, short + short + long, long + short + short, short + long + short, or two longs) In this translation, it is proven that you should start by writing 1 and 2 then find every next number by adding the previous two numbers. Sequence: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 610, 987 When n=12, the number of possible combinations with short and long syllables is equal to the twelfth term in this sequence. This means there are 233 rhythms for 12 beats. These Virahanka numbers are named after poet Virahanka who discovered why these numbers lead to the right result in 700 AD. They are now called Fibonacci numbers after the Italian mathematician who wrote them 500+ years later, showing how long Sanskrit poetry has been advancing mathematics. Fibonacci numbers are also used in architecture and nature. Daisy petals follow the pattern of 13, 21, and 34, part of the sequence above. The connection between poetry and math is important as it is critical to appreciate Sanskrit poets who contributed so much to new math theories. Due to Colonialism, these contributions haven’t lasted in history and without these advancements, many people have gotten uninterested in math. Oliver Westwood said, “Recognition is the golden key unlocking the treasure chest of human potential” and it is important to show that recognition where it is deserved.

One of the most famous examples of a magician and world-renowned mathematician is Prof. Diaconis at Stanford University. At the age of 14 he ran away from home to work under the magician, Dai Vernon. Fast forward a few years, he was admitted to Harvard University’s graduate statistics program on the strength of a recommendation letter from the famed mathematics writer Martin Gardner who was impressed with his card tricks. Now a professor of mathematics and statistics at Stanford University, Professor Diaconis has employed his intuition about cards in a wide range of situations. Once, for example, he helped decode messages passed between inmates at a California state prison by using small random “shuffles” to gradually improve a decryption key. He has also analyzed Bose-Einstein condensation — in which a collection of ultra-cold atoms coalesces into a single big atom — by imagining the atoms as rows of cards moving around. It seems he has made original creative paintings in the canvas of mathematics pursuing his passion for magic!

Sitting on her comfortable chair reading this newspaper article, Melony grew frustrated at this incorrect, as she believed it to be, article about the medication safety in Mathopolis. She sets out to prove the error in this article. She begins by taking notes from her prior knowledge, just from reading the article. Just then, it strikes her. Melony rushes to apply the Bayes Theorem to solve this problem, which is one of the most important ones in probability theory. What is the Bayes Theorem? It is a mathematical formula used to calculate conditional probability for a test result, including the likelihood of a result based on a past result with similar circumstances. It allows us to update prior information to find a final probability and helps with many different interpretations, including inferences on the accuracy of a medical test or statistical observations through models. This theorem can be applied in any scenario as long as you have the required parts of the formula. Melony hurried to break down the problem into different parts in order to apply this scenario to the formula. She splits it up into different Post-It Notes, attempting to find the side effect probability for each center that supplied the medications. Melony goes on to find the probability of the two events occurring simultaneously. She finally implements the Bayes Theorem and its complement to find the probability of each center’s side effects in an event that they both occur simultaneously. Melony finally figured it out! She found that through the use of the Bayes Theorem, it can be seen that it wasn’t CureQuest that was at fault, but it was actually HealCo! She quickly got dressed to visit the newspaper company and let them know of her findings. The next day, she saw a new newspaper article called, “HealCo Caught, CureQuest Cleared!” It featured a tree diagram displaying all of Melony’s work put together.

Challenge Yourself! You start with a single lily pad sitting on an otherwise empty pond. You are told that the surface area of the single lily pad doubles every day and that it takes 24 days for the single lily pad to cover the surface of the pond. If instead of 1 pad you start with 8 lily pads (each identical to the single pad), how many days will it take for the surface of the pond to get covered? ANSWER BELOW If you figure out the relationship between 8 pads and one lily pad, you will get the answer! Since one lily pad doubles every day, after 3 days it will be equivalent to starting with 8 lily pads! Then since one lily pad covers the whole pond in 24 days and we are starting after three days for 8 lily pads, the answer is 24-3, which is 21 days! Unsolved Riddle MEME MADNESS

By: Rhea Bhooshanam What a Grammy looks like! https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28247849/ The Grammys is an award ceremony where the best artists win awards for their talent. This award ceremony happened on February 1, 2026 and there were so many amazing artists there. Trever Noah hosted the 68th annual ceremony by introducing artists before their performances, and before they came out to announce the nominations and winners of each category. This year some of the performers included Alex Warren, Olivia Dean, and Sombr. The night was truly a memorable one.  Some categories that were announced were best new artist, best song of the year, best rap album of the year, and best music video. This year Kendrick Lamar had the most nominations, having a total of 9 nominations. Out of these 9 nominations he won 5 awards for best rap album, record of the year, best rap song, best melodic rap performance, and best rap performance. On the other hand, Olivia Dean won best new artist after her hit songs “Man I Need” and “Let Alone the One You Love”. The Grammy for best song of the year went to Billie Eilish and her brother FINNEAS for their song “Wildflower”, and popular singer Doechii won a Grammy for her “Anxiety” music video that gained a lot of popularity on TikTok.  The red carpet was a hot spot where artists got to debut their outfits for the evening. According to the website, Variety, the best looks of the ceremony included Sabrina Carpenter, Rosé, Katseye, Kehlani, and many more. Sabrina Carpenter had a beautiful white lace gown that she paired with her signature curls. Katseye had similar gowns but each of them had their own looks. One singer in the group, Megan, put pink extensions in her hair that made her look amazing. Other artists like Kehlani went for a simple red carpet look and really brought it to the top with their makeup. All artists had beautiful outfits that were pulled together really well.  This year the Grammys were exceptional and all the artists really shined. The Grammys is something to look forward to every year as it is a very interesting event. It always happens at the beginning of the year and is sure to start the year off on the right foot!