Students At Independent Day School-Corbett Campus
To Celebrate Pi With Pie

For immediate release:
March 1, 2003
Tampa, Fla.

While cake might have been Marie Antoinette's dessert of choice, for middle school students at Independent Day School-Corbett Campus (IDS-CC) in Tampa, it's pie. At least on March 14 it will be because on 3/14 they will be celebrating the number 3.14159, commonly known as pi. In fact, pie-eating and pie-throwing contests will be some of the activities students will participate in as part of Pi Day festivities.

"Our students understand the mathematical concept of pi being an irrational, never-repeating number," said math teacher Tom Bronson. "What we want to do is breathe some fun into math, so they feel totally comfortable working with it. That's why we came up with Pi Day - to celebrate pi and mathematics, in general."

Under the direction of Bronson and his teaching partner Thelma Rosenberg, IDS students will create a variety of pi-related art, including paper pi chains, pi necklaces and pi poetry. The festivities will begin at 1:30 p.m. at the IDS-CC middle school. In addition to pi activities, at exactly 1:59 p.m., the students will pause to sing happy birthday to Albert Einstein, the world-famous mathematician who was born at that time on 3/14.

"We have a lot of fun, but the highlight of the day is always the pie-throwing contest," said Bronson. "I guess there's something about throwing a whipped cream pie at your math teacher that's really drives homes the significance of the number pi."

Founded in 1968, IDS, recently renamed Independent Day School-Corbett Campus, is a fully accredited, nonsectarian, independent school located in northwest Hillsborough County. It serves 500 plus students in grades Pre-K through 8. At IDS, all children experience learning in a nurturing and highly academic environment focused on excellence and developing a positive self-concept. IDS-CC has become recognized as an exemplary school with over 900 visitors observing and learning from and with IDS-CC teachers. For more information about IDS, visit www.idsyes.com.

Contact: Tom Bronson or Thelma Rosenberg, Independent Day School-Corbett Campus
Telephone: (813) 961-3087