When one hears about a Pi Day celebration, he or she most likely visualizes all the delicious flavors of pie such as apply, blueberry and pumpkin.  However, those interested in math are aware of the real reason for this day.

Each year, on March 14, mathematicians revel in the fact that 3/14 is also the numerical representation for π.  This year marked the first only 3.1415 celebration for the century.  This mathematical formula represents the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter.  This number is constant for all circles and can be represented either by 3.14 or 22/7.

Each year, the mathematics department at Floral Park Memorial High School recognizes the day with competitions and the wearing of t-shirts.  This year, Mrs. Fini-Jackman, Chairperson of Mathematics, decided to offer these shirts to the entire staff, a welcome change to spread the word.

“I was very excited when I heard I could also participate in this day,” said Mr. Simone, a teacher in the Social Studies Department.  “I always try to convey my love of math to my students.”

The day is also celebrated in honor of Mrs. Etta Schneiderman, who passed away in 2007.  Mrs. Schneiderman began her career at Floral Park Memorial in 1984, and served as a teacher for 23 years.  Pi day was her favorite of the year.

Several days before March 14, the math teachers revealed a showcase that held several math questions ranging from the topics of geometry to basic algebra.  They even asked participants to guess how many jelly beans were in a jar. Each student was given an answer sheet in which he or she had to solve the various questions posted on the wall.  The submissions were graded by Mrs. Fini-Jackman and Mrs. Clark.

The winners were announced on Monday.  Floral Park can expect to see the continuation of this math tradition for many years to come.