Forest Hills Elementary hosts inaugural Multiplication Bee

FLORENCE, Ala. — Forest Hills Elementary School held its inaugural Multiplication Bee on Monday as a fun and competitive way to help students master their multiplication facts.

The event was created after teachers noticed students struggled to retain their multiplication tables. The bee was designed as both a learning opportunity and a motivational tool, bringing together a group of eager learners from 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade.

First, students participated in a placement round, and the top ten performers were selected to compete in the official competition. One by one, students took the stage to answer multiplication facts aloud, putting their skills—and nerves—to the test. With each round, scores were tallied, and the competition grew more intense, eventually narrowing to the final three contenders.

Teachers and students alike cheered on the participants, celebrating accuracy and confidence in math. The Multiplication Bee reinforced foundational math skills and fostered a sense of school spirit and achievement.

FHES Math Coach Pam Mininger said she was so proud of the students and very happy with how the event turned out. "I was so happy seeing these students on how hard they were working on learning these facts leading up to today," she said. "To be able to make math fun, it's like, 'what can we do next?'"

After the bee concluded, the top three finishers were:

• Ahkeem Smallwood - 1st Place
• Luke Foshee - 2nd Place
• Ellison McHargue - 3rd Place

Forest Hills staff hopes to make the Multiplication Bee an annual tradition as part of its ongoing efforts to support academic excellence in creative ways.

To view photos from the event, click here.

By Kaden Sledge