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The mathematical constant pi is more than just 3.14 for David Selvin's fifth-grade class at William Tyler Page Elementary School in Silver Spring.

The constant, in its short form, is 3.14. In an attempt to get his students thinking beyond three digits, Selvin challenged his math class to memorize the digits after 3.14. He said if a student could memorize 314 digits, he would dye his dark brown hair blond.

One student memorized 20 digits. Another doubled that total. Soon, pi digits broke the 100 barrier, followed by 200 and 300, until a student reached 450 digits.

"It kind of snowballed," said Selvin, 42, who teaches a class that includes statistics and pre-algebra at the Silver Spring school. "All the kids … were all going for it and supporting [each other]."

Now, a visit is to the salon is nearing for Selvin — and it's not for a trim.

"The kids are like, ‘We want you do to dye your hair pink,'" said Selvin, who said he is sticking with dyeing his hair blond.

In addition to the addictive quality Selvin says students get out of improving their digit totals, he added the challenge has also helped students develop critical memorization skills as they move from one math subject to another.

"They can do the same for any other challenge they do," Selvin said. "They can be successful."

Sixteen or more students have exceeded 20 digits in memorizing pi and five have gone over 100. But that is just scratching the surface.

The total number of pi digits, Selvin said, is a bigger piece of pi – three trillion.

Page Principal Debra Berner said Selvin's pi contest helped get students' minds off Maryland State Assessment testing, which ended last week.

"He knows the ways to motivate the kids," Berner said. "It wasn't even him dyeing his hair...It was kids competing against themselves."