Eight middle school teams and nine elementary school teams recently came together to compete at the Wayne County Public Schools (WCPS) annual Battle of the Books competitions. The middle school competition was held Friday, March 15, and the elementary school competition was held Wednesday, March 20, at the Dillard/Goldsboro Alumni Cultural Center. All total, more than 130 students competed in the two events.
The results are as follows:
Middle School Battle of the Books Top 3 Teams:
Norwayne Middle, coached by Connie Robinson (Head Coach) and Mylene Potter (Assistant Coach), continued its championship streak by winning first place. The school has won the past five district-level competitions.
Spring Creek Middle, coached by Kim York, took second place.
Wayne School of Engineering, coached by Sandy Brannan, took third place.
Elementary School Battle of the Books Top 3 Teams:
Northwest Elementary, coached by Michele Weeks (Head Coach) and Ashley Landes (Assistant Coach) won first place.
Spring Creek Middle, coached by Kim York, took second place.
Fremont Elementary, coached by Tammy Derksen (Head Coach) and Camille Frederick (Assistant Coach), took third place.
Sponsored by the North Carolina School Library Media Association, and coordinated by the Media Center program at participating schools, Battle of the Books is a quiz bowl type competition. The middle school competition is designed for students in grades 6 through 8. The elementary competition is designed for grades 4 through 5. Students at participating schools read books from a list established by the state Battle of the Books committee, and then compete to test their knowledge of the books. This year’s middle school book list consisted of 20 titles and the elementary school book list consisted of 15 titles.
“Literacy is an essential part of life, and the Battle of the Books is a great opportunity for students to exercise their literacy skills in a fun and unique way,” states Christy White, Title IV Enrichment Facilitator for Wayne County Public Schools. "The district is extremely appreciative of all those media coordinators, volunteers, and staff members who go above and beyond to provide this exceptional experience for our students."
As a first place winner, the Norwayne Middle team will move on to the regional Battle of the Books competition, which will be held on April 16 at Wallace Rose Hill High School in Duplin County. Northwest Elementary will also move on to regional Battle of the Books competition, which will be held on April 19 at the Dillard/Goldsboro Alumni Cultural Center.
The other school teams that participated in this year’s competitions include: Carver Heights Elementary, Dillard Middle, Eastern Wayne Elementary, Grantham Middle (MBOB/EBOB), Greenwood Middle, Meadow Lane Elementary, Mount Olive Middle (MBOB/EBOB), Northeast Elementary, and Rosewood Middle.