Norwayne students win 'Battle of the Books'
By News-Argus Staff
Published in News on March 23, 2006 1:45 PM
Norwayne Middle School students will represent Wayne County at the regional Battle of the Books competition after winning the countywide competition held last week at Dillard Middle School.
Other top teams that qualified for the regional middle school event will compete March 31 at the Royal Pavilion at Atlantic Beach.
Norwaynes first-place team consists of Chyanne Calhoun, Jeanine Edwards, Lauren Gooding, Jeremy Kelly, Katie Knotts, Heath Radford, Samuel Rivera, Walker Smiley, and Davis Taylor. The coaches are Rhonda Nichols and Pam Lipcsak.
Wayne County Public Schools has sponsored Battle of the Books competitions for 20 years. Battle of the Books, a quiz bowl-type competition, is specifically designed for students in grades 6 through 8. The competition encourages reading, with contestants required to read 27 books chosen by a statewide committee. The competition tests students' comprehension of the books.
"The Battle of the Books competition is a wonderful avenue for encouraging students to read quality literature," said Olivia Pierce, the school system's Executive Director for Community Relations, Instructional Media and Technology. "The ability for students to read 27 books and recall minute details is very impressive. It is wonderful to see students excited about reading."
Greenwood Middle School finished second in this year's competition. Members of that team include Rosally Aguilar, Myesha Bryant, Lucianna Lawrence, Ryan McCoy, Aaron Nighswander, and Irene Tsui. The coaches are Lisa Dawson, Faith Newell, and Connie Whaley.