2009 Interscholastic Reading Competition
The Fayette County Interscholastic Reading Competition is hosted each April by the Uniontown Public Library. The eighth annual competition was held on Wednesday, April 29th, 2009 with seventeen teams competing.
Teams of middle school students from area schools faced-off to see who could correctly answer the most questions about twenty books they had read during the school year.
The first place team was the Homefries from Connellsville Junior High East. Coming in second was Team Alpha from A. J. McMullen in the Uniontown School District. Laurel Highlands' Mighty Mustangs placed third. The Triple Rs from St. Mary's Nativity School in Uniontown were the fourth place winners and Team Omega, which also represented A. J. McMullen School came in fifth. Photos of the winning teams are below.
The competition is sponsored by The Friends of the Library, and it is modeled on competitions taking place in Westmoreland, Cambria, and other counties throughout the state.
Below and to the right you can view a list of books the students are to read for the 2010 competition. All are available at the Uniontown Public Library and in most school libraries.
The 2010 Reading Competition will be held on May 12, 2010 from 8 AM until noon.
Click on a subject below to read more about it. You may close a subject by clicking on its title again or by choosing a new subject.
2010 Reading Competition Book List
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Black Potatoes by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Eldest by Christopher Paolini
Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen
Heaven by Angela Johnson
Holes by Louis Sacher
Kids at Work by Russell Freedman
Rules by Cynthia Lord
Skeleton Man by Joseph Bruchac
Skellig by David Almond
Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
The Cay by Theodore Taylor
The Circuit by Francisco Jimenez
The Giver by Lois Lowry
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
The Secret of Priest's Grotto by Peter Land Taylor
The Teacher's Funeral by Richard Peck
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
When My Name Was Keoko by Linda Sue Parker
Herald Standard Article about the 2009 Contest
> News > News > Top
Stories
Connellsville
East team wins reading competition
By Frances Borsodi Zajac, Herald-Standard
05/04/2009
The Homefries of Connellsville Junior High East took first place in the recent 2009 Fayette County Interscholastic Reading Competition.
"It's really amazing that we won. We worked so hard for this,'' said team captain Jelena Kyle.
"We're very proud of the team. They worked extremely hard,'' said coach Jodi Enany, who works with teacher Kristy Clements.
The Homefries beat out 16 other teams to win the top spot in this reading comprehension competition for middle school students at St. John Byzantine Catholic School in Uniontown.
The other top finishers included Team Alpha from A.J. McMullen School in the Uniontown Area School District, second place; Mighty Mustangs from Laurel Highlands Middle School, third place; Triple Rs from St. Mary Nativity School in Uniontown, fourth place; and Team Omega, also from A.J. McMullen School, fifth place.
A tie-breaker was held for second place, which was determined by an extra round between Team Alpha and the Mighty Mustangs. Altogether, 17 teams participated in three rounds of 25 questions each before the run-off. It was the largest number of teams ever participating.
"I thought it was more enthusiastic than ever, with a surprise ending. Nobody knew who won,'' said Dianne McFeaters, children's librarian for Uniontown Public Library, which works with the Friends of Uniontown Public Library to sponsor the competition.
Beth Bubonovich, president of the Friends group and a volunteer at the event, explained the competition started when a member of the group saw an article about a similar competition held in Westmoreland County.
"I contacted the librarian - it was done through the schools - and she helped us,'' said Bubonovich.
She said McFeaters selects the 20 books for the competition and members of the Friends also read them and helped write questions for the student teams to answer.
This year's selection included award-winning books from a variety of genres such as "Becoming Naomi Leon'' by Pam Ryan, contemporary fiction; "Chew on This'' by Eric Schlosser, current issues; "Eagle Strike'' by Anthony Horowitz, action/adventure; "The Ear, The Eye and the Arm'' by Nancy Farmer, science fiction; "The Egypt Game'' by Zilpha Keatley Snyder, a mystery; "Growing up in Coal Country'' by Susan Campbell Bartoletti, local history; "Lincoln: A Photobiography'' by Russell Freedman, biography; and "To Kill a Mockingbird'' by Harper Lee, a classic.
The participants, wearing team T-shirts, included Uniontown Area School District: Lafayette School with Clueless, Brainiacs and The Real Readaz; Ben Franklin School with BF Hardbacks, Freedom Readers and Maroon Marauder; A.J. McMullen with Team Alpha and Team Omega; Connellsville Area School District: Connellsville Junior High East with Bacon and Homefries; Connellsville Junior High West with Novel Nerds A and Novel Nerds B; Laurel Highlands School District: Laurel Highlands Middle School with Mighty Mustangs; St. John the Evangelist School in Uniontown with SJE Stars and Super Speed Readers; and St. Mary Nativity in Uniontown with Triple Rs and Unknown Authors.
For the competition, two teams were placed in a classroom and rotated after each round. Adult volunteers operated each room with a monitor who collects the questions just before each round and keeps time - students are allowed just 20 seconds to answer a question. There is someone to read the questions and decide if the answers are correct. There is also a scorekeeper. Coaches and teachers also accompany their teams on their rounds.
Melba Gillingham, a scorekeeper and retired librarian for the Albert Gallatin School District, said, "I think it's a great idea. It's good for the kids to be reading these books and it's something to strive for - getting a trophy and participating in a competition. I think it's outstanding the schools participated in this.''
Helen Sterling, a monitor who is retired from Uniontown Public Library, said, "I enjoy the kids. It gives me an idea that they understand what they're reading and I like to see the different schools. There's a broad spectrum of youths.''
The students enjoy the competition.
Jenna Jenkins, captain for the Maroon Marauders, said she joined the competition because "I like reading and I thought it would be fun.''
Sabrina McMillen, captain for the Mighty Mustangs, said, "I like that everybody gets together to meet new people and talk about books.''
Marvin Mills Jr., coach for the Brainiacs, said, "I like the fact you get to meet a lot of different people from different places.''
Kyle agreed, saying, "You get to meet new people and it's a fun experience.''
But the competition is tough.
Carissa Kotyuha, captain for Clueless, said, "You really have to pay attention to what the books are about to answer the questions. Every member has to help.''
Kyli Stoner, captain for Novel Nerds A, said, "It's not one of your usual competitions. It's challenging and it encourages people to read.''
Adults like it, too.
Enany said, "It gives the students an opportunity to read quality books, and it involves them in teamwork.''
Carla Vernon, Mustangs coach, is the librarian at Laurel Highlands Middle School and was part of the original group that put together the competition. She said, "I like how the students work together to support each other. They're nice kids.''
Dolores Shusko, French teacher at LH Middle School, who also helps at the competition, said, "It shows the students there's a lot of people out there who like to read.''
Both women also noted the excellence in books selected for the competition and Vernon said of the students, "It's great to see them come back and say, 'We love that book.'''
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06, 2009 |
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By Frances Borsodi Zajac, Herald-Standard
05/04/2009
The Homefries of Connellsville Junior High East took first place in the recent 2009 Fayette County Interscholastic Reading Competition.
"It's really amazing that we won. We worked so hard for this,'' said team captain Jelena Kyle.
"We're very proud of the team. They worked extremely hard,'' said coach Jodi Enany, who works with teacher Kristy Clements.
The Homefries beat out 16 other teams to win the top spot in this reading comprehension competition for middle school students at St. John Byzantine Catholic School in Uniontown.
The other top finishers included Team Alpha from A.J. McMullen School in the Uniontown Area School District, second place; Mighty Mustangs from Laurel Highlands Middle School, third place; Triple Rs from St. Mary Nativity School in Uniontown, fourth place; and Team Omega, also from A.J. McMullen School, fifth place.
A tie-breaker was held for second place, which was determined by an extra round between Team Alpha and the Mighty Mustangs. Altogether, 17 teams participated in three rounds of 25 questions each before the run-off. It was the largest number of teams ever participating.
"I thought it was more enthusiastic than ever, with a surprise ending. Nobody knew who won,'' said Dianne McFeaters, children's librarian for Uniontown Public Library, which works with the Friends of Uniontown Public Library to sponsor the competition.
Beth Bubonovich, president of the Friends group and a volunteer at the event, explained the competition started when a member of the group saw an article about a similar competition held in Westmoreland County.
"I contacted the librarian - it was done through the schools - and she helped us,'' said Bubonovich.
She said McFeaters selects the 20 books for the competition and members of the Friends also read them and helped write questions for the student teams to answer.
This year's selection included award-winning books from a variety of genres such as "Becoming Naomi Leon'' by Pam Ryan, contemporary fiction; "Chew on This'' by Eric Schlosser, current issues; "Eagle Strike'' by Anthony Horowitz, action/adventure; "The Ear, The Eye and the Arm'' by Nancy Farmer, science fiction; "The Egypt Game'' by Zilpha Keatley Snyder, a mystery; "Growing up in Coal Country'' by Susan Campbell Bartoletti, local history; "Lincoln: A Photobiography'' by Russell Freedman, biography; and "To Kill a Mockingbird'' by Harper Lee, a classic.
The participants, wearing team T-shirts, included Uniontown Area School District: Lafayette School with Clueless, Brainiacs and The Real Readaz; Ben Franklin School with BF Hardbacks, Freedom Readers and Maroon Marauder; A.J. McMullen with Team Alpha and Team Omega; Connellsville Area School District: Connellsville Junior High East with Bacon and Homefries; Connellsville Junior High West with Novel Nerds A and Novel Nerds B; Laurel Highlands School District: Laurel Highlands Middle School with Mighty Mustangs; St. John the Evangelist School in Uniontown with SJE Stars and Super Speed Readers; and St. Mary Nativity in Uniontown with Triple Rs and Unknown Authors.
For the competition, two teams were placed in a classroom and rotated after each round. Adult volunteers operated each room with a monitor who collects the questions just before each round and keeps time - students are allowed just 20 seconds to answer a question. There is someone to read the questions and decide if the answers are correct. There is also a scorekeeper. Coaches and teachers also accompany their teams on their rounds.
Melba Gillingham, a scorekeeper and retired librarian for the Albert Gallatin School District, said, "I think it's a great idea. It's good for the kids to be reading these books and it's something to strive for - getting a trophy and participating in a competition. I think it's outstanding the schools participated in this.''
Helen Sterling, a monitor who is retired from Uniontown Public Library, said, "I enjoy the kids. It gives me an idea that they understand what they're reading and I like to see the different schools. There's a broad spectrum of youths.''
The students enjoy the competition.
Jenna Jenkins, captain for the Maroon Marauders, said she joined the competition because "I like reading and I thought it would be fun.''
Sabrina McMillen, captain for the Mighty Mustangs, said, "I like that everybody gets together to meet new people and talk about books.''
Marvin Mills Jr., coach for the Brainiacs, said, "I like the fact you get to meet a lot of different people from different places.''
Kyle agreed, saying, "You get to meet new people and it's a fun experience.''
But the competition is tough.
Carissa Kotyuha, captain for Clueless, said, "You really have to pay attention to what the books are about to answer the questions. Every member has to help.''
Kyli Stoner, captain for Novel Nerds A, said, "It's not one of your usual competitions. It's challenging and it encourages people to read.''
Adults like it, too.
Enany said, "It gives the students an opportunity to read quality books, and it involves them in teamwork.''
Carla Vernon, Mustangs coach, is the librarian at Laurel Highlands Middle School and was part of the original group that put together the competition. She said, "I like how the students work together to support each other. They're nice kids.''
Dolores Shusko, French teacher at LH Middle School, who also helps at the competition, said, "It shows the students there's a lot of people out there who like to read.''
Both women also noted the excellence in books selected for the competition and Vernon said of the students, "It's great to see them come back and say, 'We love that book.'''
Guidelines for Reading Competition
2010
Guidelines for the Interscholastic Reading
Competition
Please read this information prior to the first round.
Rules
Etiquette
• The Moderator has complete control in the competition area. No comments or discussion from the audience are permitted.
• The Moderator will be the judge of each answer. The Moderator will make final decisions, and all students must abide by those decisions. Please remember that our Moderators and Scorekeepers are volunteers who have graciously donated their time so that we can hold this competition. The Moderators have not read the books; they can only accept what is written on their question form. As in any competition, there will be occasions when you don’t agree with a judgment. You are welcome to write down your concerns on the Evaluation Form, but the Moderator’s decision to accept or reject an answer is final.
• Our objective is to have fun. So, just like last year, remember that good sportsmanship expresses itself by “Graciousness in Victory and Defeat”. Most importantly, PLEASE HAVE A GREAT TIME!!
Please read this information prior to the first round.
Rules
- No one is permitted to bring food, drinks, pens, paper, books, or booklists into the competition rooms. If you have a cell phone, please make sure that it is turned off. No one is permitted to leave the room while a round of questioning is in progress unless there is an emergency. Alternates and coaches are to be seated away from the rest of the team and may not confer with team members.
- There are three different rounds of questions. Each Moderator will be asking the same questions during the same round.
- The Moderator calls the team captains for a coin toss in order to designate TEAM A. Team captains will be given team cards to place on their tables.
- The Moderator directs the first question to TEAM A. The Moderator reads the question twice and allows the teams to confer for twenty seconds. The Moderator then says, “Your answer please.” The team captain has the option of answering the question or of designating a specific team member, by name, to answer the question.
- TEAM A has 20 seconds to answer the question.
- The Moderator acknowledges the correct answer: “TEAM A (or TEAM B) answered question 1 correctly”.
- The Scorekeeper and coaches mark the score sheets in the following manner:
- If Team A answers the question correctly, its column is marked with a “C”. If Team A does not answer the question or provides an incorrect answer, the column is marked with an “X”.
- The second question on the sheet is directed to Team B, using the same procedure as outlined above.
- After each team has been asked 20 questions, the Scorekeeper will tabulate the score by counting the number of C’s in each team’s column and printing the total on the line provided in the box at the top of the sheet.
- As soon as the scores are tabulated, the Scorekeeper and Moderator will both sign the individual Team Score sheets and return them to the team coaches. The Scorekeeper will then send the Moderator’s Official Score sheet, showing the final scores for each round. Team scores will be posted on a chalkboard following each round.
- When all teams have finished the round, the Moderator’s Folders for the next round will be brought to each Moderator. TEAMS WILL NOT MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ROUND UNTIL THE MODERATOR’S FOLDER HAS BEEN RETURNED. Obviously, the next round cannot begin until all the teams are finished.
- Awards will be handed out after the third round is completed.
Etiquette
• The Moderator has complete control in the competition area. No comments or discussion from the audience are permitted.
• The Moderator will be the judge of each answer. The Moderator will make final decisions, and all students must abide by those decisions. Please remember that our Moderators and Scorekeepers are volunteers who have graciously donated their time so that we can hold this competition. The Moderators have not read the books; they can only accept what is written on their question form. As in any competition, there will be occasions when you don’t agree with a judgment. You are welcome to write down your concerns on the Evaluation Form, but the Moderator’s decision to accept or reject an answer is final.
• Our objective is to have fun. So, just like last year, remember that good sportsmanship expresses itself by “Graciousness in Victory and Defeat”. Most importantly, PLEASE HAVE A GREAT TIME!!
Checklist for Moderators and Scorekeepers
Checklist
for Moderators and Scorekeepers
Please read this information prior to the first round.
All moderators should have folders containing the following items:
Guidelines
Schedule
Moderator’s Score Sheet
Questions Folder
Team A and Team B cards
Evaluation Form
• Check your schedule and be sure that the correct teams are present. Count the number of students on each team. There may be no more than 8 students on a team. Alternates and coaches are to be seated away from the rest of the team and are not to confer with team members. Allow students to rearrange seating to facilitate conferencing. Distribute the Moderator’s Score Sheet to the scorekeeper.
• No one is permitted to leave the room while a round of questioning is in progress unless there is an emergency. No one is permitted to bring food, drinks, pens, paper, books, or booklists into the room. Please check to make sure that these rules are being followed.
• The rules and quizzing procedures have been read to each team by its coach. Ask if there are any questions about the rules or procedures. Call the captains and determine by coin-toss which team will be asked the first question (Team A). Give each team captain the appropriate card.
• The Questions Folder will contain questions for one round only. Announce the question number and book’s name before each set of questions. Read the question two times and allow both teams twenty seconds to confer. The Moderator then says, “Your answer please.” The team captain then has the option of answering the question or of designating a specific team member, by name, to answer the question. Do not allow other team members to shout answers.
• If part of an answer appears in parentheses, it is not a required answer. It is intended to give you additional information or to reflect an alternate correct response. The moderator’s decision to accept or reject an answer is final. Questions are not to be thrown out. The Moderator acknowledges the correct answer by saying, “TEAM A (or TEAM B) answered question 1A correctly”. If the accuracy of the answer shown on your sheet is questioned, a note concerning the question should be made on the Evaluation Form.
• The Scorekeeper will maintain the score and point totals. Do not announce the running point total after each question, as this discourages the losing team. If asked, the Scorekeeper may announce the score once or twice during each round. Once all 40 questions have been answered, record the total points on the Moderator’s Score sheet. Moderator and Scorekeeper must sign both the Moderator’s Score sheet and the individual Team Score sheets. Team coaches will retain individual Team Score sheets. Do not release your competitors until you receive the Moderator’s folder for the next round.
• If a problem arises and you need assistance, contact a Competition Official.
Please read this information prior to the first round.
All moderators should have folders containing the following items:
Guidelines
Schedule
Moderator’s Score Sheet
Questions Folder
Team A and Team B cards
Evaluation Form
• Check your schedule and be sure that the correct teams are present. Count the number of students on each team. There may be no more than 8 students on a team. Alternates and coaches are to be seated away from the rest of the team and are not to confer with team members. Allow students to rearrange seating to facilitate conferencing. Distribute the Moderator’s Score Sheet to the scorekeeper.
• No one is permitted to leave the room while a round of questioning is in progress unless there is an emergency. No one is permitted to bring food, drinks, pens, paper, books, or booklists into the room. Please check to make sure that these rules are being followed.
• The rules and quizzing procedures have been read to each team by its coach. Ask if there are any questions about the rules or procedures. Call the captains and determine by coin-toss which team will be asked the first question (Team A). Give each team captain the appropriate card.
• The Questions Folder will contain questions for one round only. Announce the question number and book’s name before each set of questions. Read the question two times and allow both teams twenty seconds to confer. The Moderator then says, “Your answer please.” The team captain then has the option of answering the question or of designating a specific team member, by name, to answer the question. Do not allow other team members to shout answers.
• If part of an answer appears in parentheses, it is not a required answer. It is intended to give you additional information or to reflect an alternate correct response. The moderator’s decision to accept or reject an answer is final. Questions are not to be thrown out. The Moderator acknowledges the correct answer by saying, “TEAM A (or TEAM B) answered question 1A correctly”. If the accuracy of the answer shown on your sheet is questioned, a note concerning the question should be made on the Evaluation Form.
• The Scorekeeper will maintain the score and point totals. Do not announce the running point total after each question, as this discourages the losing team. If asked, the Scorekeeper may announce the score once or twice during each round. Once all 40 questions have been answered, record the total points on the Moderator’s Score sheet. Moderator and Scorekeeper must sign both the Moderator’s Score sheet and the individual Team Score sheets. Team coaches will retain individual Team Score sheets. Do not release your competitors until you receive the Moderator’s folder for the next round.
• If a problem arises and you need assistance, contact a Competition Official.
More Reading Competition Photos
Home Fries, Connellsville Jr. High East, First Place
Team Alpha, A. J. McMullen, Second Place
Mighty Mustangs, Laurel Higlands, Third Place
Triple Rs, St. Mary's Nativity School, Fourth Place
Team Omega, A. J. McMullen School, Fifth Place
More Scenes From Competition Day 2009
