East Lake School team “Revenge of the Readers” placed fourth overall out of 15 teams in the annual Battle of the Books tournament on Feb. 28 at the Rocky View Schools Education Centre.
“Revenge of the Readers” faced off against 11 Rocky View Schools teams from Springbank, Cochrane, Kathryn, to Crossfield to win the Battle of the Books championship banner and see who knew the most about 16 preselected titles.
“They represented the school very well,” said “Revenge of the Readers” coach Leslie Waite.
“They made it to the semi-final and ended up fourth overall,” Waite said.
She added, “The team consisted of nine highly dedicated grade six students.”
In order to prepare for the event, teams spent countless hours not only reading and re-reading material but discussing and developing understandings of what they have read, said Learning Literacy Specialist for Rocky View Schools Lauren Condrashoff.
To prepare “Revenge of the Readers” for the tournament, Waite encouraged students to discuss the books selected, take notes, and then quiz each other.
“We do mock-battles during our weekly meetings, and we do battle the teachers which is a highlight for students,” Waite said.
“They were very pleased with how their battles went. They did their best and are all keen to participate next year,” Waite said.
However, Waite added, the girls on the team were disappointed to be disqualified after the semi-finals.
The collection of 16 preselected titles ranged from audiobooks, graphic novels, fiction, and non-fiction, Condrashoff said.
“The wide variety of text selections provided all students the opportunity to get involved in their school team, share their joy of reading with like-minded peers, build upon a culture of rich literature and authentic literacy conversations,” Condrashoff said.
“Battle of the Books is one of my favourite extracurricular events.
“It provides students for whom reading is a passion a chance to read, talk about books, and be acknowledged for their passion. It also introduces them to new writers and genres,” Waite said.
She added, “Battle of the Books is a great way to promote literacy, a love of reading, and teamwork.”
For “Revenge of the Readers” listening to guest author, Mr. David A. Paulsen, was the highlight from the day long tournament.
Waite added, “We read “And Then the Sky Exploded” this year which was a definite favourite book with all the kids.”
