Northeast Elementary students successfully put their reading skills to the test by winning the Wayne County Public Schools Elementary Battle of the Books competition. The competition took place on Wednesday, March 24, in the Norwayne Middle gym. Northeast Elementary and Fremont Elementary were the only two schools in the district able to field teams this year. Most schools were unable to field teams due to the logistical challenges of meeting and practicing in Plan B with some students at school while others were remote.

“As challenging as this year has been, I cannot be more proud of these students and their coaches for their hard work and dedication to this program,” states Christy White, Title IV Coordinator. “There were very few questions missed by either team, which shows how just prepared they were for the competition. We especially want to congratulate Northeast Elementary for their success.”

The Elementary School Battle of the Books is a quiz bowl style competition that encourages reading. Contestants, who are in grades 4-5, must read 18 books chosen by a statewide committee, and the competition tests students’ comprehension of the books. The Battle of the Books program is coordinated by the Media Center program at participating schools, with students reading and practicing throughout the school year. Organizers state that the Battle of the Books competition is a great way to motivate students to read and be exposed to quality literature.

It is important to note that this is the first time elementary students have been able to compete in the Battle of the Books Competition since spring of 2019. Last year’s competition had to be canceled after the State placed all public schools students in remote instruction.

The Northeast Elementary team consists of: Kate Bass, Abbi Cross, Delonte Artis, and Natalie Smith. The team was coached by Stacy Hersey.

The Fremont Elementary team consists of Weston Pittman, Rowan Lane, Allyssa Derksen, Madison Bailey, Callaway Sauls, Makena Radford, and Maddie Brown-Reeves. The team was coached by Tammy Derksen (Head Coach) and Tobie Girard (Assistant Coach).