Eight middle school teams recently came together to compete at the Wayne County Public Schools (WCPS) 35th annual Battle of the Books competition. The event was held Friday, March 3, at the Dillard/Goldsboro Alumni Cultural Center with approximately 65 students competing. Norwayne Middle continued its championship streak by winning first place. The school has won the past four district-level competitions.
The other schools that participated in the competition include: Dillard Middle, Eastern Wayne Middle, Grantham Middle, Mount Olive Middle, and Spring Creek Middle.
“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.”
Sponsored by the North Carolina School Library Media Association, Battle of the Books is a quiz bowl type competition, specifically designed for students in grades 6 through 8. 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 book list consisted of 16 titles.
The Norwayne Middle 2022-2023 team consists of Olivia Adams, Kate Bass, Allyssa Derksen, Edward Francis, Everett Grey, Adriana Jacobs, Kayleigh Jacobs, Lyra Nielsen, Kaitlyn Ridgle, and Josslyn Snyder. The team was coached by Connie Robinson (Head Coach) and Mylene Potter (Assistant Coach).
The Norwayne Middle team will move on to the regional Battle of the Books competition, which will be held on April 18 at the Dillard/Goldsboro Alumni Cultural Center.
The Battle of the Books program is coordinated by the Media Center program at participating schools. Organizers state that Battle of the Books is a great way to motivate students to read and be exposed to quality literature.
Wayne School of Engineering took second place. Their team consists of Beatriz Andres, Janna Atkinson, Elizabeth Dlugiewicz, Kamerin Draughon, Seth Mallo, Kayden McCollough, Blondge Phanor Jr., Kendrick Royal, Dyan Morales-Sanchez, Maleyah Thompson, Autumn Vick, and Robert Wilson. The team is coached by Sandy Brannan.
Rosewood Middle took third place. Their team consists of Justin “Greyson” Allen, Steven Ash,Olivia Clements, Tamari Goodman, Tristan Hill, Victoria Murphey, NicolePratt, and Brady Wheeler. The team is coached by Jamie Hair.
The other schools that participated in the competition include: Dillard Middle, Eastern Wayne Middle, Grantham Middle, Mount Olive Middle, and Spring Creek Middle.
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