Gretchen Pulver, left, with this year’s Plank North Battle of the Books finalists.
Now these are the kinds of battles you WANT to hear about.
Plank North Elementary School just concluded its annual Battle of the Books, a two-month long weekly contest which pits students in each of the school’s fifth grade classes against one another in a challenge which tests the students’ knowledge of literature.
The students divide themselves up into three-or-four person teams and come up with fanciful team names like the “Moolalas,” “The Athletic Dabbers” and the “Undercover Gymnasts.” Then they try to become experts in the eight different books chosen for that year’s competition.
In each of the first three rounds, held during the classes’ normal library time, the teams are asked 16 questions — two from each book. The top scoring team from each class then moved on to the final round.
The entire Plank North fifth grade gathered in the school’s cafeteria Wednesday afternoon to watch the final battle and cheer on the teams — The READ-ATHLONS, Tropical Pineapples, Bookish Bunch and The Page Turners.
It was a tense contest. Gretchen Pulver, the school’s Library Media Specialist and the event’s organizer, said that she has never before seen the final scores so close.
In the end, the READ-ATHLONS came out on top with 49 points, winning the coveted trophy. The Tropical Pineapples and the Bookish Bunch tied for second with 46 points, and the Page Turners came in third with 43 points.
Plank North is just one of many schools in our district which hold this annual event. Kudos to the dedicated librarians who spend so much time organizing the battles and finding such a creative way to encourage our children to read and love books.
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This year’s Battle champions, the READ-ATHLONS. Clockwise from left: Analise Alexander, Alyssa Doody, Bizzie Baglieri, and Leah Marcell.
The time is drawing near for the Webster Schroeder Class of 1977’s 40th reunion, and if that means you, you’re going to want to get your tickets soon.
The Monroe County Legislature and the school district are teaming up for a very important presentation on May 31 to raise awareness about the rising threat of opioid abuse in our community.
Jeanne Coonan holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music and Ithaca College, and has taught Instrumental Music for 35 years (24 years in Webster Central School District). Her experience includes teaching elementary, middle, and high school bands. Her elementary bands received Superior ratings at the Annapolis, MD Music Festival in 1996, 1998, and 2007, performing original commissioned compositions each time.
Al Heary has been teaching vocal/general music for 30 years, and currently teaches K-5 music at DeWitt Road Elementary School. He received a B.S. in Music Education/ Performance from Ithaca College and a M.M. in Music Education from SUNY Fredonia. He has completed three levels of Orff-Schulwerk teacher training at Eastman School of Music, three levels of Kodály teacher training at Nazareth College, and studied at the Orff Institute in Salzburg, Austria.
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