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NEWS RELEASE
March 13, 2015
Hardin Park Maroon Team Wins Battle of the Books
The Hardin Park
School Maroon Team has
won the middle school
championship in the 201415
Watauga
County
Schools Battle of the
Books competition held
Tuesday, March 10th at
Mount Vernon Baptist
Church.
Members of the
Hardin Park Maroon Team
include
Bryant
Hou,
Carsyn Howarth, Lucy
Rapfogel, Gabe Souza,
Ethan Turner, and Li Yan.
The team was coached by
Hardin
Park
Media
Coordinators Amy Hiatt
and Candice Trexler. This
team will now represent
the
Watauga
County The middle school Battle of the Books champions from Hardin Park
Schools in regional Battle (from left): Lucy Rapfogel, Ethan Turner, Li Yang, Carsyn Howarth,
of the Books competition Bryant Hou, and Gabe Souza.
for middle school students
next month.
The team from Bethel Elementary took second place and the Cove Creek Black team was a
very close third. The Bethel team consisted of Nichole Johnson, Samantha Reese, Jeffery Greene,
Cyrus Martinez, Alexis Hodges, Breanna Harmon, Holden Perry, Parker Lawrence, Isaac Snyder,
Brandon Eggers, Sarah Snyder, and Lily Snyder. The team was coached by Eunice Johnson and Jay
Ishaya. The Cove Creek Black Team included Jackson Propst, Josiah Isaacs, Isaac Styles, Sarah
Tyndall, Seanna Miller, Kaycee Wilson, and Duncan Sherman. The team’s coaches were Madison
Padgett and Cynthia Townsend. This year marked the fourth in a row that teams from Cove Creek
and Hardin Park have finished in the top three in the middle school Battle of the Books, and Bethel
has achieved first or second place in two of those four years.
A total of 12 teams participated in middle school Battle of the Books this year. Each team
plays every other team once in the competition. In each round, teams are asked questions about “in
which book” a specific scene, event, or character appears. Each question is initially addressed to one
team, and if that team provides the correct title and author of the book, they are awarded three points.
If they miss, the other team is given a chance to answer the question and win two points for a correct
response. Sample questions from this competition included “in which book are holes drilled into a
coffin to provide air holes for characters that will be buried later?” and “in which book does a
character have a nose the size of a fist that looks like a misshapen potato?” The winning team is
determined on the basis of total points scored in all rounds combined.
Battle of the Books competitions rely on a team effort in the schools and on community
support, all of which is coordinated by Hardin Park Media Specialist Candice Trexler. She was
supported in her efforts by teachers and media specialists from the participating schools. She also
relied on the assistance of numerous volunteers, including parents, current and retired school system
employees, and others who help out as moderators, timekeepers, scorekeepers, and judges.
“Battle of the Books absolutely would not be possible without the help of our volunteers,”
Trexler said. “They are essential to having this competition and we are very grateful for all that they
do.”
Trexler also made a point of emphasizing how important the Watauga Education Foundation
and Mount Vernon Baptist Church are to Battle of the Books. The Watauga Education Foundation
again provided a grant of $2,000 that was essential in helping pay for program expenses, and Mount
Vernon Baptist Church generously donates the use of its classrooms and gym to host the competition.
Battle of the Books is a reading incentive program available to students in fourth through
eighth grade. This week’s middle school competition will be followed by the elementary grades
competition for students in grades four and five next Tuesday.
The books selected for the program include titles in a wide variety of literary genres. The
complete reading list includes 27 books for middle school teams.
Trexler praises the program for its value in encouraging students to read, saying that “Battle
of the Books is an opportunity for students to participate in a fun, competitive atmosphere while
enhancing their reading skills, enjoying quality literature, and being part of a team.”
Persons or organizations interested in supporting Battle of the Books can contact Trexler
at Hardin Park School, 264-8481.