Students enjoy competing in Jackson academic bowl

Students enjoy competing in Jackson academic bowl 

JACKSON - Some of the brightest pupils in Ocean and Monmouth counties convened at the Goetz Middle School recently for the 13th annual Academic Bowl.

Students in grades five through eight from 48 schools participated in the event, including teams from the Elms Elementary School in Jackson.

According to school district spokeswoman Allison Erwin, the Jeopardy-style trivia game tests students on their knowledge of science, history, English, literature and other subjects.

In Room 206 of the Goetz School, fourth-grade Elms Elementary School teacher Jennifer Bilodeau read questions selected by the four-member team of fifth-grade enrichment students from her school and the fifth-grade opposing team from the Robert L. Horbelt Elementary School in Barnegat. Kim German from the Horbelt School served as timekeeper for the contest.

Students huddled together at desks that were pushed together, discussing the possible answer.

"Time's up," said Bilodeau, and gave the correct response.
A groan went up from three students sitting out the contest since only four can compete.

"Shhh," said German, "You're not supporting your school (by making noise)."

A student selected literacy for 40 points and Bilodeau filled in the space on a chart written in chalk on the blackboard. As questions were asked, the spaces filled up.

"What was the name of the pig saved in E.B. White's, 'Charlotte's Web'?" Bilodeau asked.

"Wilbur," said a student.

Bilodeau said that was right.

The student's teammates shared a moment of jubilation at getting the correct answer, then attempted to muffle the forbidden outburst.

Not all questions elicited a correct answer. Teammates exchanged puzzled glances at hearing an unexpected response to a question the children thought they knew.

"They're very competitive and they're very high achieving students," said Kristajane Lombardi, a third-grade teacher at the Elms School who also teaches the fifth-grade, after-school enrichment program there with Bilodeau and led the other team at the Academic Bowl.

Lombardi said enrichment supervisor Delores Harvey selected Bilodeau's team of Cassandra Bennett, Kayla Brozyna, Corinne Conlin, Gabrielle Jean-Louis, Steven McConville and Katelyn Tran. Lombardi's team consisted of Alyssa Barreto, Sean Dickinson, Michael Kaba, Kasie Olszewski, Alexandra Ryllo and Franciso Villaverde, all of whom Harvey also chose to compete in the bowl.

"This was the second year that the enrichment program has gone to the Academic Bowl," Lombardi said. "The students like working with all grades. They're very competitive and they're very high achieving students."

Out of 30 schools, the Elms School fifth-grade students placed 11th. Students from the fifth-grade class at Land O' Pines School in Howell placed first, Indian Hill School in Holmdel came in second, and H.W. Mountz School in Spring Lake took third place.