Author: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Thursday, January 22, 2009

Gallery (click any photo to view the gallery)

Krista Sonka, a parent volunteer, helps guide an Academic Challenge team at Veterans Park Elementary. "I coach because I value education," she said.

Amid the rapid-fire questions, core-content review and teamwork lessons, one underlying goal of the Academic Challenge has always been to boost families’ involvement and engagement in their children’s education. The hope was that parents would become as active in the academic competitions as they had been in athletics.  

As the Academic Challenge has grown from a few hundred children during the summer to thousands of participants all year long, parents have gone from cheering in the audience to coaching teams at their kids’ schools.  

For Krista Sonka and Cindy Bennett, this volunteer role at Veterans Park Elementary offers a chance to see learning in action.  

“I coach because I value education,” said Sonka, whose team includes her first-grade daughter and third-grade son. “We’re the parents – we’re their advocates.” 

Sonka and Bennett met with their six-member primary team in the school library one morning last week for a final practice before this Saturday’s Principals’ Cup. Dressed in matching T-shirts, the students huddled around a table as they individually pondered the sample questions and then collectively agreed on a team answer.

Bennett, who has a daughter in their group, praised the Academic Challenge program, which urges students to strive for excellence through a series of scholastic competitions.

“It’s an easy way and a fun way for kids to learn. … It has given so many children an opportunity to be involved. And they don’t have to know every answer,” said Bennett, who has coached for three years, including one at SCAPA. “It encourages the children to enjoy school.”

Sonka noted the questions are drawn from core-content material – meaning they provide a review for older kids and a growing edge for younger participants.

When schools organize their Academic Challenge teams at the beginning of the year, the leaders consider the group dynamics and the students’ strengths. “We make sure there’s a little of everything on each team,” Bennett said, citing math, language arts and handwriting skills as examples.

In practice sessions, Sonka – whose husband is in the military – ensures their team is disciplined and well-prepared. “It’s not about the winning – it’s about working as a group and listening to each other,” she said.

One thing she and Bennett emphasize is sportsmanship. Obviously their team cannot win at every event, so the kids learn empathy. “It teaches them how to be gracious, and it teaches them not to gloat,” Bennett said.

Ibrahim Bakoush, whose fifth-grade son is on a team Lansdowne Elementary, agreed that a good attitude is important. “You are a winner just to be participating on the team,” he said.

“For me, I just enjoy seeing the kids compete. I’m thrilled to death that my son is there,” Bakoush said. “Whoever came up with this Academic Challenge idea, it’s an A-No. 1 idea, really.”

Next up

• What: Academic Challenge Principals’ Cup
• Who: Teams of kids in grades 1-5 competing in a day-long, single-elimination tournament
• When: Saturday Jan. 24
• Where: Tates Creek High School, 1111 Centre Parkway
• Contacts: Alice Nelson with FCPS at (859) 381-4307; Karolyn Kell with One Community, One Voice at (859) 272-1184. 

The back story

The Academic Challenge program, organized jointly by One Community, One Voice and the Fayette County Public Schools, is available to all students in grades 1-5. The goal is to create a culture that encourages children to embrace scholastic excellence, gives students opportunities to compete in rigorous academic contests, and involves parents in their kids’ education.

The annual series includes three Saturday competitions held at Tates Creek High School. This year’s Invitational was Nov. 15, the Principals’ Cup is Jan. 24 (check the results), and the Superintendent’s Cup is March 7. (Note: The date of the final event changed after the district calendar was printed.)

The particulars

The program has two divisions: primary (grades 1-3) and intermediate (grades 4-5). Most schools field several teams, each with four to six students. In competition, three teams square off at a time. A moderator reads a question, and the children have 45 seconds to confer and write their team’s answer on a white board. Each round has 20 questions, and the winning team advances to the next round.

After the finals, Superintendent Stu Silberman, OCOV Chairman Arnold Gaither, Board of Education members, and representatives from the community hand out awards to the first-, second- and third-place teams and recognize students who made it to the fourth round. To note the hard work and commitment of all the participants, each child receives an academic excellence award. In the Superintendent’s Cup, winners also receive trophies and college scholarships.