Academic Decathlon Showcases Knowledge Outside the Classroom

By Jim Maldonis, Science Department Chair, Upper School Science Teacher, Community Life Coordinator

Upper School students came together for a day of fun, teamwork, academic and athletic challenges, and friendly competition as Berwick held its inaugural Academic Decathlon on November 21, 2022.

The day consisted of an opening ceremony, followed by a planning period within gradespecific Balance, Empathy, Leadership, Inclusion, Engagement, Followership, and Skills (BELIEFS) groups. The students then rotated through ten challenges broken into 15-minute segments that focused on science, history, English, math, visual arts, performing arts, world languages and cultures, athletics, wellness, and public speaking. A maximum of 100 points were available in each category, with group totals tallied after all 10 events were completed. Medals were presented to the top three groups with the winning team — a twelfth grade group led by Mr. Downey and Mr. Kauffman — earning 855 of a possible 1000 points. The victors earned a pizza lunch and a special on-campus privilege coupon book that the students can claim at any point for the remainder of the academic year. Among the privileges are dress-down days and late arrival to school if the student has a first period free.

Community feedback for the Decathlon was overwhelmingly positive and many expressed enthusiasm for running the event again next fall. It was wonderful to see the students demonstrate their knowledge outside of a typical classroom setting.The faculty did a great job designing fun and inclusive activities to alleviate the stresses that often accompany the conclusion of the first trimester.