PAGE Academic Bowl

PAGE Academic Bowl for Middle Grades North Gwinnett Middle School Wins State Championship

Yes, they’re real! North Gwinnett team members celebrate by biting their medals.

North Gwinnett Middle School won top honors at this year’s PAGE Academic Bowl for Middle Grades State Championship. The hard-fought championship event was held in January at the Georgia College & State University (GC&SU) in Milledgeville.

During the morning session, 24 semifinalist teams from across the state competed in a round-robin competition. The eight teams of finalists then battled it out in the afternoon single-elimination competition. Members of the winning North Gwinnett team are Ipsita Bhattacharya, Jack Hunsaker, Nagayuvan Ayyachamy, Srishti Sood and Thomas Jenkins. The team is coached by Scott Johnson, Scott Kim and Kelly Lorenz.

Following the victory, North Gwinnett team captain Ipsita Bhattacharya said, “Without teammates like mine, this state championship would not be possible. I feel like North Gwinnett’s team has evolved so much this year — not just in knowledge but in teamwork and mental focus.” Her coach, Scott Johnson added, “This team has been amazing since day one, both in their dedication to academics but most importantly, having fun just hanging out together. I’d like to thank the other coaches, Scott Kim and Kelly Lorenz and all the teachers at North, for helping develop their skills and giving the kids a little extra above and beyond the curriculum. I can’t wait to see what these kids can do at Nationals in May.”

All eight teams competing in the final rounds earned medals and awards. The teams include: 2nd Place: Forsyth County Schools’ Lakeside Middle School, coached by Cheryl West; 3rd Place: DeKalb County School District’s Chamblee Middle School, coached by John Donegan and Cathy Hirsch; 4th Place: The Paideia School, an independent school in DeKalb

County, coached by Wilson York; 5th Place: Fulton County School System’s River Trail Middle School, coached by Scott Fowler and Sarah Roberson; 6th Place: Bremen City School District’s Bremen Middle School, coached by Denice Steed and Karee Payne; 7th Place: Muscogee County School District’s Aaron Cohn Middle School, coached by Rebecca Perez; North Gwinnett and Lakeside battle it out during the exciting championship round.

Audience awaits the announcement of the top eight teams after the morning round-robin competition.

8th Place: Cobb County School District’s Dodgen Middle School, coached by Kay Tabor and Linda Caballaro.

“It takes skill and cooperation to create a successful academic bowl team, and all the students who participated in the state championship competition should be proud of that accomplishment,” said PAGE Executive Director Craig Harper. “We understand the months of study and hard work exhibited by these students and their coaches, and we applaud them. We also appreciate the support of parents and school administrators, all of whom contributed to the success of each team. Finally, I’d like to thank GC&SU and the Collegiate Middle Level Association for hosting our competition at this outstanding university.”

The PAGE Academic Bowl features teams of middle school students fielding questions on subjects ranging from Georgia history to mathematics, science, literature and the performing arts. Opposing teams compete against the clock to answer toss-up and bonus questions in order to score points. The goal of the program is to inspire students to excel academically, to enhance student selfconfidence and self-esteem through high achievement and develop both a team and competitive spirit. Statewide, more than 1,000 students competed at the local, regional and state levels of the PAGE Academic Bowl for Middle Grades.

To see team photos, please visit www. pageinc.org/academicbowl/abwinners. n

Photos by Sam Ratcliffe

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Regional Certified Educator Job Fair

Who Should Attend? • Certified educators • Those eligible for teaching certification for the 2020-21 school year

What to Expect: • Information about South Metro Suburban Region & Schools • Meet staff and representatives from eight (8) South Metro Suburban Region & School systems representing 125+ schools and more than 100,000 students

What to bring with you: • At least 15 copies of a onepage resume to provide system human resources and school reps

Saturday, April 25, 2020 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Luella High School 603 Walker Drive, Locust Grove, GA 30248

Pre-registration is not required For more information contact Griffin RESA at 770-229-3247 or visit griffinresa.net.

Representatives from the Griffin RESA TAPP (Teacher Alternative Preparation Programs) will also be on hand to answer questions for eligible participants. To check eligibilty requirements, please visit griffinresa.net and click on “GaTAPP” and then click on “Information Brochure.”