CCHS academics team sharpens skills, prepares for district

By NATALIE MARSHALL

Special to Leader-Press

 

Copperas Cove High School students competed in an area University Interscholastic League Academics meet walking away with several awards.

 

The competition hosted by Burnet High School drew students from schools throughout the region who are sharpening their skills for the district competition of academic knowledge held in April. The tests taken during the competition compare individual knowledge and skills among students who are preparing for their future roles in their adult careers. These activities, which exist to complement the academic curriculum, are designed to motivate students as they acquire higher levels of knowledge, to challenge students to confront issues of importance, and to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate mastery of specific skills. Students are challenged to think critically and creatively, exhibiting much more than knowledge and comprehension, according to the UIL website.

 

Areas of competition include accounting, computer applications, literary criticism, ready writing, spelling, current issues and events, social studies, and spelling and vocabulary. The social studies competition proved to be a strong one for CCHS students Victor Vazquez and Peyton Watt who brought back the first and fourth place ribbons respectively. Both said they read the assigned book ahead of time and used internet resources to help them prepare for the World War I topic for the day’s competition.

 

“I took practice tests online prior to the competition and quizzed my teammates to help them prepare for the event.” Vazquez said, adding that social studies is his favorite subject in school. “I have been interested in history for quite a while and enjoy attending the weekly school meetings to review historical topics and competition information.”

 

Peyton was excited about his fourth place ribbon.

 

“There were over fifty students in our competition and I was happily surprised when I found out I won,” he said.

 

In the accounting competition, CCHS student Brigette Bien earned a third place ribbon. To prepare for accounting topics, students review prior tested material on payroll, reconciliation of accounts, journal entries, auditing and other real world information.

 

“Our coach, Mrs. (Lois) Richardson, makes sure we are well prepared before each competition,” Bien said.

 

UIL Academics offers more activities than any other UIL division which includes both athletics and music contests. There are 29 contests at the high school level and more than 20 contests at the elementary and middle school levels. More than a half million students participate in UIL academics contests annually. CCHS students will be head to Lampasas on Saturday for another round of academic competitions.