By Toni Garrard Clay/Athens ISD Communications Specialist
This was a year of firsts for elementary UIL academics at Athens ISD. It was the first year to hold a citywide meet before students could advance to district competition, and first was the place Athens earned at the district meet in Crandall on Jan. 23. Teams made up of second- through fifth-graders from Bel Air, South and Central clinched victory after facing students from Kaufman, Mabank, Crandall and Ferris.
“We are so proud of how well they represented their schools and Hornet Nation as a whole,” said Renee Campbell, the educational services director for AISD. “The kids and their coaches worked very hard, and the results speak for themselves.”
“UIL encourages them to get involved in their campus in an extracurricular way at an early age,” said Kalli Brunson, a fifth-grade teacher at Central Athens Elementary who coached for the dictionary skills event. Two of her team members, Seth Red and Chance Lowe, tied for second.
Seth said he participated because he wanted to get more involved in school. “It’s flat-out fun,” he said. “You get to stay after school and hang out with your friends who make it. … I beat a computer looking up a word. I found ‘poisonous’ before my friend could type it in the iPad.”
“I like it because it’s old school,” said Chance, who, like Seth, is a fifth-grader. “Usually people just go on Google to look something up.”
Bel Air Elementary fifth-grader Flavio Maldonado placed third in maps, graphs and charts and said his motivation for being in UIL is one of the most basic. “I just love learning,” he said.
Fellow fifth-grader Emma Gore, who won first place in oral reading, said the experience gave her more confidence. “It can help you be more who you really are,” she said.
Bel Air Instructional Coach Robin Allen, who helmed the oral reading team, said she loves to see the kids’ skill levels develop. “Like Emma said, it helps them gain confidence and be OK with who they are,” said Allen.
Becky Rogers, a counselor at South Athens Elementary who coached the music memory team, said she loves UIL academic events because participation exposes young people to ideas, art or techniques they might not otherwise come in contact with or appreciate. For proof of that, one need look no further than fourth-grader Jaxson Stiles or fifth-grader Sadie Briggs, both of whom took first place in music memory for their grades. Jaxson’s favorite music from his time studying and practicing is Mozart’s Horn Concerto No. 3.
“I like the horns,” he said when asked why he is drawn to the music. “It’s fun doing this.”
Sadie’s favorite piece of music is Symphony No. 5, Movement 2 by Shostakovich. “I like knowing all the songs,” she said. “You wouldn’t think people would still listen to it because it’s so old, but I like it.”
Students developing skills they didn’t know they had, learning new things, appreciating “old-school” art and techniques: all these things are what drive the leadership of Athens ISD to continue and promote excellence in UIL academics at every level.
(Toni Garrard Clay/AISD)
