2010 Battle of the Books Champs!

I'd like to congratulate the winners of this year's Battle of the Books competition in Highlands Ranch. All of the teams worked so hard, and it's a shame that only one team per grade level can win! But, every competition must have a winner, and this one is no exception. The champions of this year's Battle of the Books are:

3rd/4th Grade - Heritage Elementary

5th/6th Grade - Academy Charter School


A big enormous THANK YOU to all the coaches who did so magnificently with their teams this year! You guys are what makes this program amazing, and it has been an absolute pleasure working with you all! See you next year!

Battle of the Books Survey

Please take a moment to follow the link and take our Battle of the Books feedback survey. Elizabeth and I would like to do our best to make sure next year's event is even better, but to do that, we need to know what worked and what didn't. The survey is short, and it's located here (you'll have to cut and paste):

http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22AM4RPPHE9


Thanks so much! We appreciate your opinions!

Schedule for the Finals

The Battle of the Books Finals are Friday, May 7th. The schedule is as follows:

6:00 Heritage vs. Trailblazer - 3rd/4th Grade
6:30 Academy Charter vs. Trailblazer - 5th/6th Grade

The finals are held after the library closes; we will have a side door open, as well as signs pointing everyone in the right direction. We hope to see a great turnout, so come and cheer on your team!

Results for the Semifinals

Wow! I know I say it a lot, but I have been so impressed with all of our teams this year! You guys are all amazing! I have had so much fun during this whole process, and tonight was no different. Here are the results for this evening's Semifinals (winning teams are highlighted in red):

3rd/4th Grade
Heritage 57, Acres Green 33
Eagle Ridge 40, Trailblazer 50

5th/6th Grade
Academy Charter 57, Northridge 28
Trailblazer 48, Acres Green 38

Schedule for Semifinals

The semifinals are Wednesday, May 5th. The schedule is as follows:

5:00 Acres Green vs. Heritage (3/4)
5:30 Northridge vs. Academy Charter (5/6)
6:00 Eagle Ridge vs. Trailblazer (3/4)
6:30 Acres Green vs. Trailblazer (5/6)

Good luck to everyone!

Results for 5th/6th Grade Quarterfinals

Wow - tonight we went to a tiebreaker, and we had some other close battles. The semifinals are set! Here are the results of tonight's battles (winning teams are highlighted in red):

Northridge 43, Platte River 38 (tiebreaker)
Eagle Ridge 40, Acres Green 51
Trailblazer 39, Heritage 23
Academy Charter 38, Stone Mountain 33

Results for 3rd/4th Grade Quarterfinals

Whew! The 3/4 Quarterfinals were this evening, and they were awesome! Every single battle was close; everyone did a phenomenal job. Here are the results (winning teams are highlighted in red):

Acres Green 40, Copper Mesa 30
Eagle Ridge 48, Platte River Academy 40
Heritage 48, Cougar Run 40
Stone Mountain 43, Trailblazer 48

The winning teams move on to next week's semifinals.

Quarterfinals Schedule

Now that the inter-school battles are over, we have the elimination rounds to look forward to! The top 4 teams in each conference will compete in the quarterfinals next week; if they win, they will move on to the semifinals May 5th. The schedule for the quarterfinals is as follows:

Wednesday, April 28th - 3rd/4th Grade
4:30 - Copper Mesa vs Acres Green
5:00 - Platte River Academy vs Eagle Ridge
5:30 - Heritage vs Cougar Run
6:00 - Trailblazer vs Stone Mountain


Thursday, April 29th - 5th/6th Grade
4:30 - Platte River Academy vs Northridge
5:00 - Acres Green vs Eagle Ridge
5:30 - Heritage vs Trailblazer
6:00 - Academy Charter vs Stone Mountain


Congrats to everyone who participated in Battle of the Books this year! I couldn't have been more impressed with everyone's hard work, dedication, and enthusiasm!

Standings for Week 4

3rd/4th Grade
AFC
1. Trailblazer (4-0, 202 points)
2. Heritage (3-1, 190 points)
3. Cougar Run (3-1, 151 points)
4. Stone Mountain (1-3, 165 points)
5. Academy Charter (1-3, 156 points)
6. Saddle Ranch (0-4, 111 points)

NFC
1. Platte River Academy (3-1, 198 points)
2. Copper Mesa (3-1, 166 points)
3. Acres Green (3-1, 162 points)
4. Eagle Ridge (2-2, 166 points)
5. Northridge (1-3, 146 points)
6. Eldorado (0-4, 117 points)


5th/6th Grade
AFC
1. Academy Charter (4-0, 188 points)
2. Heritage (3-1, 171 points)
3. Trailblazer (2-2, 169 points)
4. Stone Mountain (2-2, 151 points)
5. Saddle Ranch (1-3, 113 points)
6. Cougar Run (0-4, 94 points)

NFC
1. Acres Green (3-1, 175 points)
2. Platte River Academy (3-1, 156 points)
3. Northridge (2-2, 182 points)
4. Eagle Ridge (2-2, 148 points)
5. Copper Mesa (1-3, 150 points)
6. Eldorado (1-3, 118 points)

Scores for Thursday, April 22nd

The final night of inter-school battles, and we had some close ones! Here are the results for tonight's battles (winning teams are highlighted in red):

3rd/4th Grade
Heritage 53, Cougar Run 18
Eldorado 18, Platte River 60
Copper Mesa 43, Eagle Ridge 38 (tiebreaker)


5th/6th Grade
Heritage 41, Cougar Run 28
Eldorado 31, Platte River 34
Eagle Ridge 26, Copper Mesa 35

Scores for Wednesday, April 21st

This is the last week of inter-school battles, and the standings are so close! We had a great night tonight - here are the scores (winning teams are highlighted in red):

3rd/4th Grade
Academy Charter 51, Saddle Ranch 25
Stone Mountain 40, Trailblazer 45
Northridge 23, Acres Green 38


5th/6th Grade
Saddle Ranch 36, Academy Charter 43
Trailblazer 48, Stone Mountain 25
Northridge 46, Acres Green 28

Week 3 Standings

Here are the standings at the end of week 3. As a reminder, only the top 4 teams in each conference will move on to the semifinals.

3rd/4th Grade
AFC
1. Trailblazer (3-0, 157 points)
2. Cougar Run (3-0, 133 points)
3. Heritage (2-1, 137 points)
4. Stone Mountain (1-2, 125 points)
5. Academy Charter (0-3, 105 points)
6. Saddle Ranch (0-3, 86 points)

NFC
1. Platte River Academy (2-1, 138 points)
2. Acres Green (2-1, 124 points)
3. Copper Mesa (2-1, 123 points)
3. Eagle Ridge (2-1, 123 points)
5. Northridge (1-2, 123 points)
6. Eldorado (0-3, 99 points)


5th/6th Grade
AFC
1. Academy Charter (3-0, 145 points)
2. Heritage (2-1, 130 points)
3. Stone Mountain (2-1, 126 points)
4. Trailblazer (1-2, 121 points)
5. Saddle Ranch (1-2, 77 points)
6. Cougar Run (0-3, 66 points)

NFC
1. Acres Green (3-0, 147 points)
2. Platte River Academy (2-1, 122 points)
3. Eagle Ridge (2-1, 122 points)
4. Northridge (1-2, 136 points)
5. Eldorado (1-2, 87 points)
6. Copper Mesa (0-3, 115 points)

Scores for Thursday, April 15th

What a super evening! Many of our battles were quite close, which made everything so exciting! Here are this evening's results (winning teams are highlighted in red):

3rd/4th Grade
Copper Mesa 41, Eldorado 38
Eagle Ridge 49, Acres Green 41
Academy Charter 40, Trailblazer 53


5th/6th Grade
Eldorado 37, Copper Mesa 30
Acres Green 48, Eagle Ridge 28
Academy Charter 50, Trailblazer 30

Scores for Wednesday, April 14th

Wow - we had some super close ones last night! Very exciting! Here are the scores (winning teams are highlighted in red):

3rd/4th Grade
Heritage 56, Saddle Ranch 40
Stone Mountain 41, Cougar Run 43
Northridge 45, Platte River Academy 53


5th/6th Grade
Heritage 53, Saddle Ranch 16
Stone Mountain 44, Cougar Run 10
Northridge 43, Platte River Academy 51

Week 2 Standings

3rd/4th Grade
AFC
1. Trailblazer (2-0, 104 points)
2. Cougar Run (2-0, 96 points)
3. Stone Mountain (1-1, 84 points)
4. Heritage (1-1, 81 points)
5. Academy Charter (0-2, 65 points)
6. Saddle Ranch (0-2, 46 points)

NFC
1. Acres Green (2-0, 83 points)
2. Platte River Academy (1-1, 85 points)
3. Copper Mesa (1-1, 82 points)
4. Northridge (1-1, 78 points)
5. Eagle Ridge (1-1, 74 points)
6. Eldorado (0-2, 61 points)


5th/6th Grade
AFC
1.Academy Charter (2-0, 95 points)
2. Trailblazer (1-1, 91 points)
3. Stone Mountain (1-1, 82 points)
4. Heritage (1-1, 77 points)
5. Saddle Ranch (1-1, 61 points)
6. Cougar Run (0-2, 56 points)

NFC
1. Acres Green (2-0, 99 points)
2. Eagle Ridge (2-0, 94 points)
3. Platte River Academy (1-1, 94 points)
4. Northridge (1-1, 93 points)
5. Copper Mesa (0-2, 85 points)
6. Eldorado (0-2, 50 points)

Scores for Thursday, April 8th

Great battles tonight! It's fun to see everyone having so much fun, and I love the enthusiasm! Here are the results of tonight's battles (winning teams are highlighted in red):

3rd/4th Grade
Copper Mesa 46, Platte River Academy 33
Acres Green 37, Eldorado 21
Cougar Run 39, Academy Charter 34


5th/6th Grade
Copper Mesa 40, Platte River Academy 51
Acres Green 46, Eldorado 30
Academy Charter 49, Cougar Run 33

Scores for Wednesday, April 7th

Another fabulous evening of battles has passed - everyone did such a great job! And it's awesome to see so many spectators coming to cheer on their teams; I hope that continues throughout the competition. Here are the results of tonight's battles (winning schools are highlighted in red):

3rd/4th Grades
Saddle Ranch 18, Trailblazer 50
Heritage 46, Stone Mountain 38
Eagle Ridge 41, Northridge 36


5th/6th Grades
Saddle Ranch 26, Trailblazer 50
Heritage 33, Stone Mountain 49
Northridge 33, Eagle Ridge 49

Week 1 Standings

Here are the standings for week 1:

3rd/4th Grade
AFC
1. Cougar Run (1-0, 57 points)
2. Trailblazer (1-0, 54 points)
3. Stone Mountain (1-0, 46 points)
4. Heritage (0-1, 35 points)
5. Academy Charter (0-1, 31 points)
6. Saddle Ranch (0-1, 28 points)

NFC
1. Platte River Academy (1-0, 52 points)
2. Acres Green (1-0, 46 points)
3. Northridge (1-0, 42 points)
4. Eldorado (0-1, 40 points)
5. Copper Mesa (0-1, 36 points)
6. Eagle Ridge (0-1, 33 points)


5th/6th Grade
AFC
1. Academy Charter (1-0, 46 points)
2. Heritage (1-0, 44 points)
3. Saddle Ranch (1-0, 35 points)
4. Trailblazer (0-1, 41 points)
5. Stone Mountain (0-1, 33 points)
6. Cougar Run (0-1, 23 points)

NFC
1. Northridge (1-0, 60 points)
2. Acres Green (1-0, 53 points)
3. Eagle Ridge (1-0, 45 points)
4. Copper Mesa (0-1, 45 points)
5. Platte River Academy (0-1, 43 points)
6. Eldorado (0-1, 20 points)

Scores for Thursday, April 1st

Another great round of battles tonight, including a couple of really close ones. Here are the scores (the winning team is highlighted in red):

3rd/4th Grade
Copper Mesa 36, Acres Green 46
Eagle Ridge 33, Platte River Academy 52
Trailblazer 54, Heritage 35


5th/6th Grade
Copper Mesa 45, Acres Green 53
Eagle Ridge 45, Platte River Academy 43
Heritage 44, Trailblazer 41

Scores for Wednesday, March 31st

Battle of the Books has officially started! We had a great evening of battles, and everyone did such a fantastic job. We were even treated to a nailbiter between the 3rd and 4th grade teams for Eldorado and Northridge. Congrats to all on a great job! Here are the scores (the winning teams are highlighted in red):

3rd/4th Grade
Cougar Run 57, Saddle Ranch 28
Academy Charter 31, Stone Mountain 46
Northridge 42, Eldorado 40


5th/6th Grade
Cougar Run 23, Saddle Ranch 35
Academy Charter 46, Stone Mountain 33
Eldorado 20, Northridge 60

Stay tuned for the results of tomorrow's battles, as well as the week one standings.

One Week to Go!

Well, it's the last week before the start of Battle of the Books. By now, I have visited many of your schools, and I have to say that I'm so impressed with how well all the teams are doing. There are a few things I have noticed at a number of schools, so I though I'd reiterate them to you all here.

1) Please remind your kids that while the other team is discussing a question, you team may not talk AT ALL. This is a point that's in the rules; if a team is caught talking when it isn't their turn, a first offense will get them a warning. The second offense will get them a 2 point deduction, and a third offense will get them a disqualification.

2) Please remind your teams that challenges are only to be done when they are absolutely certain that a question could have two answers. Last year we did not have any challenges, and I am confident that the persons who composed all the questions thoroughly researched them. Please refer to the section of the rules labeled "Challenges". If you do not have a copy of the rules, please contact me and I will send one to you.

I'm looking forward to the start of all the battles! Once they start, I will be posting results every Wednesday and Thursday night. Thanks so much for all your hard work - the super fun part starts very soon!

Battle of the Book t-shirts!

It's t-shirt time! Please remember to get your t-shirt orders to me by Friday, March 12th. Each school will be given a total of 14 shirts; you are more than welcome to order more (for coaches, additional kids, parents, your dog) for right around $7.50/shirt. I will post the design as soon as I get it. Please email me at kmartin@dclibraries.org if you have any questions!

First School Battle!

At the end of last week I did my first school battle at Stone Mountain Elementary, and let me tell you - WOW!! I was so impressed with their kids; they are so knowledgeable and so excited to be a part of Battle of the Books. That's what it's all about for me; I love seeing these kids get all fired up over reading. Another great part - they had tons of parents that showed up to watch! At a school battle! Fantastic! Yet another reason to be super excited about this year's Battle of the Books. Please let me know if you have not yet scheduled a school battle and would like to - I want to be impressed by your kids too!

Coaching Tip of the Week 2/3/2010

Hey coaches! Before your first interschool battle (which is coming up in less than 2 months), schedule a mock battle for your teams. Having a mock battle will help your teams become more familiar and comfortable with the official Battle of the Books format, and it will be a great indicator of their overall readiness. I am now scheduling mock battles to take place in February and March. Please email me at kmartin@dclibraries.org to check for available dates and times.

Coaching Tip of the Week 1/21/2010

Have struggling readers who would still like to participate in Battle of the Books? Try getting them into an audiobook! Audiobooks are available on CD at Douglas County Libraries for the following BOTB titles:

3rd/4th Grade
The Christmas Rat
Clementine
Henry Huggins
Lily's Crossing
Little House on the Prairie
Penny from Heaven
The Report Card

5th/6th Grade
The Black Stallion
Fighting Ground
The Girl who Owned a City
Heartbeat
Homer Price
The House with a Clock in Its Walls
The Report Card
Worth

Battle of the Book Schedule 2010 - Parker

Wednesday April 7th
4:20 Iron Horse vs. Mammoth Heights 3/4
5:00 Iron Horse vs. Mammoth Heights 5/6
5:40 Core Knowledge vs. Pine Lane 3/4
6:20 Core Knowledge vs. Pine Lane 5/6

Thursday April 8th
4:20 Prairie Crossing vs. Pine Grove 3/4
5:00 Prairie Crossing vs. Pine Grove 5/6
5:40 Gold Rush vs. Pioneer 3/4
6:20 Gold Rush vs. Pioneer 5/6

Wednesday April 14th
4:20 Mammoth Heights vs. Prairie Crossing 3/4
5:00 Mammoth Heights vs. Prairie Crossing 5/6
5:40 Pine Lane vs. Gold Rush 3/4
6:20 Pine Lane vs. Gold Rush 5/6

Thursday April 15th
4:20 Pine Grove vs. Iron Horse 3/4
5:00 Pine Grove vs. Iron Horse 5/6
5:40 Pioneer vs. Core Knowledge 3/4
6:20 Pioneer vs. Core Knowledge 5/6

Battle of the Books Schedule 2010 - Highlands Ranch

Wednesday, March 31st
4:30 Saddle Ranch vs. Cougar Run 3/4
5:00 Saddle Ranch vs. Cougar Run 5/6
5:30 Stone Mountain vs. Academy Charter 3/4
6:00 Stone Mountain vs. Academy Charter 5/6
6:30 Northridge vs. Eldorado 3/4
7:00 Northridge vs. Eldorado 5/6

Thursday April 1st
4:30 Copper Mesa vs. Acres Green 3/4
5:00 Copper Mesa vs. Acres Green 5/6
5:30 Eagle Ridge vs. Platte River Academy 3/4
6:00 Eagle Ridge vs. Platte River Academy 5/6
6:30 Trailblazer vs. Heritage 3/4
7:00 Trailblazer vs. Heritage 5/6

Wednesday April 7th
4:30 Saddle Ranch vs. Trailblazer 3/4
5:00 Saddle Ranch vs. Trailblazer 5/6
5:30 Stone Mountain vs. Heritage 3/4
6:00 Stone Mountain vs. Heritage 5/6
6:30 Northridge vs. Eagle Ridge 3/4
7:00 Northridge vs. Eagle Ridge 5/6

Thursday April 8th
4:30 Copper Mesa vs. Platte River Academy 3/4
5:00 Copper Mesa vs. Platte River Academy 5/6
5:30 Acres Green vs. Eldorado 3/4
6:00 Acres Green vs. Eldorado 5/6
6:30 Academy Charter vs. Cougar Run 3/4
7:00 Academy Charter vs. Cougar Run 5/6

Wednesday April 14th
4:30 Saddle Ranch vs. Heritage 3/4
5:00 Saddle Ranch vs. Heritage 5/6
5:30 Stone Mountain vs. Cougar Run 3/4
6:00 Stone Mountain vs. Cougar Run 5/6
6:30 Northridge vs. Platte River Academy 3/4
7:00 Northridge vs. Platte River Academy 5/6

Thursday April 15th
4:30 Copper Mesa vs. Eldorado 3/4
5:00 Copper Mesa vs. Eldorado 5/6
5:30 Eagle Ridge vs. Acres Green 3/4
6:00 Eagle Ridge vs. Acres Green 5/6
6:30 Trailblazer vs. Academy Charter 3/4
7:00 Trailblazer vs. Academy Charter 5/6

Wednesday April 21st
4:30 Saddle Ranch vs. Academy Charter 3/4
5:00 Saddle Ranch vs. Academy Charter 5/6
5:30 Stone Mountain vs. Trailblazer 3/4
6:00 Stone Mountain vs. Trailblazer 5/6
6:30 Northridge vs. Acres Green 3/4
7:00 Northridge vs. Acres Green 5/6

Thursday April 22nd
4:30 Heritage vs. Cougar Run 3/4
5:00 Heritage vs. Cougar Run 5/6
5:30 Platte River Academy vs. Eldorado 3/4
6:00 Platte River Academy vs. Eldorado 5/6
6:30 Copper Mesa vs. Eagle Ridge 3/4
7:00 Copper Mesa vs. Eagle Ridge 5/6

Coaching Tip of the Week 1/12/2010

Are your parents and volunteers reading the Battle books? Why not stage a "mock" battle pitting kids vs. adults?? Use the questions made up by your kids (or the practice questions given to you), and hold a competition during one of your normal practice times. The kids will have fun beating the tar out of their parents ('cause you know that's how it will go down), and they'll get more comfortable with the official battle format. Order some pizza to make it a special event, and invite spectators. Happy coaching!

Coaching Tip of the Week 1/7/2010

Hey coaches! Looking for something fun and different to do with your teams? Why not try a rousing game of charades - Battle of the Books style! Break your kids into 2 or 3 teams, and have groups act out scenes (or act out a character) from some of the Battle of the Books titles. Give your kids some advance notice, so they can work out their parts. Make it into a competition to raise the stakes! Have fun!