Thanks to coaches of 2020 virtual scholastic challenge

The ISS Student Programs team is thankful to work with the following Scholastic Challenge coaches:

• Belfast Central School: Aran Heaney
• Cuba-Rushford Central School: Tom Kenyon
• Ellicottville Central School: Ann Chamberlain and Chris Edwards
• Fillmore Central School: Bill Kelley
• Franklinville Central School: Shannon Fitzpatrick-Wood
• Hinsdale Central School: Sara Centanni
• Scio Central School: Tammy Straight
• Wellsville Central School: Diane Willard and Hope Gilfert
• Whitesville Central School: Alex Lipnicki

 
It is easy to agree that the ­­ninety-five 6th through 12th grade students who participated in last week’s Virtual Scholastic Challenge were the bright stars of the day.  However, since this is Thanksgiving week, the Student Programs team would like to shine a light on the unseen heroes of the day: the Scholastic Challenge coaches.
 
Often literally unseen, with videos and microphones turned off, the coaches virtually went from room to room to observe their students’ matches.  These coaches were willing to take on extra work, juggle their hectic virtual and in-person teaching responsibilities, support the teams remotely and in-person, and adapt to last-minute changes due to school closures, in order to give students the opportunity to compete in the 2nd Virtual Scholastic Challenge held on Wednesday, November 18th, 2020.  Thirty-four matches took place over the course of the day, with nearly 2,600 questions read aloud.  This Student Programs CoSer 506 event would not have happened without the coaches listed above. 
 
After the great success of the May 1st Virtual Scholastic Challenge (https://cainnovativeteaching.weebly.com/innovative-teaching/category/scholastic-challenge ) the Student Programs team aimed to make the second event even bigger and better.  The November Virtual Scholastic Challenge grew by 1 team, making it an amazing 21 team all-day competition.  Some teams were masked and socially distanced at their schools, while some were logged in from their homes.
 
Scholastic Challenge is an annual event hosted by Cattaraugus-Allegany BOCES.   The regional competition that tests students’ knowledge of academic trivia and current events is typically held as a face-to-face tournament.
 
The Student Programs team is also grateful for the willing and enthusiastic ISS staff who juggled their schedules to facilitate the match rooms.
 
Congratulations to the four teams that scored the highest total points after three matches and made it to the Finals.
The Junior (grades 6-9) Finals: Ellicottville Central School (1st place) and Whitesville Central School (2nd place)
The Senior (grades 9-12) Finals: Ellicottville Centra School (1st place) and Fillmore Central School (2nd place)

​By: Jean Oliverio, CA BOCES Student Programs