Highland Battle of the Books (Senior Div.)

2007-11-09T04:46:00.000-08:00

Here is the list of the books that we'll be reading. We are going from the bottom of the list up!
Avalon High by Meg Cabot
Blood on the River: Jamestown 1607 by Elisa Carbone
Blood Red Horse by K.M. Grant
Chew on This by Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson
Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War II by Joseph Bruchac
Dragon Keeper by Caroline Wilkinson
Driver’s Ed by Caroline B. Cooney
Fish by L.S. Matthews
The Gawgon and the Boy by Lloyd Alexander
Ghost Girl: A Blue Ridge Mountain Story by Delia Ray
The Legend of Bass Reeves by Gary Paulsen
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Marooned: The Strange But True Adventures of Alexander Selkirk by Robert Kraske
Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson
The Ruins of Gorlan: Ranger's Apprentice by John Flanagan
Shakespeare’s Secret by Elise Broach
Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time by Lisa Yee
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
Zach’s Lie by Roland Smith

At our next meeting, we will discuss The Ruins of Gorlan.

Mrs. DeHart

2007-11-08T10:04:00.000-08:00

WELCOME TO BATTLE OF THE BOOKS, SENIOR DIVISION!!!

For those of you who are returning members, welcome back! This promises to be an exciting year again...we have experienced members and some fresh newcomers to make this another fabulous team.

We have been meeting Wednesdays at lunch. Thanks to those who have brought cookies, especially Ms. Moser, who has been very dedicated to the cookie cause!

I am sorry the blog has been delayed in coming, things really have seemed crazy this year, but that is no excuse! My apologies.

I already have a picture I would like to share, from yesterday's meeting:

As you can see, the cookies are the highlight of the day! If you can contribute cookies to the next meeting (Wed. Nov. 14) please email me at sdehart@highlandschool.org and let me know. Usually two bags are more than plenty!

We have covered 5 books so far. I will publish the list as a separate entry, so you can have those at hand.

I am TRULY looking forward to a fun year with this amazing group of kids! Thank you for the support you all give throughout the year! Mrs. DeHart

2007-03-31T09:21:00.000-07:00

WOW. Was that intense or WHAT???? I am SO VERY PROUD of all our fabulous kids! I will keep this short and sweet: We DO get a dress down day tomorrow.

And I will see if we can get Coldstone delivered to school so we don't have to coordinate getting the kids over there...I think Mr. Harmon will treat on this one.

The K-8 Assembly is Monday morning, so we will be able to make our wonderful announcement and show off the beautiful trophy.

I would like to extend my very heartfelt thanks to Michele Daniel-Shenk for all her hard work with the team...we couldn't have done it without her.

And thank you Elizabeth Bennett for promoting the idea of doing the Battle of the Books in the first place.

And, of course, I thank all the parents who supported their kids in this fun and challenging endeavor.

But most of all, thanks to all the kids who made this so much FUN. I am honored to have such a great group to work with and laugh with and eat cookies with.

Mrs. DeHart

2007-03-29T12:59:00.000-07:00

Well, the meeting today was good! Here is the scoop for tomorrow. We have a DRESS DOWN DAY!!! Have the kids at least BRING their shirts, even if they don't wear them; we'll be wearing them to the BATTLE!

The Battle is at Auburn Middle School on Riley Road (off Rt. 605) I have never been there so I think you'd be better off with Mapquest!! We will meet a little before 5 (4:50ish would be great) and have Chinese Food, kindly provided by the Moser-Schwartz family! Then the Battle will begin!

The Battle will proceed much like the Open, but instead of taking the Multiple Choice test beforehand, the first round will be the team and the alternates taking the MC test. Then Rounds 2 and 3 will be just like the Open. The Jeopardy Round will take place while the scores are being tallied. Team members AND alternates will be able to qualify for the Jeopardy round and there is no limit to how many members from one school can be in the Jeopardy round. So the kids REALLY need to try hard on the Multiple Choice test, which is how they will qualify for the Jeopardy Round.

THIS IS IT!! We all started the meeting today by visualizing the coordinator announcing Highland School's deHAWKS as the winners of the Piedmont Regional Battle of the Books! GO TEAM!!

If you have any questions, feel free to email me at sdehart@highlandschool.org or call me at (540) 878-2715!

Mrs. DeHart

2007-03-15T12:39:00.000-07:00

Hi,
(The BLOG site changed its software, so I had a little learning to do before I could post this!) But here is the latest. I have chosen the FIVE team members, the two alternates, and the three alter-alternates! I must say, this was the HARDEST thing my library career has asked of me yet; each and every one of these kids is fantastic. Oh, and the kids came up with a GREAT name: De Hartless And Wicked Krazy Students, or -- De H.A.W.K.S.!

The TEAM:
Annie
Marina
Nathan
Sara
Simon

The ALTERNATES:
Fiona
Dylan

The ALTER-ALTERNATES:
Katie
Jacob
Parker

Now, because we can only compete 5 on the team, those five team members will have to undertake new books on which to be the experts. So here are their "new" books which they will study with undying zeal and scrutiny over the break I am sure.

Nathan: Welcome to the Ark, Worth
Sara: Defiance, Al Capone, Teacher's Funeral
Simon: Left for Dead, Worth
Marina: Haymeadow
Annie: Midnight Magic, Last Shot

That will certainly do it. I am excited. I know we have a strong team that has a chance at winning! GO De H.A.W.K.S.!!!

Mrs. DeHart

2007-03-08T12:28:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the generosity of many parents we have an abundance of cookies!! YUMMMMM. This Battle of the Books is requiring many miles of walking for me to keep up!

After some deliberation, the Battle of the Books Committee has decided to go with very specific questions for Round Three of the Battle. There was a suggestion that Round Three be questions in the format "In which TWO books" but this ideas was discarded. I think our kids will do FABULOUSLY regardless!!

So...we are busy with picky little questions; I am reviewing and writing them like crazy. Get your kids to REread their books.

I will be choosing the final team and alternates using a little test we gave today, performance at the Open, and participation in our weekly meetings. This is the worst most difficult thing I have had to do in a LONG TIME. I wish there was an easy way to pick...ALL these kids are AMAZING. Please remember, the alternates and the remaining team members can NOT slack off...if one little flu bug hits, we will NEED THEM!!!!

More later. I will post the team probably tomorrow, so we can re-assign books on which to be experts, and those kids can get to work. Happy three-day weekend!

Mrs. DeHart

2007-03-02T05:36:00.000-08:00

Hi folks!
For the next two weeks we'll be meeting twice a week to get ready; the final Battle is 3 days after we return from Spring Break! So after school is out, we'll need everyone to review some of the earlier books, review the books for which they are the EXPERT, and to keep the authors of the books memorized.

Once we have the final team of five members selected with two alternates, we'll reassign the books so each team member will have to be expert on several more books. Those kids who are not chosen will still need to be on top of their game, because you NEVER know when some wave of illness will wash through and we could be needing them! So ALL our fabulous teammates must stay on their toes!

Elizabeth Bennett is on cookie duty for Wednesday...do I have any takers for Thursday?

Mrs. DeHart

2007-02-26T08:40:00.000-08:00

WOW!!! I am speechless with pride and excitement! Our teams did SO WELL. Congratulations to the Geek Squad who came in 7th (out of 22 teams!) and Rockin' Hawks who came in 3rd place! Our hard work has really paid off.

We made the Culpeper Star Exponent: so check out the great picture of Simon and the nice article about the Open at St. Lukes.

I will be out on Wednesday, so we'll be having our regular lunch time meeting on Thursday the 1st of March. TEAM MEMBERS GET A DRESS DOWN DAY ON THURSDAY!!! You can wear your BoB t-shirt and jeans!

Parents, thank you for all your WONDERFUL support. Now we're in the home stretch. We'll be going to the Battle right after spring break, so we will all need to keep our minds fresh and our facts in place!

Please send me any photos you may have, as we'll be putting together a presentation for assembly after we return from the Battle in March.

YAY TEAM!!!! Mrs. DeHart

2007-02-22T10:47:00.000-08:00

Hi! We had a great impromptu extra meeting. Here are the teams we broke up into.

The Geek Squad (self chosen name, I assure you!)
Nathan
Fiona
Dylan
Jacob
Marina

The Rockin' Hawks
Annie
Katie
Sara
Simon
Parker

We'll meet at St. Luke's at NOON. Elizabeth Bennett is bringing the pizza. Michele Daniel-Shenk is making the COOLEST EVER T-SHIRTS!!! So there is no dress code, just looking nice so we represent Highland in a fabulous way!! Fiona will bring birthday cake to celebrate her upcoming birthday (the day after the Open, I believe).

Thank you Dylan for the Logo Competition entry. If any of you have any other entries, please just BRING THEM TO THE OPEN!!!! Print TWO sizes: 4" x 6" and 8" x 10". Thanks!

Great work, and off we go. Have I mentioned that I am excited and nervous??

Mrs. DeHart

2007-02-21T11:12:00.000-08:00

Ooooh, I am attention-impaired today:

As you may have guessed, the scrimmage has been cancelled! Too much snow!

2007-02-21T10:57:00.000-08:00

Oops...in the last post I meant the OPEN is this Saturday, as you may have guessed.

Also, if there is any reason you think you may NOT attend, please let me know as SOON as you can, so we can rearrange teams.

THANK YOU!!!!

2007-02-21T09:29:00.000-08:00

OKAY! All the snow days have thrown me off a little, and there is a lot to discuss. We will have an extra meeting tomorrow so we can prepare, because the meeting is THIS SATURDAY!!.

It is at Saint Luke's School in Culpeper from noon to 4. We'll be providing pizza (compliments of Mr. Harmon) and St. Lukes will provide the drinks, plates, etc. I sent the invitation home with your children today. PLEASE let me know via email at sdehart@highlandschool.org whether you will be coming! I think it is easiest if we just all drive separately, although Michele Daniel-Shenk has offered to drive from Highland in her minivan and take riders if anybody needs transportation. LET ME KNOW!!!

We had four teammates missing today, so hopefully we'll see them at our extra meeting tomorrow at lunch in the library.

Today the "battlers" took a multiple choice test which will be graded, and we'll choose captains for each team tomorrow. We will try to spread the "experts" to each team, so we have good coverage, because I know some of us haven't read all the books yet! (myself included)

Also, BRING ANY LOGO ENTRIES that you have!!! We REALLY need to have a showing for this contest!

More tomorrow! I am excited and nervous and proud! Mrs. DeHart

2007-02-10T08:14:00.000-08:00

Happy Saturday, I hope everyone had a fun day yesterday. Here is the latest:

I'd LIKE to have an extra meeting on MONDAY during LUNCH. I will announce it at the assembly. Many of the students have brought questions in, so I think we'll just review any questions we have, and for those books that ALL of us haven't read, we will point those to the "experts".

We are trying to reschedule the scrimmage for after school NEXT WEDNESDAY. I will post more on this as SOON as I have more information.

Encourage your kids to enter SOMETHING for the super fabulous LOGO competetion! Their artwork will be on display at the open, and if they win, their logo will be on all future Piedmont Battle of the Books correspondence and flyers and posters!!

I really want to thank all of you for keeping up with the blog, it makes sharing information SO EASY for me, and you all are so supportive and fun. THANK YOU!

Mrs. DeHart

2007-02-06T05:25:00.000-08:00

Hi! Here is the latest on the scrimmage. Kim Janak, Warrenton Middle School's BOB leader, would like us there as CLOSE to 3:30 as possible. I'm going to see if our 5 can scoot out a little early. Also, anyone who'd be willing to donate snacks for the meet? All the teams are bringing snacks and we're all going to share.

Here is a description of how the scrimmage will proceed: "The scrimmage will go something like this---a round of questions will be given to entire group for 30 minutes;approx. 30-40 "In what book" questions. Teams answer on a white board, correct answer earns a "chip" (the plastic poker type). Top 4 teams move onto an A/B team single elimination Tournament running a session just the way it will be done in the competitions. Hopefully the 2 sessions will last about 15 minutes each."

Let me know by email at sdehart@highlandschool.org if you can bring some snacks tomorrow! Thanks for all your support.

Mrs. DeHart

2007-02-05T09:47:00.000-08:00

Today we had our Yearbook Picture taken!

Thanks to Michelle Daniel-Shenk for being our fantastic photographer. What great kids we have on our team!

Mrs. DeHart

2007-01-30T13:23:00.002-08:00

Hello! I had a parent ask me to post the actual dates of our upcoming events, so here goes:

Scrimmage: Wednesday, Feb. 7th after school at Warrenton Middle School
Open: Saturday, Feb. 24th from noon to 4 p.m.
BATTLE!: Friday, March 30th from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

I hope this helps.

Also, Jacqueline Clemons has volunteered cookies for next week's meeting. Thanks a million.

More tomorrow after the meeting. These kids really are doing a GREAT JOB!!!!

2007-01-24T13:59:00.000-08:00

Another great meeting! Annie Bennett so helpfully went over books that have confusing similarities, so we could get those ironed out in our minds. Next week we'll discuss Last Shot. Since we didn't get to too many questions today, we'll go over questions covering Wish You Well, Teacher's Funeral and Midnight Magic, as WELL as Last Shot at the next meeting.

PLEASE encourage the kids to write down at least 5 questions for the books they are reading, though more would be better!!! This is important!!

Play practice might keep some of our team members from the scrimmage on the 7th, but it looks like at this point we could get together a team of 5: Nathan, Annie, Jacob, Sarah and Marina. Lisa Cooper has offered to help with car pool! Should be FUN. The coordinator thinks it will go until about 4:30 or 4:45. I think this will be a blast. I wonder if we should do Coldstone afterward; I think that is a Highland fundraiser night, so our money would go right back to supporting the school. Let me know what you think!

Mrs. DeHart

2007-01-24T06:12:00.000-08:00

Parents,
There is a proposed scrimmage at Warrenton Middle School on Feb. 7th, at around 3:30. Could any of your kids make it? We'd need 4-10 kids to participate and I think it would be great practice!! Let me know via email at sdehart@highlandschool.org if you think your child could join us. I'll need carpool help!

I'll report more later today, after our meeting!

Suji

2007-01-18T06:51:00.000-08:00

Okay, here it is! The list of books for which each team member will be the "EXPERT"! I tried to upload it in a nice table format, but that didn't work so well. I think this is just fine, however!

Simon: Last Shot, Airborn, Annie B.T. States ,Cryptid Hunter, Number Devil
Nathan: Last Shot, Wish You Well, The Maze, Cryptid Hunter, Code Orange
Jacob: Haymeadow, Left for Dead, Annie B.T. States, Teacher's Funeral, Al Capone DMS
Sarah: I, Coriander, Becoming Naomi L., Outcasts of 19 S.P, Wish You Well, Arkadians
Annie: Code Orange, Left for Dead, I Coriander, Airborn Arkadians
Fiona: Number Devil, Cryptid Hunters, Midnight Magic, Worth, Al Capone DMS
Marina: Midnight Magic, Wish You Well, I Coriander, Annie B.T. States, Arkadians
Dylan: Worth, Airborn, The Maze, Haymeadow, Defiance
Parker: Al Capone DMS, Teacher's Funeral, Haymeadow, Annie B.T. States, Worth
Katie: Welcome to the Ark, Teacher's Funeral, Defiance, Number Devil, Code Orange

ALSO...Annie Bennett has made a great offer! She is going to make up a document with lists of FOOD, ANIMALS, and THEMES (and other lists, if we think of any) of each book. She has read most the books already, so she'll be doing the chart with some of the books we've not gotten to yet. I think this will be a GREAT review tool. THANK YOU ANNIE!!!!

Have a great weekend and HAPPY READING! Mrs. DeHart

2007-01-17T13:45:00.000-08:00

Hello! We had a productive meeting today. We assigned each member of our team five books on which to be the "expert". I I didn't have a chance to get that information into a presentable format, but I will post that tomorrow.

I also announced the Battle of the Books Logo competition. I will get more of the specifics soon, but entries must be submitted at 4" x 6" and 8" x 10" sizes. Winners will become the official Piedmont Region Battle of the Books logo! Details to come!!

We're reading TWO books for next week:

Teacher's Funeral by Richard Peck
Midnight Magic by Avi

Cookies will be donated by Cathy Treuting for next Wednesday's meeting!

I am REALLY proud of this group. They are fun and enthusiastic and SMART! And boy, can they put away some Oreos!

Mrs. DeHart

2007-01-11T09:46:00.000-08:00

Hi! Well, here is the latest! I was out sick yesterday and had to cancel the meeting. I think we are just fine however...the kids are reading and seem to be remembering these books SO WELL. We will meet and discuss Left for Dead AND Wish you Well by David Baldacci next Wednesday at the regular time. Please be reading the upcoming books:

The Teacher's Funeral
Midnight Magic

I have the cookies ready and waiting! One thing we discussed at the last meeting was the idea of assigning each team member 5 books on which to become the "experts". That way, even if all the kids have not read the book at least ONE of the team members will be in charge of knowing the details. We'll assign those at the next meeting. Each kid will be assigned a book he/she has not yet read, so they can get started on that if they'd like.

Sorry about canceling yesterday's meeting. I feel that we are doing very well and have a strong enthusiastic team, so I am not at all worried about one "lost" meeting!

Mrs. DeHart

2007-01-03T14:03:00.000-08:00

Here is the latest: we met and had a great discussion of the book Defiance. We have decided that in order to keep up and have the books read by the first meet, we will have an EXTRA meeting next week on Monday! That is the 8th of January and it will be at lunchtime in the library - we will discuss Left for Dead.

Then we'll meet again on Wednesday the 10th, at the regular time, to discuss The Number Devil. I know this is really packing it in, but since most of the kids read the books over the break, it won't require more reading, just more MEETING!

Oh and of course, eating! Thanks to Anna Moser again for cookie supply services! They were SNARFED very quickly.

Thanks to all the parents for their wonderful support and YAY TEAM for the kids who are doing such a lot of reading and remembering and thinking up of questions. This is fun!

Mrs. DeHart

2006-12-13T11:00:00.000-08:00

Hi! I hope you received my e-mail about today's cancelled meeting. I really hope we can keep up with the reading over break!!

If you can't find copies of the books, try the Fauquier County Public Library:

http://innopac.fauquiercounty.gov/

You can call to place a hold on the book, or do it online if you already have a PIN.

I also have some copies of the books, so have your kids come by and see if I can give them a copy!

Happy Holidays!!!!

Mrs. DeHart

2006-12-07T08:12:00.000-08:00

Hey, thanks to all of you another good meeting!! Thanks for the cookies, Lisa Cooper and Elizabeth Bennett. The book we just finished was good, and had many similarities to some of the previous books, so we need to be reading with care and keeping track of details!!

Next book is Defiance by Valerie Hobbs, which we will discuss at lunch next Wednesday at lunch. AND....we'll keep reading through the holiday break!! By the time we return we should have finished reading:

Left for Dead by Pete Nelson
The Number Devil by Hans Magnus Enzensberger

I started The Number Devil and it is not so bad...we'd been hearing rumors that it was really hard!!

Mrs. DeHart

2006-11-29T12:41:00.000-08:00

Another good meeting today! The questions are getting harder, as there are more similarities between the books and more opportunity to be "fooled"! We'll meet again next Wednesday the 6th of December! Read and PLEASE have questions ready from Cryptid Hunter.

Anybody for bringing cookies?

Mrs. DeHart

2006-11-29T08:52:00.000-08:00

Hi! I was made aware that in my earlier entry, I misspelled the title of the next book we'll be reading! The correct title is CRYPTID HUNTER by Roland Smith. I just finished reading it last night and it was a fast paced, fun read. A nice change from the rather somber, but wonderfully written Annie Between the States!!

If any of you are willing to supply cookies for next week's meeting, please let me know via email at sdehart@highlandschool.org and you can just send them in with your child!

I'll be posting another entry after our meeting, to let you all know how things are going.

Mrs. DeHart

2006-11-21T12:38:00.000-08:00

I forgot to thank Mrs. Treuting for the yummy cookies! THANK YOU!

I am hoping to get a link from the Library page of the Highland School website to this blog...will let you know if that happens.

Mrs. DeHart

2006-11-21T12:29:00.000-08:00

Another good meeting: we discussed The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place. PLEASE bring NO LESS than 5 questions to our next meeting, which will be on Wednesday of next week, and we will be discussing Annie Between the States.

This book is so great, because most of the action takes place right here in Fauquier County!! Keep a paper or a notebook next to you as you read and write those questions as you go along. The more questions we have the better prepared we will be.

Have a lovely time with family and friends and have a wonderful Thanksgiving. I hope you can use the break to get in some great time for READING!

Mrs. DeHart

2006-11-15T13:44:00.000-08:00

Great meeting today, discussing Airborn by Kenneth Oppel! Thanks to all who submitted questions, and PLEASE please remember to jot down questions as you are reading our next book: The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place.

REMEMBER: our next meeting is on TUESDAY, November 21st, since we will be out of school on Wednesday.

Mrs. Treuting will be donating next week's cookies, so hurray for her and many thanks!

Mrs. DeHart

2006-11-02T10:20:00.000-08:00

Parents,
I had a request to remind everyone of the dates of the OPEN and the BATTLE, so here it is:

There will be the Piedmont Open at St. Luke's Lutheran School in Culpeper on Saturday, February 24, 2007, from noon until 4 p.m.

The final Battle of the Books will be held at Auburn Middle School on Friday, March 30th from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

More details will follow as we get closer to the dates! Things are going very well. I hope all the kids are enjoying reading these books. I am having fun reading Airborn, it really is a great book!

Please feel free to contact me with any suggestions, comments or questions: sdehart@highlandschool.org

Mrs. DeHart

2006-10-27T10:53:00.000-07:00

Here is the list of the rest of the books in the order in which we'll be discussing them. You can read other books ahead of time, that way we'll be able to share the copies we have more easily. Remember to write down questions and notes as you are reading! If you have copies to share, bring them in and we'll put them on the Battle of the Books shelf in the library!

Becoming Naomi Leon
Airborn
The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place
Annie, Between the States
Cryptid Hunters
Defiance
Left for Dead
The Number Devil
Wish you Well
The Teacher's Funeral
Midnight Magic
Last Shot
The Arkadians
The Haymeadow
The Maze
I, Coriander
Worth

2006-10-27T10:18:00.000-07:00

Hi! I hope you are enjoying Battle of the Books! I am enjoying getting to read these books (I know it is hard to find time!) and because this is the first year we are doing this, I am glad to see such a wonderful turn-out for our team. I want to thank Mrs. Bennett for all her support.

So far we have met to discuss the first two books:

Al Capone Does My Shirts, by Gennifer Choldenko
Welcome to the Ark, by Stephanie Tolan.

We will meet Monday, November 30th at lunch in the library to discuss

Code Orange by Caroline Cooney

PLEASE make sure that you bring at least two questions each, preferably MORE. Please write each question on a separate small piece of paper. I will pass out a short summary and a few discussion topics at the meeting; be prepared to take notes!

I will list the books in the order of discussion in the next post.