Deer Park Elementary School’s Academic Team
Written and illustrated by Taylor Hardaway, 5th grade
Even through the incredible victories and the unfortunate failures, the Deer Park Academic Team made it to the regional competition. We made our families proud the second we entered the building that would test us mentally. We used our knowledge and showed everyone what we had learned by using that knowledge and putting it into our work. Therefore, the Deer Park Academic Team got first place in all subjects. I received first place in comprehension and science.
I, personally, am proud that everyone tried their best and that I did so well. However, I’m also proud that I stepped out of my comfort zone and joined the Academic Team in the first place. Well, my mother helped with that, too. When Mr. Haynes, our Academic Team coach, told everyone that Academic Team tryouts were coming up and he wanted kids to try out, I was so nervous! I told my mother about this and she told me that I needed to try out, no matter what I thought. Which I thought was unfair, but I did it anyway. Mr. Haynes had been asking me for three years to join the Academic Team, however, I never listened. I had only tried out one time, probably in third grade, and miserably failed. I felt discouraged to try again. When it was the day to try out, I didn’t want to go because of past experiences, however, my mother threatened to punish me if I didn’t try out!
When I arrived I only took the math, art and humanities, and comprehension tests. When I told Mr. Haynes that I didn’t try out in science, he went ballistic! He started fake-crying on the floor, and he looked so pitiful, so I took the science test and hoped that I was going to get in, for Mr. Haynes’ sake. I was surprised when I got the news that I had gotten in and celebrated with my family and friends.
Being on the Academic Team has changed my life. I met people that I wouldn’t consider talking to. It has changed my life by educating me, and by letting me discover more about myself. The Academic Team has caused some trouble for me by filling up my schedule, however, there are always more ups than downs. I have learned more that I thought was possible at my age in this semester and I appreciate it now more than ever. I have also discovered more about myself than I had before I joined the Academic Team. I have learned that I am a natural born writer, and that I would love to be an author when I turn into an adult. I have also learned that I would like to be a teacher as well as an author. The Academic Team has changed my life in a positive way.
We are not competing in the competition right now, instead, we are gaining and expanding our knowledge of the world which we live in. We study frequently to make sure we don’t forget anything. We usually study during lunch, in the afternoon, and of course, at home! When lunch rolls around, we grab our food from the cafeteria and head down to our Academic Team coaches, Mr. Haynes, Mrs. Maede, and Ms. Martin classrooms. That is where we play Kahoot! and we play Blooket about different topics, such as, math, science, social studies, art and humanities, or language arts. We usually do math Kahoot! because Mr. Haynes is a 5th grade math teacher. During the “official” Academic Team Practice, which occurs in the afternoon, we buckle down and study. We study with BrainPop, Youtube, and Flocabulary. We also quiz each other with Quick Recall questions, and on Fridays we practice Quick Recall like the real thing! I have noticed that it is crucial to Mr. Haynes that we study at home as well as school. He reminds us every day that we need to study any chance we get.
Now that we have excelled in the first competition, we have to compete in the second competition. This is a really exciting and stressful event for all of the Deer Park Academic Team and will lead to some surprising results! We are a bit disappointed that not all of the team can participate since they didn’t get into the top 5 places, which means they cannot ascend to the next level, which is regionals. It is stressful and it is something that shouldn’t be taken lightly, but we will succeed by studying to gain knowledge that will be essential for the competition, and to have hope.