The first round of the reading bowl competition for Cherokee County elementary schools is on Tuesday, January 17 at 6:00pm at Freedom Middle School

Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl – Team Practice Schedule
(All practices are on Thursdays from 2:30pm – 3:30pm)

November 3
November 10
November 17
December 1
December 8
December 15
January 5

UPDATED COMPETITION DATES AND INFORMATION:

• January 10, 2012 – County Competition (held at Freedom Middle School at 6:00pm)
• (if we advance) February 4, 2012 – Northern Division Regional Competition (location to be in Hall County, specific location/time TBD)
• (if we advance) February 24, 2012 – Divisional Competition (specific location/time TBD)
• (if we advance) March 17, 2012 – State Competition (held on the UGA campus in Athens GA, specific details TBD)

Several Years ago Mrs. Helen Ruffin, a very dynamic and innovative person, was the library media specialist at Sky Haven Elementary School in DeKalb County, Georgia. In 1985, she served on the selection committee for the Georgia Children’s Book Award nominee program. This literature program began in the Department of Language Education at the University of Georgia’s College of Education. The literature program inspired her to use the nominee books to encourage her students to read. Mrs. Ruffin created a unique reading competition in game format using the award nominees. It was called the Reading Bowl. Her vision was to have teams comprised of students from different schools compete to test their knowledge of the selected books. She shared this vision with her colleagues. They embraced her idea and pressed forward. Today, the Georgia Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl is open to students in grades four through twelve across the state.

We are pleased to announce that this year Avery ES will be sending a team to compete in the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl for the first time! Mrs. Vester (4th), Mrs. Dodge (5th) and Mrs. Blakey (Media Center) will be organizing and coaching the team for us this year. Per competion rules, we are limited to sending one team of five students plus five alternates. All competing students (including alternates) must be in the 4th or 5th grade.

The Georgia Children's Book Award Program is the partner of the Georgia Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl. The winning teams from the two HRRB Divisional Bowls will meet at the Georgia Children's Literature Conference for the State Championship of the Georgia Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl. The Georgia Children's Literature Conference is held at Athens, Georgia.

Benefits of the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl - Students will:

• Increase standardized test scores
• Increase reading comprehension
• Develop an appreciation for literature
• Enhance verbal communication skills
• Promote cooperation
• Build self-esteem
• Develop team spirit
• Improve academic achievement

“Students who read become adults who lead.”
Helen Ruffin

(information was primarily obtained and copied directly from http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/hrrb/ )

2011-2012 Georgia Children's Book Award Nominees
(Books used for the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl, elementary school level)

1. After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick
2. All Shook Up by Shelley Pearsall
3. Anything But Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin
4. Countdown by Deborah Wiles
5. Dying To Meet You by Kate Klise
6. Extra Credit by Andrew Clements
7. The Fantastic Secret Of Owen Jester by Barbara O’Connor
8. Mockingbird: (Mok'ing-burd) by Kathryn Erskine
9. The Mostly True Adventures Of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick
10. One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
11. Out Of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper
12. Return To Sender by Julia Alvarez
13. Scat by Carl Hiaasen (2009)
14. The Strange Case Of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger
15. Waiting For Normal by Leslie Connor
16. Swindle by Gordon Korman
17. Where The Mountain Meets The Moonby Grace Lin