International quiz contest.
Team members from Summit Heights Public School traveling to New Zealand in July to take part in an international quiz contest testing their knowledge of children’s literature include Mason Brown, 10, left, Alexandra Nash, 11, school librarian Ruth White, principal Thelma Sambrook, Shuli Jones, 10, and Samantha Unger, 10.
Photo/COURTESY
They're about to travel to New Zealand soon for a prestigious international literary competition, but the team from Summit Heights Public School knows there's still a lot of reading to get through yet.
In February, the quartet of Alexandra Nash, Shuli Jones, Samantha Unger and Mason Brown beat out teams from 12 other schools from across Toronto to win the first-ever Canadian Lit Quiz, edging runner-up team Dublin Heights Elementary and Middle School by a half-point. The students took home $100, a bag of books and the right to represent Canada at the upcoming International Kids Lit Quiz final in Auckland, New Zealand from July 16 to 23.
It is the first time a Canadian team has taken part in the competition, started in 1991 by New Zealand schoolteacher Wayne Mills as a way to promote reading.
The Summit Heights team will compete against fellow students aged 10-13 from the United Kingdom, South Africa, China, the United States and New Zealand in the contest, which tests knowledge on children's books published in the English language.
To prepare for the competition, the team is reading as many books as it can - everything from picture books to popular fiction - and holding regular practice drills at the school, located at 139 Armour Blvd., under the watchful eye of coach and teacher, Marc Vender, and principal, Thelma Sambrook.
"It is hard work," said Shuli, who is in Grade 5. "We have to read a bunch of books."
"We've probably read a few hundred books each," added Samantha, also in Grade 5.
To divide the workload, each team member will specialize in particular literary genres, one of 10 they'll be expected to know inside-and-out to have a chance to win the competition.
"I'm doing the boy books," said Mason, who is 10. "You have to know all the authors and illustrators."
The team is also making use of a makeshift "buzzer system", a series of linked buttons, built for the students to simulate the type of format that will be used during the final. The team that buzzes in the fastest will get first crack at the question, making familiarity with such a set-up mandatory, said Sambrook.
"Alexandra's dad, who is an electrical engineer, wired some Staples 'Easy' buttons together and we've been using them to make our response times quicker," she said.
Before they depart for Auckland, Mayor Rob Ford and city councillor James Pasternak will honour the team's achievement during a public ceremony at City Hall on May 18.
The school is accepting tax-refundable donations to fund the trip. To contribute, send your donation to the to the general accounting department of the TDSB, (5050 Yonge St, 3rd Floor, Toronto, ON, M2N 5N8) along with a note indicating the funds are for the Summit Heights' Kid Lit team.
In addition to the competition, the kids will have opportunities to experience some of New Zealand's many tourist attractions, such as the Waitomo Caves, home to millions of luminescent glowworms. They'll also take part in a gala dinner with authors David Hill, Tessa Duder and Jenny Hessell. And on July 19, they'll celebrate team member Samantha's birthday.
But, for most of the trip, the kids promise they'll be reading.
"We're going to read the whole time we're there," said Alexandra.
"And probably all the way back, too."