SMECO hosts elementary school knowledge bowl

Leonardtown’s Osprey 2015 team: front row, Eddie Nelson, Grace LeSauvage, and Ben Dodge. Second row, Emma Guy, Logan Ferguson, and Jacob Weller, with coach Sue Boas.

SMECO recently held its 21st Elementary School Knowledge Bowl, an annual competition for students in elementary schools throughout Southern Maryland. The bowl features an online quiz of general knowledge for teams of fourth- and fifth-graders. Nearly 200 students from 14 schools in Charles and St. Mary’s counties competed in SMECO’s 21st annual Knowledge Bowl.

The Elementary School Knowledge Bowl quiz tested the students’ knowledge of mathematics, history, grammar, current affairs, and other subjects. Working in teams of six, competitors used school computers to access an online test created by volunteers from Charles County Public Schools to solve problems and answer questions. Teams were given 75 minutes to complete the 75-question quiz. At the end of the competition, SMECO posted the overall results on its website, including the results by county.

The 2015 Knowledge Bowl is the final one sponsored by SMECO. This ends an annual tradition that began in 1994 when SMECO launched the Southern Maryland Elementary School Computer Bowl, in cooperation with the school systems in Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s counties. Based on feedback from school system officials and declining student participation, SMECO decided this would be the final year for the Knowledge Bowl. SMECO will continue to sponsor events such as MathCounts, the High School Computer Bowl, the Elementary Math Challenge, and the Outstanding Math and Science Teacher Awards

According to Tom Dennison, SMECO’s Managing Director of Government and Public Affairs, “When we started the competition 21 years ago, computers were not as widely used in the schools as they are today. The event originally provided students with a unique opportunity to capitalize on their strengths and work in teams, to compete, to use computers, and to use the internet. We’ve all come a long way over the years, and students are using computers at home before they even start first grade. But, we’re proud to have been able to provide the support and the enthusiasm for friendly competition among schools, and we hope that the students enjoyed the event and sharpened their skills.”

Winners of the 2015 competition are listed below by team name and school.

Overall Winners

First Place – Osprey 2015, Leonardtown Elementary School, St. Mary’s County
Second Place – Terrific Tigers, Dr. James Craik Elementary School, Charles County
Third Place – Osprey 2014, Leonardtown Elementary School, St. Mary’s County

Charles County Winners