For the first time since 2019, Trillium Lakelands District School Board (TLDSB) secondary schools competed in the Battle of the Books!
The quiz show-style competition challenges student teams of four to read 10 pre-selected books. Schools then held competitions where teams raced against each other in “first to the buzzer” rounds of questions about the book collection, gaining team points for each win. The winning teams advanced to the Board-level competition, that took place on May 3 at Lindsay Collegiate and Vocational Institute (LCVI).
The I.E. Weldon Secondary School team won first place, earning $200 for the team to purchase personal books, while also winning $300 for their school library. Huntsville High School won second place, with $150 for the team, and $250 for their school library. In third place, the Bracebridge and Muskoka Lakes Secondary School team won $100 for their team, and $200 for their school library.
“Having students read common titles and then come together in friendly competition helps to build a sense of community among the students, even though they’re from different schools,” explained TLDSB Secondary Curriculum Services consultant, Penta Ledger. “The event also celebrates and affirms students’ love of reading and that reading is “a good thing.” Further, Battle of the Books supports the idea of celebrating healthy competition through an academic lens, which not only provides a sense of competition for students that may not compete in other areas of school, but also provides a controlled situation for students to positively experience performance pressure.”
The event was planned and managed by TLDSB secondary teacher librarians. Special guests throughout the day included TLDSB Chair of the Board Colleen Wilcox, Trustee Judy Saunders, and Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation President Iggy vanKooten.
