ORANGE students have topped the country with their literacy skills after Orange High School came first and Orange Public School placed second in a national quiz involving 96 schools.
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The Orange High team of Jacinta Smith, Kate Burdack, Maddie Owens and Victoria Smith won the National 2015 Kids Lit Quiz final for students aged 10 to 13 at Darling Harbour on Saturday after previously winning the Orange heat.
They will now go on to compete at the world final in Connecticut, USA in July where they will also attend an International Literature Conference and take a tour of Mark Twain’s house.
This was the third time Jacinta Smith had competed in the competition, having previously competed with Orange Public School, and the 13-year-old was thrilled to knock recurring winners Canberra Grammar School off the podium.
“It was pretty exciting because we have never really come that close before,” she said.
Orange High School teacher Kath Maksymczuk accompanied the Orange students to the competition and said part of the strategy was not buzzing until they were certain of an answer.
She said each school started with 10 points, got two points for a correct answer and lost one for a wrong answer.
“I think it’s amazing that we’ve come so far, Orange High and Orange primary coming first and second,” Mrs
Maksymczuk said.
All the students on the winning high school team were previous students at Orange Public School whose team came third last year.
Teacher Debbie Smith said Lila Pearce, Ethan Delaney, Sophie Carpenter and Emily L’Estrange answered lengthy and sometimes cryptic questions in the final.
She said one section involved quizmaster Wayne Mills reading the first page of a novel and the students had to guess the book it was from.
Emily said it was the phrasing of the questions that made it difficult and in most cases she knew the books.
“I read every night pretty much if I can and sometimes during the day,” she said.
tanya.marschke@fairfaxmedia.com.au