Release Date: 3/2/2010 Contact: Charles Herndon, 410-887-6111

Westowne Elementary, Cockeysville Middle win countywide Black Saga competition

53 BCPS schools headed for statewide finals, Cockeysville team also won last year

TOWSON, MD. - Teams from Westowne Elementary School and Cockeysville Middle School emerged as elementary and middle school champions of the 2010 Baltimore County Public Schools Black Saga Competition, held Saturday, February 27, at New Town High School.

The Black Saga competition challenges students to answer more than 800 questions about the African American experience. The Black Saga competition begins each fall when students start competing first against teams within their schools and counties before moving up to the statewide finals.

One or two three-member teams participated from each of 38 BCPS elementary and 13 BCPS middle schools. Throughout the half-day event, the New Town High School overflowed with more than 1,000 enthusiastic parents, school staff, family, and friends who listened intently as students answered questions and who stood to cheer all participants for their effort. At the conclusion of the event, Superintendent Dr. Joe A. Hairston presented awards to the winning teams.

The winning team from Westowne Elementary included fifth-grade students Eli Morton, Marcus Greene, and Luke Pound, coached by team advisor Liz Getsinger. Cockeysville's first Place - team, which also won last year, was comprised of eighth-grade students Tionne Barmer, Regina Ledesma, and Shirley Shen, coached by team advisor Carolyn Dickerson.

The following teams ranked within the top 10 at Saturday's competition:

Elementary Division
1st Place - Westowne Team A
2nd Place - Fort Garrison Team A
3rd Place - Cedarmere Team A
4th Place - Woodholme Team A
5th Place - (2-way tie) Chapel Hill Team A
New Town Team A
7th Place - Hillcrest Team A
8th Place - Cedarmere Team B
9th Place - McCormick Team A
10th Place - Fort Garrison Team B

Middle School Division
1st Place - Cockeysville Team A
2nd Place - Deer Park Team B
3rd Place - Sudbrook Team A
4th Place - (2-way tie) Deer Park Team A
Cockeysville Team B
6th Place - (3-way tie) Ridgely Team B
Old Court Team B
Ridgely Team A
9th Place - Franklin Team A
10th Place  Catonsville Team A

Two additional features of this year's countywide competition were a poster contest and displays from area institutions. At the elementary level, poster contest winners were Dogwood - first place, Sussex - second place, and Colgate - third place. At the middle school level, Ridgely came in first, Meadowood Education Center in second, and Deer Park Magnet in third. Representatives of Benjamin Banneker Historic Park and Museum, BCPS Parentmobile, Census 2010, Maryland Historical Society, and Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture showcased their offerings for the community.

Fifty-three BCPS schools (including two that were unable to participate in the countywide event) will send up to two teams each to the Maryland State Black Saga Competition, to be held on March 13 at Towson University.  This list of schools includes:

Elementary Schools
Carney
Cedarmere
Chapel Hill
Colgate
Deep Creek
Deer Park
Dogwood
Eastwood Center
Edmondson Heights
Elmwood
Featherbed Lane
Fort Garrison
Harford Hills
Hawthorne
Hebbville
Hernwood
Hillcrest
Johnnycake
Kingsville
Logan
Mars Estate
McCormick
Millbrook
New Town
Padonia International
Pinewood
Powhatan
Red House Run
Scotts Branch
Seneca
Sussex
Villa Cresta
Warren
Wellwood International
Westchester
Westowne
Winand
Woodholme
Woodmoor

Middle Schools
Arbutus
Catonsville
Cockeysville
Deep Creek
Deer Park
Franklin
Loch Raven Technical Academy
Meadowood Education Center
Middle River
Old Court
Ridgely
Sudbrook Magnet
Windsor Mill
Woodlawn

Black Saga underscores that all races and cultures have been a part of American history. Black Saga also helps build study skills and discipline and strengthens community involvement. Students gathered for the competition after spending months studying and after enduring two weather-related postponements of the countywide finals.

Because of these delays, Dr. Charles Christian, creator of Black Saga and author of Black Saga: The African American Experience, who usually serves as event moderator was not able to participate. Dr. Lisa Williams, director of Equity and Assurance, moderated the final round of the elementary competition. Dr. Judith Smith, executive director of Liberal Arts, and Barbara Yingling, retired coordinator of Elementary Social Studies for BCPS, served as judges for the final elementary competition. For the first time, technology was integrated into competition. Students competing in the elementary final round wrote their answers on an ActivPanel (interactive whiteboard), and the answers were then projected on a screen for the judges and audience to see. Staff from the Office of Secondary Social Studies coordinated the final middle school competition, and more than 70 volunteers assisted throughout the day.

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