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U.S. Academic Triathlon

Check out lots of other info at the new  USAT Homepage!

 

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The Time Has Arrived!  The AT season starts soon!

 

The exciting Academic Triathlon season is being prepared. 

5th & 6th Graders:  If you have a flair for drama, enjoy quick thinking, creative answers, or like general knowledge, like being on a team ...or combinations of any of these – this is the event for you!

 

U.S. Academic Triathlon is an enrichment program designed for 5th-8th graders to grow in their creative & divergent thinking skills as well as learn how to work as a team consistently supporting and learning from each other.  

 

 

Here's what you need to know about USAT (what we like to call "AT" for short)

Meet Format – Nine teams gather at a school and compete from about 3:30-7:30pm on four Friday

evenings between December & March.  Each team has 3 events or “tri’s” at a meet which last 40 minutes each. 

 

  • The “PARTY In A Box” tri is a skit preparation time.  Each team is given a sheet of paper with a plot idea for that meet.  During their “party” time they must develop a skit based on the given scenario, make their costumes and scenery, and practice everything they will do.  The skit can be up to 5 minutes in length and must involve all team members.  The evening’s final event has all 9 teams presenting their skit for judging and visitor viewing.

 

  • A second tri is called “Mind Sprints”.  These are 3 short (8-10 minute) segments in which the team uses quick thinking and cooperative skills to accumulate points. Each segment is different and unknown in advance.  A wide variety of mental or physical tasks may be involved from building to rhyming to finding unusual uses for combinations of a common object.  Keep an open mind and discover possibilities!

 

  • The third tri is called “Faceoff”.  This round is similar to Knowledge Bowl with 3 teams trying to answer oral questions after buzzing in on a computer.  The questions cover curriculum but also tend to include current events.  Each team also completes a short written portion of 15 questions (8-10 min.) with a wide array of interesting questions and challenges.  The written round is done to start the meet and the score is added to their oral round score.

 

Team standings are determined by their ranking in each of the tri’s.  A combined score of the 3 rankings determines placement for that meet.

 

Practices: We have practice 3 times each week.  You can indicate which practice time(s) you'd prefer on your registration form.  Participants will have one practice either Monday or Tuesday and then one practice either Thursday or Friday.  We will have a full team practice (with all participants) at recess on Wednesdays.

 

  • Mornings 7:30-8:05am

  • Recess 11:15-11:50am

  • After School 2:50-3:30pm

 

Meets:  All USAT meets are Fridays after school.  Meet dates vary, but are usually just once a month from Dec.-March (you can see meet dates listed above).  Beginning at 4pm, meets usually go to about 7:15.  Each meet has up to 9 teams competing.  Parents are allowed to watch only the PARTY presentations at the end of the evening - usually beginning at 6:30.

 

 

CONGRATS to our team of

Laura S., Nikki K., Lindsay P., Lizzy D., & Gino S.

who will compete at the State Competition on April 14th.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for a FABULOUS 5th season of USAT here at SKD!

2018-2019 Season Meet Dates:

  • TBD

     

Click here to register!

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