Westside Story Newspaper – Online The News of The Empire – Sharing the Quest for Excellence
SAN BERNARDINO, CA – This academic year, students throughout San Bernardino County will take part in academic competitions and musical performances in events organized by the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools office.
Events range from the Academic Decathlon to the Riverside, Inyo, Mono and San Bernardino (RIMS) Inland Science and Engineering Fair with events running from November through May. Below is a description of student events and their dates.
Academic Decathlon: About 40 high schools from the county are expected to compete this year for the team championship, which follows with state and national competitions. The 32nd annual event will be held over two weekends – Jan. 31 and Feb. 7, 2015 – at Redlands East Valley High School. The awards banquet will be held Feb. 12 at the National Orange Show in San Bernardino. The winning team and other qualifiers will represent San Bernardino County at the state competition in Sacramento in March.
History Day: This program for individuals in grades 4-12 will be held on March 14. History Day encourages students to research and prepare papers, exhibits, performances, documentaries, websites and posters on an annual historic theme. County winners advance to the state finals in Riverside in May and nationals in College Park, Md., in June.
Mock Trial: Held in collaboration with the District Attorney’s office, Mock Trial is a team competition where high school students gain a working knowledge of legal institutions and the
judicial system. Each year, students research a case developed by the Constitutional Rights Foundation. The first round of competition is Nov. 4. The finals will be held at the Foothill Law and Justice Center in Rancho Cucamonga on Dec. 13. The awards ceremony is scheduled for Jan. 15 at the National Orange Show in San Bernardino. The winning county team will advance to the state competition in San Jose in March.
Music festivals and clinics: Choirs, bands and orchestras for elementary, middle and high schools are held throughout the academic year. The basin honor band (San Bernardino Valley) will perform in February, as will the High Desert honor band for elementary, middle and high schools. The honor orchestra will perform in the late winters as well.
RIMS Inland Science and Engineering Fair: This annual individual competition for grades 4-12 promotes science projects designed, developed and displayed by students from schools in Riverside, Inyo, Mono and San Bernardino counties. The event, which is held at the National Orange Show in San Bernardino, will be held April 6-7. Winners (grades 6-12) advance to the state competition in Los Angeles on April 27.
In addition, there will be events such as academic pentathlon for middle schools, a family reading rally in mid-April and senior recognition for Advancement Via Individual Determination students in May.
For more information about student events, contact David Maya in Student Activities at County Schools at (909) 386-2640.
