PSIA

Here is a recap of the PSIA contest (Private School Interscholastic Association).  This is our first year to participate in an academic competition, so we had no idea what to expect.  Paul entered Art Memory…it is for 4^th and 5^th, but students can participate up to 2 years above their grade level.  Luke entered Number Sense, Math, and Maps, Charts and Graphs.  We spent several weeks studying and taking practice tests.  Bree helped Luke with Number Sense by holding a tutoring session with him.  I worked a TON with Paul…helping him learn the 40 works of art and helping him learn to spell the titles and artists correctly.

We got up at 6:00 to leave for our destination as Luke's first event (Number Sense) was at 8:30. Number Sense is all mental math - the student must use a blue ink pen and cannot work out any problems...it must all be done in the head and the student can write only the answer. Any cross out of an answer = wrong; any skipped question = wrong. Wrong answers count -2; correct answers count +5. These directions are different from all of the other events, so part of the task is to know the directions! There is also strategy involved with skipping questions. We aren't to the strategy part yet. Approx. 3 hours after the event, parents (and students) come in to verify the scoring (which is done by 3 independent people) and then results are determined for awards. Luke scored 120 - which we had no idea how that compares to other kids, but that was the higher than he had scored on any practice tests. Oh - the test only lasts 10 minutes. He did 24 problems in 10 minutes. Turns out, that was good enough for 5th place! I was totally shocked and knew that Luke would consider this venture a success since he won a medal.

In the in-between time, imagine a cafeteria FULL of people with almost-constant announcements over a microphone. Schools have tables and the kids from our school pretty much played cards or parallel-played on their electronic devices. One mother brought the supplies to make necklaces...so the kids had fun playing with each other.

Paul's Art Memory was at 10:00. His group got called to the "outdoor gym" where there was a person holding a sign for his test (there were several tests scheduled for the same time). A parent could accompany the student that far, but then the students were led into the room of the school where they would test...parents were not allowed there. While in line, Paul started crying. I asked him why and he was nervous...he guessed. I hugged him close and told him to take some deep breaths and we said a prayer. He seemed to calm down a bit. When he was finished, he said he'd tried to answer all of the multiple choice questions. I didn't react outwardly, but inwardly, I groaned. With this test, if you get the question right +5, leave it blank is no penalty; answer incorrectly is -2, so I figured this would be a big drain on his score...we didn't focus on the art elements and art history because that is too advanced and too much information for him. He recounted several of the paintings he had to identify for the art recognition part. Approx. 3 hours later, I went in to verify the scoring (not every parent does this). He scored 55 on the multiple choice...he actually answered several correctly, but the deductions cost him. When I looked at the sheet with his handwriting of the 15 artists and paintings he had to identify, I just smiled so big...to see his little handwriting and imagine him sitting in the desk and doing all of that work just made me so happy. He scored 120 (out of a possible 150) on this part. He got points for EVERY painting because he knew the artist and title. He got +5 for spelling 9 of the 15 artists correctly and +5 for spelling 6 of the painting titles correctly. He got +3 for everything else because he identified it correctly, but had spelling mistakes. His overall score was 175. Again, I had no idea how that compared to other kids. When he won 5th place, I almost cried. This is an event for 4th and 5th graders and my little 7 year old boy did 5th best. I am so proud of him and this provides the memory I need for him when he FREAKS out about a task...we can talk about how he was so freaked he cried before the test, but in the end, he did well...AND, there was no consequence for not doing well, so it was nothing to get freaked about!

At 12:30, Luke had maps/charts/graphs. When he finished, he told us he thought he did well and that he only skipped 4 questions. This test is 50 questions and 30 minutes. Half the questions are about graphs and charts on the test itself. There are some questions that are more critical thinking about the information that may or may not be directly represented on the graph/chart. The other half of the questions are atlas questions and students can (and should) use this specific atlas (which I had to order from the company...online...because it is sold NOWHERE else) to find answers. The specific atlas is necessary because the questions might ask about a graph or map that is only in this atlas...the key is knowing the atlas well enough to know where to find the information quickly. When we (Luke came with me) went to verify, Luke has scored 205 out of 250! This is about 50 points higher than he has scored on any practice test we took at home. I was fairly confident that he'd medal, but I was a bit worried he'd place 1st or 2nd and we'd have to go to another town for the state competition next month! I was relieved he came in 3rd...he, of course, wants to go to state next year!

At 1:30, Luke had his last test - Math. There were 3 boys from his grade taking the test. He came out and said he didn't do well - it was difficult and he left 20 blank. He didn't think we needed to hang around for the verification or the awards because he didn't think he'd done well. All of these verifications and awards happen SOOO long after the event itself (because multiple people are scoring) that we were still there when they called for math verification, so Luke and I went. Luke was right - 65 out of a possible 200 (40 questions). The test was difficult... much more of the 5th grade math (this s a 4th/5th event) than any of our practice tests. His friend had scored 70 and we all thought this was going to be just a good experience. As I was leaving, I saw a 43 and an 18 on other people's tests, so I thought, "well, maybe this isn't as bad as I thought". It would depend if they awarded 4th and 5th grade separately. So...we hung around for the awards. They do a good job of making you think they are just about to 1) verify or 2) award, so just stick around... In the end, they awarded 4th and 5th grade separately and Luke won 4th place and his friend won 3rd.

I am VERY proud of these boys. They placed in each event entered. They worked hard (Paul harder than Luke) and their hard work paid off. I am also impressed with myself! Richard was supportive, but I really did everything to help the boys prepare. Clearly, I rock.