6th grade students Shelby Clawson (right) and Tori Carpenter (middle) discuss aspects of their project on the Hatfield's and McCoy's with Judge Rick Poling, Director of the Calhoun County Committee on Aging
Heading to Regionals, Tori and Shelby
proudly display their first place certificates
By Dan Cosgrove
County Coordinator
Calhoun Middle-High School hosted the annual county social studies (SS) fair and National History Day (NHD) on February 19. School fairs were held at all the schools in the county with the first place winners moving on to the county fair.
Two divisions competed in the SS Fair, division 1 and 2. Division 1 included students in 3rd through 5th grades, and division two with 6th grade through 8th grade. High School students in West Virginia no longer compete in the social studies fair, but may elect to compete in National History Day. National History Day allows students to make a typical display, or choose from making documentaries, research papers, web sites, or performances. Sixth through 8th grade may compete in the SS Fair or NHD.
Division one students from Arnoldsburg, Calhoun Middle, and Pleasant Hill were very competitive where many of the first, second and third place winners were only a few points apart. Students could compete in one of nine categories: Anthropology, Economics, Geography, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, State and Local Studies, U.S. History, and World History.
Nearly 200 students started at the school level, with 24 making it to the county fair. Eight (8) county fair winners will be moving on to the regional fair in Parkersburg on March 21, 2014: In Economics, Anna Walker; Geography, Jesse Allen; Political Science, Josie Montgomery; Psychology, Dylan Sampson; Sociology, Makayla Jones; State and Local, Tysa James; U.S. History, Lacy Hicks and World History, Mason Siwicki.
Pleasant Hill's Mason Siwicki will represent Calhoun at the
regional fair. Seen with Judge Sarah Harper from Minnie Hamilton
All 6th through 8th grade students presented a project in their classrooms with 35 moving to the county fair, representing 27 projects. Nine (9) projects will continue to the regional competition, with 13 students competing.
Individuals include: Economics, Dakota Snider; Geography, Kayla Carper; State and Local, Trenten Cunningham; U.S. History, Donna Richards; and World History, Samantha Hall. Groups competing include: Anthropology, Cassidy Conley and Claire Boggs; State and Local, Shelby Clawson and Tori Carpenter; U.S. History, Alexa Lawson and Madison Dennis; and World History Kole Jarvis and Micheal Murphy.
For 2014, only high school students that chose displays were required to compete at the county level. The winners of the High School's National History Day competition for displays were Kensy Bailey and Brandi Dobbins. Other students have created websites and will compete at the state NHD competition in April. A number of middle school students are working on performances for NHD that will also be presented at the state competition. These performances will include the story of Anne Frank, Child Labor, The Salem's Witch Trial, The Glass Ceiling and The Freedom Riders.
Congratulations to all students who participated in Calhoun County's 2014 Social Studies Fair and National History Day and a special thank you to all the judges.
Tysa James from Arnoldsburg Elementary will head to regionals
with her State and Local Project. Shown with Aleah Dye, judge
Eighth grade student Trenten Cunningham will present his
State and Local Project at the regional fair. Trenten
had previously made it all the way to the state competition
Claire Boggs (left) and Cassidy Conley will put on their ballet
shoes and head to Parkersburg to discuss the history of ballet
If the bus doesn't disappear on the way to Parkersburg, Kayla
Carper will bring her 1st place project to the regional fair
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