TEMPERANCE — Educators at Jackman Road Elementary School learned they may not be smarter than a fifth grader, but that says more about the students they competed against than it does the teachers.
Fifth-grade students who were part of the quiz bowl team studied packets full of questions in preparation for Friday’s competition, which was planned by Assistant Principal Kim Ortiz after the county’s quiz bowl competition was discontinued.
The seven Bedford schools students still wanted to be a part of the team, so Ms. Ortiz kept on practicing during their recess and lunch to prepare them for the competition. Travis Janiszewski, a fifth-grade student on the team, said he was happy the quiz bowl team continued.
“I think that it’s just really fun, and the team is really fun to play with,” Travis said. “Quiz bowl is just fun.”
Jackman Road students flooded into the school gym for the assembly, sitting in rows on each side of the two tables to watch the quiz bowl team members go head to head against their teachers.
The competition format consisted of two halves, both with four different members of each team. A toss-up question started the round, and the fastest person to hit the buzzer got an opportunity to answer. If correct, they answered three bonus questions. If incorrect, the other teams got a chance to steal and answer the bonus questions themselves.
Students won a decisive victory over the teachers, finishing with 820 points. The teachers finished with 280 points, and the students allowed them just 30 points in the second round. Despite their triumph, the students said they didn’t expect to win.
On the other hand, fifth-grade teacher Jason Eaton said he was prepared to lose the competition. Several of his students are part of the quiz bowl team, and he knew they had prepared well ahead of time. Regardless, he said the feat was still impressive.
“Their poise and their maturity for that age, to stand up there and be eloquent in front of an audience — it’s tough,” he said. “They’re fantastic kids, I can’t say enough great things about them.”
Makenna Brown is one of Mr. Eaton’s students and was the first to buzz for many of the toss-up questions. The speed of quiz bowl is what she enjoys most about the game.
“[My favorite] is hitting the buzzer. It’s just fun to be really fast at it,” Makenna said. “We sit at lunch every day and practice for the whole 45 minutes.”
Questions that the students answered with ease included: What peninsula was the center of the Mayan civilization? Which two U.S. states have a glacier? In what country did the 1984 Union Carbide gas leak kill residents of Bhopal?
Ms. Ortiz said the practice is more than just memorization. During the bonus round, all the team members are able to work together to reach their final answer, and Ms. Ortiz said learning to rely on one another can give them a competitive edge.
“They come in as individual, autonomous kiddos, and they leave with the ability to trust each other and to be OK if somebody else is wrong. That’s huge,” Ms. Ortiz said.
The students in the audience stayed quiet the entire time and watched as their peers showed off their hard work. Ms. Ortiz was beaming after the event, congratulating the students she coached for months on their victory.
“Sometimes when kids are super smart, they’re labeled ... and I need them to realize they’re just as cool as everybody else,” Ms. Ortiz said. “Just watching them, and watching how great my other kids were, it just makes you proud of your kids. As a principal, it makes you proud of your kids.”
First Published March 10, 2025, 11:00 a.m.
