Battle of the Bluebonnets set for Friday

Students from elementary campuses across Ector County Independent School District will converge on the ICA Community Gym at the Odessa College Sports Center for the Eighth Annual Battle of the Bluebonnets Friday.

The event starts at 9:30 a.m. and will feature students from 25 ECISD campuses competing against one another in a quiz show over a variety of culturally diverse literature.

During the past few weeks, participating ECISD elementary schools have been waging their own preliminary version of the battle leading up to the district-wide event that will result in one school being named district champion.

Members of the community are invited to attend the free event.

“Battle of the Bluebonnets” is funded by the Education Foundation of Odessa.

Each participating school received three sets of the 20 books selected as Texas Bluebonnet Award nominees. Each school then puts together teams of students (from third through fifth grade) who read at least five of the books and then compete in a game show-type atmosphere where each team attempts to correctly answer questions from the books.

This year, questions for the battle was prepared by the ECISD Literacy Department.

Along with the competition, the goal is to motivate students to read as many of the books as possible, discuss them with friends and family and with the help of their teachers identify literary elements and develop critical thinking questions about the books, a news release said.

Participating campuses are Alamo, Austin, Blackshear, Blanton, Buice, Burleson, Burnet, Cameron, Cavazos, Dowling, Fly, Goliad, Gonzales, Hays, Ireland, Johnson (LBJ), Jordan, Milam, Noel, Reagan, Ross, Sam Houston, San Jacinto, Travis and Zavala, the release said.

This program is funded through donations. Individuals and businesses who wish to support the program are encouraged to make a tax-deductible donation to the Education Foundation of Odessa. Donations may be made online by visiting the Education Foundation of Odessa or donations may be mailed to P.O. Box 951, Odessa, Texas 79760.