ACADEMIC
FAIR
Events include Math, Spelling, Art, Prose Reading for students in Grades 1-8, Social Studies and Mental Math for students of Grades 3-8, and Algebra for Grade 8 students.
Various schools in the diocese participate.
Click here if you like to print the St Patrick Academic Fair Rules (PDF format)
General Rules
1. Each student is limited to entering 3 events. Check the schedule when making the selection of events. In some grades more than one event is scheduled at the same time. Please note Prose Reading schedule is a 90 minute block. No Prose Reading contestant may be scheduled for another event during this time.
2. There is a fee of $4.00 per event. (This money is collected at each local school.) All money is due when names are submitted to St. Patrick School. The school must provide a typewritten copy of the contestants' names.
3. Participants must be on time for the event. Contestants late for Mental Math will be disqualified. A bell will ring five minutes before each event to signal contestants to get to their classrooms. Anyone not on time may be disqualified.
4. No spectators are allowed in the testing rooms during contests. No one is allowed in the corridors or outside the contest rooms while the contests are administered. Monitors will be available to guide contestants as needed.
5. Contestants may not leave the contest room until dismissed by the monitor.
6. Silence must be observed during all contests.
7. Math, Algebra and Geography papers are not returned to contestants, parents or teachers. Art work, spelling papers, and score sheets for prose reading will be given to each school to distribute to individual students.
8. Algebra 1 is open to Algebra students. No calculators will be allowed for any math contest including Algebra 1.
9. Winners will be posted throughout the day in the auditorium and cafeteria. Awards will be placed in boxes in the tabulation room provided for each school. These boxes will be picked up at the end of the day by the school's Academic Fair coordinator. Please be patient while waiting for the results since it may take several hours to complete some events from start to finish.
10. Awards will be given to the top six place winners. Four honorable mentions will also be made in each event. 11. Concessions will be sold throughout the day in the cafeteria. Food is not allowed in any other part of the building.
11. Concessions will be sold throughout the day.
Rules - Written Math - Grades 1-8
1. Problems will include basic and challenging math concepts for each grade level and include computation and word problems. Each test will have at lease 50 problems.
2. Fractions must be reduced to lowest terms.
3. Test time will be 30 minutes for all grade levels.
4. Students bring two pencils and erasers for the test. Scratch paper will be provided.
5. Should a tie occur, awards will be given to all winners.
6. For grades 1 - 3, answers are written on test sheets. For grades 4 - 8, answers are written on Scantron card.
Rules - Written Spelling
1. Eligibility - This competition is open to all students in Grades 1-8. There will be a separate division for each grade level.
2. Nature of Contest - Contestant will write in legible form words called out by the director of the contest. Paper and pencil are provided. If a student wishes to write in pen, he/she should provide their own.
3. Rules Governing Contest - Contestants will be given a numbered registration form and answer sheet. Each answer sheet will be identified by the contest number entered in the upper right hand corner. (This number is found on the registration form.)
4. Test Word Sources - 80% of the words will come from the word lists sent to each school, while 20% will come from the textbooks for that grade level and other sources. (This is to avoid a great number of ties and to reduce memorization - UIL.)
5. Tests lists - The director will call out: 40 words for Grades 1-2, 50 words for Grades 3-4 and 60 words for Grades 5-8.
6. Tie Breaker - The tie breaker for Grades 1-8 shall consist of 10 words. (Words are taken from next two grade levels and outside sources.) The tie breaker will be given to all contestants in the spelling competition. After the initial contest the tie breaker words will be given. In the event of a tie in the initial contest, the tie breaker tests of only those involved shall be graded and used to break the tie. In any case where there is a tie for a place, those contestants who are tied for that place shall be awarded a place before going on to another contestant or place. For example, if two contestants are tied on the spelling test for second place, the tie breaker would be graded for those two students. The student scoring higher on the tie breaker would be awarded second place and the other student would be awarded third place.
7. Pronunciation - If a word has two or more acceptable pronunciations, at least two of the pronunciations must be given by the pronouncer. Each pronunciation may be given only twice. If a word seems to offer unusual difficulties to the contestants, it should be briefly defined or used in an illustrative sentence. The pronouncer should be careful to distinguish between words which sound alike but have different meanings. Thus, if he pronounced the word "bass", he should be careful to say "bass drum", or "bass voice", to distinguish it from "base", meaning "low" or "mean".
8. Winners - The contestant's score shall be determined by deducting one point for each incorrectly spelled word. The contestant making the highest grade shall be given first place, and so on. Points will be awarded through 6th place. In case of a tie for first through sixth places, the scores on the tiebreaker test will be used to break the deadlock and determine the winner. If a tie still exists after the tiebreaker has been graded, this tie shall not be broken. Should there be a tie for first place, both students will receive a First Place Ribbon, etc. Four Honorable Mentions will also be awarded.
9. Criteria for Judging - Correct spelling consists of writing legibly the letters which compose the word in their proper order. Legibility, not handwriting style, is to be emphasized.
OVERALL EFFECTIVENESS Was the selection appropriate for the performer? Did the speaker clearly communicate the selection? Did the speaker maintain the listener's interest? Was the performance consistent? Was the total effect pleasing?
Rules - On-Site Drawing GRADES 1-4
1. Contestants use crayons and pencils to do their drawing. Crayons and pencils will be provided.
2. Drawing will be done on paper 12 x 18. Paper will be provided.
3. The drawing should be about the idea given by the monitor.
4. No words are to be used in the drawing.
5. Contestants have 40 minutes to do the drawing.
6. Drawing will be judged on creative thinking, expression and form.
Rules - On-Site Drawing GRADES 5-8
1. Drawing will be of objects (4-7 objects) on display (Still Life).
2. Drawing will be on paper 12 x 18. Paper will be provided
3. All contestants use the same media, pencils, will be provided.
4. No words are to be used in the drawing.
5. Contestants will have 60 minutes to do the drawing.
6. Judging based on these elements:
a. What make this work different from others?
b. What degree of quality is found for the type of media and the technique
used?
c. What other aspects add to this work's appeal?
d. Unified appearance of the whole display
Rules - Prose reading
Prose reading consists of reading a published literary selection (not poetry or song lyrics). The main goal is to communicate a text’s message to an audience. The selection may be a fable, yarn, tale, short story, cutting from a novel, non-fiction forms as letters and diaries, or humorous essays. A memorized introduction is required. Responsive use of the body is permissible. Selection must be read from an easily managed hard cover folder. Time limits are Grades 1 - 4 (2-3 minutes), Grades 5 - 8 approximately 5 minutes including the introduction.
Judging will be based on the following criteria.
Introduction
Does it establish the proper mood and setting?
Does it catch your attention and arouse interest?
Does it give the title and author?
Is the introduction memorized?
Understanding
Does the speaker appear to understand the author’s meaning in the piece?
Does the speaker understand the meaning in the selection?
Voice and Diction
Are the voices suitable for the characters?
Is the enunciation distinct and clear?
Is the rate appropriate?
Bodily Action
Use of body and facial expression is appropriate to the demands of the selection, a natural outgrowth of the literary selection, does not call attention to it and is limited in scope. Feet should be planted firmly on the ground during the presentation of the selection.
Overall Effectiveness
Was the selection appropriate for the performer?
Did the speaker clearly communicate the selection?
Did the speaker maintain the listener’s interest?
Was the performance consistent?
Was the total effect pleasing?
Rules - Geography Contest
The Geography contest is a written objective test. It is a separate contest for each grade for grades 3-8. Testing time is 30 minutes. A variety of material will be used in the contest. The contest will include some combination of maps, graphs, and charts which contain information needed to answer objective test questions. The main content of grades 3 & 4 will be communities, state (Texas) and the U.S. The main content of grades 5 & 6 will be U.S. and the world. The main content of grades 7 & 8 will be Texas, U.S. and the world.
Rules - Mental Math Grades 3-8
This contest consists of solving math problems mentally. It is a ten-minute test. No calculations are made with paper and pencil. Only the answer is written in the space provided.
Rules - Algebra Grade 8
1. Algebra problems will include basic and challenging concepts and include computation and word problems.
2. Follow Algebra rules for stating fractional answers.
3. Testing time is 30 minutes.
4. Students bring two pencils and erasers for the tests. Scratch paper will be provided.
5. Should a tie occur, awards will be given to all
winners.