For the last five years, the Scottsburg High School Academic Team has brought home five, consecutive state championships in English, science, social studies, and interdisciplinary subject areas. This year, the Academic Team is hoping to continue the tradition of academic excellence.
“The Academic Team is a valuable asset to the school because it highlights how well that Scott County School District 2 students can compete academically with the top students in the state,” said Robert Deirth, Academic Team coordinator and science academic team coach.
Each year, Indiana Association of School Principals sponsors the Indiana Academic Super Bowl, where schools across the state compete, answering academically-challenging questions in a specific subject area. For the interdisciplinary team, the students answer questions from all the subject areas. The teams compete in invitational events leading up to a regional state-qualifying competition. At the regional competition, the score the team receives determines if the team advances to the state competition at Purdue University on the first weekend in May. Only top-scoring teams in the state compete at Purdue.
“We are extremely proud of our students and their academic achievement. The Academic Team reflects the kind of student that SHS produces: students that think, problem solve, and go the extra mile,” SHS Principal Ric Manns said.
Not only do the students have the opportunity to advance to the state finals and the possibility of winning a state championship title, students involved in the Academic Team at SHS develop skills that are valuable later in life and in college.
“For the students that participate, the benefit is threefold. First, they get additional instruction in materials above what is covered in the classroom, exposing them to topics and depths they otherwise would not have seen. Second, they get the added motivation to work to their potential that high-level competition provides. Third, they get to see first-hand that they can compete with the top students from around the state,” said Deirth, who is also the science department chair and a teacher at SHS.
Because SHS can compete with and has excelled against other large, private, and affluent schools throughout the state, Scott 2 students can know the education they receive is top notch and of an exceptional caliber.
“As a teacher, this gives me evidence to motivate and encourage my students that an SCSD2 education allows them the opportunity to excel to the same degree as students elsewhere,” Deirth said.
The SHS Academic Team competes in its regional area competition on Tuesday, April 18.
“We hope the achievements of the team gives those in our community a window into the academic caliber of SCSD2,” Deirth said. “Hopefully, when they see the signs in town that highlight our five consecutive state championships or hear about our achievements, it allows them to take pride in our community.”
At Scott County School District 2, the SHS Academic Team’s story is our story. Your story matters. You matter.