Academic Decathlon

The following letter is designed to bring awareness to Crespi's Academic Decathlon team.

Crespi will be participating in the 2009 Southern California Private Schools Academic Decathlon. This event is one of the regional competitions of the United States Academic Decathlon, and it is known as the Super Bowl of academic competitions. In the Academic Decathlon, students take seven objective tests, and they complete three subjectively assessed challenges such as an essay, an interview, and a speech.

An Academic Decathlon team is made up of nine members: three members from three different grade point average divisions. So, Crespi needs competitors with all levels of achievement in school. A Celt may participate in practices and meetings until a final team is assembled based on commitment, performance, and grade point average, and while not everyone may participate in the actual competition, every team member is important in helping the team succeed.

For Crespi’s Academic Decathlon, a Celt must be available on the following three dates: November 21 for a scrimmage match, January 30 for the subjective events, and February 6 for the other tests and awards ceremony. Other meetings such as photo opportunities and practices will be open for students to participate whenever they are available, but I will be scheduling practice tests throughout the fall that may be helpful in preparing for the competition. Please mark the above dates on your calendar.

Parents can play an important part for the scrimmage and the competition by helping with food and drink. For each event, I like to make sure the boys have plenty of snacks and beverages, and help from parents goes a long way. Furthermore, the January and February events require a number of volunteers from essay readers to test proctors. Your help with those duties is crucial because in order for Crespi to participate, we must provide a certain number of volunteers. If you can be available, please contact the event coordinator JoAnn Schnelldorfer at JoAnnSCAD@aol.com.

Thank you for supporting Crespi’s participation in this challenging extra-curricular activity, and I look forward to a strong season. If you have any questions, feel free to send me an email.
Warm Regards,
Mr. Swaney