UIL competition underway

By Donnie A. Lucas

Albany junior high students began the UIL academic season this week, competing in writing events.

The meet will be conducted virtually for the most part again this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with all events to be completed by Dec. 7.

Ready writing and editorial writing contests were held Monday, Nov. 15 with entries sent to judges to be scored.

The remainder of the events will be administered just as they would be at an in-person meet, but will be scored locally, then reported to the district for ranking.

Other schools in the district include Anson, Cisco, Hamlin, Haskell, Hawley, and Stamford.

“We will video students competing in oral reading,” junior high UIL coordinator Melanie Anderson said. “The rest of the testing will be given by Dec. 7, with each school grading their own entries and reporting the scores to be tallied.”

Anderson said that participation has been good this year, but probably would have been better if the meet were not remote.

“It is more exciting for the students when they get to go somewhere else to compete,” she said. 

Students at Nancy Smith Elementary also have competed in writing events this week, with the rest of the contests to be administered in the first week of December.

The one exception will oral reading for grades 2-5 which will be held in Stamford on Nov. 30.