The Simmons Academic Team competes in Quick Recall scrimmage matches against teams from other Woodford County elementary schools. Quick Recall is a quiz bowl-type competition with teams of four players each buzzing in to answer toss-up questions and earn bonus questions. Each round consists of 30 questions or 10 minutes. The teams have 10 seconds to answer a toss-up question and 10 seconds to answer a bonus question. One point is awarded for each correctly answered toss-up and bonus question.

We need lots of helpers to assist at practices; to be trained as judges, moderators, and scorers for matches; to help with set-up and clean-up of home matches; and to act as officials when we compete in the Governor's Cup matches. Please contact coach Madeline Doolin if you would like to be involved.

The Future Problem Solving (FPS) program is a nationally recognized, award winning program founded by Dr. E. Paul Torrance. The program seeks to increase an awareness for the future and encourage creativity in students of all ages. During practices students research FPS topics, and learn how to complete the FPS competition booklet. In competition, students are given a future scenario and as a team brainstorm problems and solutions, and come up with a working plan to address the problem. The Simmons FPS team will compete during the Governor's Cup competition in the spring. More information about FPs and this year's FPS topics can be found on KAAC's website.

In January, we will choose our Governor's Cup Academic Team. The Governor's Cup is a state-wide academic competition sponsored by the Kentucky Association for Academic Competition. Elementary teams compete in district and regional events in Quick Recall, Future Problem Solving, Written Assessment and Written Composition. Quick Recall and Future Problem Solving are team events, while Written Assessment and Composition are individual events. Information about the events and the content areas for each subject can be found on the KAAC website.

Each Governor's Cup academic team member may participate in up to three events. (For example: FPS, Quick Recall, and Math written assessment, or Quick Recall, Science written assessment, and Language Arts written assessment.) The top two Quick Recall and FPS teams and the top five students in each written assessment area and composition from the District match will advance to the Regional match.

The 8-member Governor's Cup Quick Recall team will be chosen from the Simmons Academic Team quick recall participants.

The Governor's Cup Future Problem Solving team is limited to four team members who will be chosen from those attending Future Problem Solving practices.

There will be try-out testing for those wishing to participate in Written Assessment. Written Assessment tests are in the subject areas of math, science, social studies, language arts, and arts & humanities. The tests consist of 30 multiple choice questions plus 6 tiebreaker questions, with a 35 minute time limit for the test. The students with the top three highest scores from the tryouts will take the written assessments for the Governor's Cup team.

Students interested in participating in Composition will be asked to submit samples of their writing. In written composition, the students have 45 minutes to complete a writing assignment from a prompt; for elementary students the prompt is to write either an article or a persuasive letter. Three students may participate in Composition. You do not have to participate in Quick Recall or FPS in order to try-out for the written tests or composition.

When trying out, please make sure you can be available for ALL competition dates!