Lovelady Elementary Wins Big in UIL Competition
By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
LOVELADY – For the 17th year in a row, Lovelady Independent School District (LISD) Elementary School has taken home top marks in the University Interscholastic League (UIL) competition.
This year was no exception with Lovelady competing against Groveton, Leon, Centerville, Grapeland and Latexo.
The teams – ranging from grades two to six – competed in a number of different events from art appreciation to music to chess.
The Lovelady students participated in 45 events and had 23 first place winner and 13 first place teams, 21 second place winners and 10 second place teams and 14 third place winners and four third place teams.
With competitions in writing, speaking, listening and math – some of the categories are impressive for elementary school kids. The different categories they participated in were:
- “Art smart”, 4th, 5th and 6th grades
- Calculator, 6th grade
- Chess, 2nd-6th grades
- Creative Writing, 2nd grade
- Dictionary, 5th and 6th grades
- Editorial Writing, 6th grade
- Impromptu Speaking, 6th grade
- Listening, 5th and 6th grades
- Maps and Graphs, 5th and 6th grades
- Mathematics, 6th grade
- Modern Oratory, 6th grade
- Music Memory, 2nd-6th grades
- Number sense, 4th-6th grades
- Oral Reading, 4th-6th grades
- Ready Writing, 3rd-6th grades
- Social Studies, 5th and 6th grades
- Spelling, 3rd-6th grades
- Story Telling, 2nd and 3rd grades
Lovelady Elementary School Principal Rhonda Lowery has been in the position eight years and in her 27th year working in education, overall. She couldn’t be prouder of the kids, parents and teachers that kept the teams working in the right direction.
“My kids love it,” Lowery said. “We stay after school and that’s the part that makes us stand apart from all the others is that our teachers spend countless hours working with these kids. When they go into competition that day, they know what they’re going to be expected to do.”
Lovelady hosted the speaking parts of the competition this year, although the host and even the schools competing in the same group varies from year to year.
As most parents know, it is not enough to just be able to perform well in reading writing and math – although these children excelled in those, too – the kids were able to shine in so many different categories. The competitions help the kids be more well-rounded with a wider knowledge of art, music and even chess – one of the world’s more difficult and strategic games.
“There’s reading, there’s listening, there’s writing, there’s calculator, mathematics, music memory – teaching them the composers and the songs.” Lowery said. “Art smart – which is working on portraits. There is a vast knowledge in those kids and they are excelling in those and it’s helping them in their academics.”
The participants from the four grades gathered in the elementary school cafeteria to get their picture taken – young adults all filled with controlled energy and bright smiles – after all, it’s almost Christmas and they must make the ‘nice list.’
Mrs. Lowery knows them all by name and helps them get organized so the smaller kids get closer to the front. She shows her pride with the group as a whole, but one team in particular gave her a reason to feel even more proud.
“I coach the chess and I’ve got to brag on my team!” Lowery beamed. “Second grade took first place, third grade took second place, fourth grade won second place, fifth grade won second place and sixth grade won first place.”
Students like those on the Lovelady elementary UIL teams give show the smart and well-rounded leader of tomorrow being readied in the schools in Houston County.
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
