The 2020 East and South Auckland Year 9 Readers Cup took place at Glendowie College on Tuesday this week. The SMC Team was represented by five Year 9 students – Lucas Cooper (9LIS), Rory Quiding (9LIS), Piper Hurren (9LIS), Joshua Araos (9GNS) and Averill Realon (9GNS).
Last term these students were selected after 9LIS won and 9GNS was runner-up in our own qualifying competition within school.
This year, only eleven schools competed: Alfriston, Baradene, Dilworth, Edgewater, Glendowie, Macleans, Ormiston Junior, Pakuranga, Sacred Heart, Selwyn and finally Sancta Maria. This year is Baradene’s first year in the competition, though they came third place. Once again, Alfriston won the competition overall, with 50 points.
The Readers Cup competition has been held for several years, and this is the third year Sancta Maria College has competed. The competition consisted of six rounds, one for each of the books we had read in advance: The Rift, One, Flight of the Fantail, Orbiting Jupiter, Songs of a War Boy and Rain Fall. Each round was worth 10 points, withthe total amount of points being 60.
After the last question, we waited patiently for the answers and the points for each school. In third place was Baradene, with 41.5 points. Second place was tied between the hosting school, Glendowie, and Selwyn. Both schools got 47.5 points.
Overall, it was a really fun experience, reading all the books in advance and remembering all the major points in each of the six books.
We thank Mrs O’Rorke and the hosting school for this amazing opportunity. We recommend to all of this year’s Year 8s to have a go next year.
Joshua Araos
