Academic Teams
Academic Team events are called Governor's Cup events
Students in 4th and 5th grades are eligible to participate on the Elementary Academic Team. Students on the Elementary Academic Team begin practicing after school in early October. Students will compete in the District Governor’s Cup competition. Students who advance will then compete at the Regional Governor’s Cup competition which are held in February and March of each school year.There are eight "events" at each Governor's Cup competition:
- Five Written Assessment Examinations
- Mathematics
- Language Arts
- Arts & Humanities
- Science
- Social Studies
- Written Composition - On-demand writing
- Quick Recall - Team competition
- Future Problem Solving
6th Grade Academic Team is a fun year for students to be involved in academics between the Governor's Cup years with elementary and middle grades! Only 6th graders can participate on the 6th grade team. Our season typically runs from the beginning of September through the beginning of December. We only have one competition against other schools. It is titled the 6th Grade Showcase and always takes place on the first Saturday of December.
The areas to compete on the 6th grade academic team are: quick recall, composition, and written assessment. There are five written assessment areas: mathematics, science, social studies, language arts, and arts & humanities. There is not a 6th grade Future Problem Solving (FPS) team, however, there is a Jr. FPS team and that can consist of 4th, 5th, and 6th graders.
Practices take place each week, the days of practice are dependent on what content areas you are involved with and when the volunteer coaches can meet.
The Middle Grades Academic Team is when the academic competition really picks up the pace and level of difficulty! Middle grades competition runs for almost the whole school year. Students in middle grades academics must show a commitment and dedication to individual and team work and growth. Those students that do achieve high ranking at various levels of competition, often receive statewide and even national recognition!
The Middle Grade Team competition year usually begins with a schedule of district and possibly regional scrimmage style matches. Depending on the level of team success, several invitational tournaments are also attended in which HNS can compete against some of the best teams in the state. In January the Kentucky Governor’s Cup competition begins with the District. Top placing individuals and teams at District qualify for Regional competition. If individuals and teams qualify and make it through the very difficult Regional level, then those students and teams will compete with the “best of the best” at the State Governor’s Cup Academic competition held each year in Louisville. If teams achieve high ranking at the state level they may qualify for national, or even international level competition during the summer!
Individual students compete in five (5) areas of subject testing, which are: Math, Science, Social Studies, Arts and Humanities, and Language Arts. Some students who excel in writing compete in the category of Written Composition. The team categories are: Quick Recall and Future Problem Solving. In some years there are even teams in: Community Problem Solving, and individuals in Scenario Writing competition. While the Governor’s Cup competition and preparation comprises a large part of the yearly routine and work, Holy Name has also excelled at state and national level Quiz Bowl competition.
Practice for the Middle Grades Academic Team requires a weekly schedule to cover the different and varied competition areas that goes from Monday through Friday. There is weekend travel whenever tournaments or Governor’s Cup competition occurs. Because of the general definition of “middle school”, the statewide rules consider 6th grade through 8th grade students illegible for middle grade teams. HNS usually has several 6th grade students qualifying for competition with the Middle Grades Team each year.