Goldsboro, N.C. — Northwest Elementary School made history this year by competing in the first-ever state-level North Carolina Elementary Battle of the Books (EBOB) competition, held recently in Statesville. The team earned its spot at the prestigious event after winning the regional competition in Bayboro earlier this May.

The 2024–2025 school year marked a new milestone for the popular literacy-based competition, with elementary teams given the opportunity to advance beyond the regional level for the first time. Although Northwest Elementary did not place in the top three at the state event, the team’s achievement is being celebrated locally. The students will be recognized at the June Wayne County Board of Education meeting for their trailblazing efforts and for ranking among the top teams in the state.

“Literacy is an essential part of life, and the Battle of the Books is a great opportunity for students to exercise their literacy skills in a fun and unique way,” said Christy White, Title IV Enrichment Facilitator for Wayne County Public Schools (WCPS). “We are so excited and proud that our Northwest Elementary team had the distinction of being one of the first North Carolina elementary schools to compete on the state-level stage.”

The Battle of the Books program, sponsored by the North Carolina School Library Media Association, is a quiz bowl-style competition where students read a curated list of books and answer detailed questions to test their comprehension and recall. The elementary division features students in grades 4 and 5, while the middle school division includes grades 6 through 8.

This spring, WCPS hosted its annual district-level competitions at the Dillard/Goldsboro Alumni Cultural Center. Eleven elementary teams and five middle school teams, comprising 115 students in total, participated across two days of spirited competition.

In the elementary division, Northwest Elementary, coached by Michele Weeks and assistant coach Marjorie Cooke, took first place. Spring Creek Elementary and Rosewood Elementary followed in second and third place, respectively.

In the middle school competition, Wayne School of Engineering, led by head coach Dawn Schappell and assistant coach Sandy Brannan, clinched first place. Spring Creek Middle placed second, and Norwayne Middle took third. The Wayne School of Engineering team went on to compete at the regional level in New Bern.

“This program thrives because of the incredible dedication of our media coordinators, volunteers, and staff,” added Ms. White. “They go above and beyond to bring this exceptional literacy experience to our students.”

Other participating schools in this year’s Battle of the Books season included Carver Heights Elementary, Eastern Wayne Elementary, Fremont Elementary, Grantham Middle, Meadow Lane Elementary, Mount Olive Middle, Northeast Elementary, and Rosewood Elementary.

As Northwest Elementary looks back on its historic season, the school community is already looking ahead with pride and anticipation for what next year may bring.