Since September, a group of students at Bellerose Composite High School have been hitting the books in preparation for the Reach for the Top provincial championships taking place in Calgary next month.
The game show-style competition tests students on common knowledge, particularly in subject areas taught in school. It began several decades ago as a spin-off of the British TV series Top of the Form.
Local Grade 12 participant Collin Title has been taking part in Reach for the Top since Grade 6. For him, one of the best parts of the competition is having the opportunity to travel around the province.
“I’d never had provincials in the Edmonton area so it’s a road trip and I just find it interesting to test your knowledge against other people,” he said.
In Grade 9, Title’s team won provincials as part of a team from W.D. Cuts school in St. Albert.
Title, who plans to study science at the University of Alberta next year, said he doesn’t use any special study techniques to retain information.
“I just remember it,” he said.
Students will be asked questions in a variety of areas, including Canadian culture, math and science, music and the humanities.
Vice-principal Jyoti Mangat said the students have been really committed in getting ready for the competition.
“The kids have been using a lot of their own time and practicing and really enjoying the intellectual challenge.”
Brian Grant, an English teacher at Bellerose, has been coaching students since the beginning of the year.
In addition to going over a list of questions from Reach for the Top organizers, Grant said he also quizzes students in other areas as well.
“I’ll give them a list of the 50 American states and their capitals, a list of Genie award winners because there are a lot of Canadian questions that pop up,” he said.
While he said there have been eight to 10 regulars showing up to daily study sessions, Grant can only bring six to Calgary next month. That number includes four players and two alternate players.
Grant said there are many benefits for students who compete in Reach for the Top.
“It gives kids an opportunity to shine in a competition where they may not shine in something more sports related,” he said.
In addition, he said it gives students extra incentive to remember details.
“We live in a world where everybody assumes that because of the technology, they have access to the information and memory is no longer considered that important and this sort of a game reinforces that memory does have its place,” Grant said.
“That’s one of the good things about it.”
Title agrees.
“You can look up everything. You can Google anything you want but in Reach, it’s all in your mind,” he said. Title said the areas of geography and math are his particular strengths.
Grade 12 competitor Gwen Rosser has also been preparing herself for next month’s competition.
“I play Trivial Pursuit with my parents almost every night and they’re getting a little freaked out because I’m starting to beat them,” said Rosser, while riding a bike last week during the annual Bike-a-thon.
“It’s just a thrill to go to provincials,” she said.
“If we do go to nationals it will be a bonus but it’s just such a thrill.”
