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May 23, 2011 (La Mesa) – A team of seventh graders from Day-McKellar Preparatory School in La Mesa will advance to the finals for the National History Day Competition in June 12-16 in Maryland. The team took first place at the California State National History Day Competition earlier this month with an award-winning performance on the 1980 U.S.-led Olympic boycott.
“I am so proud of the students for their ability to understand and articulate such a complicated and emotional topic,” said Hillary Gaddis, the students’ teacher and coach. “This is one of the most prestigious competitions in the Country and to even make it to the finals is an award in and of itself.”
The National History Day Competition gives students the opportunity to highlight historic events while competing with other students from across the country. Each year, more than half a million students from across the U.S. construct entries as an individual or in groups in one of five categories; Documentary, Exhibit, Paper, Performance or Website. After competitions at Regional and State levels, the challenge culminates at the Kenneth E. Behring National History Day Contest held in College Park, Maryland.
The mission of National History Day is to provide students with opportunities to learn historical content and develop research, thinking and communication skills through the study of history and to provide educators with resources and training to enhance classroom teaching.
The students at Day-McKellar interviewed more 30 Olympic athletes including gymnast Nadia Comaneci and Olympic rower Anita DeFrantz, winning a county competition before advancing to the state finals. Visuals in the La Mesa students’ entry include:
• Live performance by students
• Authentic Olympic memorabilia, on loan from athletes is worn in the student performance, including:
o US Olympic volleyball player Debbie Green’s Olympic sweatsuit and set of patches
o Olympic swimmer Stephanie Elkins’ Olympic sweatsuit
o Olympic runner Steve Scott’s Congressional Medal of Honor and an authentic Tiffany's commemorative medal
o Olympic rower Holly Hatton’s t-shirt with a message to President Carter on it
The Day-McKellar team’s teacher and coach, Hillary Gaddis, was a member of a winning team at the National Competition when she was a seventh grader at Fruitvale Junior High School. Fruitvale has also advanced to the finals and the students from Day-McKellar will be competing against their teacher’s alma mater in this year’s competition.
Students are actively fundraising to help with travel costs and entry fees.
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