Congratulations to the Hill School 5th grade students who ended their year with the annual Tournament of Champions. The Tournament of Champions is a three hour academic tournament that includes material the students have studied over the course of the year such as Architecture, Castles & Knights, Classic Literature, Greek & Norse Mythology , New York City, Renaissance Art, and Roman Engineering.
The students are divided into five teams and have two months to prepare for the tournament. Teams prepare by dividing responsibility and naming an expert on each topic, highlighting notes that have been taken throughout the year, and having study sessions during and after school.
When the day arrives, the event is met with much fanfare. The theatre has tables for each team and plenty 
of seating for the encouraging audience. In the lobby, tables are set with food and beverages – fuel for the students as they battle their way through the tournament. As a question is asked each team has the opportunity to answer and score points for their team or loose points with a wrong answer.
Some sample questions include:
• Draw and label the three levels of a Gothic Cathedral Wall?
• Explain why the Bayeux tapestry is so important?
• Who turned Odysseus’ men into swine?
• What symbolizes loyalty in Jan van Eyck’s painting “The Arnolfini Wedding?”
In the end there is a winning team, but each 5th grader is applauded for their work throughout the year and acknowledged for the knowledge they have each gained.
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