Slow time for GT blogging

At this time of year the number of new topics for the GT blog gets fewer and fewer. Even if you do not see new posts for awhile, the list on the right - "Interesting Items From Other Blogs" will include new topics regularly.

State History Day Results

From the Log Cabin Democrat

The University of Central Arkansas hosted the History Day in Arkansas State Competition Saturday and, like last year, Conway students won in several categories.

College Investment 529 plans

I have recently become more interested in 529 plans as an investment option to save money for college. Investors can select any plan they want, but the Arkansas GIFT plan offers matching grants for Arkansas residents which could add up to $500 per year for families with an adjusted gross income of less than $60,000.

Morningstar has recently set up a comparison of all 529 plans and the Arkansas plan gets a pretty favorable rating because of the matching grant. The deadline for this year's grant is April 30th.

College textbooks can easily cost $500 per semester these days, so even students who get scholarships will benefit from their parent's participation in a plan like this.

2008 ARKANSAS GOVERNOR'S QUIZ BOWL COMPETITION LIVE ON AETN

Saturday, April 19, 5-8 p.m.
Sunday, April 20, 1-4 p.m.

The 2008 Arkansas Governor's Quiz Bowl broadcast is shaping up to be an exciting event. This year brings changes with a new logo and new set. Watch as 14 teams from around the state compete in seven classifications during this two-day live broadcast.

AGATE Meeting Minutes Added

The minutes from the Conway AGATE Spring Meeting have been added as a link in the right-hand column. I have also added a link to the membership form since there were a few folks who mentioned they want to join but were unable to attend the meeting on the 3rd.

There are openings available on the committes for Membership (recruitment), Publicity, Auditing, and Education. For more information about these opportunities, please use the "Email the Blog Editor" link on the right.

Conway AGATE update

Thursday's Conway AGATE meeting went well. The minutes will be coming along soon, but I thought you might enjoy the reports about how our students did (and are doing) in the enrichment competitions this year.

Quiz Bowl

At the Regional tournament here in Conway that AGATE helped with, C.H.S. East Blue came in second and BCMS team came in fourth. According to the Log Cabin, 4 of the 5 members of the All Tournament team were from Conway. Taylor West was the MVP of the tournament.

At the 7A State Finals in Ft. Smith, BCMS team came in second place in their bracket, and C.H.S. East Blue won their bracket. Parker West was the MVP for the bracket that B.C.M.S. was in, and Taylor West was the MVP for the bracket that C.H.S. East was in.

At the Arch Ford QuizBowl tournament in Mayflower, the Simon Intermediate QuizBowl Team placed Second.

At the Arch Ford State Finals on March 20, the Simon Intermediate quiz Bowl Team placed Third.

We want to thank our dedicated QuizBowl teachers -- Mrs Patty Thompson, Ms Abby Drangland, Mrs. Paula Mckee, and Mrs, Adolf for helping our kids practice and keep them going. We also extend our gratefulness to our supportive district administrators, Mrs. Donna Whiting and Dr. Murray.

National History Day

For National History Day in 2007 Conway sent 30 students to the National competition in College Park, MD. Of those, 18 students representing 9 entries in 7 different categories advanced to the final round of competition. Conway had more entries and students in the National Finals than any other single district in the country. We finished with two 4th place, two fifth place, a 7th place and four 12th place finishes in the nation.

Faulkner County Spelling Bee

Conway AGATE assisted with this year's Spelling Bee on February 9th. The winner of the Faulkner County competition went ahead to finish second in the state.

National Geographic Bee

From the Log Cabin Democrat

The state-level National Geographic Bee took place at UCA [Friday] and Julie Hill, state coordinator and Bob Courtway Middle School teacher, said the event went well, despite severe storms that damaged several areas of the state Thursday night.

http://www.thecabin.net/stories/040508/loc_0405080006.shtml