Burns Sci Tech Shines at Battle of the Books Competition

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We are incredibly proud to celebrate our students who represented Burns Sci Tech at this year’s Battle of the Books competition. Their dedication, teamwork, and love of reading were on full display throughout this exciting academic event.

Elementary Team:

Coaches: Ms. Lagana and Ms. Beltram

Competition Team: Carlos de Velasco (Team Captain), Jonaulia Russell, Julianna London. Izzy Sawyer and Josephine Williams.

Alternates: Ava Ferrara, Sara Brown, and Kaylee Hendricks.

Middle School Team:

Coaches: Mrs. Tudeen and Ms. Powers

Cannon Medina (Team Captain), Carter Tudeen, Everett Lagana, Kayleigh Bozzuto, and Savannah Drake.

A Year of Preparation

Our students began preparing for this competition last summer by reading all 10 books from the Florida Sunshine State Young Readers Award (SSYRA) list. Once the school year began, teams committed to weekly practices starting in October, working hard to master detailed content and sharpen their recall skills in preparation for district competition.

The Competition

This year’s district competition included 31 elementary schools and 9 middle schools, making it an incredibly competitive event.

Teams competed in two qualifying rounds. In Round 1, teams were given 10 “In What Book” questions and had to respond with the correct book title. Burns Elementary scored a perfect 10 out of 10. In Round 2, teams answered 10 detailed content questions from the reading list, and once again, Burns Elementary achieved a perfect 10 out of 10.

As the only elementary team to earn a perfect score in both rounds, Burns secured a spot in the final round alongside Tomoka Elementary and Volusia Pines Elementary.

A Nail-Biting Final Round

The final round brought intense competition as the top teams battled for first place. Burns maintained a perfect streak through nine questions, demonstrating incredible focus and preparation.

When the final question resulted in a tie, the competition moved into a tie-breaker round. After four additional questions, with all teams answering correctly, the outcome ultimately came down to a very small timing technicality.

While this was a devastating blow, the team handled the moment with remarkable maturity and leadership. Their coaches and school leaders are incredibly proud of the way they represented Burns Sci Tech under so much pressure.

Although Burns Elementary was ultimately awarded 3rd place, the result does not reflect the excellence they demonstrated throughout the competition.

More Than a Trophy

Beyond the results, our students showed outstanding resilience and sportsmanship. Coaches, teams, and spectators from across the district took the time to personally commend our students for their grace under pressure and their hard work.

We are proud to bring home our first Battle of the Books trophy, which will be displayed in our elementary trophy case as a symbol of both achievement and character.

Looking Ahead

This marks Burns Sci Tech’s second year competing at the elementary level and our first year with a middle school team. We are excited to continue growing this program and hope to expand to include a high school team next year.

We couldn’t be prouder of our students and coaches. Their hard work, dedication, and love of learning truly represent the spirit of Burns Sci Tech.