Executive Director's Letter
| Board of Directors
Executive
Director’s Letter
With Centennial High School’s outstanding achievement in the national
competition this past April, the Idaho
Academic Decathlon heads into another exciting and growing
year, the 40th
of the decathlon program.
Developed in the mind
of Dr. Robert Peterson,
while in a German prisoner-of-war camp during World
War II, the decathlon program took form during the 1967-68
school year in Orange County, California.
Dr. Peterson was Superintendent of Schools for Orange
County at the time. Four
years later, the program went statewide and in 1982 the United
States Academic Decathlon was born.
Idaho became a participant in the program during the
1984-85 school year.
Last year’s study
brought about new-found knowledge of China, its history, its art
and music, and its influence on our world, past and present. This year, the decathletes of America will be researching,
visiting historic battlefields, reading, and watching videos about
The
Civil War. This
theme topic will be incorporated within each of the subject area
exams as well as being the Super Quiz topic.
Along with the
success of Centennial High
School at the USAD National Finals, Bishop
Kelly High School finished in ninth place out of 20 teams from
around the nation in the USAD On-Line Competition for smaller
schools (less than 650 student enrollment).
Both Centennial and Bishop Kelly are to be congratulated
for outstanding years.
Will March, 2008 find
a new champion arise from the events of the IAD State competition?
No matter which school earns the right to represent Idaho
in our national competition, each and every participant will learn
more about a most important time period in the history of our
country, the 1860’s
and the conflict between the North
and the South. Idaho’s 2008 champion will travel to the home
of the Academic Decathlon, Los Angeles, in late April.
I look forward to a
new and exciting year, a year in which the decathlon hits a
certain milestone, and a most memorable year that will lead us
into 2008-2009, our 25th year.
I urge each of you to
look at the list of businesses and firms that have provided
financial support to the Idaho Academic Decathlon.
Their contributions allow us to continue this challenging
and unique program for the young students of Idaho.
That financial support is greatly appreciated and we look
forward to their continued interest as our decathletes extend
their studies well beyond the classroom.
If you are interested
in assisting with the Idaho Academic Decathlon, please contact a
decathlon coach in your area, or you may contact me by email at helgesonj@msn.com.
We especially have need of individuals interested in
judging the speeches of our competitors and the interviews they
undergo.
The Academic
Decathlon is an excellent resource program in which students can
participate to improve their chances of passing the ISAT, the exam
most Idaho students must pass in order to be graduated from high
school. In fact, for
the past five years the IAD has sponsored the Academic Pentathlon
for middle school students which can prepare the students at an
earlier age for the ISAT.
The IAD Board of Directors continues to look at ways to
help improve the decathlon program in Idaho. They, and I, look forward to a growing program and to another
excellent and competitive year.
Jerry Helgeson - Executive Director
Board of Directors
The Idaho Academic Decathlon officers for the competition year are:
President - Bob McQuade
asmcqurh@adaweb.net (w)
Secretary - Shanon Blosch
sblosch@atcnet.net (h)
sblosch@d111.k12.id.us (w)
Treasurer -
Assistant to the Executive Director - Sherry McKnight
srmcknight@sde.state.id.us
Executive Director - Jerry Helgeson
helgesonj@msn.com
Other directors are:
Terry Gilbert, Idaho Education Association
tgilbert@idahoea.org
Tom Farley, Retired educator
tc_sefarley@msn.com
Dawn Wilson, Department of Corrections
dawnwilson@cableone.net
Kelly Reilly, Boise, DirecTV - former Academic Decathlete at Meridian
HS (1986-87)
ragdolldynamite@yahoo.com
Nan Leonard, Boise - US Bank
nan.leonard@usbank.com
Gail Cushman, Boise, Robert Janss School
gcushman@corr.state.id.us
gailcushman2000@yahoo.com
Elizabeth Bennett, Twin Falls - Times-News
decaliz@hotmail.com
There are three Coach Representatives on the Board
Mary Bird - Sandpoint High School
maryellenbird@yahoo.com
mary.bird@sd84.k12.id.us
JaNene Buckway - Shoshone High School
boekweg@hotmail.com
janene.buckway@shoshone.k12.id.us
Alex Ide - Riverstone Community School
alexanderide@gmail.com
aide@riverstonecs.org
