Athens School wins Mercer County Reading Bee
Nov. 18—ATHENS — Teams of Mercer County students pitted their vocabulary, comprehension and language arts skills against each other Friday as they battled for the top spot in the 2023-2024 Mercer County Reading Bee.
Teams representing 14 elementary schools competed Friday morning at the Concord University campus in categories including Reading Comprehension, Reading/Language Arts Skills, Vocabulary and Reader's Theater Presentation.
When the students met after lunch at the Jean and Jerry Beasley Student Center, they soon learned that Athens School was the reading bee's Overall Winner. Athens School also won first place in Reading/Language Arts Skills and Vocabulary, plus was the runner-up for Reader's Theater Presentation.
The runner-up for Overall Winner was Straley School. Straley School also won first place for Reading Comprehension and also the runner-up for Vocabulary.
Oakvale School won first place for Reader's Theater Presentation. Bluewell School and Straley School tied for runner-up in Reading/Language Arts Skills.
Melrose School was runner-up for Reading Comprehension.
Reading bees were created when the late Tom Colley, executive editor of the Bluefield Daily Telegraph, was chairman of the Literacy Committee for the Greater Bluefield Chamber of Commerce, which is now the Chamber of Commerce of the Two Virginias. Now held in both Mercer County and Tazewell County, Va., the reading bees were developed to encourage children to read.
Athens School's team was soon passing around the big Overall Winner trophy. Student Melody Nash summed up the moody.
"Very excited!" she said.
Her classmate Kensley Young thought the odds for winning the top honor were good when the reading bee got underway that morning.
"Yes, I was hoping so," she stated. "I really had a good feeling."
"I feel like I'm on top of the world!" Olivia Brown added.
The reading bee was co-sponsored by Anytime Fitness, the Bluefield Daily Telegraph, Community Radiology of Virginia, Concord University, Craft Memorial Library, The Family of Eugenia Hancock, First Community Bank, Frank Smoot Charitable Trust, George M. Cruise Foundation, Mercer County Board of Education, Mrs. Dafney K. Peters, Rotary Club, Bluefield W.Va., Rotary Club, Princeton WV, Rotary Club, Bluefield, Va., Venture Printing & Office Supply. Another co-sponsor was Community Foundation of the Virginias, Inc: Jeffrey Edward Shott Memorial Fund, Charles A. and Majorie M. Peters Fund and the Bluefield Daily Telegraph Literacy Fund.
— Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com
Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com