Are You Smarter Than the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Graders? By Darlene Ramos

Do you know how many prime numbers there are between 40 and 60? How about the most commonly used word in the English language? What do you call the process by which plants manufacture their food?

If you don’t, you might want to watch the Quiz Bee Week that CCFT Coron International School (CCFT-CIS) holds each January among the higher grade levels. This 2009, Grades 4, 5, and 6 were pitted against each other in the school’s most anticipated game show of the season. The categories? Grade-school English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and Filipino.

For two hours daily, ten to twelve contenders sat in the school pavilion with their pieces of chalk, illustration board, and furrowed brows, and stock knowledge from the first to third quarters of the school year. Students too daunted to join sat at the sidelines with their spare illustration boards bearing slogans egging on their contestant of choice. Up front stood the timer, scorer, and the host

Still, it pays to be smarter than a grade-schooler. Are you? (If you’re pitted against three-time Quiz Bee Week champion Natanael... not likely. He knows the answers to the questions above are five, the, and photosynthesis.)


of the day – Teacher Fresca Estima for English, Teacher Rey Belarmino for Math, Teacher Ryan Calupas for Science, Teacher Elvin Resco for Filipino, and Teacher Andrew Roxas for Social Studies.

One sixth-grader who sat calmly in the third row of contestants, Natanael Mendenilla, was the surprise winner for the first three days, in English, Mathematics, and Science, besting even the top rankers of his grade level. Lawrence Pe, a fifth grader, bagged the top prize for the Filipino Quiz Bee, and the Social Studies title was taken by another sixth-grader, Samuel Nicklas.
During the awarding ceremonies on the last Quiz Bee day, Principal Lilia Chavez congratulated all the winners, and said she couldn’t wait to see the students compete with other schools. Head Teacher Elvin Resco took up a different, interesting tack, congratulating all those who joined and lost consistently – saying he admired them for their persistence. In this life, he said, determination counts as well as brains