Maia Wingate, Alice Cameron, Florence Rogers (reserve), Lucy Pritchard (coach), Che Harris and Anya Cook (all pictured above).

WIS started the Kids’ Lit. Quiz process (listed below) in Term 1, and it has just culminated in an outstanding WIS team competing in the International Final in Hawkes Bay.

1. Teachers chose their class team of four (students that have the best knowledge of children’s books and characters).
2. WIS held two school quizzes in Term 1. We selected the top eight students for the regional quiz (A team and B team).
3. In March, the A team (Che Harris, Anya Cook, Alice Cameron and Maia Wingate) came 1st in the regional competition with an impressive score of over 90 points (this is rare).
4. In June, the WIS team came 1st at the New Zealand Final, beating 16 other regions, and scoring eight more points than second place. This is the first time the Nelson/Marlborough region has won the New Zealand Final.
5. On July 22nd, the WIS team competed in the International Final against Australia, South Africa, USA and Indonesia in Hawkes Bay.

The International Final

There were ten rounds, and in each round there were seven questions. At the end of Rounds 1–7 our team(Che Harris, Anya Cook, Alice Cameron and Maia Wingate) were coming 2nd or 3rd, and it was extremely close between all five countries. At the end of Round 8, we were coming 1st, four points ahead of Australia. At the end of Round 9, we were coming 1st, three points ahead of Australia. We were winning throughout the last round, until the final question. Australia got the last question correct, which brought them up to 1st= with NZ (WIS). It was an extremely nail-biting watch for families and WIS staff members! The quizmaster (Wayne Mills) said we were 1st= but it had to go to a tiebreaker so that the prizes could be distributed. Australia won the tiebreaker, which meant that WIS was 2nd in the world!

A massive congratulations to the team for putting our school on the world stage. Your knowledge of books and authors is STUNNING! You have read widely all your lives, and you have been able to remember the finer details of books, characters, plots, settings, objects and authors – covering all genres. This is extraordinary, and we are all immensely proud of you.

Each student won a trophy to keep, $200 and a certificate.