NB:  If an event is arranged, the date may be in addition to these dates already noted.  An information flyer will precede those extra events
 

Newsteam  -  A competition for school students using skills to locate information from the newspaper.

Bay of Plenty Reading Association has Newsteam each year in the third term.  Newsteam is a competition for school children where they work as a team to locate answers to specific questions from the newspaper – the Daily Post.  Each team consists of three students.  Teams are grouped according to school year levels, e.g. Year 5 & 6, and Year 7 & 8. 

Prior to the event, the schools are given practice questions to give the students some idea as to what is required.  There are usually 13 categories and five questions from each category.  Each team must work quickly and be able to skim-read to locate the correct answer.  The event takes an hour and scores are continually being shown from each section on data-shows.  It is a fiercely competitive event with now over 30 teams taking part.  A large school may have two teams competing. 

In the photos, Westbrook School students show their determination to win the Year 5 & 6 event again.  They were winners in the 2009 event.  The winners of each section win a cup, certificate and book vouchers for the school, a book prize and certificate for each team member plus the reserve and with the Daily Post as sponsors, their photo in the newspaper.   Second and third place getters receive a book prize and a certificate. 

Books are kindly donated by Scholastic and McLeods Bookshop in Rotorua.  The Daily Post sponsors us with papers and Event Venues allow us to use the Sportsdrome free of charge.  We look forward to this event each year and encourage as many schools as possible to enter a team to this interesting and challenging event.