“You shine every year as the most academically gifted group in Texas.”
These were the words of Private School Interscholastic Association (PSIA) Executive Director Patricia Walters as she presented academic trophies for State A Division PSIA Academic Competition. In the past decade, Kirby Hall’s elementary team has placed first at state eight times and the middle school six times.
The middle school took first place in PSIA’s state-wide academic competition, dominating 111 other schools, scoring 60% more points than the second-place finisher. The elementary school placed second, missing first place by a 3.5-point margin. Twenty-nine students advanced to the state competition after having placed first or second at the previously held district meet, where Kirby Hall’s elementary and middle school teams placed first.
“You by yourselves won 20 medals at the state-level of competition,” said Walters. “Of those medals, you had five bronzes, nine silvers, and six big gold medals.”
Kirby Hall excelled at the competition, placing in the top ten in 60% of the events, and medaling in over 30% of these.
Kirby Hall has participated in PSIA competitions for over ten years with a history of decisive wins, with the elementary and middle school teams winning first place over 80% of the time.
“From mathematics and science to writing and prose interpretation to music memory and onsite drawing, we value the wide array of academic areas in which our students compete,” said Chairman of the Board of Trustees Beverly Rase. “Of equal importance is the joy our students feel. The day any such competition ceases to be fun, is the day Kirby Hall will not participate.”
It is not uncommon for other participating schools to inquire as to how Kirby Hall has these repeated victories. “We are very fortunate to have a wonderful faculty, an enriched curriculum and eager students, who truly enjoy demonstrating their academic prowess,” said Mrs. Rase.
“PSIA serves over 270 member schools and continues to provide the most comprehensive academic extracurricular program in the nation for privately-schooled students in grades one through eight,” states Walters. “One purpose of the PSIA academic program is to use competition to further develop students’ higher order thinking skills. Inspiring student achievement through academic competition remains our primary goal.”
ABOUT KIRBY HALL: Founded in 1976, our Pre-K4, elementary and secondary school provides a globally-diverse, welcoming haven where children can reach their full and innate potential through academic rigor lovingly applied. By igniting bright minds and kind hearts, we touch the future.
