While adults deliberated over bets and hands at the American Contract Bridge League tournament in James City County on Saturday, a group of children also tried their hand at the game.
Just down the hall from their adult competitors, elementary and middle school students competed as part of the Peninsula Youth Bridge Club under the guidance of Jim Davis.
Davis started the youth bridge club after getting involved with a bridge program at James River Elementary School two years ago. He liked working with the children so much he wanted to lead his own club.
He took over the school’s club when its instructor stepped down last year, and has since expanded the program to include six schools: Matoaka, J. Blaine Blayton, Rawls Byrd and James River elementary schools, Hornsby and Berkeley middle schools. Davis hopes to get a club going at Lafayette High School soon for students who age out of middle school but would still like to participate.
A member of the ACBL, Davis starts by teaching children the basics just as he would with any adult learning to play bridge for the first time. While some of the 50 or so students are confused at the beginning, he said they are confident by the time March rolls around.
He said studies have shown students who play bridge perform better on basic skills tests than those without the card game knowledge. Students play in two teams of two and try to win as many rounds – called tricks – as possible, making bids on how many they expect take.
Davis said students use logic to track what has been played from their own and opposing teams’ hands, as well as addition to total their points.
Ann Lee Paxton has seen a difference in her son Nicholas Paxton-Turner. Keeping track of cards and tricks in the complex game, she said playing has improved his math skills and cognitive reasoning skills.
“I think it’s one of the best educational experiences he’s had in WJCC schools,” she said.
Paxton said her son picked up the game well: The Berkeley Middle School student came in second at Saturday’s tournament.
Nicholas Paxton-Turner got involved with bridge because his grandmother played, although the game skipped his mother’s generation.
A family connection is also what drew 11-year-old Isabella Babb to the club at J. Blaine Blatyon. Her mother, father and grandmother all play.
“When I first saw bridge, I thought it was entertaining and fun,” Babb said. The fifth-grader joined her school club to meet new people, and has enjoyed forming friendships with students from across the school division in the process.
For other families, bridge is a new venture. Talande Smith did not know much about the game when her son David, 11, met Davis when he came to an open house at James River Elementary School.
David Smith said he liked playing other card games like War and Mafia in the past, and finds the bidding part of bridge fun.
His mother said hearing how well Davis’ bridge students have done in the past got her son interested in joining his school club.
Last year Davis brought a group of students to Atlanta for a youth competition that featured players from all over the world. He said they did impressively, with one student placing first for two games in a row.
The club is planning a trip this summer to Las Vegas for the National Youth Bridge Championship. Eleven students are making the trip and are currently fundraising to pay their way to the competition. The team is collecting donations at events in town and through an online fundraising page.
For more information about the club or to find out how to bring it to other schools, contact Davis at 869-6310.
Toano Middle School Band Wins Grand Champion Award
On May 10, the seventh and eighth grade band from Toano Middle School took first place in the middle school band category at the Festival of Music held at Kings Dominion. The Festival provides band, orchestra and choir students the opportunity to perform adjudicators who listen, evaluate and comment on each group’s performance.
Toano players earned Superior ratings from all three judges – the highest rank available – and went on to win the Grand Champion Award in the band category.
WCA Strings Earn Superior Marks
The High School Strings from Williamsburg Christian Acadamy participated in Music in the Parks program at Busch Gardens on May 10. The ensemble received a “Superior” ranking from the judges.
The same strings ensemble will be traveling to London in June to travel, perform and receive instruction.
YCSD Honors Employees with Recognition Program
Two employees of the York County School Division recently received awards for their service to education.
Troy Graves received the Superintendent’s Award, which honors an employee who has made a particularly meaningful contribution to the school division or the community. Graves is manager of applications support for the division, and brainstorms and creates solutions to support other employees across the county.
Seaford Elementary School teacher Kim Stratton was presented with the Spirit of Education Award. The honor recognizes one employee who symbolizes the essence of public education. Stratton gives her students the chance to make a difference through project-based learning, an approach to education that has students learning along the way as they strive to solve a problem.
