More than 600 students in first through eighth grade displayed their superior keyboarding skills to qualify for their school’s Keyboarding Challenge team. Shelby County Schools once again hosted the district-wide Keyboarding Challenge which took place at elementary and middle schools during May 2018. Only the top 10 typists and 2 alternates at each grade level per school were selected for the team and the opportunity to win $6,000 in technology for their school.

Shelby County’s Technology Department began the contest in 2016 in order to revive student interest in building strong keyboarding skills. Participation in the challenge is voluntary.

“Each year the level of commitment and achievement by the students has grown,” said Angela Clark,  the district’s technology program specialist who coordinates the contest each year.

“Typing Team was so much fun,” said Maddie Larkin from Chelsea Middle School who had the highest average words per minute among all eighth-grade students who completed the competition. “It was a fantastic feeling to be part of a team that could do so much for my school! And it is good to know that I will be typing for the rest of my life and I have the ability to do so.”

This year, the Division I winner included two schools. The Helena Elementary first and second-grade teams combined with the third-grade team from Helena Intermediate and together achieved the highest average of 18.78 average words per minute (AWPM). Oak Mountain Intermediate School’s fourth and fifth graders won in Division II with 47.30 AWPM. The Division III winner was Chelsea Middle School with 60.55 AWPM.

“We appreciate this competition because it gives those students who aren’t normally recognized a chance to really shine,” said Laura Junkin, assistant principal at Oak Mountain Intermediate School.  “Our teams get together to practice and set goals which build community at our school.”

Chau Nguyen, a seventh-grade student from Oak Mountain Middle School, was the fastest-typist of all student participants county-wide, with an average words per minute score of 92.5.  Other students who won individual honors as the fastest typists in their grade level included: Alexis Brakage, first grade, Chelsea Park Elementary – 24.5 AWPM; Keaden Sims, second grade, Chelsea Park Elementary – 30.5 AWPM; Brandon Shin, third grade, Mt. Laurel Elementary – 58.0 AWPM; Clyde Davis, fourth grade, Oak Mountain Intermediate – 75.5 AWPM; My Nguyen, fifth grade, Oak Mountain Intermediate – 72.5 AWPM; Dean Hartkopf, sixth grade, Helena Middle – 86.5 AWPM; Maddie Larkin, eighth grade, Chelsea Middle – 81.0 AWPM

The fastest typists in each grade across the district were rewarded with a special gift and certificate. Thanks to the Shelby County Education Foundation for their generosity in providing prizes for the students.   

WINNING TEAM MEMBERS

CHELSEA MIDDLE SCHOOL

Eighth Grade

Brantley Avery, Avery Burleson, Gray Busby, Nicholas Davis, Lilly Dong, Maddie Larkin, Marin McCulla, Keeghan Messer, Reed Parish, Luke Price, Taylor Riley, and Emily Trawick

Seventh Grade

Nora Breedlove, Ben Brewer, Ava Cullison, Julia Davison, Makenzie Fennell, Ella Hillman, Sela Lovette, Mason McGuire, Alexander Redd, Reagan Rikard, Gracie Streelman, and Keira White

Sixth Grade

Walker Baker, Jackson Crosswhite, Evan Dong, Patrick Garrett, Britney Gifford, Caleb Handley, Elie Kim, Noah Lilly, Sophia Majcher, and Cassidy Reynolds

OAK MOUNTAIN INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL

Fifth Grade

Elizabeth Butler, Trevin Chamblee, Emerson Dollins, Nille Gabutan, Luke Javonovich, Aiden Moriya, My Nguyen, Maggie Norris, Zach Oddo, Arvin Ortega-Artega, Keira Vinales, and Kadyn Wideman

Fourth Grade

Avery Coco, Lucy Cwynar, Clyde Davis, William Hazelwood, Hana Helu, Caroline Kester, Micah Lawrence, Micah Shipman, Jonathan Tanner, Emmaline Tucker, and Grace Zhang

HELENA INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL

Third Grade

Jaxson Ashford, Britton Bailey, Landon Barber, Bryant Dobbs, Romina Gonzalez-Montoya, Cooper Hess, Brodie Powell, K.J. Underwood, Gwyneth Villnave, Carson Washer, and Zachary Woods

HELENA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Second Grade

William Bordelon, Zamoria Burks, Stephen Gachie, Kade Garcia, Ryan Isiche, Jackson Mai, Nathalie Morris, Elisha Neugent, Layla Puckett, Jackson Sharp, Araelynn Smith, and Kamila Woodward

First Grade

Ella Chingas, Ethan Ekstrand, Ezra Gadson, Addison Gibbs, Hector Gutierrez, Harper Manley, Alexander Mendoza, Mia Nikolic, Brynna Raudenbush, Kellen Schultz, and Tucker Wiley