Maryland Community Newspapers Online
Time away from the classroom and a chance for a homework-free night is more than an elementary school student could ask for, and was exactly what Beltsville Elementary School students got Feb. 5 in playing Mindcore.
Mindcore is an annual school event in which students raise money by answering academic questions.
Each of the school's 700 students was given a list of 100 questions to study five weeks before the event. Students were asked to obtain monetary pledges for every question they answered correctly and were then tested on their questions one-on-one by one of the 95 community volunteers.
The amount of the pledge was the donor's discretion, and the students also had an option of seeking straight donations.
Children who score higher than 75 percent earn a free night of homework.
Fifth-grader Mary Dawit of Beltsville said she likes Mindcore because of the pressure.
"The easier questions are the math ones," said Mary, 10. "I like the numbers, and I'm good at math. The harder questions are the ones where the answers are really long and I can't memorize them. Some of the reading questions are hard."
Questions were based on grade level and spanned all subjects.
Students took approximately 10 minutes to answer their questions.
Beltsville has been holding Mindcore for nine years, and assistant principal Leslie Lowe said the school raises $9,000 on average at the event.
Local vendors Jerry's Subs and Pizza in Beltsville, Potbelly's in College Park and TJ's in Calverton provide food for the event, Lowe said.
The Army Research Lab in Adelphi and U.S. Department of Agriculture also sends volunteers to help ask questions.
"We can raise money for the school, we can learn something and we don't have to sell anything," Lowe said. "The parents like it, the community loves it and the students love it. They get so excited when they do well on questions."
Fifth-grader Carlee Meadows, 10, of Beltsville said she appreciates the amount of support the community shows.
"It's telling us that they actually care enough about the students to make the time," she said.
Carlee, who said she raised $45 this year, enjoys the challenge of Mindcore and the prospect of a homework pass.
"I like that since we study so much, for our hard work we can get a homework pass," she said.
Students also have chance to answer three bonus questions, to help them reach the 75 percent threshold.
Joan Sheehan of Beltsville, a retired substitute teacher for Prince George's County, has been volunteering since Mindcore started.
"Children are not getting all the attention they need, and we need volunteers who give them an added resource," she said. "I think it gives each child some self-esteem and recognition, and they each have a part to play."
Sheehan said her favorite part is the individual interaction with students.
"Their personalities are so great," she said. "Each child is different, and you can see that difference with the children."
Some sample questions students had to answer in Mindcore:
-"How many miles is the earth from the sun? (93 million)"
-"Who wrote ‘Where the Sidewalk Ends?" (Shel Silverstein)
-"What is the mineral found in milk?" (Calcium)
