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Academic Decathlon at Deerfield High School
2025 - 2026 (Our 40th year)
Academic Decathlon is open to all high school students. It is an academic competition that is designed for ALL students. Our teams must consist of 9 students, 3 of which have a grade point average of “C”, 3 with a “B” and 3 with an “A” GPA. We need ALL students to consider taking part in this great experience.
Each year we receive a different study outline from which test questions will be taken. This year’s theme centers around “The Roaring Twenties”. Specifically, we are studying:
- Language & Literature: “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald and some shorter works.
- Art: The art curriculum will explore an introduction to the art of the Jazz Age.
- Music: The music curriculum will focus on the music of the Jazz Age.
- Science: The science topic will be an introduction to electricity and magnetism.
- Economics: Fundamental economic concepts, microeconomics, macroeconomics and a thematic section on the U.S. economy in the 1920’s.
- Social Science: The social science topic will be the Roaring Twenties.
- Math: The mathematics curriculum will cover an overview of algebra and trigonometry.
If we advance to Regionals, students will also be giving speeches, writing an essay and participating in an interview. If we make it to State, a tenth item is added - the Super Quiz which is an oral quiz on items from art, economics, language and literature, music, science and social science.
The benefits of the program are beyond measurement, but here are just a few:
- It’s Fun!!!
- Students learn how to study
- Students learn how to budget their time
- Students learn how to take tests
- Students learn how to communicate
- Impresses employers and scholarship committees
- Students learn how to make learning fun
- It’s for everyone
- There's chocolate!!!
- “C” level students compete against “C” level students
- Thinking you aren’t smart enough? Join and surprise yourself
- Win awards and scholarships
- Fun competitions, Halloween party, prizes
Testimonial from Seth Mulhall, Deerfield High School alumnus, that appears on the Wisconsin Academic Decathlon State Website.
"Of all of the many activities I have participated in throughout my high school career, none has proved as valuable as Academic Decathlon. Even when I first joined the team as a freshman, it was already becoming a second family. The coach, the upperclassmen, the study sessions, and the actual competitions were all things that proved extremely valuable. The coach always went out of his way to make me feel welcome, as if I was part of his family. The chocolate, the Halloween parties, and the occasional breakfast banquets were just perks of an already wonderful experience. Along with our coach, the other students on the team did their best to make me feel at home when I first joined, and it only continued from there. As the years passed, I met people that I never would have met outside of the team, and I made some new friends. Also, these friends helped me learn how to study properly through our study sessions, considering I never really learned how to study through elementary and middle school. Finally, the actual competitions for Academic Decathlon taught me how to take a test. While that may not seem very valuable, in today's world of standardized testing, knowing how to take one is half of the battle. Because of Academic Decathlon's extremely difficult tests, the ACT and SAT suddenly became very easy. Academic Decathlon has been the most cherished part of my years at Deerfield High School."
We will be starting our 2025-2026 season during the first week of April. Current 2024-25 school year, 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th grade students are encouraged to participate. Our normal meeting times will be established based on team member input. For more information, contact:
Mr. Wichlacz (Room A139)
wichlaczg@deerfield.k12.wi.us
764-5431 ext. 1139
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