University Interscholastic League (UIL) Information

The University Interscholastic League (UIL) exists to provide educational extracurricular academic, athletic, and music contests. Condit participates in the academic competitions.  The UIL was created by The University of Texas at Austin in 1910 and has grown into the largest inter-school organization of its kind in the world.  The commitment level is up to you and your child – you can participate in one event or as many as your grade level allows.

 

There is a parent/teacher coach for each event. Parents and coaches will help prepare participants for the competition by holding practice sessions each week. The coaches will help supply useful materials, previous test and/or judging sheets for reference.

 

Feel free to contact us with any questions at uil@conditpto.org

 

Committee Chairs

Jessica Hassid

Kajal Jagushte

Monica Kalra

Sheetal Shroff

 

Important Information about UIL Events & Meets:

Learn more and/or to register for 2023-2024 UIL:

  • Registration form can be found on the open forms of your Account Information

    (will only be visible for students in grades 2-5)

  • Contest Details {THESE ARE TENTATIVE DATES}

    • Meet #1 A: October 14, 2023
    • Meet #2 B: December 2, 2023
    • Meet #3 A: January 20, 2024
    • Meet #4 B: February 17, 2024
    • Meet #5 A (District #1): April 13, 2024
    • Meet #6 B (District #2): May 4, 2024

     

    *Participation in District events no longer requires qualification; they will be open enrollment like any other tournament

    *Modern Oratory and Oral Reading will hopefully be offered in-person if space allows (as opposed to virtual since Covid)

 

Quick Links:

 

Additional information about each event is listed below:

Art:

The art contest involves the study of 30 paintings from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. and from Texas art galleries and museums. Students learn to recognize and identify various works of art and the artists who created them. As part of their study, they will demonstrate a basic understanding of art history and interpret ideas and moods in original art works.

Chess Puzzle:

The benefits of chess are well documented for players of all ages, and especially for young people. Chess teaches problem solving, hones concentration and encourages analytical and strategic thinking. Chess can be a lifelong pursuit. Chess puzzle solving introduces students to the study of chess in a format that can be easily implemented in A+ school programs and district meets.

Creative Writing: 

Creative writing is designed to promote creativity in an academic format and to encourage writing skills at an early grade level. Through preparation for the contest, students will be able to evaluate their own writing and the writing of others.

Dictionary Skills: 

Through knowledge of the dictionary is a way to increase a student’s ability to find the information that is needed for class work as well as everyday living. The subject matter of all test is taken from Merriam-Webster’s Intermediate Dictionary. Contestants may use other dictionaries in the contest, but the correct test answers will be found in the official dictionary

Impromptu Speaking* (English & Spanish):  K – 5th Grade

Impromptu speaking provides opportunities for students to explore the use of the voice and body in speaking situations, to examine the different purposes for speaking, to organize ideas, to prepare and deliver various speeches and to develop self-confidence.

Listening: 

The listening contest is designed to help students recognize the importance of effective listening skills and to identify problems they may have in listening effectively. The contest provided a challenging format to test the improvement of their listening abilities and encourages students to develop the foundations skills they will throughout their lives both in and out of the classroom.

Maps, Graphs and Charts:

The maps, graphs & charts contest is designed to help students learn to get information from a variety of maps, graphs and charts including world maps, pie charts, bar charts and local area maps. The objective test will measure skills such as using a reference book to locate information, making comparisons, estimating and approximating, using scale and interpreting grid systems, legends and keys.

Mathematics: 

Learning to complete math problems quickly is a valuable skill in all facets of life including engineering, accounting, completing a tax return and even grocery shopping. This contest provides opportunities for students to further develop and then apply their math knowledge and skills.

Modern Oratory: 

Modern Oratory is designed to help students learn to speak in a clear and effective manner. Participants will write their own 2-3 page essay on a given topic and recite the essay from memory in front of the judge.

Music Memory:

The focus of the Music Memory contest is an in-depth study of fine pieces of music literature taken from a wide spectrum of music genres to expose students to great composers, their lives and their music.

Number Sense: 

Every day, individuals are called upon to use their ability to make quick mental calculations to make decisions. The development of such abilities should be an integral part of the math curriculum.

Oral Reading (English & Spanish*): 

Reading literature out loud provides opportunities for students to analyze the text, to grow and to develop as a performer, to communicate a message to an audience and to perform an artistic creation. The oral reading competition should be an extension of the classroom literary and language arts activities in poetry, short stories and children’s fiction.

Ready Writing: 

Texas has put a great emphasis on writing skills at all levels of school and all levels of state-wide testing. Ready Writing builds those skills and helps students refine their writing abilities. In particular, this contest helps them to learn to write clearly and correctly a paper that is interesting and original.

Social Studies:

This contest is designed to encourage students to expand their knowledge of social studies, particularly in the areas of history, government systems, economics, citizenship, and culture.

Spelling: 

The spelling contest is designed to expose students to a wide variety of vocabulary words. It is not a contest of memorization. Emphasis is placed on the rules of the English language, meanings and definitions, and root words.

Storytelling (English & Spanish*): 

To tell a story, the participant must develop skills in listening, thinking and speaking. This contest also allows for the development of creative expression, something being given more attention in the professional world. For practice, teachers can use stories from any good children’s books or magazines.

*Extra events offered by HISD.

 

The Condit Cat UIL team participates in multiple regional and district competitions per year. Over 500 students from all over HISD participate in each meet. The Condit team has placed in the top three at each tournament and 1st place in many of them. We are a strong team coming from a great school and we have so many trophies to show for it!