Welcome to the Home Page for Basha High School's Academic Decathlon Class and Team. In the 2021-2022 school year we are excited to offer Academic Decathlon as an Honors English Elective Credit. The class meets during 0 Hour (6:25 to 7:20 AM), Monday through Friday, in Room #F220. More sections can be added as demand allows. If a second section of Academic Decathlon Class is added, it will be during the day. The only way for that to happen is for students to sign up early. Do not wait to see if there is daytime section. Sign up first. If it doesn't happen, you can drop during Bear Down Days.

 

Basha Academic Decathlon Class and Team

 

Congratulations to all 12 of our decathletes on their Successful 2020-2021 season!

 

 

Jake Summers - 2nd Overall in State! 2nd Overall in Nation!!

9 Individual Medals

Gold: Mathemtics, Music (perfect score)

Silver: Science, Economics, Art, Essay

Bronze: Social Science

Silver for Division 2 Honor, Silver for Overall in Nation

 

State 3rd Place finish 2021, Region 2nd Place Finish 2021, Most Improved Team in Region

 

 

Coach contact Info:

Charles Johnson -

Position:	World History (AMS, AP, and On-Level) and Academic Decathlon / 7 and 9
Room:	F220
Phone:	480-224-2258
Email:	Charles Johnson

Joann Wuthrich - 

Position:	BHS Academic Decathlon Coach and AMS Academic Pentathlon Coach
Room:
Phone:
Email:	wuthrich.joann@cusd80.com

 

AcDec, as we affectionately call it, is a competition where students have the year to study specific materials under a unified curricular theme. They are then tested in a competition format. Much like swimming or track and field there are 10 events (Math, Science, Social Science, Literature, Music, Art, Economics, Speech, Interview, and Essay). Some students may be specialists. They can win medals in areas where their strengths lie. Others are true decathletes and do well in all subjects. All students Must compete in all 10 disciplines. They cannot pick and choose. 

Like wrestling, they compete in weight divisions, with the weight being GPA levels. 

Our three GPA divisions are: 

Honors:      3.8-4.0 unweighted core class + world language from the past 2 years, (freshman use only 8th grade year)

Scholastic: 3.2 -3.79 unweighted core class + world language from the past 2 years, (freshman use only 8th grade year)

Varsity:       Any GPA below 3.19 unweighted core class + world language from the past 2 years, (freshman use only 8th grade year)

A team can only win with teammates in all three weight divisions. A full team consists of 3 honors, 3 scholastic and 3 varsity students.  This provides an opportunity for students who are academically interested, but for some reason, have B or C grades to succeed. It also shows the students at a young age that grades are not necessarily an indicator of intelligence and that they should strive to work with other students at all levels. Students also experience that, often the person with the highest GPA is not necessarily the smartest person in the room. I have been pleasantly surprised at how some of our "C" students have scored higher than many of the "A" students. This develops a tolerance for different talents in peers and a greater ability for collaboration. 

 

2021-2022 Competition Dates - these dates are firm, there are no makeups.

USAD Nationals: (top 2 in state qualify for nationals, top team attends in person, 2nd place participates virtually)

• 2022 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; April 21 – 23, 2022
• 2023 – Frisco, Texas; April 27 – 29, 2023

United States Academic Decathlon^® Curricular Topics for 2021–2022!
 
The U.S. Academic Decathlon^® is excited to announce that the overall curricular theme for 2021–2022 will be Water: A Most Essential Resource. Following is some general information on the topics in each of the subject areas.

• SCIENCE: The science topic will be an introduction to marine biology.

• LITERATURE: The literature curriculum will include critical reading, one long work of literature, and selected shorter works. The long work of literature will be The Sea-Wolf by Jack London.

• ART: The art curriculum will explore the impact of water on art, including subtopics such as ink wash painting, watercolor, water as a subject of art, and the use of water in architecture, sculpture, and environmental art.

• MUSIC: The music curriculum will explore the many ways water has influenced music, from musical instruments that rely on water to compositions inspired by water.

• SOCIAL SCIENCE: The social science topic will be the impact of water on human history.

• ECONOMICS: The economics curriculum will cover fundamental economic concepts, microeconomics, and macroeconomics and will include a thematic section on the economics of water.

• MATHEMATICS: The mathematics curriculum will cover permutations and combinations, algebra, and statistics.*

 
The full subject area outlines will be posted on the U.S. Academic Decathlon website <www.usad.org> on May 1 and will also be published in the U.S. Academic Decathlon Study Guide, which will begin shipping on May 15.
 
 
* The 2021–22 mathematics curriculum and materials will be the same as were used for the 2018–19 U.S. Academic Decathlon.

 

Basha High Academic Decathlon has experienced several years of increasing success and is always looking for more decathletes. This is a class (honors academic decathlon - weighted GPA elective), a club, and a team. You can participate in the club and on the team whether or not you are in the class, however we find that those in the class have the most success. Also the class increases your GPA due to its honors status and weighted GPA. Right now the class is a zero hour class, but we hope to add a second section during the day for those who cannot take a zero hour. This goal depends on enrollment. If you want to have a class during the day, we have to have enough people sign up. Encourage friends to sign up with you!
 

There is a $35 club fee that helps to pay for the curriculum that we purchase, and the competition fees for each student. 

A $35 fee and permission slip signed by a parent are necessary to compete. Please pay the fee to the BHS Bookstore or online. This is a tax credit eligible fee. We encourage parents to make a tax credit donation to our Club using the tax credit program up to their eligible amount ($400 married filing jointly or $200 single, head of household or married filing individually). Please designate any donations including the $35 club fee and up to your eligible donation amount to AMS Basha Academic Pentathlon Club. Thank you!

 

 Payments accepted: 

• Cash
• Checks (made payable to Basha High School)
• Debit/Credit (No AMEX) 

 

QUICK STEPS TO PAY ON LINE: 

• LOG ON TO PORTAL CHOOSE CAMPUS PARENT (USE LINK BELOW)
• CHOOSE THE MORE LINK (BOTTOM LEFT OF PORTAL PAGE)
• CHOOSE IN TOUCH FEE PAYMENTS
• FIND THE FEE(S) TO PAY 
• IF A FEE IS NOT AVAILABLE ON LINE WE WILL HAVE TO ADD IT TO YOUR STUDENTS ACCOUNT, PLEASE CALL THE BOOKSTORE 480-224-2265 OR HAVE YOUR STUDENT PAY AT THE BOOKSTORE. 
• LINK TO PORTAL LOG ON: Click Here to Pay Online.

 

MORE DETAILED INFORMATION REGARDING PAYMENTS: 

Parent / Guardian Instructions

 

Parent Instructions for Making Tax Credit Donations & Fee Payments
Step-by-step instructions for logging in and making tax credit donations or student fee payments. NOTES: Must login as parent/guardian, not as student. If using a mobile device you must use your Internet browser, not the Infinite Campus app.

InTouch (TouchBase) - Tips and FAQs for Parents
Describes how to use InTouch (TouchBase) to:

• Make fee payments linked to your student's account
• Make tax credit donations linked to your student's account
• View payment history
• Reprint receipts
• View any outstanding fines and fees.

Click Here to Pay Online.

 

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COMMUNITY MEMBERS/NON PARENTS 

Community members/non-parents can also make online tax credit donations to a specific Basha student, eligible activity, or to the BHS general & athletic funds via InTouch Receipting link below.  Please note there is a convenience fee charged to pay online.

 *Link may take a few seconds to load

 Click Here for Online Tax Credit Donations

 

 

Support our Academic Pentathlon Club with your Tax Donations!

 

Arizona law ARS 43-1089.01 enables taxpayers a tax credit contribution of up to $400.00 per calendar year if filing status is Married, filing Joint Return; $200.00 per calendar year if filing status is Single or Head of Household; and, $200.00 per calendar year if filing status is Married filing separate return — for contributions that fund extracurricular activities in public schools. A tax credit is a full refund, not a deduction.

 

Contributions eligible for a tax credit are donated directly to schools, not to the state or the school district.