Battle Ground middle school students head to state round of National History Day contest

BATTLE GROUND – Twenty-one middle school students from Battle Ground Public Schools will advance to the state round of the National History Day competition after finishing at the regional level recently. The competitions this year are virtual. National History Day encourages students to “become historians” by developing research, analysis, presentation and social skills. They pick a topic related to an annual national theme. This year’s was “Communication in History: The Key to Understanding.” “I am proud of the hard work and determination shown by students within the novel remote learning structure during a pandemic,” said Beth Doughty, history and English language arts teacher at Chief Umtuch Middle School. “It was a lot to manage, and it is a testament to their efforts and the fact that students still gained content knowledge and skills despite the atypical learning structure.” Those who advanced include five students from Chief Umtuch Middle School; seven from Pleasant Valley Middle School; and one from River HomeLink.