Photo: PPOS sixth-graders Cameron, Tenzin and Simone won first place in Battle of the Books after working all year with Katy Corbett on preparing for this reading knowledge bowl.
Turning pages turned into an over-time finish this week as the Pagosa Peak Open School (PPOS) middle school team claimed first place at the regional Battle of the Books competition in Durango.
After months of intensive reading and preparation, the PPOS “Middle of the Road Readers” outscored 10 teams from across Southwest Colorado to bring the championship trophy home to Pagosa Springs. Battle of the Books is a rigorous academic “quiz-bowl” where students must master the details of a 20-book list, ranging from historical fiction to contemporary classics.
“We are so proud of our middle school team, Middle of the Road Readers!” Exceptional Student Services Director Katy Corbett said. “They collaborated together to read 20 books to prepare for the knowledge bowl-type rounds. Their hard work and dedication to the team was evident, as well as their good sportsmanship with the competing teams. Our readers have already asked to be signed up for next year’s team!”
The competition, held in Durango, tests students on “In Which Book” questions, requiring quick recall of titles, authors, and plot points. For the PPOS team, the victory was particularly sweet after reaching the semi-finals last year.
“It was a little nerve-racking at first, but then it was actually a fun and sort of peaceful experience,” said sixth-grader Cameron. “I loved connecting with the students on my team, and I definitely want to do it next year. I know this helped me to grow in my reading ability.”
As a project-based learning school, PPOS emphasizes collaborative problem-solving—a skill that was on full display during the final rounds.
“We are incredibly proud of our students for representing our school and community in this competition,” said Emily Murphy, PPOS School Director. ‘Seeing their hard work culminate in this win reinforces our student-led culture, and I’m happy to hear this will become a tradition at our school.”
Pagosa Peak Open School is a free, K-8 district charter school focused on project-based learning and restorative practices.
For more information or to learn about enrolling for the 2026-27 school year, visit pagosapeakopenschool.org.
Emily Murphy is School Director at Pagosa Peak Open School, the first District-authorized charter school in Archuleta County. Prior to her appointment as School Director, Emily filled various roles at PPOS including Project-Based Learning advisor, instructional coach, and assistant director.