Incarnation Parish School takes third in academic contest

Incarnation Parish School took home third place during the Los Angeles Archdiocese Academic Junior High Decathlon on Saturday at the Los Angeles Sports Arena, competing against more than 110 schools from across Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

In all, there were 19 students on the team in sixth through eighth grades with 10 competitors and nine alternates.

“We could not be more proud,” said Courtney Kassakhian, principal of Incarnation, in a statement. “These students have been preparing for this event since October with practices on Sundays and weekday afternoons.”

Incarnation’s third-place win followed St. Lawrence of Martyrs School in Redondo Beach, which took home first place, and St. Martin of Tours in Brentwood, which placed second.

Volunteer parent coaches, along with fifth-grade teacher Lauren Mott, helped prepare the Incarnation students and tested them on their knowledge of social studies, science, religion, math, grammar, fine arts, logic and current events.

“Saturday will be a day I remember forever,” Mott said in a statement. “The day was filled with excitement and nervousness, culminating in the recognition of our team’s dedication and hard work.”