District Battle of the Books scheduled in North Slope Borough Feb. 5

North Slope Borough School District is holding its District Battle of the Books all day Feb. 5, 2026, bringing readers from Kindergarten through twelfth grades together for a districtwide competition intended to boost reading skills and neighborhood engagement. The district calendar lists the event with the time entry "Time: all-day lis" and does not specify a building or room, so community members should confirm logistics with NSBSD as plans unfold.

"The Battle of the Books takes place every spring, and involves a large number of students in Kindergarten through twelfth grades," NSBSD communications note. The program has a recent history of strong participation: "Last year approximately 200 students participated in the program, each reading 12-15 books, then competing across the Slope with teams from other schools." That scale suggests the event has become a substantive part of the district’s extracurricular and literacy calendar, with students and families investing substantial reading time into preparation.

This year, the program is supported by ASTAC. "Battle of the Books is up and running this year with the support of ASTAC," the district message states, adding appreciation for the group’s material contributions: "Thank you to ASTAC for supporting this program by providing books and incentives for our North Slope Borough students as they improve their reading and have fun doing it." District materials emphasize the pedagogical rationale behind the competition: "Research shows the number one indicator for becoming a better reader is the amount of time spent reading."

The NSBSD Library/Media Center frames the broader educational mission that the competition serves. "The mission of the NSBSD Library/Media Center is to make readily available and promote full utilization of all supplementary learning materials, both print and non-print, in order to facilitate the teaching/learning process, and to help each student become an independent, self-motivated learner. The department provides guidance in program planning, curriculum development, budgeting, and in-service activities. We work in partnership with educators, administrators, parents and community members to provide access to materials in all formats. The center provides a database of the supplementary materials currently available from the NSBSD Library/Media Center. The database can be searched by title, subject, media type, or by using keywords."

District documents also show the personnel infrastructure that supports student programs and planning. Names appearing in recent board and memo excerpts include Jocelyn Niedziela, Jennifer Brower, Lori Roth, Barbara VanFlein, Diane Seifert, Elizabeth Wright, Chris Battle and Everett Haimes, among others, reflecting a cross-department effort that ranges from counseling and special education to transportation and IT.

For parents and community members planning to attend or follow the competition, confirm start and venue details with North Slope Borough School District. The district office is listed at 829 AIVIK ST, UTQIAGVIK, AK 99723. Today’s event signals continued investment in student reading across the Slope; with past participation near 200 students each reading 12-15 books, the Battle of the Books tends to deliver measurable time-on-task for readers and a visible community celebration of literacy.