Welcome to the Hilltop 2025-26 uil information page

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What is UIL?
UIL Elementary A+ Events
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The University Interscholastic League was created by The University of Texas at Austin to provide leadership and guidance to public school debate and athletic teachers. Since 1910 the UIL has grown into the largest inter-school organization of its kind in the world. 

The UIL exists to provide educational extracurricular academic, athletic, and music contests. The initials UIL have come to represent quality educational competition administered by school people on an equitable basis.

 At the elementary level, UIL offers the A+ Academics Program. This program is designed to encourage students to develop an excitement for academic competition, while practicing critical thinking, communication and collaboration skills. Click HERE to visit the A+ Academics UIL page. 

Art Smart (4th, 5th) – The art contest involves the study of 40 paintings from the National gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. and from Texas art galleries and museums. Students learn to recognize and identify various works of art and the artists who created them. 

Chess Puzzles (2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th) - Students will be required to solve chess puzzles on paper, using analytical and strategic thinking.  The paper test will include a series of chess boards with pieces in particular positions. Questions are based on analysis of materials or possible moves in each given diagram. Chess puzzle is very different from tournament chess play.

Creative Writing (2nd) – Creative writing is designed to promote creativity in an academic format and to encourage writing skills at an early grade level.

Dictionary Skills (5th) - Thorough knowledge of the dictionary is a way to increase a student’s ability to find the information that is needed for class work as well as everyday living.

Listening Skills (5th) - The listening contest is designed to help students recognize the importance of effective listening skills and to identify problems they may have in listening effectively. The contest provides a challenging format to test the improvement of their listening abilities, and encourages students to develop the foundation skills they will need throughout their lives, both in and out of the classroom.

Maps, Graphs, and Charts (5th) – This contest is designed to help students learn to obtain information from a variety of maps, graphs and charts including world maps, pie charts, bar graphs and local area maps.

Music Memory (2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th) – The focus of the music memory contest is an indepth study of fine pieces of music literature taken from a wide spectrum of music genres to expose students to great composers, their lives, and their music.

Number Sense (4th, 5th) – Every day, individuals are called upon to use their ability to make quick mental calculations to make decisions. The development of such abilities is an integral part of the math curriculum.

Oral Reading (4th, 5th) – Reading literature out loud provides opportunities for students to analyze the text, to grow and to develop as a performer, to communicate a message to an audience and to perform an artistic creation. 

Ready Writing (3rd, 4th, 5th) - Ready writing builds confidence in written expression and helps students refine their writing abilities. In particular, this contest helps them learn to write a clear and correct paper that is interesting and original.

Social Studies (5th) - The Social Studies Contest consists of 40 objective questions. Students are expected to master primary reading selections, as well as specific documents, and to be familiar with general-knowledge social studies concepts and terms.  Each year, the contest focuses on a different topic area and a reading list that is provided by UIL.

Spelling (3rd, 4th, 5th) - The spelling contest is designed to expose students to a wide variety of vocabulary words. It is not a contest of memorization. For the most educational value, preparation for this contest should include instruction in the rules of the English language, meanings and definitions, and root words.

Storytelling (2nd, 3rd) – To tell a story, the participant must develop skills in listening, thinking and speaking. This contest also allows for the development of creative expression.

For more information on UIL Events, go to https://www.uiltexas.org/aplus/events. 

Click *HERE* to sign up

*Sign up will be open September 2-19

MUST be Submitted by September 19, 2025

• Coaches will email more information regarding tryouts after sign ups have closed.  

• Tryouts and practices will take place after school on Tuesdays beginning in October.  

• Please be sure your student can commit to practices and our January District Meet before signing up. 

• **Due to our high number of participants, students may only sign up to tryout for ONE event.