Grades:
Biliteracy
$20 per test/per student
Students must demonstrate that they are proficient in English and at least one other language through reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Proficiency will be determined by ELA and Language GPA and Online Testing If awarded, a seal is affixed to their diploma at graduation to show that they are proficient in their target language Students are also eligible to apply for the State Seal of Biliteracy from CDE Schools or districts must apply for the State Seal separately from the County Seal. The insignia form request for CDE should be completed by the district in April.
Online Application: 5/15/25-9/5/25
School Verifications Due: 9/19/25
Testing: 10/13/25-10/24/25
Results: 11/14/25
Grades:
Date:
Location: State:
Elem 4-6, Jr 7-8
December 9 & 10, 2025
MCOE Downtown Center April or May 2026 https://www.sjcoe.org/StateSpellingBee/
Students in grades 4-8 face off in a public, written spelling competition Schools hold their own spelling bees and select students to attend the countywide championship. The county champions (two per bee) have the opportunity compete in the CA State Spelling Bee. *this is separate from the Scripps Regional Bee held in Spring 2026.
Grades: Date: State:
9-12
December 2025 - February 2026
March 2026
academicdecathlon.org
Academic Decathlon is a countywide student event for grades 9 through 12 It is part of the United States Academic Decathlon competition Schools field teams of up to nine members divided into Honors, Scholastic, and Varsity divisions based on student GPA. Students compete in a series of 10 academic tests and demonstrations, including art, economics, a written essay, an interview, language and literature, math, music, social science, science, speech, and a Super Quiz. Awards are presented to teams and individuals and the winning team advances to the California Academic Decathlon. The Merced County Academic Decathlon is a non-profit organization. Three students from each team (highest scoring by division) will earn the Robert Wayne Scholarship provided by the Merced County Academic Decathlon and Merced Schools Employee Federal Credit Union.
State Scrimmage: 11/1-12/6 (Online/Optional)
MCAD Scrimmage and Essay: 12/4-12/6
Online Objective Testing: 1/27/26
Speech/Interview/SQ/Awards: 2/7/26
2025-2026 Theme: The Roaring 20's
Merced County History Day
Grades: Date:
Location: State:
4-12
February 26-27, 2026
MCOE Downtown Center
May 1-3, 2026 nhdca.org
The event is an exciting, history-based competition. Teams (up to 5) or individuals in grades 4 through 12 learn about issues, ideas, people, and events in history and then illustrate what they have learned with creative and original productions in their chosen display category.
National History Day is coordinated with the National and California State History Days. Each year, a broad theme is selected at the national level to encompass local, state, American, and world history entries The theme gives a central focus to the work of all participants Quality of research and understanding of the theme are judged The top competitors from each event, division, and county advance to National History Day in California, giving nearly 80 projects the opportunity to compete at the state level.
Poetry Out Loud
Grades: Date:
Location: State:
9-12
January 24, 2026
MCOE Downtown Center
March 2026
capoetryoutloud.org
Poetry Out Loud inspires high school students to discover and appreciate poetry through a combination of memorization, performance, and competition Students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and improve English fluency and comprehension
Contact: nchandler@mcoe org
Merced County Writing Festival
No Cost Grades:
Preschool-12
Entries Due: February 27, 2026
g: March 9-12 & 16-17, 2026
s: May 4 - June 5
l teachers, the writing festival celebrates in poetry and prose. At the beginning of the chers are given a handbook that lists more nt categories. Students are taught the different and encouraged to participate in the Merced Festival Awards are given to students by grade nd a gold medal for the top two entries is h grade Each year, there are nearly 3,000 proximately 1,000 awards given to students. All 2nd Place and 3rd Place entries are displayed on the MCOE website in May.
Grades: Date:
Location:
National:
4-8
March 28, 2026
UC Merced May 2026, Washington D.C.
https://spellingbee.com/
Merced County has joined the Scripps Program and now offers a path to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington D C with the Merced County Scripps Regional Spelling Bee The Merced County Scripps Regional Spelling Bee allows two students per school and is an oral bee. Schools must register with Scripps and MCOE to participate.
Merced County STEM Fair $50/entry
Grades: Dates:
5-12
March 3, 2026 - Competition
March 5, 2026 - Showcase and Awards
Location: State:
UC Merced/MCOE Downtown Center
April 2026
csef.usc.edu
The STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Fair allows students, families, and community members to participate in a variety of STEM-related activities Students in grades 5-12 may participate in the Science and Engineering Fair portion of the event The top winners in this competition (grades 6-12) qualify for the California Science and Engineering Fair. Featured speakers, informational booths and hands-on activities are available throughout the day.
Grades: Date: Location:
3-5 (4th recommended)
March 18 - Los Banos/March 19 - Merced Pacheco HS/Merced Theatre
The Merced Symphony Association presents an annual concert for 4th grade students where 3rd and 5th grade students may also attend. This is a concert performed by musicians with a wide variety of instruments represented. An interactive experience designed to introduce students to the world of music and also teach concert etiquette, history, among others, curriculum packets are distributed to participating schools in advance for lesson planning. Concerts are held in Merced and Los Banos to more than 3,000 students each year.
Grades: Date: Location:
4-8
April 13 & 20-23, 2026 Awards: April 29, 2026 MCOE Downtown Center
The Merced County Speech Festival is for students in grades 4 through 8. The Elementary level is for students grades 4 and 5 and the Middle School level is for grades 6 through 8. The Speech Festival is part of a countywide program that starts at the school level to allow students to advance to the county level. Each school can send three students per grade to represent their site. Speeches must be the original work of the student each year and must follow from categories of Persuasive, Tall Tale, Legend, Fable or TEDStyle Talk, but can be about any topic
Merced County Speech Festival
Grades:
Date:
Location:
4-12
Online Testing: March 23-25 2026
Super Quiz/Awards: April 18, 2026
Merced Theatre
Academic Pentathlon is a countywide student event for grades 6 through 8. It is part of the United States Academic Pentathlon competition. All study guides and necessary materials are provided with team fees. Schools field teams of up to 12 members per grade divided into Honors, Scholastic, and Varsity divisions based on student GPA. Students compete in a series of five academic tests and demonstrations, including fine art, literature, math, science, social science, and a Super Quiz. Awards are presented to teams and individuals.
2025-26 Theme: The Roaring 20's
UC Merced Opera for Children No Cost
Grades:
Date:
Location: 2026 Title:
Preschool-3
May 19-22, 2026 (LBUSD - TBD)
UC Merced The Ghost in the Opera House
The UC Merced English and Arts Department produces an Opera annually for students in preschool through grade 3. The story set to well-known music always has a lesson intertwined in the fun. The UC provides classroom curriculum to introduce students to the world of Opera that teachers can tie-in to their visit.
Grades: Due : Awards:
TK-12 April 2, 2026 June 2026
The Merced County Father of the Year Essay Contest is designed to showcase the Father and Father Figures of Merced County in an essay written by their child. Students are asked to answer the prompt, "What my father or father figure means to me." Awards will be presented at the All Dads Matter Celebration of Fatherhood.
District/School Responsibilities
Event specific information is mailed to district superintendents and site principals. If your school or district decides to participate in student events, you may be asked to:
Complete Intent, Registration Forms and other required paperwork on time.
Provide payment and financial information to support the program. Provide volunteers to help with various aspects of the event. Furnish judges for the event.
Provide a liaison with an e-mail address, who will act as event point person and share all correspondence with students, families and other teachers or staff at your site/district.
Share Opt-Out and Event Etiquette with your students and their parents/guardians.
Prepare students using posted guidelines and rules of event.
Plan accordingly with transportation to be on time and present for entire event.
Student Events Etiquette
Students should have FUN when competing.
Teachers, parents, and students should demonstrate good sportsmanship at all times. Teacher may not prompt or coach students when competing. Things may not always go the way you and your student/child hope or expect, but make the best of the situation. Please remember that your student/child takes behavior cues from you.
Talk to your student(s) about disappointment and set an example of how to be gracious in disappointing situations.
Judging is a subjective process and judges’ decisions are final Judges volunteer their time to make student events possible Please do not express concerns or complaints to the volunteer judges If you have a complaint, please find or email the event coordinator to express your concerns.
We are guests at our event venues. Please be courteous and respect the property of others. Do not enter or leave a room during a presentation. Avoid unnecessary noise during a presentation.
Turn off all cell phones when in a competition room.
Ask permission of competitors before taking photos or videotaping them.
Students and projects that are not on time/leave early may not be fully judged
Updates
The information in this booklet was finalized August 12, 2025 Dates and/or locations are subject to change and will be posted at mcoe org/StudentEvents
Diversity and Inclusion
MCOE Events encourages the participation of all Merced County students, regardless of race, religion, physical or mental abilities, economic status, gender, sexual orientation or other identities. MCOE strives to meet the needs of all students by:
Building a broad base of participation and involvement that mirrors the diversity of our county's communities and geographies
Hosting fair, accessible, and inclusive contests and seeking to remove barriers to participation Celebrating and validating the cultures and experiences of our students
Opt Out/Public Information
MCOE is proud to showcase events and students. To do this, MCOE Communications may submit press releases to local media (such as newspapers, television, and online news sites) that includes student names, work, photographs, and video/voice recordings. In addition, this information may be published or displayed on the MCOE's website(s) and various social media channels While the intent of this practice is to be informative and celebratory, concerns may arise regarding a student's right to privacy To opt-out of any such releases, please complete the Media Release Non-Consent Form. It is available in English or Spanish at mcoe.org/optout, or by contacting the Student Events office.
Volunteer Opportunities
MCOE Student Events require a great deal of support from administrators, educators, parents, and community members Volunteers are crucial to the success of these events as they serve various roles, such as judges, scorers, and monitors To donate your time or talent, please send an email to sarancibia@mcoe.org.
Sponsorships and In-Kind Donations
In order to keep costs low for schools and districts, MCOE partners with many generous sponsors either through MCOE or through one of our non-profit partners, The Merced County Education Foundation (MCEF) or The Merced County Academic Decathlon (MCAD). If you or your company are interested in supporting our programs, please contact the office listed below. Thank you to the many sponsors listed in this book and on the donor lists for MCEF and MCAD.
Questions or Sponsorship Info?
Contact: Stacie Arancibia Events and Community Engagement
Merced County Office of Education (209) 381-5910 or events@mcoe org
For more information and forms, visit: mcoe.org/StudentEvents
Thank you to the Merced County Education Foundation sponsors!
Superintendent’s Circle - $20,000+
Rob & Andrea Baptie ~ Tinetti Realty Group
Diamond - $10,000 - $19,999
Educational Employees Credit Union Hilmar Cheese Company, Inc.
Robert Haden & Betty Dawson Merced School Employees Federal Credit Union
Platinum - $2,500 - $9,999
Lee & Ann Andersen ~ Jim & Carlene Cunningham ~ Steve & Victoria Gomes
Los Banos Unified School District ~ Jeanne & Barry McAuley ~ Peck Planning & Development
PG&E Corporation ~ Rotary Club of Merced ~ SKW & Associates ~ Steve & Becky Tietjen
Gold - $1,000 - $2,499
Michele Arancibia ~ Mike & Pauline Cuchna ~ Yvette & Chris Dalhoff ~ Michele & Frank Fagundes
Gregg Alan Files Foundation ~ Kathy & Ron Hansen ~ Fred Honoré ~ Ellie Jorrtitsma ~ Los Banos
Rotary Club ~ John Magneson ~ Merced Irrigation District ~ Merco Credit Union ~ May Moua
Magdalena Perez ~ Janet & Kevin Riley ~ State Market ~ Stewart Family
Thiara Family Orchards ~ Trevino’s Mexican Restaurant ~ UC Merced ~ Osvaldo Verduzco
Nanette Waggoner ~ Roger & Chi Chi Wood ~ Bette Woolstenhulme & Grey Roberts
Silver - $500 - $999
Tom Bates ~ Lisa Benson ~ Don & Kenra Bragonier ~ Keith Chastain
Ed Klotzbier & Stella Danis Klotzbier ~ Epigmenia Fuentes ~ Edgardo Gomez ~ La Morenita
David Long ~ Manuel Mercado ~ Merced Fruit Barn ~ Bruce & Martha Mosqueda
Maria Mujica ~ In Memory of Travis Parker ~ Nathan Quevedo ~ Janice Rogge
Daniel and Carol Saldana ~ State Foods Supermarket ~ Angelo Kyrilov & Mayya Tokman
Samuel & Dena Traina ~ Transcounty Title Company ~ Carolyn & Russel Vara
Don Bergman & Nancy Young-Bergman ~ Holly Zacharias
Bronze - $250 - $499
Claudia Aguilar ~ Mary Ellen Arana ~ Kathleen Crookham ~ Fluetsch & Busby Insurance
Frances Gallegos ~ Garcia Family Market ~ Hector & Kathleen Garibay ~ Grandma’s Antiques
David & Tracy Gravano ~ Congressman Adam Gray ~ Nick & Jane Guerra ~ Priscilla Hernandez
Amelia Jimenez ~ Little Oven Pizza ~ Richard Lopez ~ Stephen Luna ~ Javier Menera ~ Flora Mireles
NOR CA Mobile Fleet Wash ~ Shavon Roach ~ Rebecca Rodriquez ~ Martha Santos Velasquez
Matthew Serratto ~ Shane Smith ~ Sandra Stevens ~ United Way ~ Roger Wyan Photography
Merced County Academic Decathlon
2024-25 Sponsors
A very special Thank You is extended to the following contributors for their support during the 2024-2025 Decathlon Season. Without these generous donations, the Merced County Academic Decathlon would not be possible.
Robert Wayne Scholarship Sponsor
Merced School Employees Federal Credit Union
Sponsor Partners ($1000+)
Community Foundation of Merced County
Educational Employees Credit Union
Merced County Office of Education
Merco Credit Union
Travis Credit Union
Torch Bearer ($500 - $999)
Michele Arancibia
Platinum ($250 - $499)
Fluetsch & Busby Insurance
Hilmar Cheese Company, Inc.
Tinetti Realty Group
Stephen & Sharon Wainwright
Gold ($100 - $249)
Atwater Women’s Club Club Mercedes
Robert and Peggy Faretta
Steve & Victoria Gomes
I.O.O.F. Romero Lodge #413
Ingraham's Trophies
Kathleen Crookham
Steve H. Teranishi, CFP
Dr. Susan Walsh
Silver ($50 - $99)
Ebony Socialites
In Memory of Ann Bettis
Donate
For questions, comments or feedback, call (209) 381-5910 or email events@mcoe org