The Wilton Education Foundation (WEF) is excited about the brain power that will be on hand for the organization’s 6th annual “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” fundraiser this Friday, April 28.

“This is the Foundation’s sixth year hosting ‘Smarter’, which is a testament to the community support for our schools and our organization.  I think the hard work and dedication of our educators, students, and volunteers will be on full display during the show! I’m looking forward to it,” said Mike Whitman, co-chair of the event.

Out of the approximately 100 5th graders who took a qualifying exam to become student contestants, the following 16 Cider Mill students were the top four scorers in each house, and were selected to represent their peers onstage as expert partners to the contestants, helping answer questions derived from the elementary school’s curriculum:

  • Belden Hill:  Anderson Campbell, Josephine Coleman, Eli Patania and Abigail Schwartz
  • Cannondale:  Dillon Bhutani, Eva Filipponi, Ryan Smith and Phoebe Snow
  • Kent:  Peter Adams, Elizabeth Deneen, Jack Leventhal and Charlotte Stapkowski
  • Nod Hill: Gracie DiBuono-Krafick, Cameron Royle, Aryan Shah and Saniya Shah.

Each year, local celebrities vie to find out if they can handle questions that are taught in Wilton’s 5th grade classrooms. This year, the four contestants are:

  • Lynn Vanderslice, Wilton’s first selectman
  • Brooke Amodei, Wilton High School student body government vice president and Loyola University Maryland-bound senior
  • John Priest, Middlebrook social studies teacher
  • Heather Priest, Middlebrook culinary arts teacher

Miller-Driscoll teachers Sal Giaimo and Bryan Ennis will return to emcee the event, which is based on the TV show of the same name.

WEF’s version is a spirited, team-based game that incorporates Wilton-specific subject matter into the trivia, utilizing the technology the organization helps to fund for the schools, such as interactive SMARTBoards and iPads, to display questions and provide responses.

As a fundraiser, proceeds from the evening will benefit the Foundation’s efforts to support technology, arts, student extracurricular experiences and professional development for the Wilton school district.

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? will take place on Friday, April 28 at 6:30 p.m. in the Wilton High School Clune Center. Doors open at 6 p.m.. Parent supervision is required for students in the sixth grade and younger.

Premium reserved seating is available at $25 per seat, and general admission is $10 for students and $15 for adults. Tickets can be purchased at the door or online.