Cider Mill 5th Graders Chosen to be Part of WEF’s “Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader”

Sixteen 5th graders from Cider Mill have been chosen to represent their classmates at Wilton Education Foundation’s 6th annual fundraiser, “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?”

Based on the hit TV show of the same name, the spirited game show places Wilton’s brightest 5th graders from Cider Mill on stage to readily assist ‘celebrity’ contestants in answering questions derived from the elementary school’s challenging curriculum. WEF’s version is a family-friendly event that incorporates Wilton-specific subject matter into the trivia, utilizing the technology the organization helps to fund for the schools, like interactive SMARTBoards and iPads, to display questions and provide responses.

To select the fifth graders for the show, Cider Mill instructional leaders and teachers developed a qualifying exam that was administered to all fifth graders who are interested in participating in the event. This year, more than 80 students sat for the demanding test and the top four scorers in each house were selected as representatives.

Those students (pictured above) who will be participating are: Avni Gupta, Nathan Downs, Clarissa Greis, Griffin Turner, Jack Michael, Anna Joy, Saanvi Bathla, Charles Johnson, Alexa Steckel, Henry Purcell, Lukas Koutsoukos, Vihan Jayawardhane, Lucia La Orden Oro, Katherine May, James Ring, and Joshua Zheng.

For the first time, the celebrity contestants will be teachers from each of the Cider Mill houses:  Frank Coomaraswamy (Belden Hill), Jason Greasley (Cannondale), Tim Gallo (Kent) and Mike Hossler (Nod Hill). They’ll be joined by returning quizmaster emcees, Miller-Driscoll teachers Sal Giaimo and Bryan Ennis.

The 2016 “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” will be held on Friday, March 4 at 7 p.m. at the Clune Center at Wilton High School. Tickets will be available online starting Feb. 22. Reserved seating is available at $25 per seat. General admission is $10 for students and $15 for adults. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show begins at 7 p.m.  Tickets will also be available at the door until the event is sold out. (Prior years have sold out so attendees are advised to pre-purchase when possible.)