While it may not be Ali vs. Frazier, seeing Wilton Pubic School honchos face off in this year’s “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” promises to be a very exciting face-off.
The Wilton Education Foundation (WEF) announced the official roster of contestants who will compete in the foundation’s fifth annual “Smarter Than a 5th Grader” battle of wits. This year’s contestants are Wilton Public Schools’ superintendent Dr. Kevin Smith, Miller-Driscoll assistant principal Jeremy Cross, Cider Mill principal Dr. Jennifer Mitchell, and Middlebrook principal Maria Coleman. Miller-Driscoll teachers and co-emcees Sal Giaimo and Bryan Ennis will return to run the show.
Based on the hit TV show, the spirited team-based game places Cider Mill fifth graders on stage to readily assist local “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.
The event will take place at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 13 at The Clune Center at Wilton High School. Premium seating is available at $25 per seat. General admission is $10 for students and $15 for adults. Tickets can be purchased on the WEF website online. Tickets will be on sale at the door, if they are still available. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show begins at 7 p.m.
To select the student contestants, Cider Mill instructional leaders and teachers developed a qualifying exam that is administered to all fifth graders interested in participating in the event. This year, approximately 100 students sat for the demanding test and the top four scorers in each house were selected as representatives. This year’s fifth grade participants are (pictured above):
Nod Hill: Samhita Kakarlapudi, Rhea Raghavan, Ava Sexton, Jessica Wu
Kent: Avery Baumel, Sophia Hemschot, Dylan Koziol, Matt Tabet
Belden Hill: Caroline Blessing, Emily Johnson, Tyler Moody, Abby Morris
Cannondale: Ria Raniwala, Natasha Ring, Michael Soojian, Anjo Therattil
This year, T-shirts designed for the event by Kevin Hyzy, a Belden Hill 5th grader, will be on sale as well. Available in the colors of each Cider Mill house, they can be one more way to show support and cheer on the 5th grade competitors. To order shirts, please click here or visit Cider Mill’s Homepage by March 2.
“We love that the whole town comes together while supporting WEF and ultimately the Wilton Schools. This is a fun way to showcase and support the efforts of the students, the staff and the Foundation all at the same time,” said Kimber Felton, the event’s co-chair.
Felton’s co-chair Carolyn Lyon added, “The bar is high as this has become one of the most popular tickets in Wilton. We’re continuing with much of what has made this event such a wonderful tradition, while adding in several new things that the public should enjoy.”
The Wilton Education Foundation is dedicated to enriching the learning experience for Wilton students by providing ongoing professional development for teachers, the latest in innovative and interactive teaching tools, support for music and the arts, and “beyond the classroom” experiences to provide Wilton’s public school students with the confidence and skills to succeed in college and beyond. For more information on the foundation, its mission, volunteer opportunities, and the many events and programs, please visit the Wilton Education Foundation website.