Jimmy McGuire, part of the Jeopardy Clue Crew trio, said he came to Monson to donate Classroom Jeopardy, a device allowing teachers to create games appropriate for classroom learning.
Jillian Dart's seventh-grade class with principal Cheryl Clarke front left, Mrs. Dart on her left, and Jeopardy's Jimmy McGure to her left
MONSON – It was early morning "Jeopardy!" instead of seventh-grade mathematics at Granite Valley Middle School recently as a member of the Clue Crew from the popular television game show hosted.
And, for an hour, three classroom teams, the Night Tigers, Raging Spocks and Wolf Pack, competed for bragging rights during Jillian Dart’s 8 a.m. math period.
“I knew that they’d do me proud,” the teacher said. “They did!”
Jimmy McGuire of Jeopardy's Clue Crew
Jimmy McGuire, part of the Jeopardy! Clue Crew trio, said he came to Monson to donate Classroom Jeopardy, a device allowing teachers to create games appropriate for classroom learning. The tool is produced by Educational Insights.
The "Jeopardy!" road-show visits about 25 school district a year.
Why Monson?
“This area has been through a lot,” McGuire said, referring to the devastation of the 2011 tornado. “We are happy to help."
The game show says 50,000 school systems nationwide are using Classroom Jeopardy.
The Granite Valley game “was really fun,” said Anna Bilotti. The seventh-grader captained the winning team, Raging Spocks.
“I thought it was going to be a little bit harder, but when I started playing, I relaxed” she said. The Spocks’ point total of 32,200 handily bested the 21,600 and 11,999 totals of their rivals. McGuire said it was the first time a school team had exceeded 30,000.
Bilotti’s favorite TV show, however is not "Jeopardy!." “Dance Moms,” she said when asked. “I dance so I like to see them.”
Questions the contestants were asked included categories on world records, Internet slang, capital cities, grammar and school supplies.
The category of geometry had the clue: "Quantity of 3-dimensional space by some closed boundary. – It was answered correctly, “What is volume.”
There was a category entitled: "Mrs. Dart."
Seventh-grade Granite Valley Middle School mathematics teacher Jillian Dart
It was revealed that the teacher's dream job is being a food critic, and that she has lived overseas in Turkey, Italy and Japan.
The Final Jeopardy! category was local TV.
It’s the Station where you can find 'Jeopardy!' weeknight’s at 7:30 p.m.
The three teams corrected identified the regional NBC affiliate, WWWLP-TV22. The station, in addition to sponsoring the Classroom Jeopardy event, assisted in donating the device. Reporter Sy Becker attended and did interviews. He has been with WWLP since 1979.
Principal Cheryl Clarke, who is a finalist to become Monson’s next superintendent of schools, was present, wore a "Jeopardy!" cap and said she found the experience edifying and entertaining.
“They really showed what their knowledge was today,” Clarke said.
“Wouldn’t it be cool to have someone from your school on our show? Hopefully you’ll win $75,000,” McGuire told the students. “The enthusiasm kids have for learning is so much fun!"