BY LAUREN MATTHEW
Staff Writer
SCOTT PILLING staff Carpenter Elementary School students Anthony Chiusano, Andrew Utset and Paul Bartelotti match up in the final round of the “Jeopardy” competition Friday. OLD BRIDGE — “Jeopardy” king Ken Jennings has some serious competition, courtesy of Carpenter Elementary School students.
On Friday, the school held its third annual “Jeopardy” tournament, featuring fourth- and fifth-grade students playing the classic game show.
Second-grade teacher Karen Foley orchestrated the tournament, as well as the two before it.
“Every year, it really grows,” Foley said. “This is something that’s truly a team effort. It gives everyone a chance to participate.”
“It’s been a big, big hit,” said Principal Jack Phillips. “The children get excited, the parents get excited, the teachers get excited, the principal gets excited.”
The Carpenter version of the show was close to the real thing, with students as audience members, “Jeopardy” theme music, a large game board and applause signs. In true “Jeopardy” fashion, players answered their trivia statements in the form of a question.
Nine tournament participants and nine alternates where chosen from the school’s population. All fourth- and fifth-graders were given a 10-question test, Foley said, and those with the highest scores were given a tie-breaker quiz. High scorers went on to play “Jeopardy.”
Answering questions in geography, television, children’s literature, math and sports, three finalists were chosen during three game rounds. Questions ranged in topic from “SpongeBob SquarePants” characters to the number of outs in a baseball inning. Contestants were stumped when asked the name of the acting governor of New Jersey.
Finalists Paul Bartelotti, a fifth-grader, fourth-grader Anthony Chiusano and fifth-grader Andrew Utset braved new categories: science, entertainment, New Jersey history, U.S. history and fun facts.
After the faculty judges tabulated the scores, a grinning Utset was named “Jeopardy Champion” while his classmates cheered him on loudly.
All three finalists received certificates from the school, as well as a gift certificate to Toys “R” Us furnished by the parent-teacher association.
“We will now begin to think about next year’s tournament,” Phillips said, noting that current third-graders would be eligible for the competition next time around.
“Jeopardy” offers students a chance to look at curriculum in a different manner, Foley said.
“It taps into what they’re learning,” she said. “And who wins isn’t necessarily the most book smart.”