Let the madness begin!
Last Friday, Cottage Lane Elementary School Physical Education teachers Sue O’Rourke and Jon Jacobs hosted their own March Madness Final Four basketball challenges for each grade level. Just like the college basketball March Madness Tournament, each class at CLE has been striving to be one of the top-scoring teams to make it to the final four.
Jacobs and O’Rourke have been hosting March Madness Basketball Shootouts for nearly 20 years. “We’ve always tried to create activities that will help promote a sense of community amongst our students, and our basketball shootout gives everyone an opportunity to be a contributor to their class’s success,” explained Jacobs. “Being able to bring everyone into an assembly=style culminating activity where everyone is invited to root, cheer on and support one another is a special experience that our students look forward to the entire year and they remember for years to come.”
During the fourth grade basketball challenge, every basket counted. Each team in the final four was tasked with making as many baskets as possible during their allotted time. On the sidelines, their fellow classmates cheered on the competing teams with signs, pom poms and plenty of clapping. In the end, the team in 4th place and the team in 1st place were only separated by nine points! With a total of 269 points, CLE teachers Denise Murphy and Leanna Iobbi’s class won the fourth grade basketball shootout!