CHURCHTOWN - "This is Jeopardy!" shouted more than 30 students in Kelley Arnold's classroom at St. John Central School Wednesday.
The school was one of two area institutions receiving an interactive Classroom Jeopardy! game this week after winning a contest sponsored by WTAP Television in Parkersburg. The other winner was Waverly Elementary School in Wood County.
The prize, an electronic version of the popular television show that can be programmed by teachers to match their curriculum, was presented by Jimmy McGuire, a member of the Jeopardy! show's Clue Crew.
"I'm one of four crew members, and normally we travel the world recording video clues that are presented on the daily show," McGuire said. "We recently traveled, with Alex Trebek (the show's host) to Machu Picchu, and just four days ago the crew returned from a trip to Europe.
"It's a great job," he said. "One day you're in Copenhagen, and the next you're in Marietta, Ohio."
McGuire said he's no stranger to southeast Ohio, as he graduated from Ohio University in Athens. He will present Waverly's game today.
"I enjoy presenting these games to schools," he said. "There's something special about small schools like this. I just had lunch with the kids, and they really make you feel appreciated."
McGuire said the Classroom Jeopardy! game is currently being used in about 30,000 schools across the nation.
"Kids get engaged in the game and the competition, but they also learn to get along, and most of all they're learning," he said.
McGuire played host to a Classroom Jeopardy! game for the students, who divided into three teams on Wednesday afternoon.
The game features all of the sights and sounds of the television show, including the popular theme song that plays while contestants ponder their answers during the Final Jeopardy! round.
"I finally got a chance to try it; that was really awesome," said sixth-grader Dakota Brooker.
Classmate Hope Schilling agreed.
"I thought it was amazing that we have this in our school," she said.
Arnold said she had seen the game in a catalog, but thought its $500 price tag was too much to justify buying it. Principal Jane Frances Hofbauer learned of the contest and decided the school would participate.
"The kids watched Jeopardy! for a week and had to answer questions from each show," she said. "The first week of September we got a call ... telling us we had won."
Arnold said the game would be shared by all classes at the school, and each teacher could modify it to apply to the current curriculum.
