Class III Presents Engaging Animations and Faculty Face Off in Panther-Jaguar Jeopardy

January 5, 2023—In the first all-school assembly following Winter Break, Winsor students, faculty and staff came together for a fun and lighthearted gathering of animations and games.

Visual Arts Faculty Emily Valenza presented character study animation reels from Class III students, who are nearing the end of the semester producing short, 30-second animations that reflect the personality and mood of a chosen character. Much laughter and excitement, and a few gasps arose from the audience as they were introduced to characters such as Fredburt, a frog who likes to drink boba tea with his sidekick, Frectangle, a flower with a single eyeball that blinked, a mushroom snail eating a strawberry, and a pair of penguins. The students will end the semester with a unit on claymation.

Following hearty applause from the audience for Class III’s engaging animation reels, SASS leaders introduced the much-anticipated Panthers vs. Jaguars Faculty Jeopardy competition. After reminding participants and spectators about the rules of play (no audience help!), SASS welcomed the first round of faculty competitors to the stage: Laura Beebe, Annie Huntoon, and Michael Mirelman for the Panthers, and David Griffin, Janet Cowan, and Mark Brooks Hedstrom for the Jaguars. Ms. Huntoon and Ms. Cowan engaged in a few rounds of “Rock, Paper, Scissors” to determine which team would start the play.

The categories for this heated competition included: “Finish the Lyrics,” “Pop Culture,” “Winsor Trivia,” “Guess the Year,” and “Random.” The most challenging categories proved to be “Winsor Trivia” and “Finish the Lyrics,” with a number of answers stumping both teams.

A second round ushered in new players Lisa Stringfellow, Amy Lieberman, and John Constant for the Panthers and Sarah Pelmas, Denise Labieniec, and Jodi Kerble for the Jaguars. Leading into Final Jeopardy, the score was set 1400 Panthers, 1800 Jaguars, with Sally Murphy stepping in for Ms. Pelmas for the Jaguars. After the teams made their wagers, they each had a short period of time to make their guesses on the Final Jeopardy question: What year was the first Winsor graduation?

While neither team produced the correct date, due to the wagers, the Panthers came back from behind to lead the Jaguars 1100 to 700.