Friday, December 26, 2014
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Neighbors | Tim Cleveland.Austintown Intermediate School students lined up to add more pieces of duct tape in securing fourth-grade Principal Michael Zoccali to the gym wall.
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Neighbors | Tim Cleveland.Volunteers duct taped Austintown Intermediate School fourth-grade Principal Michael Zoccali to the wall before the students added more duct tape during the Math Facts Challenge.
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Neighbors | Tim Cleveland.An Austintown Intermediate School student adds a piece of duct tape in securing fourth-grade Principal Michael Zoccali to the gym wall.
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Neighbors | Tim Cleveland.Austintown Intermediate School students gathered in the school's gymnasium to duct tape fourth-grade Principal Michael Zoccali to the wall.
By TIM CLEVELAND
Students at Austintown Intermediate School had a unique goal they could achieve by getting high marks on math tests. If they scored high enough, they could qualify to duct tape fourth-grade Principal Michael Zoccali to the gymnasium wall.
Zoccali was asked how he came up with the idea to be duct taped.
“Just in talks with our teachers, one of the things we discussed was the math facts was an area of concern and weakness, I just kind of brainstormed an idea one night,” he said. “Third grade had 0-9 addition for two minutes, fourth and fifth grade had multiplication, fourth grade was 0-9 and fifth grade got into double digits.
“They started back in October and took random tests throughout the week. The teachers really encouraged it. Some teachers created a challenge and a game to see who could get the highest levels. We just kind of went with it and decided let’s see if they can stick me to the wall with duct tape.”
The 1,200 students in grades three, four and five at the school took several tests, with approximately 215 of them achieving the scores needed to be able to duct tape Zoccali.
“I was looking for bigger numbers,” he said. “We challenged each individual grade level, where if 80 percent of the whole third grade hit 85 percent accuracy, they would get to do something to their individual principal as well as duct tape me. Each grade had a specific thing, like if fourth grade could hit 80 percent, they could do something to me, if fifth grade could hit 80 percent, they could do something to [Principal] Mr. [Jeff] Swavel as well.
“We didn’t hit that goal, but that’s OK. It’s their first year doing it, so we’ll keep plugging away.”
Students who achieved the highest scores and had the biggest improvement in each grade level also got a certificate and made a shaving cream pie that they could hit Zoccali in the face with.
“Just a little added bonus,” he said.
Zoccali stepped in a step stool and volunteers started the duct-taping process before the students arrived. When the students completed the taping, the step stool was pulled out from under his feet.
“We’ll see if they can hold me,” he said.
Zoccali said he wanted to add some fun to the process of taking math tests.
“I think the idea is, I was a teacher in the classroom for 12 years,” he said. “Everything I tried to do in the classroom was always make it educational and fun. That was something I wanted to do.”