During the last half hour of school on November 6th, students and staff throughout Davisburg Elementary are going to swap DEAR for DEAS. Normally, the school would “Drop Everything and Read,” but for this Guinness World Record occasion, they are going to “Drop Everything and Stack.” Students will bring their own Speed Stacks from home, and for those who don’t have them, Ryan Snodsmith, their PE and Technology teacher will supply them to classrooms. “This is a great idea!” he said. “Our kids are going to be amped!”

Charlotte French & Debbie Bartholomew, PE Teachers
16002 Coles Crossing Drive Cypress, TX 77429 Phone #: 281-213-1636
Projected # of stackers: 1,250-1,500

Students at Sampson Elementary are experienced sport stackers and have competed at the state, national and world levels. Their top stackers currently hold 8 world records, 9 national records and 30 state records in sport stacking. And now, the entire school is very excited to add a Guinness World Record to its collection! “Our school has embraced sport stacking in a way that I couldn’t have imagined,” said PE Teacher Charlotte French. “Reading Enrichment teachers and Speech teachers use Speed Stacks within their lessons. Our students stack at recess, in the classroom and in the gym.”

The Sampson STACK UP! will include staff, students and parents with hopes of a total count approaching 1,500 stackers for the day. Classes with the most stackers (parents and teachers will count toward the totals) will receive awards. “The clackety-clak of cups will be heard throughout the halls of our school,” French said.

On November 6, 2006, all students at Tecumseh North Elementary will receive a “License to Speed” as part of the WSSA STACK UP! The “License to Speed” theme will be carried throughout the day through sport stacking races with Speed Stacks, math timed tests, timed word searches and other speed activities in the classroom. A variety of sport stacking activities related to speed will take place during each 45 minute PE period. The day will culminate with an all-school assembly tying it all together and featuring local race car drivers who will discuss how speed affects them in their sport. Who knows? Maybe a few race car drivers will try their hand at sport stacking and be counted in the Guinness World Record.

Loretta Bond, Coach
1046 Beach Boulevard Biloxi, MS 39530 Phone #: 228-432-2269
Projected # of stackers: 158

Students at Nativity BVM Elementary began sport stacking about two years ago. According to their coach, Loretta Bond, “they love it!” Many of the students purchased their own sets of Speed Stacks, but when Hurricane Katrina hit, most of the sets were lost. Due to generous donations from around the country, the school was able to purchase more Speed Stacks and give them to the students, which they will use for the WSSA STACK UP! Tearing down and building up pyramids of Speed Stacks might have a little more meaning for these students who have had to do a lot of rebuilding in their young lives.

Scott Gorrill, PE Teacher
8629 Columbus Road Hixson, TN 37343 Phone #s: 423-843-4704 (school); 423-827-6989 (cell)
Projected # of stackers: 700-1,000

The November 6th theme for McConnell Elementary School is “Stackers Marathon.” According to PE Teacher Scott Gorill, students, staff, family and community members will take on a 12-hour sport stacking marathon beginning at 6 am EST and ending at 6 pm. Students will be stacking for at least 30 minutes throughout the school day, while volunteers (staff, family, community) will be stacking before and after school to complete the 12-hour stackathon. “We are also attempting to have a point in the day where we have hundreds of stackers all stacking at the same time in the same location.” Now, that’s a lot of stacking goin’ on!

John Ansotigue, PE/Music Teacher
5602 South 316th Street Auburn, WA 98001
253-931-4974 (school); 253-266-8069
Projected # of stackers: 150

Students at Evergreen Heights Elementary sport stack everywhere. “We have students who love to stack all over the school property,” said John Ansotigue, the school’s PE and Music teacher. When he sets tables up outside, recess issues diminish. “It’s not uncommon for 40 to 50 students to be stacking at recess time,” he said. “The recess teachers comment how playground problems go away when the students are stacking, because everyone is busy.” On November 6th, he will set up 8-10 tables outside, as well as have stacking activities going on during his PE classes. “The students will bring their Speed Stacks, StackMats and Mini-
Stacks and just have a blast challenging each other and trying to speed up their times. I’ve had stacking activities going in my classes since 1994, and the students in all grades just love it!”

Pam Koon, PE Specialist
5701 Santa Fe Road Ft. Benning, GA 31905 Phone #s: 706-544-8154; 706-442-0231
Projected # of stackers: 250

Ft. Benning is a military base in Georgia, and the schools there have embraced sport stacking in a big way. At Loyd Elementary, there are morning sport stacking clubs, after-school sport stacking clubs and a lot of sport stacking going on during the day in PE classes. And this year, the Ft. Benning school system is planning to hold four sport stacking tournaments! So it’s no surprise the WSSA STACK UP! caught their attention. On November 6th, entire grade levels will report to the gymnasium for 45 minutes of stacking fun. Joining them will be their Partners in Education (PIE), an army troop that has adopted their school. These members of the military will come to help time the young sport stackers and be part of a practice tournament. “We have our first tournament the next day, so this will be good practice for it,” said Sherri McKendree, PE Specialist. “All of our students enjoy sport stacking, even our Special Education students.”

Laurel Shirey, PE Teacher
5201 Old Glory Lane Summerville, SC 29485 Phone #: 843-832-5550
Projected # of stackers: 1,500

Direct from Laurel Shirey: “As the largest elementary school in South Carolina, we are going to try our hardest to have 100% participation in this WORLD-WIDE record breaking event! To achieve this goal, we are completely altering our normal school day schedule to allow for all of the students (K-5) to participate. This school year was the first time sport stacking was ever introduced to our students, and it took off!!! Our students love sport stacking, and will be extremely excited to be a part of this sport stacking historical event.” More than 60,000 stackers will set a new Guinness World Record™ in sport stacking on Monday, November 6th! STACKUP!

Jim Ross, PE Teacher
230 Demarest Street Ridgewood, NJ 07451 Phone #: 201-612-6204
Projected # of stackers: 110

When Jim Ross first saw sport stacking, he was convinced it was just “another PE gimmick.” He would go to conference workshops where they were giving away Speed Stacks, take his free set and sneak out early. “When I had accumulated five or six sets, I started to question how I could use them,” he said. “I then attended a full session, and it all clicked! What a great tool to help develop hand-eye coordination, cross lateral skills, fine muscle movement and more with a fun and challenging activity. When I introduced it to my 5th graders, they confirmed it all!” Ross and his students have been sport stacking for five years, and he now
runs full units and holds special “Sport Stack Nights” for kids and parents. And this year, the school formed its first Sport Stacking Team. On November 6th, students at Orchard will be stacking during PE classes and after school. Parents will also be invited to take part. “We are proud and excited to be a part of the WSSA World Record Day! That’s our story and we’re sticking to it!”

Lori Biferella, PE Teacher
31 Prospect Street Attica, NY 14011 Phone #: 585-591-0400 ext. 2120
Projected # of stackers: 450

Stackers at Prospect Elementary School are already warmed up for the 2006 WSSA STACK UP! It was just two weeks ago that many of them competed in the New York State Sport Stacking Championships, where Prospect PE Teacher Lori Biferella served as the Tournament Director. The New York championships included more than 100 stackers from throughout the state, along with competitors form New Jersey, Connecticut and Canada, many of whom set state and provincial records. “The day was fun filled, action packed and well received by all,” said Biferella. “We can’t wait to host the second annual NY State Championships in 2007.” Biferella is pumped to extend the stacking excitement to help set a Guinness World Record on November 6th. Prospect is planning a school-wide stacking event giving all students and staff an opportunity to take part.

On November 6th, 350 kindergarten through 4th grade students participated in Worldwide Sport Stacking Day at Penella’s school. Each student would stack for 30 minutes and be joined by their teachers. Parents and families are invited, and Penella plans on working closely with her principal to include the media and local dignitaries. “This will be a powerful opportunity for stewardship and celebration between Louis V. Denti Elementary School and the City of Rome, NY.”

WSSA STACK UP!

The WSSA STACK UP! is made possible through the combined efforts and sponsorship of:

• The WSSA
• Speed Stacks, Inc. (The Official Sport Stacking Equipment of the WSSA),
• Guinness World Records™ - Guinness World Records Press Release .PDF