FIFA Fridays On The Pitch At Increase Miller Elementary

GOLDENS BRIDGE, NY — World Cup enthusiasm isn't just limited to the sports fandom — the budding academics at Increase Miller Elementary School have turned the global soccer competition into a chance to learn about the world.

If you ask any of the students in Bebhinn Fahy’s fourth-grade class how Brazil is doing in the World Cup, they will give you a fan’s update on the five-time world champions. They will also let you know that Brazil takes up half of South America, has more than 100 rivers and of all the world’s rivers, the Amazon River has the most water, and Brazil is the only place in the world you can find a poison dart frog.

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According to the Katonah-Lewisboro school district, one of the reasons Increase Miller students are super-engaged in this year's FIFA World Cup is because of the physical education team of Matt Gallagher, Artie Blank, Lizzy Cazzari and Erik Hoaglund, who have turned the world competition into an engaging all-school activity.

The PE team assigned each class a country that is playing in the World Cup. Students are encouraged to wear their team’s colors on December Fridays, earning points in a school competition.

The fourth-grade team took it one step further, with each class folding in a study of their country. Jane Emig’s students are studying Belgium while Jocelyn Lividini’s class is learning about Serbia.

"Students are having a great time," Gallagher said. "They are pumped to win points for their class and they check out the bulletin board outside of the gym each day to see the wins and losses in the real 2022 FIFA World Cup."