March Madness Inspires Attendance Tournament At Central Regional

BERKELEY, NJ — Students and staff at Central Regional High School alike are following their NCAA March Madness brackets, but they're also enjoying their own March Madness tournament. But instead of "The Big Dance," this one is "The Big Attend-Dance."

In the CRHS March Madness Attendance Tournament, 64 homerooms are pitted against each other and student attendance percentages are tracked. The homerooms with the highest attendance advance to the next round of the tournament – from the Sweet 16 to the Elite Eight and down to the Final Four until there are only two left standing. The champion will be announced on April 7 – the same day the NCAA basketball tournament champion is crowned. A large print of the tournament bracket is on display in a hallway so everyone can track winning homerooms as the tournament progresses.

To further generate excitement, posters were designed and placed throughout the school featuring staff and faculty, including Principal Angello Mazzuca, Superintendent Michelle CarneyRay-Yoder, teachers, assistant principals, guidance counselors and security officers.

“The entire school is involved to encourage participation and foster school spirit,” Mazzuca said. “Everyone is excited to see to see who will capture the crown.”

The winning homeroom will earn a champion’s breakfast of waffles and pancakes served by the administration, but there is more than homeroom bragging rights at stake. Students from each round’s winning homerooms receive raffle tickets for drawings that include prizes such as snacks, earbuds, wireless speakers, sunglasses and other bounty valued by high school students.

The March Madness Attendance Tournament was the brainchild of Assistant Principals Adrienne Cangelosi-Schafer and Joseph Toth and Dr. Laura Vanello, director of pupil services.

"The March Madness Attendance Tournament unites our school community as we support attendance together in an exciting way,” Cangelosi-Schafer said. “It makes coming to school a little more fun and provides some extra incentive to attend.”