Ephrata Middle School · Mountaineers

Clash of Classes

One school. Four squads. A program built by EMS staff to develop Life Ready Graduate traits, build community, and have fun together every month.

4

Color Squads

9

LRG Traits

—

Events This Year

—

Current Week

⭐

This Month's Trait

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🎓

Develop LRG Traits

Each month we focus on a Life Ready Graduate skill — from Growth Mindset to Resilience. Students learn, reflect, and put these skills into real action through competitions and daily school life.

🤝

Build Community

Students and staff across 7th and 8th grade are mixed together into four color squads — Black, Gold, Grey, and Purple. Every event is a new chance to connect with people outside the classroom.

🎉

Have Fun Together

From Mummy Wrap to Lip Sync Battles to Championship events — Clash of Classes brings real energy and joy to school. We believe school should be engaging, memorable, and something students look forward to.

Monthly LRG Traits

Life Ready Graduate Skills · 2025–2026 · Ephrata Area School District

Acquire the Knowledge

Content Mastery & Financial Literacy

Healthy Living, Wellness & Self-Awareness

Civics, Leadership & Service

Digital Literacy & Technological Proficiency

Apply the Skills

Communication & Empathy

Critical Thinking & Problem Solving

Creativity & Innovation

Collaboration & Teamwork

Demonstrate the Dispositions

Honesty, Integrity & Responsibility

Adaptability & Flexibility

Continual Learning & A Growth Mindset

Resilience & Grit

Monthly Focus — Select a Trait

The Four Squads

Everyone Belongs

Live Tracker

Real-time squad standings

Events & Categories

Event	Date	Black	Gold	Grey	Purple

Weekly Metrics

📸 Monthly Snapshots

End-of-month standings archive

Points Over Time

Cumulative standings after each event

Points by Category

Events vs Metrics vs Trait Dough

Season Calendar

Events plotted by date

Mountaineer Mindset

Monthly lesson plans by grade level

The Mountaineer Mindset program provides structured monthly lesson plans aligned with each month's LRG trait. Each plan is designed for classroom use and connects the Clash of Classes theme to academic and social-emotional learning.

Select a month and grade level below to access the lesson plan directly from Google Drive.

📅 Quick Access by Month

Mountaineer Mayhem

Special events & competitions — March 13

📅

Date

March 13, 2026

🏟

Location

New Gymnasium

⚡

Events

9 Competitions + Bonus

Day Schedule

March 13 — both grade levels

Time

Activity

7:50 – 8:10

Arrival & Announcements — Homeroom ext. review of event rules & participant tags distributed

8:11 – 8:30

Directions & assignments for Mayhem — create team signs & chants

8:30 – 8:40

7th Grade — dismiss via RA Hallway to New Gym, sit in assigned section | 8th Grade — dismiss to Old Gym/Lobby area, enter New Gym from Old Gym side

8:40 – 8:55

Welcome & Opening — projector, live points display, students to on-deck area

8:55 – 9:05

Event 1: Hungry Hungry Hippos

9:10 – 9:20

Event 2: Teacher Pop Darts

9:25 – 9:35

Event 3: Noodle Knockdown

9:35 – 9:45

Sort it Right (filler activity between events)

9:45 – 9:55

Event 4: Ping Pong Ball Pass

10:00 – 10:15

Event 5: Pack It Up (Hold It Relay)

Between events

Chuck a Chicken — audience filler; 1 rep per homeroom throws from bleacher seat

10:25 – 10:35

Event 7: Tower Toss

10:40 – 10:50

Event 8: Basketball Knockout

10:50 – 10:55

Lucky Chance — spin to win up to 50 squad points

11:00

Dismiss — 7th Grade to Lunch, 8th Grade transition to homeroom

Events & Rules

Point structures and setup

Event 1

Hungry Hungry Hippos

Teams (MOUNTS format) compete around the center volleyball court. Scooters, gator balls, buckets, cones, cardboard, and a 4-minute timer. One grade level at a time. 6–8 participants per homeroom.

Points: 1 point per ball collected

Event 2

Teacher Pop Darts

One teacher per team throws from the purple bleacher side toward the basketball key. Target faces the crowd. Floor must be mopped before event. Each team gets 2 attempts. 1 teacher per team, one grade level at a time.

Points: 10 / 8 / 6 / 4 / 2 / 1 per standing dart. Grade level winner earns 5 bonus points.

Event 3

Noodle Knockdown

1 contestant per homeroom. Players balance a cup on the end of a pool noodle and try to knock opponents' cups off. Players may only contact opponents' noodle or cup — no body contact. Only the noodle should be used (no hands or body). Each player competes in a small group and must win to advance. The grade-level winners from 7th and 8th grade face off in the center circle.

Points: Round 1 eliminated = 2 pts · Round 2 eliminated = 5 pts · Runner-up = 8 pts · Final winner = 12 pts

Event 4

Ping Pong Ball Pass

6 contestants per homeroom. Teams pass ping pong balls cup-to-cup down the line and into a bucket. Players may only rotate or pivot while holding the ball in their cup — the ball must be passed, not dumped. Dropped balls restart at the beginning. 2-minute round, grade levels separate. Equipment: buckets, ping pong balls, cups, cones.

Points: 1 point per ball in the bucket at end of round

Event 5

Pack It Up (Hold It Relay)

4 contestants per homeroom. Runners relay items one at a time to a designated "holder" at half court. Dropped items are lost. After time expires, the holder must keep all items secured for 10 additional seconds — only those items count. 2-minute round, one grade level at a time. Top 6 teams earn points. Equipment: random balls and objects.

Points: 2 points per item held for 10 seconds after time

Event 6

Tower Toss

Relay-style. Boxes on the volleyball sideline. 6 participants per squad (3 from 7th, 3 from 8th). 7 boxes per squad marked with colored tape. Cap time of 6 minutes.

Points: First to complete = 50 pts · Completed within time = 25 pts

Event 7

Basketball Knockout

1 contestant per homeroom. Classic knockout — players must shoot from the 3-point line. If the player behind you makes their shot before you, you're eliminated. No interfering with other players. Each grade level runs their own game simultaneously at each end. Play continues until one player remains.

Points: 7th — 15/12/10/9/8/7/6/5/4/3/2/1 by elimination order · 8th — same scale

Filler · Teams

Sort It Right

1 contestant per team (one from each MOUNTS team — M, O, U, N, T, S). Players sort mixed-color rings onto pegs so all matching colors end up on the same stick. Only one ring can move at a time. Players start with the same scrambled pattern — first 3 to finish earn points for their squad.

Points: 1st = 10 pts · 2nd = 7 pts · 3rd = 5 pts

Audience Filler · Homeroom

Chuck a Chicken

1 contestant per homeroom. Between events, each homeroom rep stands and a rubber chicken is brought to them. They throw it from their bleacher location into a bucket on the floor. Must throw from where seated — cannot move closer. Must land in the bucket to count.

Points: 10 pts per successful bucket landing

Bonus · Squads

Lucky Chance

Near the end of the event, squads spin for a Lucky Chance — teams can win up to 50 squad points based on the outcome. No individual contestant required; entire squads participate as a group.

Points: Win up to 50 squad points

Expectations

For all participants and audience members

👥 Audience

Stay in your designated seating area · Support classmates with positive cheering — be loud but not screaming · Leave all personal items in homeroom (backpacks, phones, water bottles — except medical) · Get permission before leaving for restroom or water

🏃 Participants

When your event is "Up Next," report to the On-Deck Area · Participate with good sportsmanship — play honest and fair (Honesty, Integrity & Responsibility — LRG Dispositions) · After each event, report to your high school helper/score keeper

Homeroom Results

Final scores by homeroom — room numbers only

7th Grade Homerooms

Room	Hippos	Darts	Noodle	Ping Pong	Pack Up	Sort	Bball	Bonus	Total
Room 71 🥈	21	12	5	6	18	10	12	0	84
Room 72	21	12	2	0	12	10	1	0	58
Room 73	21	12	2	0	14	10	10	10	79
Room 74	21	12	2	0	19	10	4	0	68
Room 75	20	7	2	3	20	3	18	0	73
Room 76	20	7	8	0	16	3	6	0	60
Room 77	20	7	2	0	17	3	3	0	52
Room 78	20	7	2	12	17	3	5	0	66
Room 96	20	12	2	0	13	5	9	0	61
Room 97	20	12	5	0	8	5	2	0	52
Room 98	20	12	2	0	18	5	8	0	65
Room 99	20	12	2	6	15	5	7	10	67

8th Grade Homerooms

Room	Hippos	Darts	Noodle	Ping Pong	Pack Up	Sort	Bball	Bonus	Total
Room 81	9	9	2	6	12	10	1	0	49
Room 82	9	9	5	24	14	10	7	0	78
Room 83	9	9	2	27	12	10	8	0	50 (77*)
Room 84	9	9	2	—	17	10	4	0	51
Room 85	15	16	5	—	13	5	3	0	57
Room 86 🏆	15	16	2	—	14	5	10	0	62 (89*)
Room 87	15	6	2	3	16	5	12	0	59
Room 88	15	6	2	3	13	5	6	0	50 (57*)
Room 90	21	6	2	3	15	3	9	0	59
Room 91	21	6	2	—	17	3	5	0	54 (57*)
Room 93	21	6	2	—	7	3	2	10	51
Room 94	21	6	12	—	10	3	15	0	67

* Scores marked with asterisk reflect totals from the original document that differed from event-by-event sum — shown as recorded.

Participation Guide

Number of participants per event

Event

Unit

Participants

Hungry Hungry Hippos

Teams

2 per homeroom = 8 per team

Teacher Pop Darts

Teams

1 teacher per team

Noodle Knockdown

Homeroom

6 per homeroom

Ping Pong Ball Pass

Homeroom

6 per homeroom

Pack It Up

Homeroom

4 per homeroom

Tower Toss

Squad

6 per squad (3× 7th, 3× 8th)

Basketball Knockout

Homeroom

1 per homeroom

Sort it Right (filler)

Teams

1 per team

Chuck a Chicken (bonus)

Homeroom

1 per homeroom — selected homeroom drawn by lot

📸 Mayhem Photos

Photos from Mountaineer Mayhem 2026

No photos yet

🔗 Resources & Links

Add links via the admin panel.

CoC Championships

End-of-year championship event

📅

Date

June 3, 2025

🏟

Location

Turf Field & Outdoor Stations

⚡

Format

3 Stations + Kickball Tournament

Day Schedule

Full day overview by grade level

8th Grade

7:50–8:30

Extended Homeroom — review Pinball Dodgeball rules, sign up relay teams, plan kickball positions

8:30–8:40

Transition to outdoor stations

8:40–10:50

Stations rotation: Relay Races · Pinball Dodgeball · Fun Fair (snack, obstacle course, yard games)

10:55–11:10

Transition inside

11:10–12:00

Inside: BINGO (provided boards & prizes)

12:00–12:30

Lunch

12:40–12:50

Transition to turf field

12:55–2:35

Kickball Tournament — turf field

2:35–2:55

Return inside for dismissal

7th Grade

7:50–8:30

Extended Homeroom — review Pinball Dodgeball rules, sign up relay teams, plan kickball positions

8:30–8:40

Transition to turf field

8:40–10:50

Kickball Tournament — turf field (each team takes a corner)

10:50–11:10

Transition inside

11:10–11:40

Lunch

11:45–12:30

Inside: BINGO (provided boards & prizes)

12:40–12:50

Transition to stations

12:55–2:35

Stations rotation: Relay Races · Pinball Dodgeball · Fun Fair

2:35–2:55

Return inside for dismissal

Station Rotation Order

Each block is 40 minutes · Teams rotate through all 3 stations

Team	Block 1	Block 2	Block 3
Team M	Relay Races	Pinball Dodgeball	Fun Fair
Team O	Pinball Dodgeball	Fun Fair	Relay Races
Team U	Fun Fair	Relay Races	Pinball Dodgeball
Team N	Relay Races	Pinball Dodgeball	Fun Fair
Team T	Pinball Dodgeball	Fun Fair	Relay Races
Team S	Fun Fair	Relay Races	Pinball Dodgeball

Events & Rules

Full rules for each championship activity

Station 1 · Homeroom vs Homeroom

Pinball Dodgeball

Six cones with tennis balls are spaced across each team's end of the field. 8–12 sponge balls are placed on the center line. Homerooms compete against each other. First team to knock ALL of the opponent's tennis balls off the cones wins. If time runs out (10 min), the team with the most tennis balls still on their cones wins.

Rules

Only 1 player may guard each tennis ball · Hit opponents below the waist only (ducking = anywhere) · Players hit must sit out until a teammate catches a fly ball · Dropping the ball = considered hit · Can't cross the center line

Location: Grassy area by the Ephrata Soccer Wall · Winners play winners · Losers play losers

Station 2 · Homeroom Teams

Relay Races

6 participants per homeroom per race. Each homeroom member should participate in at least one relay. Four relay types are run in rotation.

🥄 Egg & Spoon Race

Race around the cone and pass the spoon and egg to the next person. Must keep the egg on the spoon without using your hand — drop it and you go back to start.

🤸 Wheelbarrow Race

Pairs: one person holds the ankles, the other walks on their hands. Go to the cone, switch spots, come back. First team to the finish line wins.

🧩 Puzzle Relay

Each player races to grab one puzzle piece from the bucket at the cone. Once all pieces are collected, the team works together to assemble the puzzle. First team to correctly complete it wins.

💧 H2O Haul

One bucket is filled with water. Use a sponge to transfer water to the empty bucket at the finish line, then tag the next teammate. First team to reach the fill line wins.

Location: Grass area before the track

Main Event · Team Tournament

Kickball Tournament

Each team plays a homeroom-vs-homeroom tournament. Preliminary rounds determine the team champion — winners face winners, with the team championship final as the last game. Losers may play each other if a field is available. Turf field, each team takes a corner.

Key Rules

Pitchers pitch from the mound, slow/moderate speed, must accommodate kicker requests · All kicks by foot · Out = 3 strikes or 4 fouls · Ball may hit runners at shoulder and below · No leading off or stealing · No deliberate collision with defenders · Overthrow = runner may advance at own risk · Umpire rulings are final

Location: Turf Field · Format: Preliminary rounds + Team Championship final

Station 3 · Whole Team

Fun Fair

Each student gets a ticket when entering the Fun Fair area. Options include: snack & drink, obstacle course, Gaga Pit, yard games, four-square, or any other open game.

Location: Softball parking lot area

Inside Activity · All Homerooms

BINGO

Classroom BINGO using provided boards and prizes. Numbers are called using the linked caller tool. Takes place inside homeroom.

8th Grade: 11:10–12:00 · 7th Grade: 11:45–12:30

Kickball Tournament Brackets

Preliminary round matchups — rooms only (no names)

7th Grade Kickball (8:45–10:35 on turf)

Team	8:45–9:15	9:25–9:55	10:05–10:35
Team M	Room 73 vs Room 72	Room 74 vs Room 71	Winner vs Winner
Team O	Room 78 vs Room 76	Room 75 vs Room 77	Winner vs Winner
Team U	Room 96 vs Room 98	Room 97 vs Room 99	Winner vs Winner

8th Grade Kickball (12:55–2:35 on turf)

Team	12:55–1:25	1:30–2:00	2:05–2:35
Team N	Homeroom A vs B	Homeroom C vs D	Winner vs Winner
Team T	Homeroom E vs F	Homeroom G vs H	Winner vs Winner
Team S	Homeroom I vs J	Homeroom K vs L	Winner vs Winner

8th grade homeroom bracket matchups are set by event coordinators — see your clipboard for specific assignments. Losers are welcome to play each other if a field is open.

📸 Championship Photos

Photos from the championship event

No photos yet

🔗 Resources & Links

Add links via the admin panel.

CoC Kick Off

Season kick-off event — October 23 Half Day

📅

Date

October 23 — Half Day

🏟

Location

Assembly + Color Squad Rooms

⚡

Format

Assembly + 3 Squad Activities

Day Schedule

October 23 — both grade levels

7th Grade

8:05–8:10

Homeroom — submit attendance

8:10–9:00

Assembly — walk with homeroom, split into Color Squad seating

9:05–9:10

Return to homeroom to collect belongings

9:11–9:14

Transition to Color Squad rooms

9:15–9:46

Activity 1 — Human Bingo & Line Up Challenges*

9:50–10:20

Lunch

10:27–11:08

Activity 2 — Scattergories

11:08–11:49

Activity 3 — Color Squad Trivia

11:51–11:55

Dismissal from Color Squad room

8th Grade

8:05–8:10

Homeroom — submit attendance

8:10–9:00

Assembly — walk with homeroom, split into Color Squad seating

9:05–9:10

Return to homeroom to collect belongings

9:11–9:14

Transition to Color Squad rooms

9:15–9:46

Activity 1 — Human Bingo & Line Up Challenges*

9:48–10:28

Activity 2 — Scattergories

10:30–11:00

Lunch

11:07–11:49

Activity 3 — Color Squad Trivia

11:51–11:55

Dismissal from Color Squad room

* Activity 1 time may be shortened if the assembly runs long. If short on time, skip or shorten "What Changed?" or "Line Up Challenge #1".

Activities

Three squad activities — worksheets provided day-of

Activity 1

Human Bingo + What Changed? + Line Up Challenges

Students learn their teammates' names and get to know each other. Randomly seat students as they enter so they don't only sit with friends they already know. Hand out one Human Bingo worksheet per student — they must talk to teammates to fill in as many spaces as possible before the timer runs out. No passing papers; players must write the name of the teammate they speak with. The "What Changed?" and Line Up Challenges are follow-up activities — skip or shorten if time is tight.

Also during Activity 1: count how many students are wearing their Color Squad t-shirt and submit via the T-shirt Google Form.

Activity 2

Scattergories

Split the Color Squad into six groups based on their placement in the Line Up Challenge. Give each group one copy of the Scattergories Recording Sheet. Use the linked slideshow to generate categories and play as many rounds as time allows. Keep score as you go.

Activity 3

Color Squad Trivia

Split the Color Squad into six groups. Give each group one copy of the Trivia Recording Sheet. Students may only record answers in pen — teachers may not help. Four rounds, four questions per round, 30 seconds per question. Score at the end of each round. At the end, submit only the score from the highest-scoring team via the Trivia Google Form.

Color Squad Room Locations

Where each squad meets for activities — room numbers only

Squad	Team M	Team O	Team U	Team N	Team T	Team S
⬛ Black	Room 72	Room 78	Room 97	Room 94	Room 87	Room 82
🟡 Gold	Room 74	Room 77	Room 98	Room 93	Room 86	Room 81
⬜ Grey	Room 71	Room 75	Room 96	Room 90	Room 88	Room 83
🟣 Purple	Room 73	Room 76	Room 99	Room 91	Room 85	Room 84

Posters in hallways will help students find their Color Squad room locations. Students dismiss from their Color Squad room at end of day.

📸 Kick Off Photos

Photos from the Kick Off event

No photos yet

🔗 Resources & Links

Add links via the admin panel.

🏸 Spin!

Admin-only wheel — results save directly to the tracker

🏸

Admin Access Required

The Spin wheel is for staff only. Enter the admin password to spin and save results to the tracker.

The Wheel

Spin to earn bonus squad points

The Wheel is one of the most exciting parts of Clash of Classes — a high-stakes multi-ring challenge where students earn bonus points for their squad.

💵

Trait Dough Drawing

Every Friday, 5 names are drawn from the Trait Dough bin. Those students come to the lobby to spin.

🏆

Competition Winners

Winning a Clash of Classes competition can earn your squad Wheel spins as part of the prize.

🌟

Student of the Month

Students recognized as Student of the Month may earn a Wheel spin as part of their celebration.

⚡

Surprise Moments

Surprise spins happen at lunch, assemblies, and faculty meetings for staff. You never know when!

How the Wheel Works

Ring 1

Outer

Start here

↓

risk it

Ring 2

Second

1 risk used

↓

risk it

Ring 3

Third

2 risks used

↓

risk it

Ring 4

Fourth

3 risks used

↓

final

Center!

100 pts

Squad color only

1

Start on the Outer Ring

Every spinner begins on Ring 1. Give it a spin and earn whatever number you land on — color doesn't matter yet.

2

Bank It or Risk It

Keep those points, or risk them and spin the next ring inward for higher values. Rings 1–3 pay out regardless of color.

3

Ring 4: Color Matters!

On the 4th spin (and LOYALTY segments), color finally matters — you must land on your squad's color to earn. Wrong color = nothing.

Special Spaces

LOYALTY

You only earn points if you land on your squad's own color section. Land on LOYALTY in a different color = nothing.

GIVE

You must give those points to another squad instead of keeping them.

AUTO

You automatically advance to the next ring inward — no choice, you must spin again.

⚡ Quick Facts

WhenEvery Friday

WhereSchool Lobby

How many5 students/week

Surprise spinsAt lunch!

Staff spinsFaculty meetings

🔗 Resources

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Trait Dough

EMS schoolwide token economy system

Trait Dough is a schoolwide token economy system that highlights individual students demonstrating Life Ready Graduate Traits in action.

Ways to Earn

Students can earn Trait Dough in three ways: In Action (individual recognition by any adult), Clash of Classes Competition (team), and Mountaineer Pride (team).

The Process

Staff members are provided Trait Dough to give students who exemplify LRG traits. When a student demonstrates a trait, the adult gives them a Trait Dough bill with the trait circled and their name on the back. Students may save, collect, or turn in dough during lunch, PASS, or beginning/end of the school day.

Once in the office, the student turns in their dough and is entered into a weekly Friday drawing. Five names are drawn each Friday — those students spin the Wheel in the lobby. Winners are announced on the morning announcements.

Principles

Purposeful — Each adult may give as little or as much each day.
Sustainable — Templates in the workroom; digital copy in the links section.
Equitable — Data tracks which traits, teachers, and students are involved.
Manageable — Make it your own. Look for authentic opportunities.

🌟 SotM Experiences

SeptThaddeus Stevens

OctMeadow Valley Electric

NovAstro Machine Works

DecEphrata Borough Police

JanChamber of Commerce

FebEASD Athletics / PA Guard

MarEphrata Review / LEO Club

AprGEARS / WellSpan

MayEHS Future Teachers

💵 Trait Dough Tally

No tally data yet.

🔗 Resources

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Student of the Month

A designed experience celebrating LRG traits

Community Partners by Month

🔗 Resources

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Gallery & Events

Photos, voices, spotlights & upcoming events

Staff Resources

Everything you need to run Clash of Classes

📌 Quick Links

Pinned resources for staff

🏆 Adding Event Points

1

Click ⚙ Admin in the top navigation

2

Enter the admin password to unlock

3

Go to Points tab — enter event name, type, and points per squad

4

Click Add Event — syncs live to all devices instantly via Firebase

📄 Sub Guide & Email

1

Click Print Sub Guide to get a one-page printable overview with current standings, this month's trait, and upcoming events

2

Click Generate Email Digest to format this week's scores and metrics into a ready-to-send staff email

📅 Weekly Metrics

1

Pull attendance % for each squad from your system

2

Calculate % of students without an office referral

3

Calculate % of students without a failing grade

4

Admin → Metrics tab → enter values → Save (1pt per 1%)

📺 TV / Display Mode

1

Go to the Tracker page

2

Click 📺 TV Display Mode

3

Press F11 for fullscreen on a TV or projector

4

Slides rotate every 9 seconds — arrow keys to advance manually, Esc to exit

🔒 Admin & Links

👥

Public URL: clashofclasses.org — share with everyone

🔒

Admin URL: clashofclasses.org?admin=true — staff only, auto-opens admin

✏️

Edit page text, links, and content in Admin → Pages tab

🔑

Change password anytime in Admin → Settings

Clash of Classes

Monthly LRG Traits

The Four Squads

Live Tracker

Mountaineer Mindset

Mountaineer Mayhem

CoC Championships

CoC Kick Off

🏸 Spin!

The Wheel

Trait Dough

Ways to Earn

The Process

Principles

Student of the Month

Gallery & Events

Staff Resources

📧 Staff Email Digest

⚡ Bulk Point Entry

Admin Access

Admin Panel

⚔ Head-to-Head Comparison

Edit Event

Embed Leaderboard