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Kansas City-area school challenges Tampa school in 'Reading Super Bowl Challenge'

West Platte Elementary defending champs
Reading challenge
Reading Super Bowl Challenge
Posted at 5:41 PM, Jan 26, 2021
and last updated 2021-01-26 18:41:39-05

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City and Tampa are not just challenging one another on the football field — they're facing off in the classroom, too.

West Platte Elementary School in Weston is ready to hit the books and beat Lockhart Elementary in Tampa in their Reading Super Bowl Challenge.

In 2020, West Platte put 2,050 points on the scoreboard against a Bay-area elementary school, as the Chiefs were set to play the San Francisco 49ers.

"And they just were so excited," said Kate Calvert, a Title I Reading Teacher at West Platte.

West Platte took home the trophy, as did the Chiefs.

"I had a lot of kids find me Monday morning saying, 'We need to find a school. We need to find a school!'" Calvert said. "I'm confident we're going to get them again, we're ready for it."

This year, they face their new opponent, Lockhart Elementary in Tampa.

Kids get a point per book or for every 10 pages they read. Kickoff is Feb. 1 and whichever school's students read the most books by Feb. 5 wins.

"They're excited to do it again and they're ready to get back into it, which, as a teacher, it's really exciting to see kids wanting to read and just getting involved in that way," Calvert said.

But not so fast.

"We got the G.O.A.T., and you got yours trying to take our G.O.A.T. title away by winning two in a row and we're like, 'No it's not going to happen!'" Angie Snow from Lockhart Elementary said.

Tom Brady, quarterback for the Buccaneers, is often referred to as the GOAT, an acronym that stands for the "greatest of all time."

Snow said their students are getting fired up, too.

"I think it's great for kids to be able to interact with each other and they don't always get the opportunities to do that depending on where they come from," Snow said.

There's even a little trash talk going on.

"Just remember there will be no [Chiefs] headbands in Tampa Bay on Super Bowl Sunday," Snow said. "We are banning them, so that's just what it is."

Calvert said the schools haven't decided on loser's terms but she thinks making Snow and Lockhart Elementary wear Chiefs headbands is a good start.

"I might have to send one just for her," Calvert said.

Both schools will do a Zoom call on Friday to launch spirit week, which starts Monday.