Who recently competed on Family Feud Canada? Survey says … Alberta teachers!
Hosted by comedian (and former teacher) Gerry Dee, Family Feud Canada opened its fifth season with the show’s first-ever Teachers’ Week. Teams from eight Canadian schools appeared on the show, with teachers from École Westlock Elementary School (Westlock) and Salisbury Composite High School (Sherwood Park) representing Alberta.
“Taping the show and being on set was so surreal and so much fun,” recalled Salisbury team member Max Latte. “Meeting Gerry Dee and representing Sal was an absolute blast.”
After learning about the opportunity from a district communication, the Salisbury staff decided to put a team together and apply. With only a week’s notice that they would be contestants, the team members flew to Toronto this past summer for the taping.
The Westlock Elementary team also enjoyed the whirlwind of being on the show and seeing production come together.
“As it was the first episode filmed for the season, we were able to see the magic of the stage light up, audio checks, producers vibing and the excitement of a live audience,” said Westlock team member Jenna Thompson.
Along with the excitement came nerves, as $10,000 toward equipment and supplies for their schools was on the line. To take home the prize, contestants had to guess the top responses to survey questions. This was sometimes easier said than done.
“Gerry loved chatting between taking responses to questions so trying to remember what your answer was going to be to the question was so hard,” recalled Thompson. “We wanted to engage with him but also wanted the best answers!”
Whether they had the best answers remains to be seen, as the outcome of their respective games could not be shared at the time of publication. Regardless, taking part in Family Feud Canada Teachers’ Week strengthened collegial bonds.
“Our whole Sal staff is a pretty close and great staff, but this just brought the five of us even closer together,” said Latte.
Westlock team member Bailey Johnston echoed this.
“It showed us that we are not just teachers in an itty-bitty town, but are capable of doing great (and scary!) things when we work and support each other as a team,” she said.
Win or lose, the experience also gave both teams an opportunity to set a positive example for their students.
“We wanted to show our students that you can create your own adventures and opportunities if you put yourself out there,” Latte said. ❚
