By Shaun Szkolnik, for the Tribune
CLAY — It is testing season again, and Clay-Chalkville Middle School has come up with a novel way to engage and excite students and parents about this annual rite of spring. CCMS will present its first-ever Testing Pep Rally on April 11 at 6 p.m. in the middle school gymnasium.
“The goal is to get parents and students excited about the upcoming standardized testing that will take place in April,” said CCMS educator Andrea Wood. “Our hope is to encourage students to raise their test scores and to encourage success.”
In keeping with the feel of a pep rally, students attending the event will be treated to music, entertainment and a general spirit of festiveness. 95.7 Jamz will be on hand playing music for guests as they enter and exit the building. Magic City Snowball will be selling shaved ice. The CCMS band, cheer and dance teams will be performing.
Students aren’t the only ones excited for the Testing Pep Rally. Faculty also has high hopes for the event and the impact that it will have on the testing season.
“The faculty is hoping this will boost morale among students when it comes time for testing, and that students will see the importance of doing their absolute best,” said Wood. “Our motto for spring testing is ‘Together We Can.’ This means that together we (faculty and parents/community) can push our students to achieve great things; together we can all build each other up and push toward success; together we can all help to create a better world!”
Ultimately, the first-ever Testing Pep Rally is about success, and if this year’s rally is successful, it will likely return for years to come.
“This is a great opportunity for parents and teachers to rally together to promote success for the students of this community,” said Wood. “We, the faculty, are so proud of our students here and we cannot wait to see how successful they are once they see the importance of education! We have great kids at this school that do great things on a daily basis, and the Scantron Performance Series test is just one small way for our students to shine. We believe in success here and cannot wait to see what our students can do!”