BY KARISSA MILLER
Third Creek Elementary teachers and staff held a pep rally Friday to help inspire students and reduce test anxiety as the dates for End-of-Grade exams approach.
TCE Instructional Facilitator Lisa Reckert, who has been an educator for 19 years, saw a post on social media of another school doing a pep rally and wanted to do this for their students.
“Today is a core memory for our kids,” Reckert told Principal Carla Moorefield.
Friday also marked the end of Teacher Appreciation Week. That morning students danced to music to show their appreciation to their teachers.
In the afternoon, the entire school cheered as the school’s teachers and principal dressed up in inflatable costumes and raced each other on the field.
Teachers were dressed as a gingerbread ninja, chick, dinosaur, fish, pig, bunny and Pikachu darted across the field.
Fourth-grade teacher Kaleb Hill, who was dressed up as the Pterodactyl, was the winner and was awarded a trophy.
After the race, teachers encouraged students to believe in themselves and remember that they have put in the practice, worked hard, and are prepared for test day.
“We want them to feel confident and not worry about things,” Moorefield said.
TCE teachers said their students have mixed feelings about the EOG tests, ranging from nervousness and stress to it being a necessary step in their academic year.
The EOGs are a standardized test for students in grades 3-8. The EOGs measure how much reading, math and science (for some, not all grades) have learned over the school year. In North Carolina, a third-grade student must demonstrate reading proficiency in order to progress to the fourth grade.
Students who don’t meet the EOG requirements can be retested or take the Read to Achieve test or another alternative assessment.
While students and families know the stakes involved in the exams, the teachers and staff focus on students doing their best on test day.
“I think it’s important for families to follow a normal structured routine. Make sure their child gets a good night’s rest and goes to bed early. Make sure they get up early so that there’s no anxiety or stress on the day of the test,” Moorefield said. “It’s just an assessment to show what they have learned or know — they are not defined by it.
“We have an amazing group of teachers and staff that really have a heart to work with our students. It’s encouraging to see all of this and see what they have put in,” she added.
Students will begin testing Tuesday through Thursday. Moorefield said they are grateful for the support they receive from Northview Church of Christ in Troutman, which will provide snacks for all TCE students during testing week.
VIDEO
Here’s a link to the video of the race: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9_B3Zb4aY0
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