Elementary schools across the district prepare for state testing with pep rallies

Students at Mount Vernon Leadership Academy and Benjamin Turner Academy got hyped up during their pep rallies on Tuesday afternoon to boost confidence and student morale just before grades three through eight take their New York State tests. 

Students have been preparing for the state tests and training to take them in a digital form. Some classes created posters to encourage their classmates with sayings like “Slay the test!” and “Relax and stay positive.” Third graders at MVLA made hats with positive affirmations on them, reminding themselves that they are good students and are prepared for the tests. 

 “Take your time,” said ZaRiah McCoy, a seventh grader at MVLA. “Don’t take so many breaks during the test and make sure you get enough sleep before the state test.”

At BTA, Trustee Mitchell Warren spoke to students and advised them to stay calm and remember to breathe.

“I’m going to tell you what you have to do is breathe. You breathe before you take that test, you breathe during that test; it’s important that you breathe in and out, you take a deep breath,” said Trustee Mitchell. 

Matthew Wilbekin, the assistant principal at MVLA, prompted students to “Rock the Test!”  

“This is our first year doing digital, and my students, being third graders, are taking a standardized test for the first time,” said Flavia Garufi, a third-grade teacher at MVLA. “We’ve prepared them and are getting them energized and encouraged to take the state test tomorrow. This pep rally is going to take the edge off and let them believe in themselves and see that we are all one big community who wants to see each other do well.” 

At BTA, students were greeted in the gymnasium by the Denzel Washington School of the Arts Drumline and dance team, who pranced around the gym to get students moving. Afterwards, students broke into groups to practice their ELA and math skills before the state tests. 

“I think the whole school is kind of nervous, but not totally because the way we taught, it's  better,” said Zryh Williams, a seventh grader at BTA. “They include us in it and make education fun.”  

At MVLA, a group of seventh graders made two large signs with “Rock the Test” and paraded them around the crowd during the pep rally. At the end of the event, students ran through the signs, laughing and smiling with their classmates.