Piedmont Panthers Prepare for State Testing
As State Testing Begins, Staff and Teachers Organized a Pep Rally for Students
DULUTH, Minn. – Excitement along with motivation helped welcome hundreds of Panthers back to Piedmont Elementary school on Monday after a week-long spring break.
Students across the state are preparing to start taking the Minnesota Comprehension Assessment (MCA) tests this week.
Before testing starts, staff at Piedmont Elementary wanted to pump the students and teachers up with music, drumming, and specialty T-shirts.
“It really peps people up, it makes them excited to do the testing because it makes them be smarter, makes them be peppier about it and just makes people excited,” said Reagan Kern, 4th Grader at Piedmont.
The T-shirts showcase a strong message with “Panthers with Answers” printed on each one.
“For us we want to celebrate what our teachers have done all year which is work their tails off and what our students have done all year, which is work just as hard. We want them to be able to come to school and be happy to be coming back here and that’s what we find with a lot of our kids,” said Jake Laurent, Dean of Students at Piedmont.
Dozens of students received prizes, celebrating academic achievement for the entire school.
“If you get drawn you’re like excited and stuff but still if you’re not drawn, I didn’t get drawn, and I’m still excited,” said Nolan Harju, 4th Grader at Piedmont.
Nine more weeks of class are left before summer vacation, with five weeks of testing ahead.
