Press release from Fort Wayne Community Schools:
Students write, chew and cheer their way to ISTEP week
(February 19, 2010) Elementary and middle school students will spend the last week of February preparing for the first round of ISTEP exams, including have a little fun before the tests begin March 1. Students in third through eighth grades will be tested on language arts and math in an open-ended format the first week in March. At the end of April, they will go through another round of testing with multiple choice answers.
Over the next couple of weeks, many schools will give students a short break from their studies to motivate them to do well on the exams. Activities include:
Elementary
Abbett Elementary School, 4325 Smith St., will have ISTEP Olympics from 1-2 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 23, and Wednesday, Feb. 24. Third-, fourth- and fifth-grade teams will complete a writing prompt, an extended math problem and a literature response. Each grade has a team color and is going for the
gold.At Bunche Early Childhood Center, 1111 Greene St., students are writing letters of support to students at Towles Intermediate School, 420 E. Paulding Road.
Croninger Elementary, 6700 Trier Road, and Price Elementary, 1901 W. State Blvd., have a special theme for each day the week before ISTEP.
I -I can do it! On Monday, students will bring a can of food to share with others in the community.
S- Be a good sport about ISTEP! On Tuesday, students will wear their favorite sports jersey.
T – Tip your hat to ISTEP takers! On Wednesday, students will wear a hat in school to show their support.
E – Put in Extra Effort on the ISTEP. On Thursday, students will be allowed to chew Extra gum at school. (There will be guidelines given to classroom teachers.)
P – Pop into school every day next week to do your best on the test! On Friday, students will receive a bag of popcorn.Snider High School students will visit Harris Elementary, 4501 Thorngate Drive, for a pep rally at 2:45 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26. The theme for the pep rally is “All fired up, and I can’t wait to do my best on the ISTEP test.” Students in kindergarten through second grade are making posters to show their support.
Harrison Hill Elementary, 355 Cornell Circle, will have an ISTEP pep rally at 2:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26.
Teachers at Irwin Elementary, 3501 S. Anthony Blvd., will decorate the main hallway for the first day of testing. Special guests will visit the school’s Monday morning Blastoffs on Feb. 22 and March 1. Parents are donating treats for the test takers throughout the week. Motivational notes will be attached to the treats. Students will also receive a Star Student dog tag, a Do Your Best pencil and a smiley face stress ball. Students in kindergarten through second grade will be paired with a class of third-, fourth- or fifth-graders and do special things for them.
At Nebraska Elementary, 1525 Boone St., students will perform the ISTEP Cheer daily for motivation.
Waynedale Elementary School, 7201 Elzey St., will have an assembly with local hip-hop artist Six8 at 2 p.m. Monday, March 1. Prior to the assembly, test-taking students will participate in the math problem solving competition at 1:15 p.m.
Middle School
Blackhawk Middle School, 7200 E. State Blvd., will get ready for ISTEP with March Madness beginning with a pep assembly with the Mad Ants mascot and dancers at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24.
Northwood Middle School sixth-graders will have an ISTEP pep rally at 1:45 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26, at the school, 1201 E. Washington Center Road. Students will participate in cheers and receive a pep talk from Head Coach (Principal) Adam Swinford.
Portage Middle School, 3521 Taylor St., will have ISTEP Boot Camp from 3-5 p.m. each day after school the week of Feb. 22. On Friday, staff will meet with parents before and after school to talk about what they can do to help their students.
Staff members at Shawnee Middle School, 1000 E. Cook Road, will wear T-shirts reading “I Love ISTEP” on the front and “Rock it out, Shawnee” on the back. Staff members purchased shirts for $7.
Related Images:
