Perfect way to end the year: Crabbe fifth-graders celebrate 100% attendance for KSA testing
ASHLAND Enthusiastic elementary students busted out of the classroom and then charged through the 'finish line' to a surprise pizza party on Friday afternoon in Central Park.
Crabbe fifth-graders had ample reason to celebrate. All 42 of them had just completed seven days of Kentucky Summative Assessment (KSA) testing.
Chris Scaggs and Emilie McAlister have a combined 44 years of experience as educators. Both are in their second year at Crabbe as fifth-grade teachers. They've never witnessed perfect attendance for an entire testing period.
'They've worked so hard and they've shown up,' McAlister said. 'These kids have a lot against them and they overcame it. I'm just so proud of them.'
Crabbe's fifth-graders enjoyed Giovanni's pizza in the shelter house at the park near their school. Scaggs, McAlister and Kristy Minton — who helps the class primarily with writing — put together a surprise party complete with signs, balloons and a 'finish line' to plow through, which they did with great zeal. Michael McAlister, Emilie's husband, also helped with coordination of the celebration.
Principal William Ferguson led the stampede of fifth-graders from Crabbe to the shelter house. The students were under the impression they were just headed over to an area for a group photo for the school to display in its trophy case — they still did that, but it was also time to party with pizza.
'This is what teaching's all about,' Scaggs said. 'You look around and say 'wow' at these kids. They need to feel celebrated. Fifth-grade testing is hard. What they ask these kids to do in fifth grade is very hard.'
Ferguson said he and staff expressed importance of showing up for testing, but they had no idea what was in store over the next seven school days — from Thursday, May 15, through Friday, May 23.
'So, we noticed it was 100% on Thursday, and it was like, great, and then 100% Friday, and then it was, OK, how far can we take this?' Ferguson said. 'Kids were looking out for each other, keeping a head count. They'd come in the door in the morning and ask me, 'how many fifth-graders have you seen so far?'
'They had something they were pushing for,' Ferguson added. '… They just kinda did that themselves. They gelled as a team at the very end of this. It's one of those accomplishments that's pretty special.'
'It makes all the hard work all year worth it,' McAlister added.
(606) 326-2664 |
asnyder@dailyindependent.com
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