WEST SIDE WILDCATS!: Elementary school holds pep rally to prepare students for state testing
Published 2:43 pm Tuesday, April 4, 2017
Star Photo/Curtis Carden Students yell with Wildcat Pride during Monday's event.
Star Photo/Curtis Carden West Side Elementary School held a special academic pep rally afternoon to prepare for TCAPs. Pictured, students watch a video that stresses the importance of testing and some fun dance moves.
Star Photo/Curtis Carden Travis Smithdeal, a teacher and coacher from T.A. Dugger, led students in all kinds of different cheers to help them prepare for their upcoming tests.
Star Photo/Curtis Carden Ryan Witten encourages students to prepare hard for tests.
Star Photo/Curtis Carden Even the youngest members of West Side got in on the fun during Monday's pep rally.
Testing is around the bend for elementary schools.
To prepare for TCAPs, West Side Elementary School recently held a special academic pep rally to get students energized for the upcoming testing session.
Principal John Wright led Monday’s session by unveiling a special video that encouraged students to prepare for the tests, along with some special dance moves — which came at the delight of students.
West Side also saw two special guest speakers come in. Travis Smithdeal with T.A. Dugger Junior High School was the first to speak to attendees.
With a coaching background and students encouraged to wear their athletic attire, Smithdeal roused the crowd with various cheers to express their Wildcat Pride and to prepare for what’s ahead in their futures.
Along with some dance moves, including the “stanky leg” and “stanky eye,” Smithdeal also told students they can achieve anything if they put their minds to it.
The second guest speaker was Ryan Witten, who spearheads Witten Huddle and is the brother of Dallas Cowboys tight end and Elizabethton native Jason Witten.
With an expansion in athletics, Ryan led students in some hype drills and encouraged the youth to continue pursuing academics.
While the afternoon was full of fun and delight for both students and faculty, Wright expressed his gratitude to the work of the students and sung their praise.
“You make me proud to be the principal of this school,” Wright told the students. “We (the teachers and staff) want your dreams to come true and we will get you there. Our school has a long tradition of excellence in the state tests. We are a team and we want to get fired up for the tests.”
