Fresh Air Pep Rally

Monday was the PSSA pep-rally at Claire's school. Pennsylvania Standardized Something Assessment. This is freak-out time for school districts. Test scores mean everything so make sure your kid goes to bed early, has protein for breakfast, remembers everything that's been drilled into them for the past 6 months.


How about a massage? (for the teachers...)


"So, we had a PSSA test-taking pep rally, Mom. All the 5th graders were in room 300. It was easily over 200 people. And Mrs. Smith kept asking us to be quiet and respectful to the class representatives who were playing some kind of Jeopardy game. The rest of us were supposed to sit and watch. Quietly. For like an hour and a half."
" A pep rally? I said, "For the tests?!"
"It was a little weird."
"Why not go out and run around outside for an hour and a half? Why not get some fresh air, move your bodies?!! God, I hate it."
"Mom, don't get yourself upset. It was fine."
"It's absurd, Claire. The whole shooting match. Kids stuck inside all day, filling out the right circle, teachers stressed from day one over this test. How about a pep rally with running and jumping? How about a fresh air pep rally?"
"Mom, calm down. Really. Thankfully I was sitting next to Giana. At one point we looked at each other during the Jeopardy thing and whispered, this is kind of awkward, don't you think?"