Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 10B - THE COMMERCE (GA) NEWS. WEDNESDAY. MARCH 26. 2008
A team of sixth graders competes in the questions similar to those on the CRCT to
“noodle relay” during which they had to answer score points for their team.
An Olympic Effort For The CRCT
Shouts of encouragement res
onated from the bleachers as
Commerce Middle School stu
dents cheered for their “team-
mates” in a five-team relay race in
the school gym.
It wasn’t an athletic competition
so much as an academic effort.
The first Commerce Middle
School Academic Olympics was
another tool being deployed to
help prepare CMS students for
the state Criterion-Referenced
Competency Test (CRCT) being
given this week.
Principal Chuck Bell told the
seventh graders as they got ready
for their first of five races, that the
relays mixed “a little bit of athletic
ability academics.”
Each grade divided into five
teams for each of the five core
subjects. On Thursday during the
Connections period, the teams
competed in Language Arts, Social
Studies and Reading relays. On
Friday it was Math and Science.
Bell got the idea from Kip
McCloud, principal of Hahira
Middle School. Teacher Tonya
Ladd worked out the details with
her counterpart in Hahira, Wendy
Newman.
Teams had two ways to earn
points. The first three relay win
ners received five, three and one
points. Each student, finding his
or her way to the north end of
the gym, would answer a written
question before scurrying back
to the other end. Correct answers
were worth 10 points.
“They’re answering the same
kinds of questions they’ll get on
the CRCT,” Bell said, adding that
he hoped to “be able to integrate
this spirited atmosphere into the
final couple days of CRCT prepa
ration.”
The younger the students, the
more they got into the competi
tion, but even the eighth graders
surrendered their attempts to stay
“cool” to the fun of trying to best
their peers as they propelled them
selves across the gym floor to and
from their academic question on a
wheeled disk, some on their stom
achs flailing with hands and feet,
and others seated backwards and
pushing with their feet.
The games were designed to be
fun, but boost performance.
“The big measure is our perfor
mance (on the CRCT),” Bell notes.
“But we’ve got to be careful not
to create anxiety with the day-to-
day emphasis. We want a sense
of urgency, but at the same time,
we don’t want such high-pressure
expectations that it affects perfor
mance. The emphasis here is mak-
Make All A's
These fourth grade students at Commerce Mallory Peek, Akyn Trudnak, (back) Ashley
Elementary School made all A’s for the fifth Harold, Luke Fyffe, Andrew Lathem and Wesley
six-week grading period. Left to right are (front) Counts.
Make All A's
These third graders at Commerce Elementary Morgan Partin, Alexia Rucker, Andreea Boaca,
School made all A’s for the fifth six-week grad- (back) Reece Hill, Carly Massey, Kendell Moon,
ing period. Left to right are (front) Joey Martin, Shelby Crane, Emily Hill and Elena House.
Caleb Tyson, (middle) Anna Caroline Hardy, Caelon McDonald is not pictured.
E
m
YOU’RE
INVITED
lc Cenh
Sponsors:
• Jackson EMC • EMC Security • Commerce Printing And Office Supply • Jackson County BOC
• Hunter Bicknell • Georgia Power • Hamilton State Bank • Community Bank and Trust • Black
Book • Southeast Toyota • Bob and Millie Burnett • BJC Medical Center • Remax Horizons
• Jon Massey State Farm • Sanders Furniture • Northeast Georgia Bank • EMI • Crawford W. Long
Pharmacy • First Georgia Banking Company • Coffee Philter • Seydel • ZKR
• Mountain Valley Community Bank • Centurion Auto Transport • Huber Engineered Woods
• Allied Barton • Jefferson Motor Company • Donna Sikes • Trinity Tire
Catered By Longhorn’s Steakhouse
Cash Bar
412 Gordon St. • Jefferson, Ga. 30549
126 Ridgeway St. • Commerce, Ga. 30529
For tickets or donations, call 706-336-7930
BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS
OF JACKSON COUNTY
MAY 2 10:00-4:00
TOMATO PLANTS
1VIUSIO • DOOR PRIZES
HOT DOGS • CHIPS • DESSERTS
WATH3RMELOW SLIOJES
We owe our success to you - our customers and our
community. Join us as we express our thanks and
appreciation for your business, trust and confidence.
COMMERCE I 2025 Homer Rd | 706-423-9300
U
| LIMITED |
United
Community Bank.
The Bank That SERVICE Built."
All Proceeds Benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of Jackson County - Jefferson and Commerce sites.