As the school year winds down, Montezuma-Cortez High School is hosting fun events and opportunities for students with the hopes of motivating more students to participate in upcoming CMAS and PSAT testing.
CMAS testing starts Wednesday for 11th graders taking science, and ninth through 11th graders will have SAT/PSAT testing on Monday.
To help garner more student participation, the high school is hosting fun activities that are available to students who take part in the testing, according to Principal Jennifer Boniface.
CMAS students will receive Domino’s pizza, dessert and a celebration after the test’s completion, and SAT/PSAT students will be able to participate in an evening of food trucks, games, prizes and more.
So far, the participating food trucks are The Lemonade Stand, ChuchWagon, Dos Locos and Abuela’s Kitchen.
“To kind of motivate kids to come and try their best, we’re doing a celebration afterwards where we have several local food trucks coming,” Boniface said. “We were able to get a grant that pays for the whole celebration, and we’re going to give every kid and teacher a voucher to buy food, and there will be drinks and goodies.”
“Then we’re going to have some games and set up a soccer game and some stuff in the gym, just kind of let kids cut loose a little bit and have some fun after testing,” Boniface added.
The high school has kept attendance consistently in the 89% and 90% of students attending, but are hoping to raise that to 93% in the coming year.
In the realm of testing, the school is hoping to have a 95% test participation rate to help improve the school’s state rating, and to further engage students, the school has teamed up with local businesses to provide discounts or other offers to students who do state testing.
The businesses participating are Slavens True Value, Arby’s, Choice Building Supply Ace Hardware, Sonic, IFA, Loop’s Coffee House, Hibbett Sports, Mesa Cafe, Colorado Love Outdoors, Min-Tea, Burger Boy, Once Upon a Sandwich, Thai Cortez, Cliffrose and Coldstone.
“We really are pushing, trying to get as many kids as we can do come in and test and do their best,” Boniface said.
“With testing, it’s hard because we want our kids and community to know that we know our kids have so many other ways to show how wonderful they are, but this is one small thing on the radar we have to do for state funding, but it’s really important for our students to know that they are wonderful in many ways, not just for testing,” Boniface said.
On Tuesday, M-CHS held an assembly to honor students who have “excellent character and/or academics,” attendance, test scores, spring sports and more.
Students who have only missed less than a day of school for the year were Abraham Hafner, Jonathan McDonald, Haylee Tunick, Maxx Wright, Gael Garcia Belman, Audrina Harvey, McKade Mumbower, Nielson Hurst, Taylor Johnson, Iyana Hafner, Houston Hurst, Orion Martineau and William Goombi.
Students who were nominated by their teachers for character and academics were Danica House, Raul Jimenez, Brianna Montoya, Collin Duncan, Navauh Ray, Matthew Szabo, Hailee Hermann, Tri Truong, Diana Pineda, Jordyn Uentillie, Josie Mack, Micah Stembridge, Isaac Dozal Escarcega, Madison Blueeyes, Nathan Daniels, Mabel Mack and Ayame Millsis.
They also honored students who received exceptional scores on the PSAT last year. Those students were Shawn McAllister (1,430), Carter Tanner (1,340), Leo Morey (1,260), Ben Hoffman (1,240) and Macey Smith (1,190).
They also hosted Colorado State Trooper Bobby Sitton, who spoke with juniors and seniors about safe driving, protection and more safety tips with prom and graduation just around the corner.
Prom is on Saturday, April 13.
“He’s bringing a whole team over and going to other local schools too,” Boniface said.
Overall, Boniface said the high school and district are working to help promote a thriving and healthy culture for students, teachers and faculty.
“Our focus is really trying to build our culture and climate and boost morale of kids wanting to be here and student retention, so these are an effort to do that,” Boniface said. “We want the kids to see that we’re all partners in this and with the community and parents.”
Boniface added that past test scores aren’t an accurate representation of who the students in the district are, but they have to improve those scores and show how much the school has to offer.
“Right now, we lose a lot of kids to other neighboring schools, and we want them to come here. We have a lot to offer. We have a lot of options like concurrent enrollment and AP classes,” Boniface said.
