By now, there will be champions, but in mid-April, students at Monte Vista Elementary were gearing up for end-of-year testing in an unusual, yet exciting way: an Olympic-style competition designed to build confidence, motivation and school spirit.

Dubbed the “Mustang Olympics,” the event transforms what can often be a stressful testing season into a celebration of teamwork, effort and growth, said Principal Natalie Gleave.

“The idea is to shift students’ perspective on testing and encouraging them to do their best,” she said. 

With a checklist of tasks to accomplish, classrooms looked to achieve the gold medal, which included practicing benchmark tasks, setting goals and creating a flag that represents their class.

At the opening ceremony, classes carried their handmade flags in the schoolwide procession set to Olympic-theme music. Then, the students gathered in their “herd groups,” appropriately named after horses, to cheer on their teachers in fun competitions that were adapted from Olympic races, such as the scooter-based slalom.

Gleave said it isn’t all fun and games. Students are encouraged to stay engaged throughout the testing period by earning tickets for positive habits such as getting a good night’s sleep, showing up prepared and applying test-taking strategies. These tickets are then entered into raffles and experiences with faculty.

“We have teachers who do a dance party or a kickball game or an art project. We put all the tickets into a box and randomly draw them out,” Gleave said. “Everybody gets to do something, and every student is part of the celebration.”

The program began for older grades, but this year, it expanded to include all grade levels.

Monte Vista Instructional Coach Mindy Strano introduced the initiative to students at the kickoff assembly, emphasizing preparation and confidence.

“I think sometimes when we hear the word, ‘test,’ we get a little nervous,” she said. “But we’ve been in spring training; we’ve been preparing.”

Teacher Christie Matheson said she appreciates the program which helps students see testing differently.

“What’s cool about it is it puts RISE testing in a different perspective; it’s more focused on skills that can be applied to multiple areas,” she said. “Mustang Olympics is about participation, not perfection. It’s about doing our best.”

The mindset already has made a difference. Gleave said the attitude around testing has shifted.

“Kids used to dread end-of-year testing, but now, there’s excitement; you can feel it everywhere,” she said. “Kids are putting their tickets in and are coming ready to test.”