CAMPWRITE-A-LONG
Students take 'field trip' to prep for TAKS
By Lori Mellinger Bullard Banner News

Above, fourth grade teacher Pam Frederick helps her students through a writing excercise.

When Bullard fourth graders arrived at school recently, their chairs were gone - replaced with a tent and contrived campfire - all part of an idea to both ease the stress and further prepare the children for the upcoming TAKS test.

"It's an idea that I actually took from Jacksonville," teacher Pam Frederick said. "We did it when I taught there, and it gave the children a chance to have fun and a chance for the teachers to think of fun, educational activities before the test was administered."

Parents joined in by making posters - motivating the kids - and the three-day event was comprised of activities to further student's skills in writing with some reading, math and science thrown in for good measure.

"We want them to get used to writing," Frederick said. "It's a low-stress way to brush them up on their writing skills."

The writing portion of TAKS is first administered in fourth grade, and students always feel some pressure, said Bullard Intermediate Principal Tommy Wade.

At right, Daniel Shumate, left, and David Bearden, right, begin writing.

"The week before the test is what we call a last-minute push," Wade said. "And this 'camp' was a nice diversion from the stress some of them feel."

Wade said the whole project was a team effort.

"We had everyone on board," he said. "From parents to kids to the entire campus."

The "camp" began each day with a story - read by the teacher - and a discussion following it.

"We're learning the 'hook' of the story," one student said. "Mrs. Frederick taught us we have to hook the reader and make sure the reader doesn't spit the hook out."

This is done, the others said, making sure the story they write has a clear beginning, middle and end - with transitions between each.

The students transitioned themselves from reading and discussion to a fun math activity - followed by writing and science - all on one subject.

On Wednesday, the theme was camp, and the students measured trail mix and analyzed the components and ingredients as part of the math and science portion.

Below, students are working hard on their Camp Write-A-Long excercises, designed to help student prepare for the TAKS test in a casual way. -- Bullard Banner Photos by Lori Mellinger

On Thursday, the theme was animals, followed by school spirit on Friday.

"I believe it really helped them," Wade said. "This is the first year we've tried it, and if it's successful, we'll keep doing it.

"We all feel the pressure around TAKS time, and I think it not only helps the students, it helps the teachers and staff, too."

The intermediate campus was a 2005-06 TEA recognized campus - part of a rating system the educational agency gives each campus based on TAKS scores.

2006 District Accountability Rating: Academically Acceptable

The other campuses were rated as: Bullard Elementary School, Recognized; Bullard Middle School, Recognized; and Bullard High School, Academically Acceptable

The accountability rating: This refers to the district and campus ratings assigned by the 2006 state accountability system.

Districts and campuses are evaluated on performance on the TAKS, completion rate and annual dropout rate.