Mayor and Superintendent lead 'Prep-Rally'

(1/30/2006) -MEDIA ADVISORY-

CONNECTICUT MASTERY TESTS MOVED TO MARCH - NEW HAVEN HOLDS PREP-RALLY

HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS JOIN THE MAYOR & SUPERINTENDENT FOR PRE-TEST RALLY

NEW HAVEN - Mayor John DeStefano, Jr. and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Reginald Mayo will join a ‘prep’ rally Monday, Jan. 30, 2006, 11:30 a.m. at Wexler-Grant Community School to impart a message that kids can do well on the Connecticut Mastery Test. Wexler-Grant Community School is located at 55 Foote St. in the Dixwell Avenue neighborhood.

This is the first year that all students statewide are taking the Connecticut Mastery Tests in March rather than September. Also, for the first time, school districts are being asked to test third through eighth graders, rather than students in fourth, sixth and eighth.

The rally at Wexler-Grant Community School, 55 Foote St., in the Dixwell neighborhood, will include the Mayor, Superintendent, Tripper, the mascot from the New Haven County Cutters' baseball team, and students and parents. Principal Jeffie Frazier will distribute book bags to kids and t-shirts to parents with the message that kids can do well on the tests. The school choir will perform.

The New Haven Public Schools is devoting the next six weeks to "The Full Court Press," a campaign encouraging principals and schools to help kids to sharpen not just their test-taking skills, but their self esteem. Students in third through eighth grades will take the Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT) starting on Tuesday, March 7 through Friday, March 24th.

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