We Know You Are Smart!

“Are you smart?”------“Yes!”
“Do you know you’re smart?”------“Yes!”
“We know you are smart too!”

This familiar chant of positive reinforcement is one that rings through The Partnership For Our Kids elementary school classrooms as a means of getting students excited about achieving their academic goals.

The staff and teachers of Miller Park Elementary, and many other Omaha Public Schools have added a new spin to this idea of positive reinforcement and academic encouragement. They now use it as a way of preparing for state tests. A recent Omaha World Herald article paints a picture of the pep rallies and pizza parties that Miller Park and several area schools have been holding in order to psych students up to score well on the upcoming state tests. Miller Park Principal, Lisa Utterback believes that the motivation will give the students the confidence they need to do well. "Our kids know that this is their time to show what they know," she says.

For the full Omaha World Herald Article, click here