A Short Story By Lily Palmquist
One time I was at my school, River Oaks Charter School, and I had a problem. I was in my third-grade classroom, which smelled like lavender and had a bunch of blank spaces that used to have posters showing the things we had learned that year. I was with my teacher, Ms.Charco, who was wearing a brown shirt under her black overalls, and my whole third-grade class as we began our day. My problem was that it was almost time for the SBAC test and I was freaking out! The SBAC test is a big deal and shows everything you have learned through that year so your grade matters.
In the week before the SBAC there were so many practice tests! They were not too hard. We learned how to use all the tools and what the test was going to be like, including some of the questions and how we can answer them. Even though I was taking all those practice tests, I still felt anxious for the real test. During that week I told my friends, “I’m so excited and nervous!” and I was.
Later that week, my friend Farrah and I were sitting on the structure at recess and she said excitedly, “I heard that we get a bunch of snacks to help us focus during the test.”
“That's cool,” I replied with a straight face.
“Are you okay? You seem kind of down.” Farrah inquired.
“I’m okay, just have the test on my mind,” I replied again. That week, we continued to get ready by practicing more and then, the testing started. Some of the people in my class were almost positive that they were going to get 100%. Meanwhile, I was so worried and I thought that my head would explode. I managed to calm myself down and I convinced myself that I was going to do great! The first two tests were math, then two reading tests. I was so grateful that my teacher was supporting me.
After the test, I was so happy to get that off my chest. It helped me remember that no matter how hard the challenge is, I can get through it. It also turns out that I got a good score. The experience helped me have confidence going into 4th grade.
Author Bio:
Lily is an active and outgoing 4th grader who enjoys playing sports and staying involved with her friends. Her enthusiasm for teamwork and her competitive spirit makes her a natural on the court. In school, Lily's favorite subject is math, where she excels and loves tackling challenging problems.
