Bardwell teachers make music video for PARCC testing
It's testing season again in districts across the state and it's time for the Bardwell Elementary School fifth-grade team to release a new music video. With the new national PARCC testing beginning in East Aurora School District 131, dozens of Bardwell Elementary School staff joined in a musical stress reliever.
"Uptown PARCC" features Bardwell Elementary School staff singing about raising scores and celebrating smart kids. Besides the federally mandated test, the song was also inspired by the Mark Ronson/Bruno Mars song "Uptown Funk." Find the Bardwell "Uptown PARCC" video on YouTube.
The staff changed the lyrics to reflect ideas that are important to students taking the PARCC tests. The staff sings about viewpoint, fractions, decimals, writing and more.
"I hope this pumps you up. I hope this pumps you up!" the chorus repeats. "Watch our scores go up!"
Bardwell fifth-grade teacher Kelley Hibschman said students have been looking forward to the video, which teachers showed once the testing day was complete.
"It's all for the kids. We believe in these students and we really want them to do well. We're trying to get them excited about taking the test and stressing the importance of the test in a way that's not overwhelming," she said. "It's a stress reliever for us, too."
The staff filmed the video, which includes a drone flyover, in several after-school sessions.
This is the third year that Bardwell staff has posted a music video. In 2013, the staff sung "Test Me, Baby," a parody of "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen. Last year, the staff produced "Slow Down the Time (ISATs)," a new take on Selena Gomez's song "Slow Down."
Dozens of Bardwell staff members appear in this year's video. The Bardwell staff prominently featured in this year's video includes David Babyar, Hibschman, Steven Huffman, Lauran Jordan, Lisa Metcalfe and Laurie Ross.
Hibschman said the students had been anticipating a new music video. The six-minute video drew rave reviews from the students.