On Wednesday, October 13, sophomores and juniors will take the PSAT. Freshmen and seniors will not be testing; freshmen will participate in class activities, and seniors will have several options. After testing is complete, all students will attend each of their classes for blocks of approximately 25 minutes.

Seniors will follow a delayed opening schedule. Freshmen will be alphabetically separated into two large groups. All 9th graders will report to the large gym and they will be spaced out from there. One group will start their day in the theater, with a presentation held by Student Assistance Coordinator Mr. Letson and our Civic Leadership classes under the guidance of Mr. Lightbody. The presentation will last for about one hour and forty five minutes, on various topics. The other group will be outside participating in activities on the football field, coordinated by Civic Leaders and the Physical Education Staff. Some activities students might be involved in are flag football, spikeball, cornhole, and walking the track. The groups will switch during the morning, allowing all freshmen to participate in every activity. 

In preparation for the test, a few tips from guidance counselor Mrs. Callahan include visit the College Board or the Khan Academy for practice, get a good night’s sleep, and have a solid morning routine the day of to ensure your best testing results. Most importantly, she says, remember the “P” in PSAT stands for “preliminary” or prep for the SAT, so don’t stress too much. The scores don’t count; instead, the test is designed as a practice for the SAT. Ultimately, the grade you receive on the PSAT is to help yourself and it will not be available for any administrators viewing your transcript when applying to colleges.