by Victoria B.

Final exams: The dreaded end-of-term test no student loves, yet necessary to demonstrate growth and learning to teachers and parents alike.

“Our Junior School admin team—Mr. Saldana, Mrs. Aguirre, Dr. Guthrie, and myself—decided we were going to have final exams,” Mrs. Alexander explained. They made sure to get everyone’s input before making the final decision.

Final exams are a great way to practice before high school, where they count for a bigger grade. “Well, we’ve had final exams in prior years, and last year we went to just eighth graders taking final exams to get ready for high school. This year, parents, teachers, and sometimes students felt like they could use the practice. Some teachers are giving final exams, but not counting them any more than a regular unit test,” Ms. Christopher said.

Ensuring that all students have enough time to complete their exams without feeling rushed is very important to the Junior School so that the test can be fair for everyone. “We wanted to be able to give everybody enough time to take their final exam and finish it. We’re trying to mirror the high school final exams so that, when you get to be a freshman, exams are not such a scary thing because you’ve been used to taking them at the Junior School,” Mrs. Alexander stated.

“Yes, English, math, and science are doing the MAP tests on the computer, and then I’m not sure what social studies is doing, but I think they’re doing some sort of unit test. Each grade and class does something a little different, but each sixth-grade English teacher will do the same thing, and each seventh-grade English teacher will do the same thing, depending on what they decide to do,” Ms. Christopher explained. The way teachers handle final exams depends on what they decide as a group for their grade and class.

“Final exams will be graded depending on the type of test. If it’s a project, that’s also up to the teacher,” Ms. Alexander said, explaining that grading for final exams varies depending on the type of exam. If the final is a traditional test, it will be graded one way. However, if the final exam is a project, the grading will be different and left to the teacher’s discretion.

In conclusion, finals may not be anyone’s favorite, but they are an important opportunity for students to demonstrate their growth and prepare for the challenges ahead.