On Friday, March 27, students finally got a glimpse of the STAAR pep rally video produced by the school. I thought this video was fantastic and the most hilarious thing I have ever seen the school prepare for STAAR.

My reaction to the video was the same as many others. Everyone I watched it with was literally laughing through the whole video. The part everyone thought was especially funny was Mr. Bramwell staring at the kitty playing the piano in the hallways.

It was like they were talking through their faces; the cat looked back immediately like “Am I in trouble?” and Mr. Bramwell was like, “Get to class kitty.” The students’ reactions were hysterical! They were laughing so hard I thought some of them would burst out laughing and crying at the same time.

My experience with filming the video was amazing. Not only did I get to dance, but also work with my favorite teachers. When I first learned my part for the flash mob, I was very excited and could not wait to get on camera. It was a secret, so we were not supposed to tell the students. It was technically a surprise until they saw the video.

We filmed the dance multiple times, and it got more exhilarating each time, because I kept thinking to myself  that the whole student body is going to see this. When we were done, I was so anxious to see the video. When I finally did, I thought I — and the rest of the dancers — were phenomenal.

Sometimes what students need is a boost of confidence for STAAR, whether it’s a laugh or just plain amazement to get their attitude about taking STAAR to go through the roof. I just hope that this pep rally video will literally help us to “Shake it off” and pass the STAAR test.