McLaurin Elementary School is getting ready for its first of six MCT II nights when parents and teachers will put into practice the unity that makes or breaks a school’s test score rankings.

The revised MCT that students will take in May is not going to be a cakewalk. This Thursday, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., parents and teachers are going to take the first step to ensure that the revised test will not become a stumbling block to student success.

Involved parents are an integral part of the learning process. Every educational publication out today touts this involvement as a fundamental step in raising test scores.

Good teaching practices go hand in hand with parental involvement. If parents could become the proverbial flies on the wall during our weekly teacher/principal meetings, they would be impressed with what they observe. Sharing teaching strategies that are successful in our classrooms and brainstorming solutions for improving student performance are the norm in these lively meetings. Again, all of this goes back to unity of mind, unity of responsibility and unity of purpose.

At our school we are fortunate to have parents that want to be involved. The first MCT night will prove this point. The revised test items will ask children to give greater detail and depth on most test answers. Thursday night will provide parents with a first peek at the challenges their children will face in May. We invite parents to come with their children for a family evening of math and reading games. Hot dogs and drinks will be on hand in the resource center as well as drawings for gift certificates for the children who participate in the games.

Unity is indeed our strength at McLaurin. It is written for the world to see on our school T-shirts, but more importantly it is embedded in our commitment to excellence.

Mary Ann Downs is the math/science lab teacher at McLaurin Elementary School