As the COVID-19 quarantine of 2020 is put farther into the past, already a whopping three years, the state of our school has been returning to normal. Specifically in regards to normal day-to-day procedures, they have been put in action for some time now, but as of this January of 2023, midterms, MAP testing, and the FitnessGram are all officially reinstated.

Midterms are back! No one can deny the stress and nerves piling up as students prepare for these final exams to mark the end of our first semester. This is often referred to as a difficult week, but for the freshmen this is a learning opportunity; they are now getting a true grasp of what it means to be knee-deep in their books as they work to keep up with this new testing environment. Regardless of how people feel towards finals week, knowing how to prepare and walking into a test feeling ready is a true life skill that we shouldn’t take for granted. Carry this mindset with you through your career and beyond, and the stress and anxiety felt now won’t be as intense in the future. 

In addition to midterms, Curtis High School has also been administering the English and Mathematics MAP exams to students. When several students were asked about this exam, they revealed that they guess on most of the questions in order for it to be over with and because it does not count towards their grades. While this is true, this exam isn’t meant to stress students out, it’s just meant to lift them up as MAP scores increase as the year progresses. Yes, it is bothersome, but take it seriously and the academic growth will show itself. Much like this, the FitnessGram receives a similar response from students. 

The FitnessGram, infamous for the PACER test and many other assessments meant to measure students’ fitness levels, is a way for the school to get statistics on the overall health of students. While it is the same test, the PACER now has a HipHop remix on the timer used to track the amount of laps students do in an effort to make the test more tolerable. One 11th grader, who was asked how they feel about the FitnessGram, responded, “I have actually given up on this test, like, who actually checks them?” And who can blame her? Oftentimes, students don’t really try on these exams, but that is usually due to its lack of impact on their academic average, because this same student revealed how this would be “another test to stress over”. 

While these are all valid reasons, many do not know that according to the National Library of Medicine, as of 2015 one of every five children in the United States are obese. The long term effects of this are well known, including making people more prone to heart diseases, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and blood pressure, and the list just continues. Regardless of the annoyance surroundingthe  FitnessGram, it has been proven that this test helps schools prioritize their student’s health to prevent obesity levels from rising. 

Despite the return of this infamous week, it brings with it Regents week, a week to reset yourself for the next semester.