Junior high anticipates semester final, banquet

The famed Constitution test is the right of passage for campus eighth graders. The test, administered on the morning of Dec. 1, is followed by the ‘State Dinner’, a celebratory meal marking the end of the Constitution unit and the end of the semester. 

This year is the 25th annual luncheon after the U.S. Constitution test; Rojeski has been teaching at FCS for over 25 years. For numerous years, junior high teacher Hallie Rojeski has taught the Constitution because it provides students the knowledge of how the government under which they live works. 

Most students have been preparing for weeks, if not months. For Rojeski, this is the most important unit that the students take.

“I have been doing the test for a little over 25 years,” Rojeski said.” When I first started, the test was only worth 100 points and didn’t have as many questions or short answer questions. But basically much of what’s in there is the same; however, I have added short answer questions so that the new, and improved test, is worth 200 points.

“The test and luncheon have changed a lot since the start of the test,” Rojeski continued. “The luncheon started out with just four parents making tacos for the kids in a classroom. Now the students will be served a grand banquet in the multi-purpose room with tri-tip and salad with everyone dressing in (semi) formal attire.”

After the all of the students have taken the Constitution test, they will be invited to a ‘State Dinner’ to honor them for completing the unit. The eighth graders will be served Santa Maria seasoned tri-tip and salad in the multi-purpose room at Peoples Church.

Students are required to wear semi-formal attire. Rojeski claims that when students dress well, it increases their confidence which may improve their test scores.

Noah Weimer, ’22, has been preparing for the test in hopes for high marks. He says that he feels as if he has to get at least a 90% because his sister did when she took it.

“I feel like I am ready for the test we have been preparing for it for a long time,” Weimer said. “I have been studying for this a lot and hoping that it will pay off. I know that I at least have to get an A on it because my sisters did when they took it.”

With the test, students have changed the story of how hard it is, claiming that is is “super hard” or you “don’t have to study.” Junior Ronald Goedeck-Peterson hopes that the junior highers will see past their fears. He remembers taking the test as a junior higher and how he felt studying for the test. 

“I feel happy that they will soon realize that it is not as bad as they think it is,” Goedeck-Peterson said. “I remember being confident because I studied a lot and was well prepared for everything I needed to know because of Mrs. Rojeski.”

Despite former students who have taken it before and done well, there are still those who are nervous about the upcoming test.

Fearing failure, Mason Beal, ’22, hopes that he performs well on the Constitution test. 

“I feel worried about this upcoming test,” Beal said. “I’ve heard from other kids that it is a tough test. I am especially worried because I have not studied for the test and it makes me worried that I might fail and get a bad grade in Mrs. Rojeski’s class.”

The Feather encourages those who have taken Constitution test in previous years to either leave encouragement or share how fellow students did in the comment section below.