IN Peters Township April/May 2017 | Page 95

Mrs. Baker’s class with the Khanley Cup. A s Peters Township High School students prepared for the March SAT exam, the High School administration unveiled the KhanQuest during an assembly for all students. The KhanQuest is, by definition, a contest. The ultimate prize is a solid performance on the SAT exam and an upper hand at getting into the college of their choice. But it was the weekly prizes that drew in the student body – gift cards to places like Starbucks, Target, Amazon, Chipotle and other popular teen destinations for the students who earned the most weekly points through practice questions, video tutorials and other resources available on the Khan Academy Online. “Overall our goal is always the same – to prepare our students for success beyond high school,” said Principal Lori Pavlik. “Our SAT performance is an area where we have been looking for ways to help our students do well and this is just one fun way of doing that.” The District also provides a free practice exam to all 9th, Kyle Kroboth (left) and 10th and 11th graders through Isaac Kim (right) took home the PSAT exam with resources prizes as some of our weekly to examine and learn from their winners! results. Additionally, students have the opportunity to take a new SAT prep class that was added to the elective offerings this year. A partnership between the College Board and Khan Academy provides students with access to free online services that provide full-length practice exams, video lessons and test taking hints, along with the ability to personalize a student’s practice based on analysis of their PSAT scores. Students simply link up their PSAT scores, set a practice schedule, and Khan Academy begins their practice on targeted areas. To participate in the KhanQuest, students simply log on and start practicing. For each session they complete, they earn “energy points” that are tracked on a weekly basis. The more practicing they do, the more points they earn. Weekly prizes are given for the most points and classrooms also compete as groups for possession of the “Khanley Cup” trophy for the class with the most overall points. “Our numbers almost doubled in the first week alone,” added Pavlik. “Once they saw the prizes being distributed, we saw a real jump in participation.” The spring SAT exam took place on March 11 at the High School. The KhanQuest grand prize for the junior class was a parking pass for the remainder of the school year for students Isaac Kim, Nolan Thompson and John Brucker. Freshman and sophomore students competed for a $100 gift card that went to Kyle Kroboth. The Khanley Cup will also take up residence in Mrs. Erin Baker’s classroom until next year when the Quest returns to PTHS. “I could not be more proud of my students and how they embraced this challenge,” Baker said. “When they won the first week they got really excited, and I know that motivated them to keep it going.” Calendar Highlights 3/30-4/2 4/4 4/12 4/13 4/14-17 4/19 4/27 5/1-5/5 PTHS Musical: Les Miserables End of Third Grade Period Faculty Inservice, No School for Students Faculty Clerical, No School for Students Spring Break, No School Report Card Day Take Your Child to Work Day, No School Staff Appreciation Week A complete list of District events, as well as more details on the items listed above can be found on the District website at www.ptsd.k12.pa.us Peters Township | April/May 2017 | icmags.com 93 KhanQuest PTHS Takes on the