The energy inside the Linden High School gymnasium was upbeat and focused on Monday afternoon (April 28) as freshmen gathered for a spirited pep rally designed to ๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐น ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฐ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ก๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐๐๐ฒ๐๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ (๐ก๐๐ฆ๐๐), which kick off the very next day, April 29.
The NJSLA โ statewide standardized tests in English Language Arts (ELA), mathematics, and science โ are designed to evaluate student progress toward the New Jersey Student Learning Standards, measure student achievement and growth, and assess college and career readiness. Testing will continue at schools throughout the district through May 23.
๐ฆ๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ง๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ
๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐น๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ opened the 2 p.m. rally with an energizing message, reminding students that their hard work all year long has prepared them for this important moment.
"We are Linden Tigers โ and we represent excellence," Koonce declared. "Get a good night's sleep, eat a good breakfast, and take your time on every part of the exam. You are ready."
๐ฆ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ฟ. ๐๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ ๐ฌ. ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐followed with powerful words of encouragement, striking a motivating chord as she urged students to approach the NJSLA with determination, confidence, and pride.
"๐ ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ด๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ณ๐๐น๐น ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฑ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐โ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ โ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ด๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฐ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐น๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐น๐ฎ๐๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ผ๐บ," ๐๐ฟ. ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฑ. "๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐น๐๐, ๐ ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐น ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ณ๐๐น๐น ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฎ๐น. ๐ ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐น ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ฝ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ท๐๐๐ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฎ ๐น๐ถ๐๐๐น๐ฒ ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ. ๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐. ๐ช๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐น๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐น๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ โ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ผ๐ณ๐ณ ๐ฎ ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ , ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด. ๐ ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ด๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐ ๐ถ๐. ๐ฆ๐ผ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ, ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐๐. ๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ, ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ด๐, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ป๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฑ๐น๐ ๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐๐."
๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐ฐ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐
Throughout the rally, the freshmen crowd was attentive, respectful, and receptive โ not wildly exuberant, but clearly engaged with the inspiring words, performances, and messages of support.
๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ ๐ง๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ถ๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐
The program featured a dynamic lineup of performances to inspire and uplift:
-- The Linden High Cheerleaders energized the gym with sharp routines and spirited cheers.
-- The Linden High Dance Company delivered a powerful, high-energy performance celebrating teamwork and perseverance.
-- The Linden High School Choir stirred emotions with a moving rendition of "Rise Up," perfectly capturing the rallyโs theme of resilience and ambition.
-- A live DJ kept the gymnasium rocking between performances, pumping energy into every corner of the room.
-- The Linden High Marching Band kept the momentum alive with booming rhythms and bold brass.
๐ช๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ช๐ถ๐๐ฑ๐ผ๐บ ๐๐ฒ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ด ๐ง๐ฒ๐๐
๐ง๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ณ๐ณ ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐บ๐ถ๐ฐ ๐๐ผ ๐ผ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ณ๐ฒ๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐๐, ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ ๐๐ผ:
-- Carefully read all directions,
-- Show all their work, especially in math portions,
-- Use available resources like calculators and reference sheets,
And most importantly, believe in their ability to succeed.
-- One teacher reinforced the power of mindset by quoting Henry Ford: "Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right."
"Freshman Best!": A Unified Chant
As the rally drew to a close, a teacher gathered the students into a symbolic huddle. With arms outstretched like a team about to take the field, the entire freshman class shouted in unison, "Freshman Best!" โ a fitting and powerful end to an afternoon dedicated to empowering the Class of 2028 for the challenge ahead.
It was a day filled with motivation, school pride, and an unwavering belief that Lindenโs freshmen are ready to rise, excel, and ROAR into testing season.