Kids are officially back in school and ready to learn! Education is such an important part of our kids’ lives, and I’m especially proud of the middle school students in my county, Clark County. Seeing the school buses roll by each morning reminds me of the special program I was involved with earlier in the year.
This Spring I was lucky enough to participate in this year’s Test for Excellence, a Clark County School District program that challenges students on current news. Southwest Airlines has partnered with the school district for many years. Middle schools within the district participate with the assistance of teacher volunteers. During a six-week period, the students are encouraged to learn about current events, including local, national, international, sports, and government-related news. Each week, they are tested on what they have learned.
After six weeks of testing, the students move on to the final competition. During this event, students take a written test that accounts for half their score and includes a variety of questions, different from the ones on previous tests. Then comes the real fun! Each team draws a current event out of a hat, has 30 seconds to discuss the topic with their team, then two minutes to present what they know to the audience and judges (I got to be one of the judges). I’ll be honest, I couldn’t have spoken on many of the topics that were drawn…this was a tough competition! On the second round, they get two minutes to discuss any current event they choose.
The winning team was from Fertitta Middle School! This is an amazing group of up and comers in our community! Eight Students, along with their teacher, Mr. Singh, were rewarded with a trip to San Diego courtesy of Southwest Airlines and our local CBS affiliate, Channel 8.
Here’s to A Test For Excellence and congratulations to Fertitta Middle School. I’m proud to work for a Company that’s dedicated to supporting our community and our schools! 
The winning team was from Fertitta Middle School! This is an amazing group of up and comers in our community! Eight Students, along with their teacher, Mr. Singh, were rewarded with a trip to San Diego courtesy of Southwest Airlines and our local CBS affiliate, Channel 8.
Here’s to A Test For Excellence and congratulations to Fertitta Middle School. I’m proud to work for a Company that’s dedicated to supporting our community and our schools! 