On Wednesday, January 29th, the UHS Varsity Boys Basketball Team headed to McNary Heights before practice to visit Ms. Silvani’s 3rd grade class in preparation for MAPs testing. Their goal? To share words of encouragement, motivate students, and emphasize the importance of hard work—both in academics and athletics.
During their visit, the players spoke about the value of setting goals, staying motivated, and putting in the effort to achieve them. They also stressed that, as student-athletes, academics always come first. Ms. Silvani’s students eagerly asked the players questions, gaining insight into how they balance sports and school and how they set goals.
To make things even more exciting, the players issued a challenge: if the class meets their MAPs testing goals, they’ll get to play basketball with the team during recess. This extra incentive added excitement and motivation as students geared up for their assessments.
Ms. Silvani later shared that her class rose to the challenge, showing incredible dedication and focus during testing. The students achieved a total growth of over 220 points on their first test—an impressive accomplishment. She also noted that her students demonstrated a model testing environment by working toward three key goals: maintaining a positive atmosphere, taking their time, and using breaks strategically.
“My class was amazing this week for their test and I could not be more proud,” said Ms. Silvani.
Congratulations to Ms. Silvani’s class on their MAPs growth, and a big thank you to the UHS Varsity Boys Basketball Team for taking the time to motivate and inspire!
