The Final Countdown aimed to keep students motivated during the end of the second semester

After the semester awards saw an engagement increase, MacArthur staff members pushed for another in-person drive thru event to end the year on a strong note.

On May 1, MacArthur had its Final Countdown drive-through event.  Students from grades sixth through eighth grade could attend.  The 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM event was organized by Counselor Mrs. Laurie Tristan and Family and Community Engagement Liaison Mr. Johann Arana.

“My vision for the event was to help students stay motivated and remember that they had the MacArthur team still here available for help and support. I hope that they felt connected to MacArthur and inspired to stay motivated to finish strong this school year,” said Tristan.

About 400 people attended including MacArthur ASB members. About 50 staff members attended, too including Mr. Celestino, Mrs. Manske, Mrs. Vicario, Mrs. Reyes, Ms. Palmer, Mrs. Musikanth, Mrs. Fellmer, Mrs. Flores, Mrs. Kotler, Ms. Alvarez, Mr. Mata, Ms. Van de Merghel, Ms. Armstrong, retired teacher Ms. Whitmire, Mr. Axton, Mr. Papke attended and PE teachers helped with locker cleanouts. MacArthur staff members handed out goody bags to students that included Suavecito hand sanitizer and stickers, water bottles, pencils, mental health resources and  MacArthur T-shirts;  community partners also gave out food boxes, Chick-fil-A coupons and plush cow, SAPD, CHP and the office of State Senator Umberg also gave out goodies.  

“Because we had such a success with our Award drive-through event, Mr. Arana and I wanted to have an event where the entire school could be invited. We also brought in our community partners to give resources for our students,” said Tristan.

This event was held to provide emotional support to students during the  pandemic.MacArthur staff wanted to hold an event where students could be inspired to stay motivated to finish strong this school year. Students and families came through the event; MacArthur staff and community partners came together to support MacArthur students as they finish off this school year.  

 “We wanted to encourage our students to finish the school year strong. We also miss our students and figured this was a great opportunity to see them. We hope it motivates them to keep up the good work.  We hope that it created a sense of community and belonging for our students.We also hope that our MacArthur parents had a chance to celebrate their child’s success,” Principal Mr. Ray Gonzales.