Pep Rally Caps off Finley Spirit Week
Enthusiasm was running at a fever pitch last Friday afternoon during a pep rally in the J. Taylor Finley Middle School gym. The huge crowd of students and staff cheered not only the athletes on fall season teams, but Finley’s past academic successes.
Principal John Amato and Assistant Principal Ken Parham took turns serving as the master of ceremonies, introducing coaches and sometimes players and revving up the crowd, which filled the bleacher on three sides of the gym. Arena music was played to enhance the atmosphere and it did the trick.
The pep rally culminated Spirit Week at the school, which was embraced by students and teachers. There were special contests, too. Even the Finley Falcon made an appearance at the school, in full feathers.
“Spirit week and the pep rally have been a part of the Finley culture for many years,” Mr. Amato said. “The week is marked by themes everyday. The students come up with the themes for dressing up during the week. This year we had super hero day, neon day, 70’s day, crazy hair day and blue and white day. Blue and white day was saved for Friday when pep rally took place”.
Student council advisors Kim Finneran and Frank Battista organized the pep rally with the help of students. “They did an outstanding job,” Mr. Amato said. “It was a lot of fun.”
Mr. Amato kicked things off by listing some recent academic highlights and leading the students through fun chants about state tests in English, math, science and social studies. The kids ate it all up. Then the crowd’s attention turned to sports.
Finley teams have been among Suffolk’s best for generations and this year is no different. More than one-third of the student body is participating on a team this fall and all of them were decked out in their blue and white uniforms.
The crowd was entertained by the Finley step team and the popular cheerleading squad. Students chanted the names of their coaches and their teams and offered thunderous applause for fellow players. They held up colorful signs and repeatedly came to their feet, all in good fun.
“It was a really fun afternoon for everyone,” said Georgia D. McCarthy, district director of athletics. Mrs. McCarthy addressed students directly near the close of the festivities. “We teach the athletes to play hard, play fair and always display good sportsmanship.”
One of the highlights came when Mr. Amato announced that he would engage in a free-throw shooting contest with Mr. Parham. The winner in the best-of-five battle would get to throw a bucket of water over the head of the loser. Few in the crowd knew that Mr. Amato is one of the state’s top basketball officials or that Mr. Parham was one of the top basketball coaches in the country before beginning his administrative career.
As the crowd stirred in anticipation, the two administrators moved the water buckets into position before going to the foul line. Mr. Parham went first, followed by Mr. Amato. When the contest ended in a tie, they both picked up the buckets and chased after each other, ending up in front of a large section of bleachers before dumping the pails. As students ducked to avoid getting splashed, confetti floated out and covered the gleeful crowd as the gym erupted in laughter and cheers.
Mr. Amato got the idea for the stunt from the Harlem Globetrotters. “That’s where it came from,” he said. The crowd filed out of the gym and students headed to their buses, smiling and laughing all the way.
“It was quite a show,” Mrs. McCarthy said.
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