This time of year can be a nervous one for local schools, and it’s not the back-to-school routine that leaves teachers, administrators and students worrying.

Late August and September are typically the months that local schools find out whether or not they made the grade on a series of standardized tests taken the previous year.

Composite ACT, Mississippi Curriculum Test and Louisiana LEAP scores are released during the fall, and the results can make or break a school’s morale.

So far this year, three local schools — Ferriday High, Cathedral and Trinity — are celebrating increases on the college entrance exam, the ACT.

Several schools in the Natchez-Adams School District — Robert Lewis Middle School and McLaurin Elementary — are excited about growth on the MCT.

All schools that have seen improvement deserve local recognition, and the ones who held steady or dipped slightly need to know we still believe in them.

The stress of standardized tests is one most adults have left behind. We may have forgotten the pressures of school or gotten too focused on our own troubles.

But rallying around a school is easy and relaxing.

Take a few minutes this week to congratulate those around you who’ve played a part in these improvements. Take a few more minutes to encourage those who are still climbing the hill.

Your words can make the stress of test result season seem worthwhile.