Cheers of “Fairland Dragons” roared through the stadium at Fairland High School Friday afternoon.

Students from all four schools were brought in for an academic pep rally to mark the school district receiving academic excellence for the results from the Ohio Achievement Test that was taken in May.

“This is to celebrate our district’s excellence,” Roni Hayes, Fairland High principal, said before the event. “This is to let them know how much we appreciate their hard work.”

Superintendent Jerry McConnell spoke to the crowd that he estimated to be 1,800. He asked each of the schools “to stand up and make noise.”

After that he asked the crowd, “If you are proud to be a Fairland Dragon, make some more noise.”

Next Teresa Johnson, Fairland West Elementary principal, took the podium praising the schools “hard work and dedication and working as a team,” she said. “You achieved a high standard of education.”

She then read a letter complimenting the schools from State Rep. Clyde Evans, which praised Fairland for its “strong tradition of scholastic eminence.”

Margaret Keeney, principal of Fairland East Elementary, told the students “they give 150 percent a day,” she said.

Mike Whitley, principal of Fairland Middle, told the audience that many people outside the district “are complimentary of the district,” he said. “We have a lot of pride in our work.”

Then four students, one from each school, discussed the school and what excellence means to them.

First to speak was Olivia Goodenough from Fairland East Elementary. “Fairland is an excellent school because the teachers are very nice,” she said. “It is a fun school.”

Brooklynn Bennett of Fairland West Elementary said, “You have to work hard to earn the right to be an excellent rated school. We should be very proud of our work.”

Fairland Middle was represented by Nicole Carper who said the rating came “because of the hard work the teachers put in and the students put in hard work.”

She also praised the passing of levies to allow the building of “state of the art facilities.”

Fairland High was represented by Holly Wilson who equated excellence with “an appetite for success,” she said. “I am proud to be a student here and you should, too.”

Faculty skits included a parody of the “Ghost Busters” movie and a musical number done to the tune of “We Will Rock You.”

The high school marching band played with the dance team and choir performing.