TOPSHAM — Mt. Ararat Middle School students got a surprise Friday while gathered in the school’s Orion Performing Arts Center during the school’s first Celebration Day.

Principal Josh Ottow recognized student achievements during an assembly before a group of sixth-grade teachers took the stage lip-syncing and dancing to “Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift. About 600 students cheered as teachers from each grade performed songs like “Tell Me What You Want” by Spice Girls and “I Got You Babe” by Sonny and Cher.

The rest of the day students got to participate in activity sessions ranging from cooking classes like Whoopie Pie making to Japanese calligraphy to drone programming.

Assistant Principal Megan Hayes Teague said the school has a group of teachers who research and are focused on adolescent behavior, student relationships and school climate. The group organizes many events but Fridays’ event was the largest yet.

“We look at relationships as being the core of our school,” Teague said. “Adolescence is a tricky time. We know that and we know that the bond that they form with the adults in the building is really paramount to the learning they’re going to do whether it’s social learning or academic learning.”