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Marauders News
"Consistency Builds Trust"
November 2022 Edition
OUR CORE VALUES
Courage
Caring
Excellence
Perseverance
Teamwork
Meet the Flight Crew
Co-Pilot -- Mr. Latino (Assistant Principal of Curriculum and Instruction)
Bombardier/Radio Operator -- Mrs. Wermers (Assistant Principal of Discipline)
Navigator -- Ms. Blackwell (Principal Secretary)
Air Marshal -- Ms. Cockrell (Assistant Principal of Curriculum and Instruction)
Gunner -- Mr. Karn
Control Tower Operator -- Miss VazquezDiaz (Discipline Secretary)
Academic Celebrations
Advanced Placement Program Celebration
We are proud to share that we have seen a 37% increase in the number of Mitchell students taking Advanced Placement (AP) courses over the 21-22 school year. Additionally, we are thrilled to report a 90% increase in the number of AP tests ordered this year, which means that more students are taking multiple AP courses and tests this year. Way to, Mitchell scholars!
From The Cockpit (Principal) and Ramp Crew (School Counselors)
Dear Mitchell Community,
Is your student on-track for graduation? Students should miss no more than 9 days of school each year to stay engaged, successful and on track to graduation. By 9th grade, attendance is a better prediction of graduation rates than 8th grade test scores. To be on track for graduation at Mitchell School a student cannot have more than 1 course failure (F) per semester and must earn 12 credits each year. See current on track rates by grade below.
Core Value of the Month: Courage
In terms of educational strategies, studies signal the importance of perseverance and the benefits of reducing academic fear and anxiety. Strategies that teachers and parents can use to boost perseverance are to encourage students to set goals; to decide what they are aiming for and how to get there. Also, students who are taught how to manage their study by planning, using their time well, and prioritizing, will have some of the tools to help them to persist in the face of difficult tasks. Ways to reduce fear of failure and anxiety in schoolwork include teaching students that mistakes are opportunities for learning and to see their academic performance in terms of personal progress and improvement.
Ways to reduce fear of failure and anxiety in schoolwork include teaching students that mistakes are opportunities for learning and to see their academic performance in terms of personal progress and improvement. Finally, shifting students' focus onto controllable elements such as effort and goal setting is aimed at empowering students and reducing problematic levels of academic fear.
Retrieved from: https://phys.org
Student Life
Extracurricular activities provide a channel for reinforcing the lessons learned in the classroom, offering students the opportunity to apply academic skills in a real-world context, and are thus considered part of a well-rounded education. Recent research suggests that participation in extracurricular activities may increase students' sense of engagement or attachment to their school, and thereby decrease the likelihood of school failure and dropping out. This month some of our students participated in activities through our Community Partners. Their involvement will be celebrated in this issue.
JROTC Visits Buckley Space Force Base
25 of MHS JROTC Cadets showed up at 7:00 am on a non-school day to visit Buckley Space Force Base. Colonel Hinson and SGT Newcomer had a great morning with the 140FW of the Colorado Air National Guard educating our cadets on the capabilities of the F-16! Cadets spent some time in the maintenance hangar, engine shop and on the flight line where they were buzzed with a 4-ship about 150 feet overhead (no worries, we were wearing ear protection). We are excited about the future of our MHS Cadets!
Veterans Day Events
MHS Cadets Mentoring Penrose Elementary School
REDS performance
Penrose Elementary School Veterans Day Celebration
ELL Students Attend UCCS Cultural Day
On November 1, 2022, 57 English Language Learners and two ELL teachers went to University of Colorado Springs (UCCS) to participate in an event honoring the Day of the Dead for an event sponsored by the Department of Languages and Cultures. Students toured part of the campus since it may have been the first for most of them to be exposed to an American University. They also attended a Spanish 1 class. In addition, they played a Mexican Bingo game, flower making, origami and trivia questions. UCCS staff complemented our students for being well behaved and engaged compared to some of the ELLs from some high schools. Overall, the students enjoyed the field trip and learned a lot from the UCCS staff.
Group Picture
UCCS Spanish Tutor Teaching ELLs how to Use a Coffee Maker
The Beans' Activity
Youth Documentary Academy
MHS Career and Technical Education (CTE)
In Computer Science, Miss Tyler has been working in small group interventions with all of her students. The most advanced students were given an alternative assignment to write about what they are learning in class and how it could help them outside of high school. Those students spent weeks on their articles and were given the choice to publicly publish their articles on the CTE blog. Please check out our newest student authors being feature on the CTE blog!
Bethany Brest -- https://d11cte.org/staff_name/bethany-brest/
Kalani Roberts -- https://d11cte.org/staff_name/kalani-roberts/
Luis Blanco LeBlanc -- https://d11cte.org/staff_name/luis-blanco-leblanc/
Alexandria Roberts -- https://d11cte.org/staff_name/alexandria-roberts/
Alexander Shonts -- https://d11cte.org/staff_name/alexander-shonts/
Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA)
Guest Speaker Cam Awesome
Mitchell students and staff were wowed by motivational speaker Cam F. Awesome November 8, 2022. Students and staff were on the edge of their seats, willing participants and laughing, all while learning out to have an attitude of gratitude.
Cam escaped bullying and became America’s #1 Heavyweight Amateur Boxer and captain of the USA boxing team. He won numerous national titles and qualified for the Olympics. He is best known for winning the US title in 2008, 2010, and 2014 and the Golden Gloves in 2009, 2011 and 2013 at super heavyweight.
His interactive talk about transforming our mindset to one of gratitude was well received by students and staff. He was engaging and informative. He held the attention of everyone in the gymnasium. Students and staff lingered after the talk to take pictures, ask questions and receive additional encouragement from Cam Awesome. To sum it all up. It was an AWESOME Experience!!.
Monthly Awareness/Observations: National Native American Heritage Month
November is Native American Heritage Month, or as it is commonly referred to, American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month.
The month is a time to celebrate rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories and to acknowledge the important contributions of Native people. Heritage Month is also an opportune time to educate the general public about tribes, to raise a general awareness about the unique challenges Native people have faced both historically and in the present, and the ways in which tribal citizens have worked to conquer these challenges.
Air Corps (Guest Teacher) Spotlight
Next-Mission (Month)- At-a-Glance
Parent Engagement Information
The District Benchmark is given in the Fall, Winter, and Spring. All three are required.
District Benchmark Testing
Fall – September 6th-19th
Winter – December 1st-16th
Spring – April 3rd-14th
Finals Assessments
December 14th -December 16th
There are no early finals
Grab and go lunches prior to departure
*See Weekly Newsletter for detailed information*
Winter Break
December 16th - January 2nd
Add To Your Passport (Afterschool Programs and Clubs)
After School Tutoring
Yearbook Club
Help create everlasting memories!
Join Yearbook Club .Come to Ms. LaCroix’s Room 112 every Thursday after School and help create memories that will last a lifetime! Questions? See Ms. LaCroix or Ms. Willson for more details.
Parental Involvement
Save the Date: School Accountability Committee (SAC) meetings have started up again!
Thursday, Dec 8, 2022, 05:30 PM
Mitchell High School, Potter Drive, Colorado Springs, CO, USA
Star Benchmark Testing
From December 1st-16th, we will be administering the Star Reading and Math tests in grades 9-11. Winter benchmark assessments allow us to monitor your child’s growth, achievement, and learning needs. They also give us important information about the effectiveness of our instructional practices and the progress of our school’s improvement. These tests are computer-adaptive, so each student may receive different questions based on individual academic progress. The tests take between 20-30 minutes to complete, and students will complete them during their English and math classes.