Mattoon
CUSD #2
The Paradigms
At MHS, staff and students partner to achieve high-quality results. Desired outcomes are aligned to state standards and articulated by subject area and grade level. Our instructional model balances whole- and small-group approaches, as well as individual conferencing.
Teachers incorporate student strengths and interests and build strong relationships in their classroom communities, while leveraging the transformational power of technology to prepare students for their futures.
Paradigm of Leadership
We are shaping the future.
At MHS, every student has the opportunity to be a leader. It is not uncommon to see students leading adults through building tours. Rather than physically lead visitors, one may see students serving in the virtual realm as a mentor to new Leader in Me schools in site visits or filming virtual tours using drone technology. Students serve as leaders in every pocket of the school, from leadership roles within the classroom to facilitating a student engagement lunch to highlight the great clubs and sports students may participate in to become even more connected within the school community. Even during the summer, students are volunteering their time to usher in the new freshman class during Freshman Icebreaker. Students facilitate team building and information sessions to orient students to their new building. All of these great experiences are then highlighted within students’ leadership portfolios that engage students beyond classroom content and connect them to the community.
Paradigm of Leadership
Spotlight Story
Jeffrey, MHS Senior
Jeffrey is an early graduate senior. He is actively involved in JROTC and serves as captain on staff. Initially, he was not involved in lighthouse teams. However, naturally found himself leading building tours and joining virtual site visits. While not a leader on one of the system teams, he embodies the paradigm of leadership and is a leader inside and outside of the classroom.
Paradigm of Potential
Everyone has genius.
Students within MHS all have different interest, strengths, and skills. It is one of the things we love most about our students, our climate, and our culture. We believe everyone has genius, and we strive to provide opportunities for them to flourish. Academically, students are offered a plethora of opportunities to make personal gains. Our Learning Lab provides additional scaffolding and support for those students who need it while allowing them to stay with their peers. Personalized Pace Math allows students to move at a more rapid pace with less teacher scaffolding while choosing their own performance assessment to demonstrate mastery of skill. MHS has a robust Fine Arts and CTE department. From Welding to Band to Agriculture, students at MHS thrive within special programming. Students with a skill set within the technology field are able to work through a microcredentialing track in order to fix broken devices within the building, become content creators for broadcasting and various media, and serve as mentors to tech students within other buildings. Lastly, upperclassmen are able to engage in ClassE, a course that allows them to become entrepreneurs with real world experience. Potential is seen and curated for students inside and outside of Mattoon High School.
Paradigm of Potential
Spotlight Story
Connor, MHS Sophomore
Connor is a sophomore student at Mattoon High School. He is actively involved in the Chrome Depot and Tech Leadership team. He used his unique skill set to volunteer at a local nursing home to teach the residents how to use their cell phones and access social media to stay connected with families and friends. Connor exudes the paradigm of potential by using his skill set to make an impact on the community.
Paradigm of Change
Shifting the way you see things can be liberating!
The Paradigm of Change is the cornerstone of student and teacher work. All students enrolled in an English and Math course utilize their MAP scores to create targeted goals with lead measures, regular scoreboarding, and a cadence of accountability. The practice of 4DX can also be seen throughout Wave Time classes, Special Education and Foreign Language. On a larger scale, departments have utilized 4DX to create goals tailored to each department working towards an increase in SAT scores. In honor of supporting change, professional development opportunities are provided in various formats– from whole group, small group, individual coaching, and asynchronous opportunities. Service learning is rooted in the paradigm of change, and students are constantly engaging in this opportunity. Green & Gold Day and World Leadership Day are both events that engage students across the community to make a positive impact through service. Students can be seen volunteering at the animal shelter, helping teachers in elementary school classrooms, picking up trash along our downtown area, visiting nursing homes and showing residents how to use their cell phones, assisting the police department and fire department in cleaning their vehicles, and even putting on a play for preschool children. Much of the foundation of this learning is laid within Wave Time SEL lessons and activities.
Paradigm of Change
Spotlight Stories
Leah, MHS Senior
Leah is a current senior at MHS. She had the opportunity to present at the Leader in Me Symposium in Washington DC in March. On the way home, Leah had an idea for how to increase engagement and student leadership during Wave Time. She pitched the idea of each class having a Wave Time student leader to explicitly teach Leader in Me lessons. Now, every Wave Time class has a student Wave Time leader that facilitates Leader in Me content. Leah saw the need for change and took the initiative to execute positive changes for all students.
MHS Math Goal Setting
Paradigm of Motivation
Empowering students to lead their own learning.
The Paradigm of Motivation is evident in several aspects within MHS. Student learning is driven by empowering our learners to take ownership of their pace, interests, and strengths. Our CTE program, which includes Welding, Building Trades, Agriculture, and Computer Maintenance, offers students a wide variety of pathways to learn and exhibit mastery of skills. Students can be seen independently welding a project, building a house from the ground up, caring for plants within the greenhouse, and building and re-building devices. Learners are encouraged and empowered to lead their own learning and own that process. Our Personalized Pace Math courses instill independence and accountability in the pace of the math content. Students are able to work at a pace that works best for them, both at a slower or quicker pace than their peers, choose a performance assessment that demonstrates mastery of content, and follow up with an accountability partner regularly to ensure learners are still on their project track. Similarly, learners in our World Languages program adapt a similar process working through their self-selected world language. Built in supports and accountability are evident through the implementation of 4DX. Another course at MHS that embraces the Paradigm of Motivation is Class E, a course that allows them to become entrepreneurs with real world experience. Learners often find success within the empowerment this class instills. Lastly, Lunch and Learn and Power Hour offer opportunities for learners to receive additional tutoring and support during lunch and after school.
Paradigm of Motivation
Spotlight Story
Computer Maintenance Elective
Freshmen Brooklyn, Katelyn, and Kendra opt to take elective class Computer Maintenance, which allows them to utilize technical skills in repairing damaged Chromebooks. In addition, they maintain the digital signage boards throughout the building as an additional pathway within the course. These students embody the paradigm of motivation by leading their own learning and having voice and choice within their academic journey.
Paradigm of Education
Education is so much more than what you learn in school.
The Paradigm of Education is instilled within the fabric of our culture at MHS. An Academic Playbook has been the driving force behind instructional supports offered to students. This system alerts all stakeholders– teachers, students, and parents– when additional supports are needed to empower the learner to close an academic achievement gap. Families are also invited to participate in Student-Led Conferences that empowers students to exemplify their learning through their Leadership Portfolios. Learners enrolled in Personalized Pace Math also communicate regularly with their accountability partner– a parent or guardian. This stakeholder is involved in the process from the very beginning with a personalized phone call from the teacher encouraging family involvement in this unique academic opportunity. In addition, students are provided opportunities to retain an internships or job shadow regularly throughout the school year. Students may be seen walking the hallways of a hospital shadowing a doctor or taking care of patients, learning within the trades how to construct interior walls within a home, or learning from community professionals during Future’s Day to learn more about careers and trades of interest.
Paradigm of Education
Spotlight Story
Jo, MHS Senior
Senior Jo is passionate about increasing family engagement at MHS with a fresh idea – Food for Thought. Families can come together to receive a catered meal served by MHS students, learn about family support provided from the school, and bond together playing board games, cards, or other activities. The first Food for Thought is set to launch this semester! Jo exudes the paradigm of education by approaching her peers holistically.