Each month, Principal Justin Hahn spotlights learning happening at our school. This month, the Principal's spotlight focuses on Lifelong Learning.

One way you can see lifelong learning in action at MHS is in our educators’ commitment to continuous improvement in Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID). AVID is an academic tool and class we use at MHS to support all students in preparing for success after graduation. Aligned with the skills outlined in our Portrait of a Graduate, AVID supports students in developing communications, collaboration, leadership, self-advocacy, and deep-level inquiry-thinking skills.

AVID is for all students and all academic areas and gives educators structure and a common language for all. The strategies give us different ways to balance the delivery of rigor and student engagement. When we think about lifelong learning for educators, we want to use evidence-based instructional strategies that not only deliver information to students but keep them engaged and reflective. In our school, we are using Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization, and Reading (WICOR) across the curriculum. Each department has picked a focus area in WICOR to go after. Last year, our Social Studies and Science departments used organization as their professional learning goal.

In addition to our use of AVID strategies, we also have an AVID course. AVID is a new elective class offered to MHS students this year. It provides a curriculum that focuses on strong reading and writing skills, organization, study strategies for success, and research on colleges and careers. AVID students also participate in additional activities such as college visits and community service projects.

The success of employing a new teaching resource at MHS has been due to the dedication of our educators. We’ve had over 40 teachers trained, and we continue to dedicate professional learning time to advance our learning in this area and work to embed it into our teaching practice. Right now, I’ve seen it in action with teachers giving students new organizational tips and tools, different ways to share their voice in the classroom, helping them connect the learning to their own life, and finally, supporting each learner to meet their needs so they can be successful in their future.

Take Care,

Justin Hahn

Congratulations to the Mahtomedi Girls Soccer team on their recognition by the Mahtomedi City Council! The team was reccognized by the City Council at their meeting on November 19.

MHS DECA= students recently visited O.H. Anderson Elementary School to talk to students in grades 3-5 about the importance of helping others and participating in the Zephyr Service Project. During the visit, the high school students gave a short presentation reviewing how service learning projects make a difference in our communities, help all of us (students and adults) learn and grow, and that by helping collect holiday gifts for Zephyr families, we learn to think of others, that we can help out our friends, and that it is okay to ask for help. See more photos from the event here.

The College in the Schools (CIS) Introduction to Literature course recently attended its Fall Field Day at the University of Minnesota. In September, students received a signed copy of former U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey’s book Monument, which they studied in class leading up to the event. At Field Day, students had the opportunity to hear Trethewey read many of her poems and discuss the stories behind them and an explanation of her writing process. At the end of the event, students got to meet Trethewey and pose for a photo. Throughout the CIS Introduction to Literature course, students develop skills to understand literature, especially the ability to read language closely and explore how writers use language and literary aspects, such as genre, voice, tone, symbol, motif, theme, imagery, narrative, and form. 

MHS students in the Personal Finance course this semester are partnered with an individual mentor who works for UnitedHealth Group. They email back and forth with their mentors about topics relating to personal finance and future careers each week for seven weeks. Recently, they held a virtual meet and greet with their mentors. Personal Finance is a semester-long course designed for 11th and 12th-grade students to explore Behavioral Finance, Taxes, Checking, Savings, Paying for College, Types of Credit, Managing Credit, Investing, Insurance, and Budgeting. The course gives students the foundational knowledge to properly plan their financial futures post-graduation and make sound money decisions in their present and adult lives.