The mission of the School District of Monroe is to prepare each student for the future by developing academic, social-emotional, and employability skills. To build learners, we must be prepared to answer the question of “Why are we learning this?” At MHS, and across the district, our mission is to help our students to embrace learning and expand their own capacity to learn by adopting a more open, collaborative approach. This requires nurturing student’s curiosity to allow them to explore new ideas, skills, and people.
To that end, we are committed to creating experiences that cultivate our students’ agency, efficacy, and sense of self. When our students develop agency, they have the ability to make their own choices and take control of their own learning. This is important because it helps students develop their skills and knowledge while building their motivation. Secondly, students with a strong sense of efficacy believe in themselves, which fosters a sense of confidence and grit. Finally, we want our students to have a strong sense of self, so they can make authentic choices, live into their values, and navigate adversity. With a skills-centered approach, we are growing Monroe’s workforce and preparing students to be successful in life after high school, no matter what career-path they choose. This will require both soft and hard skills that students need as they work to make their dreams into reality.
Building Relationships
The bedrock of this philosophy is our relationships with our students. As we work hard to get to know our students, we offer opportunities for them to discover their passion and plan for their careers. This means our classroom teachers are conferencing with students on their skill development in class. Our club and activity advisors are creating great experiences for students to serve our community and explore their interests. Our coaches are challenging our athletes to perform, while building critical skills in sportsmanship, communication, and grit.
Building Soft Skills
It’s also no secret that students need soft skills to compete in a 21st century marketplace, and at MHS we are working to grow civic-minded students who have skills in communication, decision-making, and teamwork. This happens in our regular classrooms as we integrate collaboration and problem-solving into our everyday curriculum and assessment structure. Additionally, students develop soft skills in our 23 athletics, 36 clubs, and numerous activities like our fall play, “Airness - High School Edition” performing November 8-10. Our MHS National Honors Society just inducted 49 students, and on Friday November 1, they served our neighbors with their annual “Rake and Run” by raking leaves for homes near our MHS campus. This is just one example of MHS kids serving our local community. On the other hand, our Key Club students participated in their annual “Trick or Treat for Unicef” fundraiser — a global initiative to provide funds for developing early childhood centers in Zambia, in south-central Africa.
Building Hard Skills
One of the primary purposes of secondary schooling is for students to develop hard skills that they can use in their future careers. We are working diligently to give students every opportunity to leave MHS with a strong transcript, as well as credits or certifications, or both. Students have a wide-array of courses available to them from our 12 different content departments. Students can earn college credits while in high school through our classes that partner with Blackhawk Technical College and through our CAPP programs. Our Advanced Placement offerings in English, science, art, social science, mathematics, and computer science give students access to college-level rigor and the chance to test out of taking those classes at a college or university. Certifications are available through courses in business, art, agriculture, science, and in Career and Technical Education. Additionally, we have a strong STRIVE program (STudents Realizing Independence Via Education) for our students with intellectual disabilities ranging from health impairments to autism. This program directly supports students’ vocational skills and prepares them for post-graduate success.
Bringing Hard Skills and Soft Skills Together
Hard and soft skill development is an integral part of both the LAUNCH program, where students are getting real-world experiences as they work in teams on projects for businesses and organizations, and for students who get on-the-job training in a career area that interests them as a Youth Apprentice. MHS continues to add new opportunities for students to gain real world experience through programs like building a house through the Home Construction Cooperative, and for teaching skills that meet manufacturing and automotive industry standards through the new Growing Green Trades Center grant with Green County Development Corporation.
Through this large variety of opportunities at MHS, students can identify what they need to learn to be successful, and then they work with their teachers and mentors to learn those skills. Students gain a great deal of pride in the skills they learn, the high-performing teams they build, and the projects they complete which directly contributes to their agency, efficacy, and sense of self.
Thank You for Your Support
We are thankful to our community for supporting our students in their learning journey. From parents and families, to all who attend sporting events, provide and support volunteer opportunities, provide real-world experiences and projects, and mentor students in skills they need for the workplace, it takes all of us to support our teachers, advisors, and coaches as we prepare every student for a successful future.
— Cara Carper is the School District of Monroe Student Occupation and Academic Readiness (SOAR) Coordinator. She can be reached at caracarper@monroe.k12.wi.us.
