What are two to three strengths of which our district can be proud? Why do you see these as strengths?
In-Township (Vote for 2)
Laura Lang: Generations have built a long-standing educational tradition of excellence in our schools. One can easily look around our district and see the amazing educators and community members of the past who have sacrificed and gifted their talents to our schools. Our strength is in our communal sacrifice. Their example to this generation is motivational and a gift.
Another strength is our fine athletic programs, which allow our students to pursue a wide variety of sports. In addition to athletic programs, our school district boasts of a plethora of extracurricular activities from Madrigals to Chess Club, from Horticultural Science to Chem Team, from Scholastic Bowl to Drama Club, and so many more. Mahomet-Seymour students have a wide array from which to choose.
Rebecca Richardson:
- Preparing high achievers for academic readiness
- Robust extracurricular activities
I go back to Sydney Harris’ quote about turning mirrors into windows. According to the National School Boards Association, public education exists to serve the following purposes, among others: prepare students for college and the workforce, including preparing them for jobs that may not even exist yet due to rapidly changing technology. Clearly, a large percentage of our students graduate from a rigorous academic program that well-positions them for college success.
Mahomet-Seymour Schools have a longstanding reputation for a number of extracurricular activities in sports, music, drama, social clubs, academic clubs and many more. Extracurricular activities benefit students in many ways including improved academic performance, goal setting, teamwork, time management, problem-solving, analytical thinking, leadership, building self-esteem and so much more.
Sunny McMurry:
Our district is known for the success of our students. I believe this is due to a couple of different strengths here in M-S CUSD #3.
First, our teachers and staff– People move here for the schools because it is apparent that our teachers and staff care about the success of our students. These professionals take their jobs seriously and work hard to bring out the best in our students. Our teachers earn high evaluation ratings as proficient or excellent and a majority of them hold master’s degrees, indicating that they are highly qualified in their craft. This only benefits students– from the time children enter the school system, they are met where they are and helped to succeed through meaningful, differentiated instruction.
Second, our curricular offerings– The curricular offerings we have cover a wide range. From Pre-K programs all the way through High School Dual Credit courses, our district provides many opportunities for all learners. Our students have access to specialists at every school, including newer opportunities for our youngest learners in Social Emotional Learning (health) and Action Based Learning (ABL), along with art, music, pe and library. Band and chorus bring even more options to our students as they get older.
Max McComb: First is our staff. People move to Mahomet (or stay in Mahomet) for the schools, and this is a reflection of the quality of education we offer. This is attributable to our amazing staff, their hard work, willingness to grow, improve and respond to the needs of our students.
The support of our community is the second strength I would identify. People are invested in our schools, want the best for the children, and are supportive and involved in so many ways.
Out-Of-Township (Vote for 1)
Justin Lamb: One of our districts biggest strengths is our administration, teachers and staff. The amount of work that goes in to the day-to-day instruction and operations at a school is very demanding. We have amazing teams in each school who all work tirelessly for our students. They come in early, they leave late and the work doesn’t stop when they go home. They may be wrapping up items from the day, preparing for the next day, answering emails, pursuing continuing education, have sleepless nights worrying about different situations. On top of that, throw in Covid. I am very proud of the dedication our employees have to our students.
Another strength is the consistent performance and high ranking of our district over the past several years. A top ranked school district provides the opportunity for our students to be set up for success.
The community support our schools receive is another strength our district can be proud of. There are many ways in which our community assists our schools. The Mahomet-Seymour Education Foundation provides financial assistance for the students and faculty beyond what the schools can provide. Local businesses provide work opportunities for our Compass/Atlas students. Area churches provide summer meal opportunities and community assistance programs. Mom’s Pantry, Mahomet CARES Closet and Mahomet Helping Hands provide opportunities for clothing, food, etc for those in need. The Mahomet Parks and Rec Department offer a wonderful assortment of activities and programs for area kids and families. The list goes on and on which is absolutely something to be proud of.
Patrick MacKay: I believe we should first be incredibly proud of and thankful for our teachers, the backbone of our district, our essential workers. Second, we should be incredibly proud of our students and their continued performance and success in the classroom, no doubt attributed to the yeoman’s work performed by our teachers. Finally, we should be proud of our shared passion and commitment to providing the best possible public education for our children. I see these as strengths because without the best teachers, without diligent and engaged students, and without a community that shares a passion for public education, we would be a shell of ourselves.
