Mattoon High School students Aydin Tariq, freshman class president, Rene Beltran, junior class president, and Principal Rich Stuart, attended the Jan. 11, 2022 school board meeting and discussed the programs at MHS designed to welcome and support freshmen. Recently, MHS hosted an orientation. Tariq and Beltran spoke at the orientation sharing their experiences, providing advice and encouragement to next fall’s incoming students. Other programs designed to assist freshmen, include the mentoring program Believe it or not I Care (BIONIC) and the annual freshman ice breaker scheduled before the start of each school year. A portion of the BIONIC program teams junior and senior students with freshmen. The students have lunch together giving time for the high school’s newest students to ask questions about MHS. Beltran said she enjoys being a mentor and helping students get adjusted to high school. The freshman ice breaker offers opportunities to tour the school, meet administrators, staff and students and team building activities.
Student-led programs support MHS freshmen
January 12, 2022