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Mascot Renaming Study Group

July 13, 2021

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The Plan

Part I: Welcome

Introducing Jake Messier
Introducing members

Part II: Purpose and Timeline

Our group’s purpose
Mascot history and future

Part III: The Function of a Mascot

Purpose, function
ARHS values

Part IV: Next Steps

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Members

Jake Messier, Heard Strategies and Storytelling
Karen Ares, Regional School Committee (Northborough)
Cathy Kea, Regional School Committee (Southborough)
Keith Lavoie, Assistant Superintendent of Operations
Sean Bevan, Principal
Mike Mocerino, Athletic Director
Jonathan Cahill, ARHS staff member/alum

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Tom Spataro, Boosters club president
David Roman, Parent (Northborough)
Nikki Morrissey, Parent, (Southborough)
Andrew Roberts, Gr. 12
Grace Sciacca, Gr. 12
Ananya Pandit, Gr. 10
Joseph Folsom, Gr. 11
Sasha Sheydvasser, Gr. 10
Jeffrey Dratch, Gr. 10
Katie Cullen, Gr. 11
Meredith Wu, Gr. 9

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Our Purpose

Through a collaborative process involving students, alumni, faculty, staff, families, and community members, the Mascot Renaming Study Group will:

Identify District and school-based core values that the next Algonquin Regional High (ARHS) mascot needs to align with;
Create criteria for evaluating potential mascots against the determined core values;
Work with branding partner to help to identify and facilitate a mascot renaming process;
Engage in a comprehensive process to identify two or three mascots that have the potential to be the next mascot of Algonquin Regional High School;
Present the two or three potential mascot options to the Regional School Committee, and;
Engage the 2021-2022 ARHS student body in a voting process to select one of the two or three mascot options as ARHS’s next mascot.

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ARHS History:

In Brief

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1800’s-1959

Pre- Regionalization

1959

Regionalization

1960’s-1990’s

Traditions Emerging

1997

Mascot Review Process I

2020-2021

Mascot Review Process II

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ARHS History:

In Brief

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1800’s-1959

Pre- Regionalization

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ARHS History:

In Brief

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1800’s-1959

Pre- Regionalization

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ARHS History:

In Brief

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1800’s-1959

Pre- Regionalization

1959

Regionalization

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ARHS History:

In Brief

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1800’s-1959

Pre- Regionalization

1959

Regionalization

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ARHS History:

In Brief

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1800’s-1959

Pre- Regionalization

1959

Regionalization

1960’s-1990’s

Traditions Emerging

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ARHS History:

In Brief

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1800’s-1959

Pre- Regionalization

1959

Regionalization

1960’s-1990’s

Traditions Emerging

1997

Mascot Review Process I

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ARHS History:

In Brief

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1800’s-1959

Pre- Regionalization

1959

Regionalization

1960’s-1990’s

Traditions Emerging

1997

Mascot Review Process I

2020-2021

Mascot Review Process II

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Our work

A timeline

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November

Current ARHS students select the next ARHS mascot from the two or three options

New mascot revealed to community

October

Present 2-3 mascot options to the Regional School Committee for approval

September

Begin a comprehensive process to identify two or three mascots that have the potential to be the next mascot

July-August

Identify District and school-based core values that the mascot needs to align with.

Identify criteria for evaluating potential mascots

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A Moment to Reflect

Jot down your thoughts:

Why do we need a mascot?
What does a mascot mean to me?

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Sharing Out

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A Moment to Reflect

Sharing aloud:

What does Algonquin Regional High School represent to me?
What message do we want our new mascot to send to our community?

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ARHS Mission

Algonquin Regional High School is a community committed to providing a safe, supportive, and challenging learning environment which fosters critical and creative thinking. We believe respect, responsibility, and collaboration are essential to individual growth and academic achievement.

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ARHS Core Values

Academic Expectations

Read critically
Synthesize information from diverse sources
Speak and write effectively
Explore, develop and express individual creativity; set goals and objectives; and manage time effectively
Be challenged in an intellectually stimulating and engaging environment

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ARHS Core Values

Social Expectations

Develop the skills to work both independently and cooperatively
Demonstrate respect for themselves and others, as well as for diversity in the school community
Be active participants in the school community

Civic Expectations

Become aware of their roles and responsibilities as members of local, national and global communities
Contribute to these communities as active participants

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ARHS Mission and Core Values

Algonquin Regional High School is a COMMUNITY committed to providing a safe, supportive, and CHALLENGING learning environment which fosters critical and creative thinking. We believe respect, responsibility, and collaboration are essential to individual growth and academic ACHIEVEMENT.

Explore, develop and EXPRESS INDIVIDUAL CREATIVITY; set goals and objectives; and manage time effectively
Be challenged in an intellectually stimulating and ENGAGING environment
Develop the skills to work both INDEPENDENTLY and COOPERATIVELY
Be ACTIVE participants in the school community
Become aware of their roles and RESPONSIBILITIES as members of local, national and global communities

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NEXT STEPS

Our homework

Next meeting: Aug. 16, 3-5 pm

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