I had the wonderful opportunity to interview Ms. Mitchell for The Green and Gold. Ms. Mitchell took over Mr. Wongs’ position as Vice Principal here at Cayuga at the beginning of the year. This is her third year in a vice principal position, and she is loving her time here at CSS. During our interview I discovered what a fun and inspiring person she is.
Q: What or Who Inspired you to get into education?
A: “What inspired me to get into education was a co-op in grade 11. I did it in a grade six classroom and I fell in love with teaching”.
Q: What Motivates you on tough days?
A: “Kids. I see how many difficult things kids are trying to work through. So many things’ kids are trying to balance in their lives. On tough days, I see kids that are having the hardest time getting through the day. The kids who push you away the most are the kids who need the most love. On tough days, I reminded myself of that. The school has such strong a resilient kids.”
Q: What is your goal for Cayuga?
A: “My goal for Cayuga really is to make sure all students feel welcome and safe here, and that they feel they belong. Whether that is through athletics or the newspaper. Just making sure they feel represented in their classrooms through the curriculum they are being taught. Our population is changing so quickly in a positive way. We have been a small rural school for so long. With a lot of new students coming in, we now have students that have not grown up in Cayuga or Haldimand. That adds a depth of diversity that we have not seen before. This can be challenging for some students to find a greater sense of belonging and that everyone feels welcome and represented. It allows us all to have greater exposure to what we see in the world outside of our school. We have so much to learn from one another.”
Q: What are some hobbies or interests that you have?
A: “I love gardening and podcasts. I love being with my family, I have two little ones, a seven-year-old and ten-year-old, and a lovely husband. We spend lots of time together. Lastly, I do enjoy watching a good television show like Ted Lasso.”
Q: For students who are struggling with mental health, where in the school should they go?
A: “The first place I recommend going to is a caring adult that you trust. We have such a great staff here in Cayuga. When you have a comfort level with a staff member, you’re more apt to share, then we can guide you in the right direction. If you don’t know where to turn to then go to guidance and see Ms. Smith, or student success, Ms. Kononiak or come to see me. We can connect you to the services that you need. Please talk to any caring adult you feel comfortable with and open.”
Q: What do you love most about Cayuga Secondary?
A: “The people! Our students and staff are fantastic! The people [Staff and students] here are such a wonderful group of humans. I am thoroughly enjoying developing relationships with everyone here. I am finding that the relationships here are easy to build, people are open to connecting. It has been such a joy getting to know people.”
