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T-BIRD NEWS
Week of October 5–9, 2026
We made it to the final week of the 1st quarter!
It is hard to believe how quickly these first nine weeks have gone. This is an important week for our T-Birds to finish strong, take care of missing work, ask for help, and put first things first.There is also plenty happening around Thunderbird Nation this week, including Boys Volleyball & Girls Soccer, Cross Country, fall sports pictures, our first School Site Council meeting, clubs, Learning Lab, and the AHS Homecoming Parade! We also have a new lunchtime Arts & Crafts Club for our 7th graders, yearbooks are officially on sale, and our literacy focus shifts from building vocabulary to the power of asking great questions.
THIS WEEK AT MITCHELL SENIOR
Here's what's happening around Thunderbird Nation:
Monday, October 5: Crochet Club — 3:00–4:00 PM, Room 403
Monday, October 5: Girls Flag Football Club — 3:00–4:00 PM, Upper Field
Monday, October 5: TCG Club — 3:00–4:00 PM, Room 205
Tuesday, October 6: NEW 7th Grade Arts & Crafts Club — Lunch, Room 104
Tuesday, October 6: Learning Lab — 3:00–4:00 PM, Room 107
Tuesday, October 6: The Grind — 3:00–4:00 PM, Room 400
Tuesday, October 6: Robotics Club — 3:00–4:00 PM, Room 300
Tuesday, October 6: Boys Volleyball & Girls Soccer vs. Hoover — HOME at 4:00 PM
Wednesday, October 7: Fall Sports Team Pictures — 3:00 PM, Gym
Wednesday, October 7: School Site Council Meeting #1 — 3:15 PM via Zoom
Wednesday, October 7: Cross Country Meet @ Applegate Park — 3:30 PM- Thursday, October 8: Learning Lab — 3:00–4:00 PM, Room 202
- Thursday, October 8: Girls Flag Football Club — 3:00–4:00 PM, Upper Field
Thursday, October 8: Culinary Club — 3:00–3:45 PM, Room 207- Thursday, October 8: Boys Volleyball & Girls Soccer @ Rivera — 4:00 PM
Friday, October 9: END OF THE 1ST QUARTER!- Friday, October 9: AHS Homecoming Parade — 3:30 PM on Winton Way
FINAL WEEK OF THE 1ST QUARTER — FINISH STRONG!
The 1st Quarter ends this Friday, October 9! That means this is the week to make sure your T-Bird has taken care of everything they can before grades are finalized.Families, please take a few minutes this week to log into Aeries with your student and review:
Current grades • Missing assignments • Attendance • Upcoming deadlines
Ask your T-Bird:
“Is there anything you can still do this week to improve your grade or show what you've learned?”
Encourage students to talk directly with their teachers if they have questions about an assignment or their grade. And don't forget about Learning Lab on Tuesday and Thursday from 3:00–4:00 PM.
Five days left. Make them count!
FALL SPORTS — COME CHEER ON OUR T-BIRDS!
Our Boys Volleyball and Girls Soccer teams have another busy week!
TUESDAY — HOME!
Boys Volleyball & Girls Soccer vs. Hoover Tuesday, October 6
4:00 PM
THURSDAY — AWAY!
Boys Volleyball & Girls Soccer @ Rivera Thursday, October 8 4:00 PMGood luck to all of our athletes and coaches. Play hard, support your teammates, demonstrate great sportsmanship, and represent Thunderbird Nation with pride!
CROSS COUNTRY | WEDNESDAY
Run, T-Birds, run! Our Cross Country team competes again this week:
Wednesday, October 7 3:30 PM
Applegate ParkGood luck to our runners! We're proud of the work you've put in this season.
FALL SPORTS TEAM PICTURES | WEDNESDAY
Smile, athletes! Girls Soccer and Boys Volleyball team pictures are scheduled for:
Wednesday, October 7 3:00 PM MSE GymAthletes, be ready and looking sharp for your team photo!
SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL MEETING #1
Our first Mitchell Senior School Site Council meeting of the year will be held: Wednesday, October 7 3:15 PM
Via ZoomThank you again to our families who participated in this year's SSC elections and to our council members for volunteering their time to help support our school.
Our School Site Council plays an important role in reviewing school goals, programs, student achievement, and how resources are used to support our T-Birds.
AHS HOMECOMING PARADE | FRIDAY!
Let's show some Thunderbird spirit as we celebrate with our friends at Atwater High School!The AHS Homecoming Parade is Friday afternoon:
Friday, October 9 3:30 PM Winton WayCome see our ASB float in the parade! It's a fun community tradition and a great opportunity for our future Falcons to celebrate alongside AHS!
MITCHELL MEMORIES — YEARBOOKS ARE ON SALE!
Gotta Catch ’Em All! Our 2026–2027 Mitchell Senior Yearbook is now available to order!This year's yearbook will capture all of those Thunderbird memories—from friends and activities to athletics, clubs, spirit days, and everything in between.
ORDER YOUR YEARBOOK NOW!
Families can order directly through TreeRing using our Mitchell Senior purchase link or the QR code on the yearbook flyer.Order Your Mitchell Senior Yearbook
IMPORTANT YEARBOOK DEADLINES
April 7, 2027 — Deadline to personalize your 2 FREE custom pagesMay 1, 2027 — Purchase deadline to have your yearbook delivered to school
Don't wait until the end of the year to think about your yearbook. Order early, personalize those two free pages, and make sure your T-Bird has a keepsake filled with memories from the 2026–2027 school year!
Mitchell Memories — Gotta Catch ’Em All!
NEW! 7TH GRADE ARTS & CRAFTS CLUB
Calling all 7th grade creators! 
Looking for something fun to do during lunch? Mitchell’s Arts & Crafts Club begins this Tuesday!
Every Tuesday beginning October 6 7th Grade Lunch — 11:20–11:50 AM Mrs. Bell’s Room 104
First come, first served — maximum of 12 studentsEach week will feature a different creative project, and October is packed with fun!
October 6:
Bracelet MakingOctober 13:
Bead PensOctober 20:
Plaster ArtOctober 27:
Halloween Silhouette PaintingCome enjoy some crafts, laughs, creativity, and time with friends! No after-school transportation needed since all the fun happens during lunch.
Get creative. Have fun. Make something awesome!
GREAT LEARNING BEGINS WITH GREAT QUESTIONS!
Our literacy focus continues this week with Curious Questioner! Questions are one of the most powerful tools for learning. The best questions don't just look for a quick answer; they encourage students to think, explain, wonder, make connections, and share their reasoning.
Our teachers are being challenged this week to ask questions that spark curiosity rather than end conversations.
FAMILIES CAN JOIN THE CHALLENGE!
Instead of asking:“Did you have a good day?”
Try a question that gets your T-Bird talking:
“What made you think today?”
“Why do you think that happened?”
“What did you learn that surprised you?”
“Tell me more about that.”
Then comes the important part: listen without interrupting and give them time to explain their thinking.
Questions → Thinking → Learning
Great questions don't just get answers, they build thinkers.That's how we Train. Grow. Evolve.
HABIT 3: PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST
Our focus on Habit 3: Put First Things First couldn't come at a better time!Habit 3 means focusing on what's most important, prioritizing responsibilities, and getting the important things done before moving on to the things we simply want to do.
With the quarter ending Friday, this week's family question is simple:
“What needs to come FIRST this week?”
Maybe it's finishing a missing assignment before gaming, studying before scrolling, getting to school on time, attending Learning Lab, or talking to a teacher about a grade.Prioritize. Make a plan. Get it done. Then enjoy the fun stuff!
ROBOTICS CLUB
Calling all future engineers, programmers, builders, and problem-solvers! Robotics Club meets every Tuesday:
Tuesdays 3:00–4:00 PM Room 300If your T-Bird likes to build, create, problem-solve, or figure out how things work, encourage them to check it out!
FIND YOUR PLACE IN THUNDERBIRD NATION!
There are so many ways to get connected at Mitchell Senior. Our October calendar is packed with opportunities for students to find something they enjoy: Crochet Club — Mondays, 3:00–4:00 PM, Room 403 TCG Club — Mondays, 3:00–4:00 PM, Room 205 Girls Flag Football Club — Mondays & Thursdays, 3:00–4:00 PM 7th Grade Arts & Crafts Club — Tuesdays during 7th Grade Lunch, Room 104 The Grind — Tuesdays, 3:00–4:00 PM, Room 400 Robotics Club — Tuesdays, 3:00–4:00 PM, Room 300 Culinary Club — Thursdays, 3:00–3:45 PM, Room 207And don't forget: Student Store is open every Wednesday at lunch!
Encourage your T-Bird to try something new, meet new people, and find their place!
LEARNING LAB — ONE MORE WEEK TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
If your T-Bird needs help before the quarter ends, this is the week to use Learning Lab! Tuesday & Thursday 3:00–4:00 PM Tuesday — Room 107 Thursday — Room 202Students can get help with assignments, work on missing work, ask questions, or simply have a quiet place to focus.
Don't wait until Friday—ask for help now!
KEEP EARNING THOSE 5 STAR POINTS!
Those 5 Star points are a BIG DEAL! 
Students earn points for positive choices, participation, preparedness, attendance, bringing their Yondr pouch, getting involved, and showing us what it means to be a T-Bird.
STUDENT STORE = EVERY WEDNESDAY AT LUNCH!
Earn them. Save them. Spend them.Catch 'em doing good!
YONDR: BRING YOUR POUCH EVERY DAY!
Families, we need your help! Students should bring their issued Yondr pouch to school every day. Our supply of loaner pouches is limited, so it is important that students locate their assigned pouch and make bringing it to school part of their daily routine. If your student has a loaner, please return it.
Phone off. Phone in pouch. Pouch every day.If a pouch has been lost, a replacement may be purchased for $30 at the Main Office.
Please also continue to store pouches safely at home. Because they contain a metal locking mechanism, they should not be left loose on the floor or anywhere they could be stepped on.
Thank you for helping us keep our campus phone-free and focused on learning!
EVERY DAY COUNTS — ESPECIALLY THIS WEEK!
It's the last week of the quarter, and every day and every class still matters.
Breakfast: 7:30–7:55 AM
School begins: 8:00 AM Regular dismissal: 2:52 PM Wednesday dismissal: 1:37 PMBeing present, on time, and ready to learn is one of the simplest ways students can set themselves up for success.
NEED TO “REMOVE” A TARDY?
Students can “remove” tardies by serving time in Room 101. Taking care of tardies helps students remain eligible for activities and sports. KEEP ON YOUR RADAR
We're closing one quarter and heading straight into another!- October 12: 2nd Quarter begins
- October 12: Fall Picture Make-Up Day
- October 12: Boys Volleyball & Girls Soccer — HOME
- October 13: 7th Grade Thunderbird Check-In
- October 13: Boys Volleyball & Girls Soccer — HOME
- October 14: Cross Country League Meet — Applegate Park
October 14: Parent Workshop/Mental Health Fair — 5:00 PM
October 16: 1st Quarter Report Cards mailed home
October 16: Red Ribbon Parade — Band & Cadets- October 16: Superintendent's Student Advisory Committee
- October 16: WEB Leader Tie Dye Social
October 17: Santa Cruz Band Review- October 20: Campus Supervisor Appreciation Day
- October 23–29: Red Ribbon Spirit Week
October 23: ASB Fall Rally- October 27: Boys Volleyball & Girls Soccer Tournament Week begins
- October 29: Fall Festival — 3:00–4:30 PM
October 30: NO SCHOOL — Teacher Professional Development Day
TRAIN. GROW. EVOLVE.
This week is about finishing what we started.Ask the question. Finish the assignment. Go to Learning Lab. Show up on time. Try the new club. Cheer for a teammate. Make the responsible choice, even when no one is watching.
And when Friday arrives, we want every T-Bird to be able to say:
“I gave the first quarter my best.”
Then we take what we learned and get ready to evolve into an even stronger second quarter.Thank you, families, for continuing to partner with us, encourage your T-Bird, and help make Mitchell Senior a place where students can belong, grow, and succeed.
Watch for T-Bird News every Sunday at 5 PM in ParentSquare.
It's a great year to be a T-Bird!
Diana Dietz, Principal