The Rocky River Army JROTC Ravens Battalion is Flipping the Grade

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Written by: Cadet Captain Yaire Barreiro, Book Study Team Captain

MINT HILL, NC — The Rocky River JROTC Book Study Team worked together to help teachers mentor students in order to “Flip The Grade”. With COVID-19 and the teacher shortage, schools have had a difficult time improving academic scores. We all had to come together to examine ourselves and to reflect on how we could provide relief. The Book Study Team analyzed their current school grades, all subjects involved in the grading process, and possible root causes of low academic scores and evaluated our findings to decide how to mitigate the learning environment from inside the student body. The Battalion focused on improving these core subject areas – Math I, Math III, and Biology – through mentoring our peers and stepping up to become teacher assistants. In doing this, the Battalion motivated our teachers and students to adhere to “The Raven Way”. “The Raven Way” is our principal’s vision, which strives to encourage our students to be triumphant inside and outside their classrooms, while building a community that allows them to flourish. “The Raven Way” consists of four core values – Respect, Responsibility, Honor, and Service.  Cadets would use these values as a foundation in their education to become grade level proficient. The battalion is creating a legacy where younger generations are inspired to follow in their footsteps and uphold this legacy for the next generation. In the book “It Worked For Me: In Life and Leadership” General Colin Powell quotes on chapter 27 page 170, “The sole goal is to improve our performance. It’s not about your ego or mine. If we are a team, we can level with each other in a spirit of “how do we do better?” This quote demonstrates the students seeing others being mentored and noticed the positive impact it had on the school. This encouraged non JROTC cadets to join in! After the first semester, the state exam scores have risen with the schoolwide tutoring and mentoring program the Book Study Team established. We continue to strive for excellence to represent the “S” for “Service” in “The Raven Way.”