[0:10] - Today is our time to hang

out with our avid tutors.

[0:15] We have the options for many things.

[0:18] If I were coming into Cooper High School,

[0:20] I would immediately

know that when I came in

[0:22] that it is a family

[0:23] and that is something that

shines through with all

[0:25] of the teachers and staff and

all of the students as well.

[0:28] - When I walk in the building,

[0:30] I get smiles every morning and I love it.

[0:32] People are speaking to

me, asking how I'm doing.

[0:34] It makes me feel good.

[0:35] It makes me feel welcome

like I wanna be here.

[0:38] - The diversity is very important,

[0:39] especially right now in high school

[0:41] 'cause people are trying

to figure out themselves

[0:43] and feel like they belong here.

[0:45] - When I think about Cooper's diversity,

[0:48] I feel like it's traveling

around the world basically.

[0:51] There are so many opportunities at Cooper,

[0:53] there's CNA Class, EMT, avid

Student Council, spirit.

[0:58] We have our Asian American

Club, we have Afro Nation.

[1:01] There's so much varieties

of things that you could do

[1:04] to find where you belong and it's awesome

[1:06] because I learned things

about new cultures

[1:08] and people every single day.

[1:11] - It's gave them a direction

in figuring out who they want

[1:13] to be and what they actually

want to do in the future

[1:17] and I'm very thankful for that.

[1:19] - I think as a student at

Cooper, our voice matters.

[1:23] The admin and staff go out

their way to kind of tell us

[1:25] and let us know that our voice matters.

[1:27] - What I think is the best about Cooper is

[1:29] that they offer a lot

[1:31] of different programs like the

AP course and the IB course.

[1:34] They give the kids the

opportunity to learn about college

[1:37] and to get college credit,

which as a parent is fantastic.

[1:41] - We are giving them skills

[1:43] and knowledge to go out into

the world and to be curious,

[1:46] but also to have those

fundamental organizational skills.

[1:49] Note taking skills that will help them be

[1:51] successful no matter what they do.

[1:52] We work to try to give our

kids the best of what we can

[1:55] to prepare them for when

they leave Cooper to go out

[1:58] and be global citizens.

[1:59] - Some of our students don't

really necessarily like wanna

[2:03] go to college, but they

wanna do trade school

[2:05] and so we have people here for that.

[2:06] People can have someone

that can help guide them

[2:09] into whatever journey

[2:10] or path they want to take after school.

[2:13] - I think what really makes

Cooper feel like a place

[2:14] where I can belong is

the fact that there's

[2:17] so much people here that are

like open-minded and kind

[2:20] and just willing to listen or

be a shoulder you can lean on

[2:24] - As a full service community

school, we recognize

[2:26] that educating the

whole child is important

[2:29] and that if we can't

focus in the classroom

[2:31] because we didn't get breakfast

[2:33] or if we have something going

on at home, we recognize

[2:36] that we need to like work

with families, partner

[2:39] with different organizations

[2:40] and just show up for each other.

[2:42] And I think that's an

area where Cooper shines.

[2:44] - Whether it's like social services

[2:46] or just if you need extra clothes

[2:49] or extra snacks, you know,

we are able to provide

[2:52] that for our students.

[2:53] - The teachers are very much engaged,

[2:56] they're very involved and they care.

[2:58] We have one teacher who

will write her little notes

[3:01] and slip it in her

computer so that later on

[3:04] during the day she can say,

Hey, you're doing a great job.

[3:06] - I love the staff here

[3:07] and everybody at this school,

they've just been so helpful

[3:11] with anything and everything

that we would need.

[3:13] - It is a place that people

genuinely care about each other.

[3:17] I have seen students

[3:19] and staff rally around students

[3:20] who are going through hard times.

[3:22] That is not something that I

think you can find everywhere

[3:25] and it's what makes Cooper very special,

[3:27] - Believe belong and become.