Meet the CAHS Capybara: A New Mascot for Connect Academy High School

Connect Academy High School staff show their school spirit by wearing CAHS Capybara shirts, celebrating the student-designed mascot that represents creativity, pride, and community.

A Mascot Created by Students, for Students
At Connect Academy High School (CAHS), student voice and creativity are an important part of building a strong school community. This year, that spirit came to life in a fun and unexpected way when students helped create a brand-new school mascot: the CAHS Capybara.

What makes this mascot especially meaningful is that it started with a student’s original drawing. Inspired by the idea of building school pride, students and staff worked together to turn that drawing into the official mascot for Connect Academy High School.

The result is the CAHS Capybara, a symbol of the creativity, ownership, and personality that students bring to their school every day.

Supporting Student Creativity
When the school community saw the student’s design, the excitement was immediate. Staff recognized it as a great opportunity not only to introduce a mascot, but also to celebrate and support the student artist and their classmates.

To bring the idea to life, Connect Academy High School created CAHS Capybara shirts for both students and staff. The shirts allow everyone in the building to proudly show their school spirit while recognizing the creativity and initiative of the students who helped inspire the mascot.

It’s a simple but meaningful way to celebrate student talent and build a stronger sense of community within the school.

Building Pride and Ownership
For many students, having a mascot represents more than just school spirit, it represents belonging. At an alternative school like Connect Academy High School, creating opportunities for students to feel connected and invested in their environment is especially powerful.

School Administrator Jan Donovan, PhD, shared how special this moment has been for the school community:

​This is kind of exciting. I have been doing this for many years and this is the first group of kids who have actually taken ownership of their alternative school.

Seeing students embrace the idea and take pride in their school is a powerful reflection of the positive culture being built at CAHS.

Celebrating the CAHS CapybaraThe introduction of the CAHS Capybara marks a fun new chapter for Connect Academy High School. From a student’s creative idea to a mascot proudly worn by students and staff, the capybara represents the unique spirit of the CAHS community.

More importantly, it highlights what can happen when students are encouraged to share their ideas, express their creativity, and take pride in the place where they learn and grow.

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