Rita YoKell - Mesa Middle School

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Rita YoKell

Hello My Name Is...

Mrs. Rita YoKell

I was born in Baltimore, Maryland but I grew up in Hawaii and loved every minute of it. It was a wonderful learning experience. I was able to be a part of many different cultures in the biggest melting pot of the United States. I carry the knowledge and belief that it is indeed a great country that we live in. If you visit my classroom, you will see that I've brought a little of the "Aloha" spirit to share with my students.

This will be my 29th year of teaching. I taught 2 years in Hawaii, 1 year in Maryland and this is my 26th year in Colorado with Douglas County School District. I have been at Mesa since it opened in 2008 so this will be my 16th year. Through my teaching career, I have taught many subjects including history, science, language arts, health and wellness and computer technology. I have always had a passion for history whether it is about American history, the history of computers or the history of our world. I especially like to hear stories from my students about how they and their families history fits into our world. One of my favorite quotes is "Every life that has been lived until today is a part of the woven braid of life. It takes every person's story to create history. Your life will help determine the course of history."

I live in Golden with my husband and our dog, Sam. We live in our mountain home with 11.5 acres of forest. My daughter lives in Texas, and my son lives in Kansas City. My two stepdaughters live in Denver.

I enjoy reading, cooking, rafting, hiking and skiing with my husband as well as spending quality time with my family. I also like to play MahJongg with several of my girlfriends. I love to travel and learn about new places. Most of my travels have been across the United States visiting historical locations. My other travels have lead me to Germany, France, Belgium and Luxembourg. I have also been to Puerto Rico, the British Virgin Islands, Cozumel, Mexico and the American Virgin Islands. I hope to share those experiences and many others with you.

Reading is a passion of mine and so in my free time I read on my Kindle. During the pandemic, I read 90 books from March of 2020 through August 2020.
Each summer I set a new goal. Here are my tallies so far:
Summer 2021- 100
Summer 2022- 110
Summer 2023- 112

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In compliance with Titles VI & VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, and Colorado law, the Douglas County School District RE-1 does not unlawfully discriminate against otherwise qualified students, employees, applicants for employment, or members of the public on the basis of disability, race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, religion, ancestry, or need for special education services. Discrimination against employees and applicants for employment based on age, genetic information, and conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth is also prohibited in accordance with state and/or federal law. Complaint procedures have been established for students, parents, employees, and members of the public. The School District's Compliance Officer and Title IX Coordinator to address complaints alleging sexual harassment under Title IX is Aaron Henderson, 620 Wilcox Street, Castle Rock, Colorado, [email protected], 303-387-0127.

Outside Agencies

Complaints regarding violations of Title VI, (race, national origin), Title IX (sex, gender), Section 504/ADA (handicap or disability), may be filed directly with the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, 1244 North Speer Blvd., Suite 310, Denver, CO 80204. Complaints regarding violations of Title VII (employment) and the ADEA (prohibiting age discrimination in employment) may be filed directly with the Federal Office of Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 303 E. 17th Ave., Suite 510, Denver, CO 80202, or the Colorado Civil Rights Commission, 1560 Broadway, Suite 1050, Denver, CO 80202.

NOTICE OF DESTRUCTION OF SPECIAL EDUCATION RECORDS

Special Education records which have been collected by Douglas County School District related to the identification, evaluation, educational placement, or the provision of special education in the district, must be maintained under state and federal laws for the period of five (5) years after special education services have ended for the student. Special education services end when the student is no longer eligible for services, graduates, or completes his/her educational program at age 21, or moves from the district. This notification is to inform parents/guardians and former students of Douglas County School District's intent to destroy the special education records of students who exited special education services as of June 30, 2016. These records will be destroyed in accordance with state law unless the parent/guardian or eligible (adult) student notifies the school district otherwise. After five years, the records are no longer useful to the district, but may be useful to the parent/guardian or former student in applying for social security benefits, rehabilitation services, college entrance, etc. The parent/guardian or eligible (adult) student may request a copy of the records by requesting the records at this link ( Douglas County School District Transcripts and Records Requests ).