Hard to believe, but we’re wrapping up another year with our high school students, our GED students, and many of our adult education students. This is the fun part—seeing everyone’s hard work come to the end result we all look forward to!
The Administrative Team and I have been covering all of our partner school high-school graduation ceremonies over the past couple of weeks (with a few to go). On May 22, I attended Ridgemont’s graduation—what a nice ceremony! Small and very intimate. I especially appreciated that each Ohio Hi-Point student was asked to stand and his/her career-technical program was announced. (I’m told Upper Scioto Valley does the same thing.) We appreciate the special recognition our students are given “back home” for their career-technical achievements!
Our own Convocation was, as always, a beautiful ceremony. The weather didn’t exactly cooperate—in fact it teased us all day. But we decided better safe (and dry!) than sorry. I want to personally thank the “army” of people it took to move our Convocation from our campus to the Bellefontaine High School gymnasium. Our OHP team always does a terrific job putting together a memorable ceremony for our students. There are too many to mention—but you know who you are. Thanks so much! And I want to publicly thank the staff at Bellefontaine High School—they could not have been more helpful or accommodating. When schools work together, students win!
I’ve attended a lot of graduation ceremonies over the years; and, of course, the students are always happy. But I have to say our students last Wednesday just beamed as they came across the stage! That’s a tribute to all of you for the positive experience you create for our students at OHP and the excellent preparation you give them for their futures!
I’m sure you, like I, have heard many positive comments about the ceremony. I’d like to share two comments I had from our partners:
"Fantastic job with the ceremony last night! You can all be very proud. The student speakers were outstanding and the evening went very well. Thanks so much again for all you do to take care of our students after they leave USV."
Jon Cook
Upper Scioto Valley Schools
"Congratulations on a great convocation ceremony last evening. I enjoyed watching the excitement in the eyes of the graduates and the parents. You have much to be proud of at this time. I know (two students) would have probably dropped out of high school if it wasn't for Hi-Point and the great staff. Both students are going on to the Adult Education in Phlebotomy this summer."
Pete Yost
Champaign Co. Department of Jobs & Family Services
Last Tuesday evening, I and many of you attended the Construction Trades Academy open house at the project house. What a terrific turnout! This year’s house featured many energy-saving features, and Touchstone Energy partnered with us on our open house. It really was standing-room only. I appreciate the many staff members who took time to stop by—it means so much to those students to be able to show off their hard work over the past year. They built a beautiful house that will no doubt become a comfortable home for a lucky family. Congratulations to the students and teachers—Terry Hedges, Bob Lawrence, Doug Limes, and Dave Marsteller—for another successful year!
Our Administrative Team and I met with representatives from Urbana University last Friday about some potential new partnerships in both academics and career pathways. It’s too soon to have specifics for you. But just let me say that our team had partnered off with counterparts from UU and no one wanted to break up the discussion. That’s the sign of a good meeting! We’ll keep you posted as the details of these opportunities for our students come to fruition.
In parting for the summer, I want to wish you all a wonderful, safe, restful summer. Enjoy a slower pace to spend with family and friends. If you’re traveling, be safe. And take time to recharge your batteries and plan for another great year next year!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
May 22, 2009
We’ve had quite a scare at the end of this week with the bus accident involving our Graham students, but things could have been much, much worse for our students. How ironic that we had our mock accident exercise on Thursday; and then on the way home, these students lived that experience. While none of our students was seriously injured, it had to have shaken them up quite a bit even to witness the accident. We’re so, so grateful that they’re all still with us. Please keep the families and loved ones of those who were killed in the van that collided with the bus in your thoughts and prayers.
On the topic of our mock accident, I want to thank Carol Siebeneck and the others who assisted for orchestrating this very powerful experience for our students. I never knew how many agencies were involved in making this happen! I can only hope that it will make our students stop and think during this graduation season and make good choices. If one life is saved (which we’ll never know), it’s well worth it.
I’ve had the opportunity to stop in and visit some classes in the past couple of weeks, and think our seniors, especially, are working fast and furious to complete senior projects, portfolios, exams, and the other demands of being a senior! But the ones I’ve gotten to speak with are also very excited about taking the next step and focused on where they’re going. And the common thread I hear in their comments is that they feel well prepared. To all of you—job well done for getting this next group of students ready to take on the world!
Last Thursday I accompanied the Professional Turf and Landscaping students on a field trip to Scotts-Miracle-Gro Company in Marysville. It’s typically difficult for student groups to get into Scotts, but a former Union County Leadership Institute classmate of mine facilitated the visit. It was really neat! The students actually participated in a class taught by one of their Training Institute instructors, receiving the same content he would present to landscapers and other lawn and garden professionals about Scott’s products. I had no idea there were so many different kinds of grasses, fertilizers, and weed killers! (Definitely gives me a complex about my yard.) We also received lollipops with (edible) bugs embedded in them. Kind of gross—but they were a hit! In addition, we visited one of their research greenhouses. I appreciated the behavior and mature, thoughtful questions our students had while on the tour. Hopefully this will spur them on to continue their education and perhaps someday take advantage of employment opportunities at Scotts!
Monday I attended the first meeting of the Champaign Co. Economic Development Advisory Council. As we worked through a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats), it occurred to me how much collaboration we have in Champaign Co. For example:
• Ohio Hi-Point has collaborated with Urbana University (and Clark State) to establish credit-articulation programs within the health careers pathway to encourage more adults into higher education.
• The Department of Jobs and Family Services is at the beginning of that pipeline to identify under-educated, under-employed adults and provide them with basic skills training (for which they collaborate with OHP for Adult Basic Literacy training).
• The City and County have been instrumental in helping OHP establish a South Campus (at the former Armory) to bring workforce training programs to Champaign Co. for high-school students and adults.
I really look forward to working with this committee of community leaders to strengthen those partnerships and our opportunities in Champaign County.
Thursday evening I attended our OHP FFA Annual Awards Banquet. This is always such a great evening and a class act! Robin Curly’s and Cole Carpenter’s students do a great job of running the show, and the students are so proud of their accomplishments (rightfully so!) I especially appreciate the number of staff members who attend this event every year—it’s a wonderful show of support for these students!
No doubt you’re all looking forwarded to this extended weekend as much as I am! It comes at a perfect time when we could all use a breather. I’ve kept a newspaper column by Regina Brett that I cut out of the Cleveland Plain Dealer when I was there for Memorial Day several years ago titled “45 Life Lessons and 5 to Grow On.” It’s a great mix of philosophical and practical advice. There are too many to list here, but some of my favorites are:
• Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
• When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
• Pay off your credit cards every month.
• Don’t compare your life to others; you have no idea what their journey is all about.
• It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
• If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.
• Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.
• The best is yet to come.
Have a great weekend; and on this Memorial Day, take time to honor the memory of those who have served our country. And if you’re traveling, be safe!
On the topic of our mock accident, I want to thank Carol Siebeneck and the others who assisted for orchestrating this very powerful experience for our students. I never knew how many agencies were involved in making this happen! I can only hope that it will make our students stop and think during this graduation season and make good choices. If one life is saved (which we’ll never know), it’s well worth it.
I’ve had the opportunity to stop in and visit some classes in the past couple of weeks, and think our seniors, especially, are working fast and furious to complete senior projects, portfolios, exams, and the other demands of being a senior! But the ones I’ve gotten to speak with are also very excited about taking the next step and focused on where they’re going. And the common thread I hear in their comments is that they feel well prepared. To all of you—job well done for getting this next group of students ready to take on the world!
Last Thursday I accompanied the Professional Turf and Landscaping students on a field trip to Scotts-Miracle-Gro Company in Marysville. It’s typically difficult for student groups to get into Scotts, but a former Union County Leadership Institute classmate of mine facilitated the visit. It was really neat! The students actually participated in a class taught by one of their Training Institute instructors, receiving the same content he would present to landscapers and other lawn and garden professionals about Scott’s products. I had no idea there were so many different kinds of grasses, fertilizers, and weed killers! (Definitely gives me a complex about my yard.) We also received lollipops with (edible) bugs embedded in them. Kind of gross—but they were a hit! In addition, we visited one of their research greenhouses. I appreciated the behavior and mature, thoughtful questions our students had while on the tour. Hopefully this will spur them on to continue their education and perhaps someday take advantage of employment opportunities at Scotts!
Monday I attended the first meeting of the Champaign Co. Economic Development Advisory Council. As we worked through a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats), it occurred to me how much collaboration we have in Champaign Co. For example:
• Ohio Hi-Point has collaborated with Urbana University (and Clark State) to establish credit-articulation programs within the health careers pathway to encourage more adults into higher education.
• The Department of Jobs and Family Services is at the beginning of that pipeline to identify under-educated, under-employed adults and provide them with basic skills training (for which they collaborate with OHP for Adult Basic Literacy training).
• The City and County have been instrumental in helping OHP establish a South Campus (at the former Armory) to bring workforce training programs to Champaign Co. for high-school students and adults.
I really look forward to working with this committee of community leaders to strengthen those partnerships and our opportunities in Champaign County.
Thursday evening I attended our OHP FFA Annual Awards Banquet. This is always such a great evening and a class act! Robin Curly’s and Cole Carpenter’s students do a great job of running the show, and the students are so proud of their accomplishments (rightfully so!) I especially appreciate the number of staff members who attend this event every year—it’s a wonderful show of support for these students!
No doubt you’re all looking forwarded to this extended weekend as much as I am! It comes at a perfect time when we could all use a breather. I’ve kept a newspaper column by Regina Brett that I cut out of the Cleveland Plain Dealer when I was there for Memorial Day several years ago titled “45 Life Lessons and 5 to Grow On.” It’s a great mix of philosophical and practical advice. There are too many to list here, but some of my favorites are:
• Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
• When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
• Pay off your credit cards every month.
• Don’t compare your life to others; you have no idea what their journey is all about.
• It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
• If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.
• Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.
• The best is yet to come.
Have a great weekend; and on this Memorial Day, take time to honor the memory of those who have served our country. And if you’re traveling, be safe!
Friday, May 8, 2009
May 8, 2009
Wow, what a week! There’ve been so many great recognition activities going on, it’s difficult to capture them all here. I’m a little late getting this out because I’ve been busy with some of these activities even today.
This past week, among others, we recognized our National Technical Honor Society inductees, our top 15 academic achievers who each selected their “Honored Educator,” our academic achievers at the Logan Co. Academic Achievement Recognition Breakfast, and our Project SEARCH interns. Please watch your e-mail for Shane’s press releases and photos and take time to read them—it reminds us why we’re all here! And congratulations to all of our student achievers for their outstanding performance this year.
This past weekend was chock-full with activities related to our 35th Anniversary celebration. Friday evening, we had an Alumni & Friends gathering, and several past students, staff, and supporters of OHP stopped by. It was a nice, casual evening to enjoy some refreshments and catch up with old friends. Saturday morning was our Top of Ohio 5K Run/Walk. The weather was a pleasant surprise, and we had a great time! One special team that walked and ran the race was our Project SEARCH team (see photo above right). They truly took the “team” approach and supported one another right up to the finish line!
Saturday evening was our third Showcase of Success Distinguished Alumni Induction. It was such a special evening. Our three inductees were Beth Brentlinger (Cosmetology, 1976), Carol DelGrosso (Drafting, 1978), and Aaron Wren (Plumbing/Pipefitting, 1979). Of course, we all love to hear the success stories of our alumni; but what I enjoy most is seeing our inductees reconnect with OHP in a significant way and truly appreciate the great start their teachers here gave them. Be watching our Showcase of Success wall for these three inductees to be added and take time to read their stories!
Monday I had the opportunity to attend the statewide Career-Based Intervention spring conference where our very own Deb Wortman was recognized as an Outstanding Partner for her work in starting CBI programs with partner schools. Very well deserved! These programs have made such an impact on students needing just a little extra guidance in middle school and high school in order to get on and stay on the right track. One of those students, Bryanna Baker at Upper Scioto Valley, was also recognized as the recipient of the Jeff Akers Scholarship at the state conference. She gave a beautiful and eloquent speech as she shared with us her plans to go on to become a nurse. Let me share with you some of her words:
My CBI class through Ohio Hi-Point has helped me develop this plan and taught me the process to moving through all of the steps. This scholarship and your belief in me have increased my self confidence, which adds to my personal drive to work towards my goals.
Best wishes to Bryanna—I have no doubt she’ll one day make a wonderful nurse!
You know, our students are some of the most grateful teenagers I’ve ever worked with (and you don’t often hear “grateful” and “teenager” in the same sentence!) One example I’d like to share with you is the following e-mail one of our students sent to Tracy Franck in our Technology Department:
This past week, among others, we recognized our National Technical Honor Society inductees, our top 15 academic achievers who each selected their “Honored Educator,” our academic achievers at the Logan Co. Academic Achievement Recognition Breakfast, and our Project SEARCH interns. Please watch your e-mail for Shane’s press releases and photos and take time to read them—it reminds us why we’re all here! And congratulations to all of our student achievers for their outstanding performance this year.
This past weekend was chock-full with activities related to our 35th Anniversary celebration. Friday evening, we had an Alumni & Friends gathering, and several past students, staff, and supporters of OHP stopped by. It was a nice, casual evening to enjoy some refreshments and catch up with old friends. Saturday morning was our Top of Ohio 5K Run/Walk. The weather was a pleasant surprise, and we had a great time! One special team that walked and ran the race was our Project SEARCH team (see photo above right). They truly took the “team” approach and supported one another right up to the finish line!
Saturday evening was our third Showcase of Success Distinguished Alumni Induction. It was such a special evening. Our three inductees were Beth Brentlinger (Cosmetology, 1976), Carol DelGrosso (Drafting, 1978), and Aaron Wren (Plumbing/Pipefitting, 1979). Of course, we all love to hear the success stories of our alumni; but what I enjoy most is seeing our inductees reconnect with OHP in a significant way and truly appreciate the great start their teachers here gave them. Be watching our Showcase of Success wall for these three inductees to be added and take time to read their stories!
Monday I had the opportunity to attend the statewide Career-Based Intervention spring conference where our very own Deb Wortman was recognized as an Outstanding Partner for her work in starting CBI programs with partner schools. Very well deserved! These programs have made such an impact on students needing just a little extra guidance in middle school and high school in order to get on and stay on the right track. One of those students, Bryanna Baker at Upper Scioto Valley, was also recognized as the recipient of the Jeff Akers Scholarship at the state conference. She gave a beautiful and eloquent speech as she shared with us her plans to go on to become a nurse. Let me share with you some of her words:
My CBI class through Ohio Hi-Point has helped me develop this plan and taught me the process to moving through all of the steps. This scholarship and your belief in me have increased my self confidence, which adds to my personal drive to work towards my goals.
Best wishes to Bryanna—I have no doubt she’ll one day make a wonderful nurse!
You know, our students are some of the most grateful teenagers I’ve ever worked with (and you don’t often hear “grateful” and “teenager” in the same sentence!) One example I’d like to share with you is the following e-mail one of our students sent to Tracy Franck in our Technology Department:
Mrs. Franck, I just wanted to thank you again for helping with my senior video. We watched it in lab today and everyone loved it, it was very emotional. And thanks to you I was able to get everyone a copy of the video today. You don’t know how much that meant to me. I was unable to get my fellow classmates a graduation present and this made me feel a little bit better. It also gives each one of us something to look back on, we will all now have something to remember each other by and the time spent at Hi-Point. So thank you so much.
Amie' Hoffer
Culinary Arts 09'
I’m sure Tracy thought nothing of helping this young lady with her project, but what an impact it made! Even when we’re just “doing our jobs,” never underestimate the difference we can make.
It’s come to my attention that, if we had a “Safety Award of the Week,” it should go to Melissa Sizemore this week (Melissa is a math teacher on our Bellefontaine Campus). Apparently as Melissa and some students were setting up outside for field day today at about noon, the tornado siren went off. Melissa didn’t realize this was a weekly occurrence (to test the siren), and she had a real sense of urgency about getting her students back into the building to a safe location! Melissa, your friends and co-workers are having a little fun at your expense. But I’m glad you have that intuitive instinct to protect our kids. Hope it didn’t stress you out too much!
It’s come to my attention that, if we had a “Safety Award of the Week,” it should go to Melissa Sizemore this week (Melissa is a math teacher on our Bellefontaine Campus). Apparently as Melissa and some students were setting up outside for field day today at about noon, the tornado siren went off. Melissa didn’t realize this was a weekly occurrence (to test the siren), and she had a real sense of urgency about getting her students back into the building to a safe location! Melissa, your friends and co-workers are having a little fun at your expense. But I’m glad you have that intuitive instinct to protect our kids. Hope it didn’t stress you out too much!
Finally, let me wish all of you a wonderful Mother’s Day. Treasure your mother if you still have her, treasure her memory if you don’t, treasure motherhood if you are a mother, and treasure the anticipation of motherhood if you’re a mother-to-be!
Have a great weekend!
Friday, May 1, 2009
May 1, 2009
Friday, May 1, 2009
Yikes, is anyone else hyperventilating over how fast time is going by?!? A typical spring in any school, I suppose. (By the way--welcome to May and happy May Day!)
The Administrative Team put our best culinary foot (feet?) forward on Monday and provided lunch for our office support staff. This is the very least we can do to thank them for the tremendous support they provide to all of us and, most importantly, our students! It was a lot of fun and such a treat to be able to sit down and have lunch with the whole gang. A photo of the festivities is at the right.
We recognized our 3rd-quarter Straight A students with “walking tacos” and special recognition on Monday afternoon. What a great group of kids! It was nice to spend some time with our achievers; but true to form, they didn’t stick around long—most of them wanted to get back to class to finish some assignment or project! So we sent them on their way and told them to “go get some more A’s!” Thanks to all of our teaching staff who work with these students to help them succeed.
Wednesday evening I attended the West-Central Ohio Tech Prep Consortium Recognition Dinner and had the privilege of seeing two of OHP’s finest receive recognition. Ashley Sprang, Health Technologies senior from Kenton, and Lance Salyer, Auto Technology senior from Triad, will both be receiving Tech Prep scholarships—Ashley for Rhodes State and Lance for University of Northwest Ohio. Congratulations to these two fine young people and best wishes in your college and career! We know you’ll make us proud and go on to much success.
I was off campus on Thursday attending an “Issues Forum” with the career-technical superintendents. On the topic of the next biennium budget, among other things we are working with the Senate Education Committee to assure:
· That career-tech leadership has representation on the committee that will study our funding over the next two years
· That open-enrolled students and weighted funding are included in the amount that the proposed 1.9 percent funding increase will be based upon
· That Adult Workforce Education is fully integrated into the University System of Ohio (now that we are under the Board of Regents)
We’re on voice among hundreds, no doubt, lobbying with Senate right now over this budget bill, but we are a united voice! I’ll keep you posted.
Thursday evening we hosted our annual Career Focus Dinner and invited those students who have applied to our programs to come in, have dinner with us, and spend some time in their future labs getting to know their instructors better. We had a great turnout and I was able to talk to many excited future students (and grateful parents!) I also heard comments from several of our staff that this seems like such a nice group of kids (not that that’s anything new). We look forward to working with them over the next two years!
We’ve had a lot of activities around our 35th Anniversary this week, with many more to come! I hope you’ll all come out and join us at our Top of Ohio 5K Run/Walk tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. It’s an exciting event which draws a bigger crowd of runners/walkers every year. And best of all, it raises money for our Scholarship Fund! Thanks to all of you who are volunteering your precious weekend time for this event.
Next week is one of celebrating special people! Tuesday is National Teacher Appreciation Day, and Wednesday is School Nurse’s Appreciation Day! Let me be the first to say we greatly appreciate the professionalism of all of our teachers/certified staff and all you do to help our students chase their dreams. And I know I’m not alone in saying that I always feel a little bit safer knowing we have “Nurse Amy” watching over us as our Health & Safety Coordinator. Thanks for all you do. We’ve got the best!
Have a great weekend!
Yikes, is anyone else hyperventilating over how fast time is going by?!? A typical spring in any school, I suppose. (By the way--welcome to May and happy May Day!)
The Administrative Team put our best culinary foot (feet?) forward on Monday and provided lunch for our office support staff. This is the very least we can do to thank them for the tremendous support they provide to all of us and, most importantly, our students! It was a lot of fun and such a treat to be able to sit down and have lunch with the whole gang. A photo of the festivities is at the right.
We recognized our 3rd-quarter Straight A students with “walking tacos” and special recognition on Monday afternoon. What a great group of kids! It was nice to spend some time with our achievers; but true to form, they didn’t stick around long—most of them wanted to get back to class to finish some assignment or project! So we sent them on their way and told them to “go get some more A’s!” Thanks to all of our teaching staff who work with these students to help them succeed.
Wednesday evening I attended the West-Central Ohio Tech Prep Consortium Recognition Dinner and had the privilege of seeing two of OHP’s finest receive recognition. Ashley Sprang, Health Technologies senior from Kenton, and Lance Salyer, Auto Technology senior from Triad, will both be receiving Tech Prep scholarships—Ashley for Rhodes State and Lance for University of Northwest Ohio. Congratulations to these two fine young people and best wishes in your college and career! We know you’ll make us proud and go on to much success.
I was off campus on Thursday attending an “Issues Forum” with the career-technical superintendents. On the topic of the next biennium budget, among other things we are working with the Senate Education Committee to assure:
· That career-tech leadership has representation on the committee that will study our funding over the next two years
· That open-enrolled students and weighted funding are included in the amount that the proposed 1.9 percent funding increase will be based upon
· That Adult Workforce Education is fully integrated into the University System of Ohio (now that we are under the Board of Regents)
We’re on voice among hundreds, no doubt, lobbying with Senate right now over this budget bill, but we are a united voice! I’ll keep you posted.
Thursday evening we hosted our annual Career Focus Dinner and invited those students who have applied to our programs to come in, have dinner with us, and spend some time in their future labs getting to know their instructors better. We had a great turnout and I was able to talk to many excited future students (and grateful parents!) I also heard comments from several of our staff that this seems like such a nice group of kids (not that that’s anything new). We look forward to working with them over the next two years!
We’ve had a lot of activities around our 35th Anniversary this week, with many more to come! I hope you’ll all come out and join us at our Top of Ohio 5K Run/Walk tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. It’s an exciting event which draws a bigger crowd of runners/walkers every year. And best of all, it raises money for our Scholarship Fund! Thanks to all of you who are volunteering your precious weekend time for this event.
Next week is one of celebrating special people! Tuesday is National Teacher Appreciation Day, and Wednesday is School Nurse’s Appreciation Day! Let me be the first to say we greatly appreciate the professionalism of all of our teachers/certified staff and all you do to help our students chase their dreams. And I know I’m not alone in saying that I always feel a little bit safer knowing we have “Nurse Amy” watching over us as our Health & Safety Coordinator. Thanks for all you do. We’ve got the best!
Have a great weekend!
Friday, April 24, 2009
April 24, 2009
TGIF April 23, 2009
Welcome to another Friday—and a beautiful one at that! I hope you’ve had a good week; and I can safely assume it’s been crazy busy for all of you. And we’re not even to “May Madness” yet!
The administrative team and I have been out and about the state this week at various teacher recruiting events. It’s a difficult time to be away from campus, but this is such an important opportunity to talk to and recruit the very best teachers for our students. (That’s how we’ve found many of you!) I always enjoy the chance to talk with young people (and some more “veteran”) who are seeking teaching positions and listening to their teaching philosophies and experiences. Takes me back to when I was seeking my first teaching job (too many years ago to mention!) I can sense their excitement, nervousness, and anticipation. How wonderful that we still have so many young people who consider teaching to be the ultimate career.
At both of the two recruiting events I attended (Ohio University and University of Findlay), I had candidates approach me (academic teachers) and tell me they had done or were doing their student teaching at career centers and they absolutely love it! They were specifically seeking opportunities to teach in a career center. This is a huge pat on the back to career-tech in Ohio because it’s obvious these young teachers have realized the value of relevant academic instruction tied to career pathways. Good for them for taking notice!
Speaking of outstanding teachers, I’m sure most of you have heard or read that our very own Deb Purcell, Health Technologies Teacher, was selected as a 2009 recipient of the Rotary Excellence in Teaching Award. Deb, who was nominated by a student, is one of three teachers selected from a very distinguished group of nominees. We’re proud of you, Deb; and thank you for the excellent work you do for students every day!
We held our final meeting of the year for the Student Advisory Council on Thursday and celebrated with ice cream. (Most of them said they’d never had Graeter’s Ice Cream before, and I just didn’t feel they could go through life without that experience!) This has been a great group of students to work with—they’ve brought us concerns of the student body, worked to solve problems within the school, and served as spokespersons for communicating administrative decisions to students. And, a little selfishly on my part, they give me an opportunity to connect with students, which is a rare treat in my position. I look forward to forming a new group and continuing the discussion next year.
Next week will be chock-full with activities for our 35th anniversary! I hope you’ve all taken notice of the promotion of scheduled events in the various media and through Shane’s communications. Please join us for as many events as you can to celebrate the tremendous contribution this school, and the many staff members over the years, have made to the region.
Enjoy the beautiful weather this weekend, wear your sunscreen, and get some rest!
Welcome to another Friday—and a beautiful one at that! I hope you’ve had a good week; and I can safely assume it’s been crazy busy for all of you. And we’re not even to “May Madness” yet!
The administrative team and I have been out and about the state this week at various teacher recruiting events. It’s a difficult time to be away from campus, but this is such an important opportunity to talk to and recruit the very best teachers for our students. (That’s how we’ve found many of you!) I always enjoy the chance to talk with young people (and some more “veteran”) who are seeking teaching positions and listening to their teaching philosophies and experiences. Takes me back to when I was seeking my first teaching job (too many years ago to mention!) I can sense their excitement, nervousness, and anticipation. How wonderful that we still have so many young people who consider teaching to be the ultimate career.
At both of the two recruiting events I attended (Ohio University and University of Findlay), I had candidates approach me (academic teachers) and tell me they had done or were doing their student teaching at career centers and they absolutely love it! They were specifically seeking opportunities to teach in a career center. This is a huge pat on the back to career-tech in Ohio because it’s obvious these young teachers have realized the value of relevant academic instruction tied to career pathways. Good for them for taking notice!
Speaking of outstanding teachers, I’m sure most of you have heard or read that our very own Deb Purcell, Health Technologies Teacher, was selected as a 2009 recipient of the Rotary Excellence in Teaching Award. Deb, who was nominated by a student, is one of three teachers selected from a very distinguished group of nominees. We’re proud of you, Deb; and thank you for the excellent work you do for students every day!
We held our final meeting of the year for the Student Advisory Council on Thursday and celebrated with ice cream. (Most of them said they’d never had Graeter’s Ice Cream before, and I just didn’t feel they could go through life without that experience!) This has been a great group of students to work with—they’ve brought us concerns of the student body, worked to solve problems within the school, and served as spokespersons for communicating administrative decisions to students. And, a little selfishly on my part, they give me an opportunity to connect with students, which is a rare treat in my position. I look forward to forming a new group and continuing the discussion next year.
Next week will be chock-full with activities for our 35th anniversary! I hope you’ve all taken notice of the promotion of scheduled events in the various media and through Shane’s communications. Please join us for as many events as you can to celebrate the tremendous contribution this school, and the many staff members over the years, have made to the region.
Enjoy the beautiful weather this weekend, wear your sunscreen, and get some rest!
Friday, April 17, 2009
April 17, 2009
First, welcome back from spring break! I hope you all enjoyed some time away from work and were able to relax and renew. It was mighty quiet around here without staff and students—it’s good to have all the activity back! We certainly had a typical “Ohio smorgasbord” of weather during the break—snow, rain, sun, a little bit of everything. I hear some of you escaped to warmer climates—good for you!
Last Wednesday I met as part of an Ohio Association of Career-Technical Education task force to write a formal response to legislators regarding replacing the Ohio Graduation Test with the ACT as a measure of academic attainment for high-school graduation. The group discussed several pros and cons. What we came to agreement on is that:
· Ohio ACTE supports the four components of the proposed graduation requirements as a more representative and complete assessment of all students. Implementing graduation requirements that include a standardized test, community service, senior project and end-of-course exam is a better way to measure students’ attainment of 21st Century Skills and a more reliable indicator of future success, whether a student is entering college or the workforce.
Ohio ACTE recognizes the significance of a nationally standardized assessment, such as the ACT, as one part of an overall assessment for graduation.
· Career-technical education has a tradition of project-based learning and community service. Our students are well prepared to enter college or the workforce upon graduation and have a positive impact on Ohio’s economy.
· Many career technical programs have in place excellent models of project-based learning and senior projects, and we would be happy to share those with you and all members of the State School Board.
· We offered our assistance and support as legislators plan, design, and assess the four-part components for graduation requirements that are essential to the attainment of 21st Century skills.
Tuesday morning I had an opportunity to meet with Jeff Tomko, Vice President of Honda Transmission Manufacturing of America. I also had a chance to tour the plant at Russell’s Point. As I’m sure you’ve heard or read in the news, all of Honda’s production facilities are facing difficult times and making cutbacks in order to weather the current economic tough times. But the mood as I spoke with Mr. Tomko was optimistic. It’s amazing to me how complex organizations such as Honda are and yet how relatively quickly they can respond to changing economic conditions. I think they set a great example for those of us in education. I look forward to having Mr. Tomko tour our facilities to view our engineering/manufacturing programs and academic offerings.
Wednesday I had the absolute pleasure of judging the Business Department’s Etiquette Luncheon. (The luncheon, by the way, was a delicious meal prepared and served by Culinary Arts!) How fun it was to sit and have a “business lunch” with four students: Cody from Bellefontaine and Devon from Marysville (Information Technology students), and Chelsea from West Liberty-Salem and Ashley from Triad (Business Administrative Technology students). The time just flew by as we talked about why they chose to come to OHP, what their plans are for the future, what they like most about their career-tech programs, what their “dream job” would be—even what their favorite fast food is! These young people are well on their way to being successful in interviewing situations and on the job. Many thanks to Amanda Blackburn and Heather Reed for organizing this wonderful learning experience for these students and allowing me to participate.
The Logan County Chamber of Commerce Safety Committee meets monthly at our facility, and I had a chance to sit in on the meeting Thursday. The topic was identity theft, and Jim Ball from Fifth Third Bank was the presenter. Scary stuff—and something we all need to be concerned about. Long story short—check all your statements carefully every month; if you receive offers that seem too good to be true, they probably are; don’t open e-mails from sources you don’t know; and keep those passwords carefully protected!
This morning I had the privilege of welcoming secretaries from our 14 partner school who attended Ohio Hi-Point’s District Secretary’s Workshop. This is the fourth year we’ve extended an invitation to these office professionals to attend this event. It’s one very small way we can thank those who take care of us day in and day out for all they do to keep our schools running smoothly. Next Wednesday is Administrative Professionals Day—hint, hint! Don’t forget to recognize those who do so much to support you in your work.
Another income tax filing day has come and gone—I hope it wasn’t too unkind to you. Did you know that Abraham Lincoln signed the U.S. income tax into law in 1862 to help pay the expenses of the Civil War? Somehow the tax has stuck around long after that war ended! Old Abe did so much good for our country, I guess we have to forgive him this one slip-up.
Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the sunshine!
Last Wednesday I met as part of an Ohio Association of Career-Technical Education task force to write a formal response to legislators regarding replacing the Ohio Graduation Test with the ACT as a measure of academic attainment for high-school graduation. The group discussed several pros and cons. What we came to agreement on is that:
· Ohio ACTE supports the four components of the proposed graduation requirements as a more representative and complete assessment of all students. Implementing graduation requirements that include a standardized test, community service, senior project and end-of-course exam is a better way to measure students’ attainment of 21st Century Skills and a more reliable indicator of future success, whether a student is entering college or the workforce.
Ohio ACTE recognizes the significance of a nationally standardized assessment, such as the ACT, as one part of an overall assessment for graduation.
· Career-technical education has a tradition of project-based learning and community service. Our students are well prepared to enter college or the workforce upon graduation and have a positive impact on Ohio’s economy.
· Many career technical programs have in place excellent models of project-based learning and senior projects, and we would be happy to share those with you and all members of the State School Board.
· We offered our assistance and support as legislators plan, design, and assess the four-part components for graduation requirements that are essential to the attainment of 21st Century skills.
Tuesday morning I had an opportunity to meet with Jeff Tomko, Vice President of Honda Transmission Manufacturing of America. I also had a chance to tour the plant at Russell’s Point. As I’m sure you’ve heard or read in the news, all of Honda’s production facilities are facing difficult times and making cutbacks in order to weather the current economic tough times. But the mood as I spoke with Mr. Tomko was optimistic. It’s amazing to me how complex organizations such as Honda are and yet how relatively quickly they can respond to changing economic conditions. I think they set a great example for those of us in education. I look forward to having Mr. Tomko tour our facilities to view our engineering/manufacturing programs and academic offerings.
Wednesday I had the absolute pleasure of judging the Business Department’s Etiquette Luncheon. (The luncheon, by the way, was a delicious meal prepared and served by Culinary Arts!) How fun it was to sit and have a “business lunch” with four students: Cody from Bellefontaine and Devon from Marysville (Information Technology students), and Chelsea from West Liberty-Salem and Ashley from Triad (Business Administrative Technology students). The time just flew by as we talked about why they chose to come to OHP, what their plans are for the future, what they like most about their career-tech programs, what their “dream job” would be—even what their favorite fast food is! These young people are well on their way to being successful in interviewing situations and on the job. Many thanks to Amanda Blackburn and Heather Reed for organizing this wonderful learning experience for these students and allowing me to participate.
The Logan County Chamber of Commerce Safety Committee meets monthly at our facility, and I had a chance to sit in on the meeting Thursday. The topic was identity theft, and Jim Ball from Fifth Third Bank was the presenter. Scary stuff—and something we all need to be concerned about. Long story short—check all your statements carefully every month; if you receive offers that seem too good to be true, they probably are; don’t open e-mails from sources you don’t know; and keep those passwords carefully protected!
This morning I had the privilege of welcoming secretaries from our 14 partner school who attended Ohio Hi-Point’s District Secretary’s Workshop. This is the fourth year we’ve extended an invitation to these office professionals to attend this event. It’s one very small way we can thank those who take care of us day in and day out for all they do to keep our schools running smoothly. Next Wednesday is Administrative Professionals Day—hint, hint! Don’t forget to recognize those who do so much to support you in your work.
Another income tax filing day has come and gone—I hope it wasn’t too unkind to you. Did you know that Abraham Lincoln signed the U.S. income tax into law in 1862 to help pay the expenses of the Civil War? Somehow the tax has stuck around long after that war ended! Old Abe did so much good for our country, I guess we have to forgive him this one slip-up.
Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the sunshine!
Friday, April 3, 2009
April 3, 2009
We’ve finished another week and started a new month! I hope you escaped any April Fool’s pranks—and I’m glad that our computers escaped the “worm” that was supposed to hit on April 1. (I’m sure our Tech Department is happiest of all!)
There’s a lot in the news lately about the economic stimulus money, and I’m hearing about several local projects that have been submitted for this funding. One initiative which is underway is Connect Ohio, Governor Strickland’s plan to bring reliable high-speed connectivity to all of Ohio. Meetings are being held in each county, and I’ve recently attended meetings for Hardin and Logan Counties to give input on local needs. This project is on a “fast track” (as much of the stimulus money dictates), and I think we’ll see results pretty quickly. In order to give input as far as our needs and our students’ needs, I’ve called in the experts (John Case and Matt Heaston from our Tech Department) to represent us at future meetings. I know they’ll represent us well—and I appreciate their help!
Last Thursday I had the pleasure of transporting our March Students of the Month, Lindsey Kelly (Cosmetology, Bellefontaine) and Spencer Wolfe (Carpentry, Bellefontaine) to Kiwanis for their monthly recognition. What neat kids! They were pleasant, conversational, and a delight to have lunch with. I enjoyed hearing their plans for the future—Lindsey will be working for Charles Penzone’s Studio, and Spencer plans to start his own construction business. As I listened to the students from all over Logan County introduce themselves and share their plans for the future, I was so proud of how articulate and focused Lindsey and Spencer were. They both said to me, and they’re absolutely right—Ohio Hi-Point has prepared them so well for their futures and they’re excited about what lies ahead of them. I know we all wish them both the best!
I visited our Architectural & Mechanical Design lab last week to see the model the students built of a skate park which will be constructed in Urbana. The students did an amazing job! And this Thursday afternoon I saw them loading the model into a van to deliver to Urbana. The primary sponsor of the skate park (who wishes to remain anonymous) thought of our students when she needed a model built to show community members what they’re donating to when they donate to the skate park. Our AMD students can be very proud of the part they’ve played in inspiring the community and securing funds to make this project happen!
I met with our Student Advisory Council this past week, which is always a treat. One thing I can say about this group—they’re always thinking! They’ve made suggestions for everything from curbing computer viruses to eliminating restroom vandalism to providing a microwave for student use at lunchtime. I’ve been impressed all year with the maturity and passion of this group! They consider the needs and wishes of the entire student body rather than just their own, and they’re very thoughtful in working through problem solving. They’ve even designed their own Student Advisory Council t-shirts—so be watching for them soon so that you can identify our SAC members. (I’ll give you a hint—think “tie dye”!)
The administrative team and I have recently attended regional updates from the Office of Career-Technical and Academic Education. A lot of good information was shared—and we’ve definitely got our work cut out for us! On the adult education side, new performance measures have been established and targets are being set—all while resources are being cut. On the secondary (high-school) side, we’ve added several new performance measures for next year; and academics are definitely the primary focus. I liked what one ODE staff member said—“Decide what needle you want to move in your performance, and then focus resources on moving that needle.” It will be more important now than ever that, in times of limited resources, we focus our school improvement efforts not on activity but on results—or “moving the needle.” Your Director and Supervisors will be updating you on the new performance measures soon.
We received a letter a couple of weeks ago from Kim Wolverton, School Counselor at Urbana Junior High. Kim said:
Thank you so much for inviting Urbana Jr. High School students to your center. The students and staff really enjoyed visiting your site. I was very impressed with your campus and educational offerings. What a wonderful opportunity for juniors and seniors in high school! Our future 8th grade students look forward to visiting the Ohio Hi-Point Career Center next year!
I appreciate that Kim took time to write, and I’m so thankful that Urbana sends their junior high school students to visit. We send literature to students and make visits to their schools. But as Kim’s letter makes clear, seeing is believing; and when we can get prospective students (and partner school staff) onto our campus, we make believers out of them!
Hard to believe we’re into April already. The rest of this school year will be a blur with all the spring and year-end activities. But I know you’ve been long awaiting next week’s much-deserved Spring Break! As we get into the “Season of Marshmallow Peeps,” I ran across some facts I thought you might find interesting:
· It takes six minutes to make one Peeps chick.
· More than 5 million Peeps are produced each day.
· Peeps have been the most popular non-chocolate Easter candy in the United States for more than a decade.
· Original Peeps have a shelf life of two years. (Now that one’s a little scary! What are those things made of?!?)
Whatever you’ll be eating or doing over break--do your favorite things, get some rest, enjoy family and friends, and if you’re traveling--be safe!
There’s a lot in the news lately about the economic stimulus money, and I’m hearing about several local projects that have been submitted for this funding. One initiative which is underway is Connect Ohio, Governor Strickland’s plan to bring reliable high-speed connectivity to all of Ohio. Meetings are being held in each county, and I’ve recently attended meetings for Hardin and Logan Counties to give input on local needs. This project is on a “fast track” (as much of the stimulus money dictates), and I think we’ll see results pretty quickly. In order to give input as far as our needs and our students’ needs, I’ve called in the experts (John Case and Matt Heaston from our Tech Department) to represent us at future meetings. I know they’ll represent us well—and I appreciate their help!
Last Thursday I had the pleasure of transporting our March Students of the Month, Lindsey Kelly (Cosmetology, Bellefontaine) and Spencer Wolfe (Carpentry, Bellefontaine) to Kiwanis for their monthly recognition. What neat kids! They were pleasant, conversational, and a delight to have lunch with. I enjoyed hearing their plans for the future—Lindsey will be working for Charles Penzone’s Studio, and Spencer plans to start his own construction business. As I listened to the students from all over Logan County introduce themselves and share their plans for the future, I was so proud of how articulate and focused Lindsey and Spencer were. They both said to me, and they’re absolutely right—Ohio Hi-Point has prepared them so well for their futures and they’re excited about what lies ahead of them. I know we all wish them both the best!
I visited our Architectural & Mechanical Design lab last week to see the model the students built of a skate park which will be constructed in Urbana. The students did an amazing job! And this Thursday afternoon I saw them loading the model into a van to deliver to Urbana. The primary sponsor of the skate park (who wishes to remain anonymous) thought of our students when she needed a model built to show community members what they’re donating to when they donate to the skate park. Our AMD students can be very proud of the part they’ve played in inspiring the community and securing funds to make this project happen!
I met with our Student Advisory Council this past week, which is always a treat. One thing I can say about this group—they’re always thinking! They’ve made suggestions for everything from curbing computer viruses to eliminating restroom vandalism to providing a microwave for student use at lunchtime. I’ve been impressed all year with the maturity and passion of this group! They consider the needs and wishes of the entire student body rather than just their own, and they’re very thoughtful in working through problem solving. They’ve even designed their own Student Advisory Council t-shirts—so be watching for them soon so that you can identify our SAC members. (I’ll give you a hint—think “tie dye”!)
The administrative team and I have recently attended regional updates from the Office of Career-Technical and Academic Education. A lot of good information was shared—and we’ve definitely got our work cut out for us! On the adult education side, new performance measures have been established and targets are being set—all while resources are being cut. On the secondary (high-school) side, we’ve added several new performance measures for next year; and academics are definitely the primary focus. I liked what one ODE staff member said—“Decide what needle you want to move in your performance, and then focus resources on moving that needle.” It will be more important now than ever that, in times of limited resources, we focus our school improvement efforts not on activity but on results—or “moving the needle.” Your Director and Supervisors will be updating you on the new performance measures soon.
We received a letter a couple of weeks ago from Kim Wolverton, School Counselor at Urbana Junior High. Kim said:
Thank you so much for inviting Urbana Jr. High School students to your center. The students and staff really enjoyed visiting your site. I was very impressed with your campus and educational offerings. What a wonderful opportunity for juniors and seniors in high school! Our future 8th grade students look forward to visiting the Ohio Hi-Point Career Center next year!
I appreciate that Kim took time to write, and I’m so thankful that Urbana sends their junior high school students to visit. We send literature to students and make visits to their schools. But as Kim’s letter makes clear, seeing is believing; and when we can get prospective students (and partner school staff) onto our campus, we make believers out of them!
Hard to believe we’re into April already. The rest of this school year will be a blur with all the spring and year-end activities. But I know you’ve been long awaiting next week’s much-deserved Spring Break! As we get into the “Season of Marshmallow Peeps,” I ran across some facts I thought you might find interesting:
· It takes six minutes to make one Peeps chick.
· More than 5 million Peeps are produced each day.
· Peeps have been the most popular non-chocolate Easter candy in the United States for more than a decade.
· Original Peeps have a shelf life of two years. (Now that one’s a little scary! What are those things made of?!?)
Whatever you’ll be eating or doing over break--do your favorite things, get some rest, enjoy family and friends, and if you’re traveling--be safe!
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