November 9, 2007

Well, the snowflakes have been flying here at the Peak of Ohio this week!! And to think that just one month ago it was 94 degrees. Only in Ohio!

We’ve had a busy, active week with a lot of great energy and activities in our programs! Last Friday, I visited the Supply Chain Management Program at Urbana High School to participate in a visit from Toledo Public Schools. Toledo is considering starting a SCM program, and the Department of Education recommended our program as the model in the state to take a look at! (You may have caught the article about this event on the front page of the Urbana Daily Citizen on Saturday.) The presentation was student-driven, and I was so proud of the way our students represented themselves and our program. They were very appreciative of the technology and learning experiences they’ve been exposed to, and they repeatedly stated how much they admire the industry experience their teacher, Annette Bertke, brings to the classroom. (I know this is a feeling shared by many of our students in all of our programs!) Congratulations to Annette and her students for a fantastic presentation!

Once our teachers are in the classroom, I know you work hard to keep your skills sharp. Bob Newland, Auto Collision Technology teacher, recently shared a professional development experience with Nila Marquard, our Career-Technical Director:

Nila, I wanted to thank you for your part in making it possible for me to go to the NACE conference. It was something I'd always wanted to do. I went to some excellent classes on waterborne paint. This is cutting edge technology in automotive refinish and something I can pass along to my students. While I was there I made contact with a representative from Mitchell Estimating Software who assured me he would set my program up with a computer estimating software program free of charge to the school. This normally is $300 a year, so I was very excited about this. I also talked to a lady from American Honda of California who happened to be from St. Mary’s, Ohio. She got my information and told me she would set my class up with a tour of the Marysville Honda Plant. During the opening session, they introduced a speaker by the name of Chris Gardner. This is the man the movie The Pursuit of Happiness was written about which starred Will Smith. I haven't seen the movie, but after listening to his story of triumph in the face of overwhelming odds, I really would like to see it. His story was such an inspiration, it was unbelievable. To top it off, I got to see the SkillsUSA auto collision national winner get his gold medal award. That was cool!

Bob, thank you for your commitment to professional development and to bringing the very best in learning experiences to your students!

These past two weeks have seemed to be my “meeting weeks”—I’ve been off campus more than I would prefer! But I realize it’s an important part of my position to represent Ohio Hi-Point in all of our communities and to “be at the table” when strategic decisions are being made that position us as the premier choice for career-technical training. One such meeting was the Logan County Chamber Board of Directors strategic planning session on Wednesday. It was an all-day, intense session of evaluating the needs of business/commerce in Logan County and outlining a strategy for meeting those needs. Without my prompting, education and workforce development rose to the top as a critical need; and Ohio Hi-Point’s high-school and adult programs were cited as an extremely valuable resource for meeting those needs. Specific goals included in this part of the plan include educator and student internships for all schools in the County as well as working to develop and support programs that connect academics to the workplace. I realize this sounds so familiar and natural to us; but it’s gratifying for our school to be seen as the leader in these initiatives!

Thursday morning, I attended the Logan County Convention and Tourism Bureau Annual Meeting and had even more reason to be proud of our school and our students! As most of you know, the Honda Homecoming Vendor Fair was held on our campus this past July; and the committee couldn’t say enough about the excellent facility and wonderful volunteers from our staff. Also, the current Welcome Center project, which is a structure to hold materials welcoming people as they drive into Logan County, was featured. Our Building Maintenance, Carpentry, and Masonry programs are working on the Welcome Center as we speak, and it’s expected to be completed by the end of December. Watch for it to be erected at the Park-and-Ride just west of State Routes 33 and 540 soon!

Wednesday evening, I sat in on an Adult Basic Literacy Education (ABLE) monthly staff meeting. Wow, what a difference these dedicated staff members make in the lives of adult learners! I was so impressed with the enthusiasm of the instructors about resources they’ve used, success stories they’ve experienced, numbers of adults served at a wide range of locations, and plans they have for assisting adults in gaining literacy skills and/or passing the GED exam. Thanks to all of our ABLE staff for your tireless work!

It struck me as I sat there that Ohio Hi-Point staff members really do provide for the needs of learners from “cradle to grave.” With our Early Childhood Education daycare center caring for infants and toddlers all the way up to adults learning for new or renewed careers or just personal enrichment—think about the impact you’re having as a staff on so many lives!!

Thursday and Friday have brought over 1,200 10th graders to our campus for our annual Career Days. Thursday I was able to get around to all of our labs and see our students in action demonstrating skills to the visitors, assisting them with hands-on activities, and proudly promoting their programs! The labs looked terrific, and the students and teachers had obviously worked very hard to incorporate a “WOW” factor into their presentations! Thanks to everyone involved in making this a hugely successful event—the payoff will be in the excited students we have coming to our campus next fall. Be sure to check out our website at www.ohiohipoint.com to view photos of this event and many others!

This Sunday is Veteran’s Day—please take time to thank anyone you know who has served our country and played a part in protecting the freedoms we enjoy. Have a terrific weekend!