Happy Friday and Happy Leap Year Day! I didn’t get a chance to check—but if any of you have a birthday today, I envy you. You only have to add to your age every four years!
As we take this extra day to catch up with the sun (literally!), I thought I’d share some leap-year superstitions that were featured in the Columbus Dispatch this past week:
According to Irish legend, February 29 is the only day a woman can ask a man to marry her, because St. Bridget complained to St. Patrick that it took some men too long to do it themselves. (No comment.)
A Greek superstition claims that couples have bad luck if they marry in a leap year, so one out of five couples won’t. (Whew! I just missed that one!)
Apparently leap year has a reverse effect on a business. It is supposed to be lucky to start a new business during a leap year. So to all you entrepreneurs--go for it!
This past Monday evening, we hosted our first ever Hi-Point Hi-Tech Night in partnership with Honda of America Manufacturing. What a wonderful evening! We estimate we had about 150 potential students, parents, and adults present to learn about career opportunities in Ohio’s new manufacturing economy. After a video presentation, Honda representatives described career pathways including coop experiences with Honda that can lead to exciting careers as manufacturing maintenance technicians. Then, participants had the opportunity to tour our manufacturing-related labs and see for themselves the hands-on education that we offer at OHP. (See the photo at right.) We were thrilled with the results of the evening and look forward to this continuing partnership with Honda to strengthen our programs. The individuals involved in organizing this even are too numerous to mention; but let me just say that the OHP team, including administration, staff, and student ambassadors, came through as usual with flying colors and put on a class act! Thank you so much.
Incidentally, in spite of the news that Honda will cease motorcycle production at the Marysville site, we have been assured that the need for manufacturing maintenance technicians will continue to be strong and that our partnership with Honda will continue to be a priority.
We had our monthly Board of Education meeting on Wednesday evening, and one of the highlights of our meetings for me is always the recognition of our Students of the Month. This month was especially neat because our female student of the month, Brittany Godfrey, was accompanied by her mother (who drove in from Ft. Wayne to be there, by the way!) Her mother is also an OHP graduate from our adult education health program! I can’t tell you how proud I was to know that our programs have had such a positive impact two generations of one family. We just never know how far-reaching our work can be!
When we come back on Monday, it will be March. We’re rounding the corner into spring—and I think this year it’s especially welcome! Have a great weekend!
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Thursday, February 21, 2008
February 22, 2008
TGIF to all of you—and once again, you may be reading this from home because of bad weather!! I don’t’ know about you, but I’m ready for spring rains and hot, humid weather. Enough is enough! Fortunately the weather hasn’t interfered with too many activities this week.
As I read about two different school bus accidents in back-to-back issues of the Bellefontaine Examiner, I realized how very fortunate we were this past Tuesday morning that none of our students on the bus from Kenton to Hi-Point, which was hit by another vehicle, were seriously injured. Many thanks to Bruce Johnson, Instructional Supervisor, who got to the scene as soon as traffic would allow, to see to the needs of our students and to relay information to Nila and me in Columbus (where we were attending a conference). Thanks also to Amy McCarthy, Health and Safety Coordinator, who went to Mary Rutan Hospital to meet the students and their parents as they were transported there. Bruce reported that he was very proud of our students for conducting themselves in a calm, mature manner in what had to have been a very frightening situation. Please keep the driver of the vehicle that hit the bus in your prayers; last I heard, he was in critical condition. I read in the paper that that same afternoon, a school bus in Cottonwood, Minnesota was involved in an accident and four students were killed. How very sad and tragic; we all need to keep the families and loved ones of those families, as well as the 14 injured, in our prayers as well.
Tuesday and Wednesday, Nila Marquard, Shelly Swaney, Darlene Chiles, Julia Barton, and I attended the Ohio ACTE Policy & Leadership Forum in Columbus which had the theme “Economic-Education Summit.” We were especially happy to have economic development coordinators from four counties (Ed Wallace, Logan County; Dave Faulkner, Champaign County; Eric Phillips, Union County, and John Hohn, Hardin County), as well as Doug Weeks from Honda of America Manufacturing, join us for this excellent summit. (See photo at right--Nila and Shelly are not pictured because they had returned to school for a staff meeting!) The keynote speakers and breakout sessions were excellent, and we came away with a sense that we are definitely on the right track—perhaps even leading the pack—with our industry/education partnerships and our focus on workforce development for Ohio’s new economy. (Watch for us on the agenda next year!) Change is hard work; and for those of us in career-technical education, change is especially rapid as we strive to keep up with current technologies. But your tremendous efforts will pay off in the brighter futures you’re opening up for our students!
I’ve often shared comments that come to me about OHP from the most unlikely sources. Wednesday evening, I had an appointment with my insurance agent; and as I was leaving, he commented to me what a difference he’s seen in Ohio Hi-Point and its programs over the past several years. He recognized that we’ve really “ratcheted up” the quality of our offerings and that we’re very visible in the community. He congratulated me; but of course, I had to tell him this progress has been made through the efforts of a very dedicated staff and a lot of great students. Then, I went to get my hair cut (late evening!); and when I walked into the salon, I saw a young lady in one of our OHP shirts. She got a big smile on her face when I acknowledged the shirt and asked her about her program. I’m ashamed to say that I don’t recall her name, but what I do remember is her quiet enthusiasm for her Culinary Arts program and her beaming face as she told me she “loves Ohio Hi-Point!” Her aunt owns the salon, which was what brought her there. She was pitching in and sweeping floors and answering phones—there’s that terrific work ethic we see in our students! I’ll tell you, the good news about OHP is everywhere. I can’t escape it, and I don’t want to!
Robin Curley, Animal Management Technology teacher, shared with me just this evening some great praise for her colleagues at Hi-Point:
We recognize students for going “above and beyond”. I wanted to extend that courtesy to some of our staff members who certainly qualify for “above and beyond”! On Tuesday evening, Ohio Hi-Point FFA hosted the Public Speaking CDE for our Central Sub-District.
First, let me say that our campus shows our pride! Thanks to Robert Walker and crew, it is always clean and neat. I’m in enough schools to know that we are among the finest in that respect!
Our guests were greeted by my FFA members and shown to the ISC. Here they were treated to an array of goodies, thanks to Jann Salyers and our wonderful ladies in the cafeteria. It was yummy, as usual, and certainly appreciated by our guests.
Finally, two of our instructors, Judy Gratz and Melissa Rofe, gave graciously of their time to judge 2 of the events. Judy was gracious enough to sub in at the last minute when one of our original judges went AWOL. She judged our “Beginning Prepared” event. Melissa Rofe not only scored student compositions for the “Beginning Prepared” and “Prepared” events during her weekend, she also stayed to judge the “Prepared Public Speaking” event. Both ladies stayed until results were announced to give students that would go to the next level of competition, specific suggestions for improvement.
I wanted you all to know how much they give, how they impacted our image in the community, and how much I appreciate their teamwork! They are just another example of the commitment to students that our staff is known for!
I echo Robin’s thanks to Robert, Jann, Judy, and Melissa; and I recognize that this is just one of many examples of our team working together to pull off a “class act” in representing Ohio Hi-Point. And, most importantly, our team does it to serve our students. Great job!
I know you’ve all been anxiously awaiting the answers to last week’s Presidential Trivia . . . so here they are!
1. Who was the first president to be photographed? – John Quincy Adams
2. Who didn’t learn to read until he was 17? – Andrew Johnson
3. Who built a swimming pool and a movie theater in the White House? – Franklin D. Roosevelt
4. Who was ambidextrous? – James A. Garfield
5. Who was president for only 32 days? – William Henry Harrison (who died of pneumonia)
6. Who ordered the White House’s first bathtub? – Franklin Pearce
7. Who had the White House’s first telephone? – Rutherford B. Hayes
8. Who held his wedding in the White House? – Grover Cleveland
9. Who let his horse graze on the White House lawn? – Zachary Taylor
10. Who gave his pet mockingbird free reign of the indoor air space? – Thomas Jefferson
How’d you do?
Have a great weekend, and be careful out there!
As I read about two different school bus accidents in back-to-back issues of the Bellefontaine Examiner, I realized how very fortunate we were this past Tuesday morning that none of our students on the bus from Kenton to Hi-Point, which was hit by another vehicle, were seriously injured. Many thanks to Bruce Johnson, Instructional Supervisor, who got to the scene as soon as traffic would allow, to see to the needs of our students and to relay information to Nila and me in Columbus (where we were attending a conference). Thanks also to Amy McCarthy, Health and Safety Coordinator, who went to Mary Rutan Hospital to meet the students and their parents as they were transported there. Bruce reported that he was very proud of our students for conducting themselves in a calm, mature manner in what had to have been a very frightening situation. Please keep the driver of the vehicle that hit the bus in your prayers; last I heard, he was in critical condition. I read in the paper that that same afternoon, a school bus in Cottonwood, Minnesota was involved in an accident and four students were killed. How very sad and tragic; we all need to keep the families and loved ones of those families, as well as the 14 injured, in our prayers as well.
Tuesday and Wednesday, Nila Marquard, Shelly Swaney, Darlene Chiles, Julia Barton, and I attended the Ohio ACTE Policy & Leadership Forum in Columbus which had the theme “Economic-Education Summit.” We were especially happy to have economic development coordinators from four counties (Ed Wallace, Logan County; Dave Faulkner, Champaign County; Eric Phillips, Union County, and John Hohn, Hardin County), as well as Doug Weeks from Honda of America Manufacturing, join us for this excellent summit. (See photo at right--Nila and Shelly are not pictured because they had returned to school for a staff meeting!) The keynote speakers and breakout sessions were excellent, and we came away with a sense that we are definitely on the right track—perhaps even leading the pack—with our industry/education partnerships and our focus on workforce development for Ohio’s new economy. (Watch for us on the agenda next year!) Change is hard work; and for those of us in career-technical education, change is especially rapid as we strive to keep up with current technologies. But your tremendous efforts will pay off in the brighter futures you’re opening up for our students!
I’ve often shared comments that come to me about OHP from the most unlikely sources. Wednesday evening, I had an appointment with my insurance agent; and as I was leaving, he commented to me what a difference he’s seen in Ohio Hi-Point and its programs over the past several years. He recognized that we’ve really “ratcheted up” the quality of our offerings and that we’re very visible in the community. He congratulated me; but of course, I had to tell him this progress has been made through the efforts of a very dedicated staff and a lot of great students. Then, I went to get my hair cut (late evening!); and when I walked into the salon, I saw a young lady in one of our OHP shirts. She got a big smile on her face when I acknowledged the shirt and asked her about her program. I’m ashamed to say that I don’t recall her name, but what I do remember is her quiet enthusiasm for her Culinary Arts program and her beaming face as she told me she “loves Ohio Hi-Point!” Her aunt owns the salon, which was what brought her there. She was pitching in and sweeping floors and answering phones—there’s that terrific work ethic we see in our students! I’ll tell you, the good news about OHP is everywhere. I can’t escape it, and I don’t want to!
Robin Curley, Animal Management Technology teacher, shared with me just this evening some great praise for her colleagues at Hi-Point:
We recognize students for going “above and beyond”. I wanted to extend that courtesy to some of our staff members who certainly qualify for “above and beyond”! On Tuesday evening, Ohio Hi-Point FFA hosted the Public Speaking CDE for our Central Sub-District.
First, let me say that our campus shows our pride! Thanks to Robert Walker and crew, it is always clean and neat. I’m in enough schools to know that we are among the finest in that respect!
Our guests were greeted by my FFA members and shown to the ISC. Here they were treated to an array of goodies, thanks to Jann Salyers and our wonderful ladies in the cafeteria. It was yummy, as usual, and certainly appreciated by our guests.
Finally, two of our instructors, Judy Gratz and Melissa Rofe, gave graciously of their time to judge 2 of the events. Judy was gracious enough to sub in at the last minute when one of our original judges went AWOL. She judged our “Beginning Prepared” event. Melissa Rofe not only scored student compositions for the “Beginning Prepared” and “Prepared” events during her weekend, she also stayed to judge the “Prepared Public Speaking” event. Both ladies stayed until results were announced to give students that would go to the next level of competition, specific suggestions for improvement.
I wanted you all to know how much they give, how they impacted our image in the community, and how much I appreciate their teamwork! They are just another example of the commitment to students that our staff is known for!
I echo Robin’s thanks to Robert, Jann, Judy, and Melissa; and I recognize that this is just one of many examples of our team working together to pull off a “class act” in representing Ohio Hi-Point. And, most importantly, our team does it to serve our students. Great job!
I know you’ve all been anxiously awaiting the answers to last week’s Presidential Trivia . . . so here they are!
1. Who was the first president to be photographed? – John Quincy Adams
2. Who didn’t learn to read until he was 17? – Andrew Johnson
3. Who built a swimming pool and a movie theater in the White House? – Franklin D. Roosevelt
4. Who was ambidextrous? – James A. Garfield
5. Who was president for only 32 days? – William Henry Harrison (who died of pneumonia)
6. Who ordered the White House’s first bathtub? – Franklin Pearce
7. Who had the White House’s first telephone? – Rutherford B. Hayes
8. Who held his wedding in the White House? – Grover Cleveland
9. Who let his horse graze on the White House lawn? – Zachary Taylor
10. Who gave his pet mockingbird free reign of the indoor air space? – Thomas Jefferson
How’d you do?
Have a great weekend, and be careful out there!
Friday, February 15, 2008
February 15, 2008
Happy Friday to all of you. We’ve reached the mid-point of February already—hard to believe!
I know the weather has been a challenge and wreaked havoc with a lot of schedules and events. But we’ll regroup and pull it all together—we’ve done so many times before. I appreciate all of your efforts to provide continuity of instruction for our students. When I see some of the devastation the weather has caused around our country, I’m just grateful we’re all safe. And I’m grateful to have had two days in a row without any delays or cancellations!
Last Friday I had the opportunity to speak to the Leadership Champaign County class about our programs and expansion in Champaign County. I’m always glad to have an opportunity to spread the good news about OHP, and it seems I’m getting more and more help these days! Our Triad board member, Brad Wallace, also spoke to the group as part of a panel of school board members. In addition to sharing about Triad, he took the opportunity to commend our school and our staff for the great opportunities we provide students. Thanks, Brad, for being such a great ambassador for OHP!
On Wednesday morning, I was “Day Chair” for Leadership Logan County; and the topic was local government and leadership. In addition to a session on Strategic Leadership, the class heard from County Commissioner Jack Reser and Mayor Adam Brannon. Darn it if it didn’t happen again—Ohio Hi-Point and the benefits we provide to the community popped up in both of their presentations! (And honestly, I don’t think it was just because I was sitting there!) I hope you all realize what a “local treasure” our school is perceived as in our communities. The value that your hard work brings to our students is recognized!
As we’ve just passed Valentine’s Day and are headed toward President’s Day, here’s a little trivia related to those two holidays. Since Valentine’s Day is the day we give our hearts, do you know how many times the human heart beats in a day? And here are 10 pieces of presidential trivia:
1. Who was the first president to be photographed?
2. Who didn’t learn to read until he was 17?
3. Who built a swimming pool and a movie theater in the White House?
4. Who was ambidextrous?
5. Who was president for only 32 days?
6. Who ordered the White House’s first bathtub?
7. Who had the White House’s first telephone?
8. Who held his wedding in the White House?
9. Who let his horse graze on the White House lawn?
10. Who gave his pet mockingbird free reign of the indoor air space?
Think about those over your long weekend, and I’ll give you the answers next Friday. Have a great weekend!
I know the weather has been a challenge and wreaked havoc with a lot of schedules and events. But we’ll regroup and pull it all together—we’ve done so many times before. I appreciate all of your efforts to provide continuity of instruction for our students. When I see some of the devastation the weather has caused around our country, I’m just grateful we’re all safe. And I’m grateful to have had two days in a row without any delays or cancellations!
Last Friday I had the opportunity to speak to the Leadership Champaign County class about our programs and expansion in Champaign County. I’m always glad to have an opportunity to spread the good news about OHP, and it seems I’m getting more and more help these days! Our Triad board member, Brad Wallace, also spoke to the group as part of a panel of school board members. In addition to sharing about Triad, he took the opportunity to commend our school and our staff for the great opportunities we provide students. Thanks, Brad, for being such a great ambassador for OHP!
On Wednesday morning, I was “Day Chair” for Leadership Logan County; and the topic was local government and leadership. In addition to a session on Strategic Leadership, the class heard from County Commissioner Jack Reser and Mayor Adam Brannon. Darn it if it didn’t happen again—Ohio Hi-Point and the benefits we provide to the community popped up in both of their presentations! (And honestly, I don’t think it was just because I was sitting there!) I hope you all realize what a “local treasure” our school is perceived as in our communities. The value that your hard work brings to our students is recognized!
As we’ve just passed Valentine’s Day and are headed toward President’s Day, here’s a little trivia related to those two holidays. Since Valentine’s Day is the day we give our hearts, do you know how many times the human heart beats in a day? And here are 10 pieces of presidential trivia:
1. Who was the first president to be photographed?
2. Who didn’t learn to read until he was 17?
3. Who built a swimming pool and a movie theater in the White House?
4. Who was ambidextrous?
5. Who was president for only 32 days?
6. Who ordered the White House’s first bathtub?
7. Who had the White House’s first telephone?
8. Who held his wedding in the White House?
9. Who let his horse graze on the White House lawn?
10. Who gave his pet mockingbird free reign of the indoor air space?
Think about those over your long weekend, and I’ll give you the answers next Friday. Have a great weekend!
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