Another busy week under our belts! (And in many cases probably some extra weight under our belts from all the Thanksgiving feasting—but well worth it!)
On Tuesday at our Staff Breakfast, we recognized our latest group of staff “super achievers”—those who have gained the status of Master Teacher. Through a rigorous professional development process, the following teachers have achieved this designation:
- Judy Fletcher (Teaching Professions Academy)
- Lynne Hall (Guidance Counselor)
- Melissa Sizemore (Math)
- Shannon Donnelly (Special Education)
- Donna Jarzab (Teaching Professions Academy)
- Carrie Preston (Special Education)
- Melissa Rofe (Language Arts)
- Angie Walls (Early Childhood Education).
Congratulations to all of these outstanding educators, and thank you for the example you set for our students in pursuing excellence!
Wednesday evening I was privileged to attend the annual Adult Basic Literacy Education Christmas Celebration (and staff meeting—they did take care of quite a bit of business!) What a treat to hear the “good news” from our ABLE teachers who work with adults to build literacy skills (and, in some cases, to pass the GED). I heard of adults who faced seemingly insurmountable odds in returning to school to achieve a literacy goal, the progress they made little by little, and the ultimate thrill of success. Hearing these stories reminded me of why I originally chose education as a career. I told Sharon Halter, ABLE Coordinator, I think I’ve decided what I want to do in retirement—become an ABLE instructor! Many thanks to the ABLE staff for the invitation and for sharing their “professional hearts” with me.
On Thursday morning, we held our Annual Secondary Perkins Stakeholders Meeting to review with our stakeholders where we have been and where we are going with our high-school programs. We also ask for their input as to how we can position our programs to best prepare our students for the current workforce. One of our stakeholders, Shelly Gamble-Baker, is the parent of one of our students (Brandon Gamble, Electronics Engineering Technology II). I wish you all could have been there to hear her heartfelt gratitude for all that the staff at Ohio Hi-Point has done for her son. She described us as his “family” and she couldn’t say enough about how comfortable and welcome he feels here because of the committed staff and the beautiful facility. She also praised the curriculum Brandon has had the opportunity to master and the real-world, practical experience he has gained. I heard a mother who was extremely confident in her son’s future because of the education he’s received here, and I know she’s only one of many who feel that way. That’s what it’s all about—great job to all of you!
For the past several years, our Printing & Graphics Program has printed holiday cards for us to send to our business associates. This year, I asked Tom Carrig (PTG teacher) to somehow showcase the unique heritage of our campus. What his students came up with is just fantastic—the photo from the front of the card is at right. Tom explained to me that one of his students, Sam Collins, took the photo of Ohio's highest point during a heavy snowstorm, so the historical marker was actually obscured by snow. So Sam took another photo of the marker in clear weather and overlaid it onto the marker in the original photo. Isn’t that amazing?!? I am so proud to be sending these cards out to showcase the beauty of our campus, its rich history, and the wonderful talents of our students. Many thanks to Tom, students Sam Collins, Cleva Rumer, and Brooke Hughes, and the PTG class of 2010 for producing and printing these cards. Wonder how they’ll top this next year?
Our students who qualify for our TAD (Tardies, Attendance, Discipline) incentive program (for not having tardies and discipline issues, and having good attendance) get to take part in a fun activity each quarter. On November 24, this quarter’s eligible students took a trip to TP Bowling Lanes in Bellefontaine. A photo of some of the group is at the right. What a photogenic group! Congratulations to these students and the others who qualified this quarter.
Speaking of the holidays, how many shopping days left before Christmas? Oh forget it, I really don’t want to know. I just hope you all take some time to relax this weekend and enjoy the true spirit of the season.
Have a great one!
