Hello!
Thank you for visiting my blog site.
Starting in August 2010, I will be blogging on a new site along with my administrative team. Please visit us at http://blog.ohiohipoint.com/
We look forward to sharing our stories with you on our new blog!
Kim Davis, Superintendent
Ohio Hi-Point Career Center
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
June 9, 2010
This, my final posting for the year, will actually be a TGIW (for Wednesday). Our students finished yesterday and most of our staff will finish today. As we wrap up another school year, we can look back on many challenges: the tragic loss of one of our main campus and one of our satellite students, reduced revenues and the need to “do more with less,” the brutal winter we endured, and the need to make up calamity days (hence the reason we’re here so late in June!) But it’s also been a year of great accomplishments: our students have achieved at record levels in their Career-Tech Student Organization activities, our students earned a record number of scholarships, our application numbers continue to grow steadily, our adult education division will hold its first joint graduation with a record number of graduates, our South Campus is fully operational with both high-school and adult programs, and our adult programs will open a new North Campus in Kenton in July! Challenges don’t hold us back at OHP—they make us stronger.
Our high-school Convocation last Thursday was another successful celebration of student achievement. While the threat of rain forced us inside, our students did an outstanding job of conducting the ceremony in a heartfelt but professional manner. We got great cover in the local newspapers; and I received so many compliments from our partner school staff, including a very nice e-mail from Bob Simmons with the Hardin Co. ESC:
I really enjoyed the graduation last Thursday---great job---I was impressed that it was student lead and I was impressed with their speeches. Great job as I always expect from activities at Hi-Point.
Again---great job at Hi Point for the 2009-10 school year and a great graduation.
Thanks to the team of staff members it took to pull the Convocation together, particularly with the challenges of taking it off campus. Another job well done!
This week I also received a letter from Kris Myers, Superintendent of the Bellefontaine Joint Recreation District, thanking our Lead Ambassadors for a community service they performed by conducting a major clean-up at Mary Rutan Park. Kris wrote:
We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the students that helped with the Parks and Pool cleanup and duties. The time your students spent with us was actually a lifesaver. Due to many circumstances, we have been very shorthanded and wondered how we would get everything done to get the pool open on time. Your students made that possible. 25 extra hands made it possible to do what we needed to do that day. The creek at Mary Rutan is flowing nicely and looks so much cleaner. You have a wonderful group of students and we can’t thank them enough for all their help.
See the photo at right of our Lead Ambassadors in action on this great project—what a wonderful way to give back to the community!
Finally, I want to end this year with an e-mail we received from a former student (who has given me permission to share). This gentleman exemplifies the successes that each of you make possible every day. I think his story also reminds us we should never underestimate the potential of our students once they leave us!
I went to school at Ohio Hi-Point to pursue a job in Electronics. I graduated in 1984 and by the time I did I knew I had no interest in staying in the field. Mr. Payne and Mr. Grimm did their best to foster an interest for me but Honda was calling and I soon started a career there. After three years of water proofing cars in the paint department I had to have a change so I transferred and got one of the best jobs in the Honda plant...Test driving new cars. This was great for about a month and I knew I had to start preparing to get into a field I could enjoy. One thought kept returning to me during this time when I was thinking about a career change....The LPN program at Ohio Hi Point...I always had feigned disinterest with that while at Ohio Hi Point but I was always interested...That thought encouraged me to go back to school...First to Clark State and then to Wright State. My first full time year at Clark State I was still working full time at Honda which made for a disgruntled wife at home...Thank goodness we did not have children at this time.
After graduating from the RN program I attended Wright State to further my degree and then went into Oncology Nursing in Columbus Ohio. After doing that for five years I was approached to work as a research coordinator basically conducting clinical trials in cancer patients who had no other treatment options. After doing that for three years I was approached and recruited by a large Pharmaceutical Research company to continue working in clinical trials except at this point I would be traveling across the United States bringing Physicians and researchers access to pipeline drugs that were not yet approved by the FDA for their patient populations. Here I was traveling the world, educating RN's, PhD's and MD's on how to conduct trials with our research department as well as how to safely administer the compounds that were being tested. The biggest and most important part of my job was patient safety and ensuring their rights by making sure they were all give proper informed consent. Educating patients and the research staff to do this the correct way was critical so that patients knew what they were getting into.
Long story short...I was a trouble making brat at Ohio Hi Point that put my teachers through heck and back but they put up with my antics and somehow instilled in me the qualities that got me noticed in a medical world that resulted in my traveling the globe and educating Physicians. I have been published in my own clinical trial and been to meetings in London England and San Juan Peurto Rico all thanks to Ohio Hi Point.
Jerry Hinton RN, OCN, CCRC
Wow! (By the way, Shane Haggerty will be talking further with this graduate and will be preparing a full feature story to be released soon.)
With that story in mind, please go into your summer break knowing that who you are and what you do makes a difference! Here’s to some time at a more relaxed pace, warm breezes and sunshine, making memories with family and friends, and safe travels. Rest up and recharge for the start of another great year!
Our high-school Convocation last Thursday was another successful celebration of student achievement. While the threat of rain forced us inside, our students did an outstanding job of conducting the ceremony in a heartfelt but professional manner. We got great cover in the local newspapers; and I received so many compliments from our partner school staff, including a very nice e-mail from Bob Simmons with the Hardin Co. ESC:
I really enjoyed the graduation last Thursday---great job---I was impressed that it was student lead and I was impressed with their speeches. Great job as I always expect from activities at Hi-Point.
Again---great job at Hi Point for the 2009-10 school year and a great graduation.
Thanks to the team of staff members it took to pull the Convocation together, particularly with the challenges of taking it off campus. Another job well done!
This week I also received a letter from Kris Myers, Superintendent of the Bellefontaine Joint Recreation District, thanking our Lead Ambassadors for a community service they performed by conducting a major clean-up at Mary Rutan Park. Kris wrote:
We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the students that helped with the Parks and Pool cleanup and duties. The time your students spent with us was actually a lifesaver. Due to many circumstances, we have been very shorthanded and wondered how we would get everything done to get the pool open on time. Your students made that possible. 25 extra hands made it possible to do what we needed to do that day. The creek at Mary Rutan is flowing nicely and looks so much cleaner. You have a wonderful group of students and we can’t thank them enough for all their help.
See the photo at right of our Lead Ambassadors in action on this great project—what a wonderful way to give back to the community!
Finally, I want to end this year with an e-mail we received from a former student (who has given me permission to share). This gentleman exemplifies the successes that each of you make possible every day. I think his story also reminds us we should never underestimate the potential of our students once they leave us!
I went to school at Ohio Hi-Point to pursue a job in Electronics. I graduated in 1984 and by the time I did I knew I had no interest in staying in the field. Mr. Payne and Mr. Grimm did their best to foster an interest for me but Honda was calling and I soon started a career there. After three years of water proofing cars in the paint department I had to have a change so I transferred and got one of the best jobs in the Honda plant...Test driving new cars. This was great for about a month and I knew I had to start preparing to get into a field I could enjoy. One thought kept returning to me during this time when I was thinking about a career change....The LPN program at Ohio Hi Point...I always had feigned disinterest with that while at Ohio Hi Point but I was always interested...That thought encouraged me to go back to school...First to Clark State and then to Wright State. My first full time year at Clark State I was still working full time at Honda which made for a disgruntled wife at home...Thank goodness we did not have children at this time.
After graduating from the RN program I attended Wright State to further my degree and then went into Oncology Nursing in Columbus Ohio. After doing that for five years I was approached to work as a research coordinator basically conducting clinical trials in cancer patients who had no other treatment options. After doing that for three years I was approached and recruited by a large Pharmaceutical Research company to continue working in clinical trials except at this point I would be traveling across the United States bringing Physicians and researchers access to pipeline drugs that were not yet approved by the FDA for their patient populations. Here I was traveling the world, educating RN's, PhD's and MD's on how to conduct trials with our research department as well as how to safely administer the compounds that were being tested. The biggest and most important part of my job was patient safety and ensuring their rights by making sure they were all give proper informed consent. Educating patients and the research staff to do this the correct way was critical so that patients knew what they were getting into.
Long story short...I was a trouble making brat at Ohio Hi Point that put my teachers through heck and back but they put up with my antics and somehow instilled in me the qualities that got me noticed in a medical world that resulted in my traveling the globe and educating Physicians. I have been published in my own clinical trial and been to meetings in London England and San Juan Peurto Rico all thanks to Ohio Hi Point.
Jerry Hinton RN, OCN, CCRC
Wow! (By the way, Shane Haggerty will be talking further with this graduate and will be preparing a full feature story to be released soon.)
With that story in mind, please go into your summer break knowing that who you are and what you do makes a difference! Here’s to some time at a more relaxed pace, warm breezes and sunshine, making memories with family and friends, and safe travels. Rest up and recharge for the start of another great year!
Friday, May 28, 2010
May 28, 2010
Well, this is that time of year I (and many of you) get the best form of writer’s cramp! I’ve been signing off on certificates of completion, honors certificates, and many others for our high school and adult education students. It never escapes me that every signature on every document certifies a tremendous amount of effort and accomplishment on the part of each and every student. If you multiply out every project done, every paper written, every test taken, every clinical or field experience completed times the number of students completing programs, it’s just mind boggling! What a great time of year and a great opportunity to recognize our students’ achievements.
Getting to spend time with students is a rare and special treat for me, and I had two such chances this week! Monday we hosted the Superintendent’s List Breakfast for our students who had straight A’s any quarter this year. Each received a small gift for their outstanding efforts; and the 14 students who received straight A’s all year received an OHP hoody sweatshirt. (I kind of envied those kids—neat sweatshirts!) Then, on Wednesday, we hosted a lunch at the "Peak of Ohio” for our Lead Ambassadors to thank them for the tremendous work they have done representing OHP this year. We had a beautiful day for the outside event, and the kids had a ball (as you can see in the photo at right!) Couldn’t ask for a better bunch of kids to represent us here at OHP and in the community. We’ll miss our senior ambassadors and wish them the best!
Wednesday and Thursday we hosted the site selection committee from the National Air Force Radar Museum and were excited to learn that Campbell Hill on our campus is one of five finalists for the site! (As you know, this is the former site of the 664th ACW (Aircraft Control and Warning) Station.) Wednesday morning, I had the opportunity to meet with them along with several community leaders, and they were very impressed with the level of support from Logan County. The committee will be visiting the four other sites and, over the next year, will be making their selection. If we’re fortunate enough to have Campbell Hill selected, the push will be on for a local committee to raise funds to renovate one of the former radar towers. I’ll keep you posted!
Memorial Day weekend is here, can you believe it?!? Didn’t we just get back from winter break? In addition to getting some well-deserved R&R, I hope you’ll all take time to honor those who have and are currently serving our country in the armed forces. (I had an amazing experience yesterday at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus which gave me a whole new appreciation for our armed forces. I’ll share with you next week when I have my photos ready!)
Have a great weekend!
Getting to spend time with students is a rare and special treat for me, and I had two such chances this week! Monday we hosted the Superintendent’s List Breakfast for our students who had straight A’s any quarter this year. Each received a small gift for their outstanding efforts; and the 14 students who received straight A’s all year received an OHP hoody sweatshirt. (I kind of envied those kids—neat sweatshirts!) Then, on Wednesday, we hosted a lunch at the "Peak of Ohio” for our Lead Ambassadors to thank them for the tremendous work they have done representing OHP this year. We had a beautiful day for the outside event, and the kids had a ball (as you can see in the photo at right!) Couldn’t ask for a better bunch of kids to represent us here at OHP and in the community. We’ll miss our senior ambassadors and wish them the best!
Wednesday and Thursday we hosted the site selection committee from the National Air Force Radar Museum and were excited to learn that Campbell Hill on our campus is one of five finalists for the site! (As you know, this is the former site of the 664th ACW (Aircraft Control and Warning) Station.) Wednesday morning, I had the opportunity to meet with them along with several community leaders, and they were very impressed with the level of support from Logan County. The committee will be visiting the four other sites and, over the next year, will be making their selection. If we’re fortunate enough to have Campbell Hill selected, the push will be on for a local committee to raise funds to renovate one of the former radar towers. I’ll keep you posted!
Memorial Day weekend is here, can you believe it?!? Didn’t we just get back from winter break? In addition to getting some well-deserved R&R, I hope you’ll all take time to honor those who have and are currently serving our country in the armed forces. (I had an amazing experience yesterday at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus which gave me a whole new appreciation for our armed forces. I’ll share with you next week when I have my photos ready!)
Have a great weekend!
Friday, May 21, 2010
May 21, 2010
I hope you’ve all had a great week, albeit a little wet and dreary. The sun yesterday was great to see! And hang on, I hear there’s more coming our way Sunday. I will say, though, that even a mediocre gardener (such as myself) can have pretty good results with the help of all this rain—everything is pretty lush.
I love to share the stories of hearing good things about OHP from out and about in the community. Earlier this week I needed to call a local law enforcement agency for some confidential records; and when I introduced myself as the Superintendent at OHP, the gentleman on the other end of the line said, “Oh, hi!” (as if we had met). Later in the conversation, he shared with me that his son attends here in one of our automotive programs. He told me, “My son loves Hi-Point. I love Hi-Point, too!” I told him I was really glad to hear that! Sometimes even the more unpleasant tasks in my job reap some positive rewards.
Tuesday evening was our first annual Satellite Senior Celebration here on Main Campus. The start of another great tradition! Several of our satellite teachers combined efforts to put this ceremony together which brought our senior satellite students together to receive their Certificates of Completion. Each teacher also presented an Outstanding Student Award, and the stories of what some of these students have overcome and what they’ve accomplished were simply amazing. All together, 119 students were completers in 15 workforce development programs at our satellite sites—my, how we’ve grown! I could tell the students really enjoyed the recognition, and the parents obviously enjoyed the chance to beam with pride! I look forward to this ceremony for many years to come.
We’re going to have a very special group of visitors next week, so I want to give you a heads up. On Wednesday and Thursday, the Site Selection Committee for the National Air Force Radar Museum will be visiting our campus as a finalist for a museum to honor those men and women who “scanned the skies” to protect our country. We’re very excited about the possibility of the museum being located here on Campbell Hill, the former site of the 664th Aircraft Control & Warning Station. And, although we’re a little biased, we feel the rich aviation heritage of this region makes this the perfect spot! The group will be holding meetings with myself and local leaders to gauge support and touring the campus to see what we have to offer. I know you’ll make them feel welcome as always.
Have a great weekend, and rest up for the “home stretch” over the next couple of weeks!
I love to share the stories of hearing good things about OHP from out and about in the community. Earlier this week I needed to call a local law enforcement agency for some confidential records; and when I introduced myself as the Superintendent at OHP, the gentleman on the other end of the line said, “Oh, hi!” (as if we had met). Later in the conversation, he shared with me that his son attends here in one of our automotive programs. He told me, “My son loves Hi-Point. I love Hi-Point, too!” I told him I was really glad to hear that! Sometimes even the more unpleasant tasks in my job reap some positive rewards.
Tuesday evening was our first annual Satellite Senior Celebration here on Main Campus. The start of another great tradition! Several of our satellite teachers combined efforts to put this ceremony together which brought our senior satellite students together to receive their Certificates of Completion. Each teacher also presented an Outstanding Student Award, and the stories of what some of these students have overcome and what they’ve accomplished were simply amazing. All together, 119 students were completers in 15 workforce development programs at our satellite sites—my, how we’ve grown! I could tell the students really enjoyed the recognition, and the parents obviously enjoyed the chance to beam with pride! I look forward to this ceremony for many years to come.
We’re going to have a very special group of visitors next week, so I want to give you a heads up. On Wednesday and Thursday, the Site Selection Committee for the National Air Force Radar Museum will be visiting our campus as a finalist for a museum to honor those men and women who “scanned the skies” to protect our country. We’re very excited about the possibility of the museum being located here on Campbell Hill, the former site of the 664th Aircraft Control & Warning Station. And, although we’re a little biased, we feel the rich aviation heritage of this region makes this the perfect spot! The group will be holding meetings with myself and local leaders to gauge support and touring the campus to see what we have to offer. I know you’ll make them feel welcome as always.
Have a great weekend, and rest up for the “home stretch” over the next couple of weeks!
Thursday, May 13, 2010
May 14, 2010
This week puts us halfway through May—where has it gone?!? I know you’re all as busy as one-armed paper hangers with all the year-end activities happening and being planned for. Lots of excitement in the air!
Anyone who knows anything about OHP knows that we’ve really embraced social networking (well, most of us have). I can’t say the “bug has bitten” me, other than doing this blog. Did any of you see Betty White on Saturday Night Live last weekend talking about Facebook? I laughed so hard I cried! I’m not quite her age (88), but I completely related to her opinion of Facebook being pretty much a waste of time. I, too, have a hard time understanding why high-school classmates I haven’t seen or talked to in over 33 years would expect me to have any interest in their kids' prom pictures. I created a Facebook page during a workshop probably two years ago, I never posted a picture, and I’ve only been back to my page once. However, in all seriousness, I have seen (through Shane’s eyes) the tremendous marketing tool Facebook and other social networking tools have been for OHP, and I’m beginning to see on a personal level how it can help to connect to long-lost friends, coworkers, employers—just about anyone! So I guess I shouldn’t knock it until I’ve tried it—I mean really tried it. Good for all of you who are using it productively!
Tuesday morning I attended the Union County Business-Education Workforce Team meeting and heard updates on the committee’s work to connect educators and students to the workforce. One of their projects, Workplaces of Today & Tomorrow, will be implemented this summer. This week-long program will put educators into multiple workplace settings and give them an opportunity to write curriculum related to real-world skills. Educators can also earn college credits. We’re really excited to get this program off the ground! If you’re interested, let me know or contact the Union County Chamber.
Wednesday evening was the annual FFA Awards Banquet on our Main Campus. Always a wonderful evening! The students get really “dolled up” (or “duded up” for the guys, I guess), and they conduct a very professional program. Their special guest was Ike Kershaw from the Ohio Department of Education (Office of Career-Technical Education). I’m amazed at the many areas our FFA students compete in and the various awards they earn. Thank you to our chapter for the invitation and the privilege of giving the welcome!
I’ve got a great story to share about the “payoff” of building relationships with our legislators. As I shared several weeks ago, State Senator Karen Gillmor visited our campus. I don’t believe she had ever been on a career center campus before, and she was amazed at what we offer students of all ages. You may also have heard about recently proposed legislation which would require all schools to provide 30 minutes of physical activity for students daily. While we certainly agree with the need for healthy eating and exercise, it would simply be impossible for us to carve 30 minutes out of our already shortened day without sacrificing academic or lab time. Senator Gillmor is the vice-chair of the committee which drafted legislation this week, and we were able to get our message in front of the committee in two ways: First, our Urbana Board Member and Legislative Liaison Warren Stevens travelled to Columbus to testify in front of the committee regarding the shortened day we have due to transportation of students from five counties and the fact that our students spend roughly half of their day up and active in their labs. And I was able to get a message to Senator Gillmor prior to the hearings echoing those same concerns. She heard us loud and clear! She proposed an amendment to the legislation exempting career centers from the legislation, which is a huge relief to us. So . . . thanks to all of you who impress our legislators (and others) each and every time they visit—whether it be the warm welcome they get from our office staff, the unique learning opportunities they observe in our labs and classrooms, or the beautiful campus we maintain. Please never underestimate the impact you make or the benefits your efforts might reap in the future!
Have a great weekend and enjoy the sunshine!
Anyone who knows anything about OHP knows that we’ve really embraced social networking (well, most of us have). I can’t say the “bug has bitten” me, other than doing this blog. Did any of you see Betty White on Saturday Night Live last weekend talking about Facebook? I laughed so hard I cried! I’m not quite her age (88), but I completely related to her opinion of Facebook being pretty much a waste of time. I, too, have a hard time understanding why high-school classmates I haven’t seen or talked to in over 33 years would expect me to have any interest in their kids' prom pictures. I created a Facebook page during a workshop probably two years ago, I never posted a picture, and I’ve only been back to my page once. However, in all seriousness, I have seen (through Shane’s eyes) the tremendous marketing tool Facebook and other social networking tools have been for OHP, and I’m beginning to see on a personal level how it can help to connect to long-lost friends, coworkers, employers—just about anyone! So I guess I shouldn’t knock it until I’ve tried it—I mean really tried it. Good for all of you who are using it productively!
Tuesday morning I attended the Union County Business-Education Workforce Team meeting and heard updates on the committee’s work to connect educators and students to the workforce. One of their projects, Workplaces of Today & Tomorrow, will be implemented this summer. This week-long program will put educators into multiple workplace settings and give them an opportunity to write curriculum related to real-world skills. Educators can also earn college credits. We’re really excited to get this program off the ground! If you’re interested, let me know or contact the Union County Chamber.
Wednesday evening was the annual FFA Awards Banquet on our Main Campus. Always a wonderful evening! The students get really “dolled up” (or “duded up” for the guys, I guess), and they conduct a very professional program. Their special guest was Ike Kershaw from the Ohio Department of Education (Office of Career-Technical Education). I’m amazed at the many areas our FFA students compete in and the various awards they earn. Thank you to our chapter for the invitation and the privilege of giving the welcome!
I’ve got a great story to share about the “payoff” of building relationships with our legislators. As I shared several weeks ago, State Senator Karen Gillmor visited our campus. I don’t believe she had ever been on a career center campus before, and she was amazed at what we offer students of all ages. You may also have heard about recently proposed legislation which would require all schools to provide 30 minutes of physical activity for students daily. While we certainly agree with the need for healthy eating and exercise, it would simply be impossible for us to carve 30 minutes out of our already shortened day without sacrificing academic or lab time. Senator Gillmor is the vice-chair of the committee which drafted legislation this week, and we were able to get our message in front of the committee in two ways: First, our Urbana Board Member and Legislative Liaison Warren Stevens travelled to Columbus to testify in front of the committee regarding the shortened day we have due to transportation of students from five counties and the fact that our students spend roughly half of their day up and active in their labs. And I was able to get a message to Senator Gillmor prior to the hearings echoing those same concerns. She heard us loud and clear! She proposed an amendment to the legislation exempting career centers from the legislation, which is a huge relief to us. So . . . thanks to all of you who impress our legislators (and others) each and every time they visit—whether it be the warm welcome they get from our office staff, the unique learning opportunities they observe in our labs and classrooms, or the beautiful campus we maintain. Please never underestimate the impact you make or the benefits your efforts might reap in the future!
Have a great weekend and enjoy the sunshine!
Thursday, May 6, 2010
May 7, 2010
Happy Friday! (I’m sending this a little early because I’ll be at a conference on Friday, but we’ll celebrate early.)
Monday started off with a wonderful opportunity to see one of our students recognized at the State Career-Based Intervention (CBI) Conference! Jasmine Miller, a CBI student at our satellite program at Bunsold Middle School in Marysville, was selected by the State CBI Board as one of only two students in the state to receive a $1,000 scholarship for further education after high school. I was so pleased to hear, as she gave her acceptance speech, that she plans to attend Ohio Hi-Point in her junior and senior years to help prepare for college. We look forward to having a student of Jasmine’s caliber in one of our workforce programs! (Photos to follow in press release!)
I appreciate those who were able to attend our final Staff Breakfast for the year on Tuesday and those who shared their “celebrations.” We had a bunch! It was nice to hear of all the personal celebrations in your lives (grandchildren, marriages, adult children moving out of the house!) And it was especially gratifying to hear the success stories you shared about our programs and students. I hope you feel great about the part you’ve played in those success stories!
Wednesday at the Logan County Chamber of Commerce board meeting, one of the members of the current Leadership Logan County class shared the experiences she’s had participating in the program. Among other experiences, she described the group’s tour of Ohio Hi-Point on Education Day and couldn’t say enough about how amazing the programs were and what neat opportunities our students have. She echoed a sentiment I’ve often had—she said she wishes she were in high school again so she could take advantage! Just another example of how the OHP story is being shared in the community and how it comes back around for me to share with you.
I hope you all took a moment to express your appreciation to our Health & Safety Coordinator (school nurse), Amy McCarthy, on the flower outside her office as part of Nurse Appreciation Day (Thursday). A very special “Thank You” to our Early Childhood Education (ECE) students for creating this special flower. Angie Walls, ECE teacher, told me it was “huge”; and she wasn’t kidding! (See photo at right.) It was really neat to read all the messages staff and students had written to “Nurse Amy” about the many ways she supports us all and makes this a great place to work. And I’d like to extend that appreciation to the many nurses we have on staff as instructors—you’re helping to “grow” the next generation of healthcare workers which our society needs so very much!
Finally, I wish all of our mothers a happy Mother’s Day! I hope you all get to spend time with your mother, or get to talk with your mother over the miles if you're apart, or spend some time remembering your mother. Did you know Mr. T has a Mother’s Day song? (I’ll let you Google that one to find it on You-Tube; it’s pretty funny.) And if you’re too young to remember Mr. T, the rest of us really don’t want to hear about it.
Have a great weekend!
Monday started off with a wonderful opportunity to see one of our students recognized at the State Career-Based Intervention (CBI) Conference! Jasmine Miller, a CBI student at our satellite program at Bunsold Middle School in Marysville, was selected by the State CBI Board as one of only two students in the state to receive a $1,000 scholarship for further education after high school. I was so pleased to hear, as she gave her acceptance speech, that she plans to attend Ohio Hi-Point in her junior and senior years to help prepare for college. We look forward to having a student of Jasmine’s caliber in one of our workforce programs! (Photos to follow in press release!)
I appreciate those who were able to attend our final Staff Breakfast for the year on Tuesday and those who shared their “celebrations.” We had a bunch! It was nice to hear of all the personal celebrations in your lives (grandchildren, marriages, adult children moving out of the house!) And it was especially gratifying to hear the success stories you shared about our programs and students. I hope you feel great about the part you’ve played in those success stories!
Wednesday at the Logan County Chamber of Commerce board meeting, one of the members of the current Leadership Logan County class shared the experiences she’s had participating in the program. Among other experiences, she described the group’s tour of Ohio Hi-Point on Education Day and couldn’t say enough about how amazing the programs were and what neat opportunities our students have. She echoed a sentiment I’ve often had—she said she wishes she were in high school again so she could take advantage! Just another example of how the OHP story is being shared in the community and how it comes back around for me to share with you.
I hope you all took a moment to express your appreciation to our Health & Safety Coordinator (school nurse), Amy McCarthy, on the flower outside her office as part of Nurse Appreciation Day (Thursday). A very special “Thank You” to our Early Childhood Education (ECE) students for creating this special flower. Angie Walls, ECE teacher, told me it was “huge”; and she wasn’t kidding! (See photo at right.) It was really neat to read all the messages staff and students had written to “Nurse Amy” about the many ways she supports us all and makes this a great place to work. And I’d like to extend that appreciation to the many nurses we have on staff as instructors—you’re helping to “grow” the next generation of healthcare workers which our society needs so very much!
Finally, I wish all of our mothers a happy Mother’s Day! I hope you all get to spend time with your mother, or get to talk with your mother over the miles if you're apart, or spend some time remembering your mother. Did you know Mr. T has a Mother’s Day song? (I’ll let you Google that one to find it on You-Tube; it’s pretty funny.) And if you’re too young to remember Mr. T, the rest of us really don’t want to hear about it.
Have a great weekend!
Friday, April 30, 2010
April 30, 2010
Hard to believe this is the last day of April! It will be nice to welcome May, even though it sounds like it’s going to be a wet first few days.
Monday we held the final meeting of the Student Advisory Council for the year. Among other things, this group brings recommendations to me and the administration for improvements at OHP. One of their suggestions this year—to widen the doorway between the main building and the tech center wing—will actually come to fruition this summer. At their suggestion, we made observations and saw that this truly is a bottleneck during class-change times and could caused tardies (as well as being a safety hazard). So—next year the opening will be a 6-foot-wide double door. Should speed up the traffic flow—and no more excuses for being tardy! Thanks to the Student Advisory Council for this recommendation, and thanks to our Facilities & Grounds Department for making it happen!
Tuesday I attended another meeting of the Ohio School Funding Advisory Council. I think the subcommittee working on career-tech funding is finally making some headway! After studying CTE program delivery and past funding models, the subcommittee will be looking at a proposed funding model (developed by a steering committee of career-tech superintendents and treasurers) at their next meeting. I’m glad to see this progress; although the common thread throughout discussions has been that any model approved may not be fully funded—it all depends on state funding levels. But it's important that we have some say in the development of whatever model is finally approved. I’ll keep you posted.
Wednesday I had the pleasure, again, of judging the business department’s etiquette luncheon. What a fun event! After the students all heard a speaker on business etiquette, they had a delicious lunch (prepared by Culinary Arts) in groups of 4 or 5 with a judge. I had the pleasure of having lunch with Tessa from Bellefontaine, Allison from Bellefontaine, Shelby from West Liberty-Salem, and Mike from Ben Logan (see photo at right). They were great! We had a nice discussion about their experiences at OHP, their plans for the future, and what they might expect in the business world. I have no doubt these young people are well prepared for lunch interviews and other experiences they’ll encounter as they enter the business world. Thanks to teachers Amanda Blackburn (Information Technology) and Heather Reed (Business Administration Technology) for planning this great learning experience and for sharing your students with me!
Thursday was a "hopping" day at OHP! On Thursday morning I had the privilege of attending and providing a welcome at our annual National Technical Honor Society induction ceremony. This year's "class" of inductees included 24 students who have met very high standards during their time in career-technical education. The current members conducted a beautiful ceremony which was attended by a large group of family members, friends, and partner school staff. Many thanks to Melissa Rofe and Ryan Gilbert for taking the leadership with this important organization and overseeing an impressive event! (And be sure to see the photos from the event on our website!)
That same day, I joined Sharon Halter (Adult Basic Literacy Coordinator) in a presentation to the Union County Commissioners regarding the ABLE program that OHP began to operate for them in 2008. Sharon shared some very impressive enrollment numbers and success stories with the Commissioners. These trying times have hit many adults very hard, and it’s gratifying to know that OHP’s ABLE program is assisting so many of them in starting on new career pathways. The Commissioners were obviously pleased as well, and we look forward to a long relationship with them serving the adults of Union County!
On Thursday evening, we hosted our annual Welcome Dinner for incoming students (along with parent/teacher conferences). This is a great opportunity for students who've already made up their minds to visit labs with family and other guests and to enjoy dinner (prepared by our cafeteria staff). And, for students who are maybe not yet quite sure about attending, it can often be the deciding factor! Thanks to the many staff members and student Lead Ambassadors who assisted with getting all of our guests where they needed to be and making them feel welcome. Thanks also to Clark State Community College for being present and for sponsoring t-shirts for all our incoming students! (And again, check our website for story and photos!)
This morning, I welcomed a regional meeting of GRADS teachers (our program for parenting teens) at OHP. What a great turnout and a beautiful day to have them on our campus! As I've always said about GRADS, this is the one program that impacts two generations, and I admonished them to continue to advocate for this program at the state level so that we can continue to provide this much-needed service to students. Thanks to Francie Ross and Deb Baker for hosting and for inviting me!
Have a great weekend, and remember that the rain will only make things greener and brighter!
Monday we held the final meeting of the Student Advisory Council for the year. Among other things, this group brings recommendations to me and the administration for improvements at OHP. One of their suggestions this year—to widen the doorway between the main building and the tech center wing—will actually come to fruition this summer. At their suggestion, we made observations and saw that this truly is a bottleneck during class-change times and could caused tardies (as well as being a safety hazard). So—next year the opening will be a 6-foot-wide double door. Should speed up the traffic flow—and no more excuses for being tardy! Thanks to the Student Advisory Council for this recommendation, and thanks to our Facilities & Grounds Department for making it happen!
Tuesday I attended another meeting of the Ohio School Funding Advisory Council. I think the subcommittee working on career-tech funding is finally making some headway! After studying CTE program delivery and past funding models, the subcommittee will be looking at a proposed funding model (developed by a steering committee of career-tech superintendents and treasurers) at their next meeting. I’m glad to see this progress; although the common thread throughout discussions has been that any model approved may not be fully funded—it all depends on state funding levels. But it's important that we have some say in the development of whatever model is finally approved. I’ll keep you posted.
Wednesday I had the pleasure, again, of judging the business department’s etiquette luncheon. What a fun event! After the students all heard a speaker on business etiquette, they had a delicious lunch (prepared by Culinary Arts) in groups of 4 or 5 with a judge. I had the pleasure of having lunch with Tessa from Bellefontaine, Allison from Bellefontaine, Shelby from West Liberty-Salem, and Mike from Ben Logan (see photo at right). They were great! We had a nice discussion about their experiences at OHP, their plans for the future, and what they might expect in the business world. I have no doubt these young people are well prepared for lunch interviews and other experiences they’ll encounter as they enter the business world. Thanks to teachers Amanda Blackburn (Information Technology) and Heather Reed (Business Administration Technology) for planning this great learning experience and for sharing your students with me!
Thursday was a "hopping" day at OHP! On Thursday morning I had the privilege of attending and providing a welcome at our annual National Technical Honor Society induction ceremony. This year's "class" of inductees included 24 students who have met very high standards during their time in career-technical education. The current members conducted a beautiful ceremony which was attended by a large group of family members, friends, and partner school staff. Many thanks to Melissa Rofe and Ryan Gilbert for taking the leadership with this important organization and overseeing an impressive event! (And be sure to see the photos from the event on our website!)
That same day, I joined Sharon Halter (Adult Basic Literacy Coordinator) in a presentation to the Union County Commissioners regarding the ABLE program that OHP began to operate for them in 2008. Sharon shared some very impressive enrollment numbers and success stories with the Commissioners. These trying times have hit many adults very hard, and it’s gratifying to know that OHP’s ABLE program is assisting so many of them in starting on new career pathways. The Commissioners were obviously pleased as well, and we look forward to a long relationship with them serving the adults of Union County!
On Thursday evening, we hosted our annual Welcome Dinner for incoming students (along with parent/teacher conferences). This is a great opportunity for students who've already made up their minds to visit labs with family and other guests and to enjoy dinner (prepared by our cafeteria staff). And, for students who are maybe not yet quite sure about attending, it can often be the deciding factor! Thanks to the many staff members and student Lead Ambassadors who assisted with getting all of our guests where they needed to be and making them feel welcome. Thanks also to Clark State Community College for being present and for sponsoring t-shirts for all our incoming students! (And again, check our website for story and photos!)
This morning, I welcomed a regional meeting of GRADS teachers (our program for parenting teens) at OHP. What a great turnout and a beautiful day to have them on our campus! As I've always said about GRADS, this is the one program that impacts two generations, and I admonished them to continue to advocate for this program at the state level so that we can continue to provide this much-needed service to students. Thanks to Francie Ross and Deb Baker for hosting and for inviting me!
Have a great weekend, and remember that the rain will only make things greener and brighter!
Monday, April 26, 2010
April 26, 2010
This week’s TGIF turned into a TGIM (Monday)—what a hectic week last week! Not sure if I’m late for last week or early for this week. Hope you had a restful weekend. I was actually glad to see the rain this weekend—the grass and plants need it, and hopefully it will knock some of this pollen out of the air!
I have to say last week was one of students coming to my rescue! The pace picks up so much at this time of year (like I need to tell you that!) and so often I have last-minute requests or needs. But no worries last week—our students were great!
Wednesday morning when we hosted our partner school administrators for a legal topics in-service, I found the room not quite set up the way we needed it. (Actually, it was still set up from our partner school Superintendents meeting the day before!) I asked Daniel from Culinary Arts (who was hanging out in the Commons before school) if he could help me rearrange the tables. Within about 30 seconds, he had gathered several of his classmates and they jumped right in to rearrange tables, wipe them down and get extra tables out of the way. (Then they served us a fantastic lunch later that day even though one of their ovens was on the blink!) An amazing group of kids who have clearly learned that “life happens,” you go with Plan B, and everything turns out OK if you don’t panic.
Here’s another example: I was asked by a local businessman for a poster to display at the upcoming Rotary/Kiwanis Golf Outing to advertise a new scholarship program for Logan County students called “Logan County Promise.” Again, I didn’t give Mr. Carrig and his Printing & Graphics students much time; but they came through and Jonathan and Jake delivered a beautiful poster designed by Jennifer and printed by Jonathan right on deadline for me Friday! I can’t wait to have the poster displayed at the golf event—I’ll be proud to say OHP students produced it! And then, I gave Mr. Carrig and his students an even shorter deadline (about one day?) for a banner we needed for a “photo op” at our new North Campus in Kenton. Again—a quality product produced and delivered on-time and with a smile by his student Breanna! (See Shane's news release about our North Campus on our website for a photo.)
Thursday, we had our State Board of Education member, Ann Jacobs, visit our beautiful campus (see photo at right). She lives in the Apollo Career Center district, so we needed to get her here to show her how much better OHP is! (Just kidding to all our friends at Apollo!) But she did rave about our beautiful campus, our advanced technology, our amazing students, and the two Lead Ambassadors who hosted her on the tour: Shana and McCay. I’m thrilled that now, as she fulfills her duties on the State Board of Education, she can now actually visualize the quality education we offer at OHP and the importance of supporting our programs.
I guess I share all of these examples to express my appreciation, because I know not many superintendents are as spoiled as I am when it comes to always being able to call on staff and students to “get the job done” and know that it will not just be done—it will be done with excellence. My thanks to all of you.
Last Thursday several of our staff members and students (both high-school and adult) visited Columbus for the Ohio ACTE Legislative Luncheon. They arrived in Columbus at 9:30 a.m. and took a special hour tour of the State House; then they had lunch at the Renaissance Hotel along with a special program recognizing career-technical education. Joining them for lunch was our State Representative Dave Burke (see photo at right). Representative Burke is a huge supporter of CTE, and we’re so glad he had an opportunity to meet our students and hear their stories!
Last Wednesday was Administrative Professionals Day, and we celebrated with our office support staff on Thursday with a salad luncheon prepared by the administration. We don’t claim to be experts at the cooking part, but we sure have fun putting this together for those who make our jobs so much easier and keep us sane! I hope you’ll all express your thanks to all of our administrative professionals for being the “glue” that holds our district together!
Let me back up to Saturday a week ago when we hosted our Prom. Once again, a beautiful event that came off without a hitch! Many, many thanks to Angie Walls, Stacy Colwell, and all the other staff who put countless hours into planning this event (I won’t try to name all staff; I know I’ll miss some!) And thanks also to the student committee who worked tirelessly to make this a special event for their classmates. The “Masquerade” theme was really neat, and the students rose to the occasion with some beautiful dresses, masks, and face paintings! And, of course, their behavior made us proud. I hear every year from the photographer, the police we hire for security, and from the DJ what great students we have. Never hurts to hear it—and we should never take it for granted!
This week will no doubt be another busy one. Have a great week as we wrap up April and head into May!
I have to say last week was one of students coming to my rescue! The pace picks up so much at this time of year (like I need to tell you that!) and so often I have last-minute requests or needs. But no worries last week—our students were great!
Wednesday morning when we hosted our partner school administrators for a legal topics in-service, I found the room not quite set up the way we needed it. (Actually, it was still set up from our partner school Superintendents meeting the day before!) I asked Daniel from Culinary Arts (who was hanging out in the Commons before school) if he could help me rearrange the tables. Within about 30 seconds, he had gathered several of his classmates and they jumped right in to rearrange tables, wipe them down and get extra tables out of the way. (Then they served us a fantastic lunch later that day even though one of their ovens was on the blink!) An amazing group of kids who have clearly learned that “life happens,” you go with Plan B, and everything turns out OK if you don’t panic.
Here’s another example: I was asked by a local businessman for a poster to display at the upcoming Rotary/Kiwanis Golf Outing to advertise a new scholarship program for Logan County students called “Logan County Promise.” Again, I didn’t give Mr. Carrig and his Printing & Graphics students much time; but they came through and Jonathan and Jake delivered a beautiful poster designed by Jennifer and printed by Jonathan right on deadline for me Friday! I can’t wait to have the poster displayed at the golf event—I’ll be proud to say OHP students produced it! And then, I gave Mr. Carrig and his students an even shorter deadline (about one day?) for a banner we needed for a “photo op” at our new North Campus in Kenton. Again—a quality product produced and delivered on-time and with a smile by his student Breanna! (See Shane's news release about our North Campus on our website for a photo.)
Thursday, we had our State Board of Education member, Ann Jacobs, visit our beautiful campus (see photo at right). She lives in the Apollo Career Center district, so we needed to get her here to show her how much better OHP is! (Just kidding to all our friends at Apollo!) But she did rave about our beautiful campus, our advanced technology, our amazing students, and the two Lead Ambassadors who hosted her on the tour: Shana and McCay. I’m thrilled that now, as she fulfills her duties on the State Board of Education, she can now actually visualize the quality education we offer at OHP and the importance of supporting our programs.
I guess I share all of these examples to express my appreciation, because I know not many superintendents are as spoiled as I am when it comes to always being able to call on staff and students to “get the job done” and know that it will not just be done—it will be done with excellence. My thanks to all of you.
Last Thursday several of our staff members and students (both high-school and adult) visited Columbus for the Ohio ACTE Legislative Luncheon. They arrived in Columbus at 9:30 a.m. and took a special hour tour of the State House; then they had lunch at the Renaissance Hotel along with a special program recognizing career-technical education. Joining them for lunch was our State Representative Dave Burke (see photo at right). Representative Burke is a huge supporter of CTE, and we’re so glad he had an opportunity to meet our students and hear their stories!
Last Wednesday was Administrative Professionals Day, and we celebrated with our office support staff on Thursday with a salad luncheon prepared by the administration. We don’t claim to be experts at the cooking part, but we sure have fun putting this together for those who make our jobs so much easier and keep us sane! I hope you’ll all express your thanks to all of our administrative professionals for being the “glue” that holds our district together!
Let me back up to Saturday a week ago when we hosted our Prom. Once again, a beautiful event that came off without a hitch! Many, many thanks to Angie Walls, Stacy Colwell, and all the other staff who put countless hours into planning this event (I won’t try to name all staff; I know I’ll miss some!) And thanks also to the student committee who worked tirelessly to make this a special event for their classmates. The “Masquerade” theme was really neat, and the students rose to the occasion with some beautiful dresses, masks, and face paintings! And, of course, their behavior made us proud. I hear every year from the photographer, the police we hire for security, and from the DJ what great students we have. Never hurts to hear it—and we should never take it for granted!
This week will no doubt be another busy one. Have a great week as we wrap up April and head into May!
Friday, April 9, 2010
April 9, 2010
Well, first of all, welcome back! I hope you all had a wonderful, restful spring break. And what a treat the weather was—right here in Ohio! Just wanted to get a quick TGIF posting up about a few of this week’s happenings.
Several of you have shared what a hectic week it’s been getting back into full gear. Now we’re into that after-spring-break “blur”—but we’ll pull it all off as we always do. The students are so excited about their achievements this time of year, it’s really fun to watch. I hope you’re all taking time to read the press releases and view the photos of our student achievers!
Tuesday evening the Ohio School Boards Association Southwest Region Executive Board hosted it’s spring meeting on our campus, which is at the far north edge of the region! I appreciate that Anne Reames, our Board President, facilitated hosting the meeting here so that we could show off our facilities and our students. Our Lead Ambassadors gave our guests campus tours on that beautiful evening, and our Culinary Arts students treated them to a delicious dinner. I never hesitate to accept these opportunities to bring visitors to OHP because I’m confident they’ll have an amazing experience!
Wednesday morning I attended a “Day of Hope” ceremony sponsored by Logan County Children’s Services in recognition of victims of child abuse. Very sobering. The message I took away is that we in public education have such a huge responsibility to keep a watchful eye on our students—even the “big” ones—and report any suspected abuse. I know you all do a great job of that and provide a supportive environment for our students every day. Keep it up—it matters.
It was announced this past week that the Logan County Area Chamber of Commerce has hired a new Executive Director. As a member of the Chamber Board, I have been aware “on the fringes” of the search and selection process; but I was not at liberty to share. What I can share with you now is that the new Executive Director, Fred Burkhardt, hails from Elkhorn, Wisconsin. Fred has extensive chamber and economic development background, and he is very excited about his move to Logan County. You should know that part of the interview process was to have Fred tour our campus on a Saturday and learn about our role in workforce development. He was amazed at what he saw as I walked him through several of our labs (Wisconsin has nothing like the career-tech structure Ohio has). When he returned this week to be formally hired by the Board, he again expressed his eagerness to work with OHP in his new position!
I hope you have a great weekend—warmer temperatures are on the way back!
Several of you have shared what a hectic week it’s been getting back into full gear. Now we’re into that after-spring-break “blur”—but we’ll pull it all off as we always do. The students are so excited about their achievements this time of year, it’s really fun to watch. I hope you’re all taking time to read the press releases and view the photos of our student achievers!
Tuesday evening the Ohio School Boards Association Southwest Region Executive Board hosted it’s spring meeting on our campus, which is at the far north edge of the region! I appreciate that Anne Reames, our Board President, facilitated hosting the meeting here so that we could show off our facilities and our students. Our Lead Ambassadors gave our guests campus tours on that beautiful evening, and our Culinary Arts students treated them to a delicious dinner. I never hesitate to accept these opportunities to bring visitors to OHP because I’m confident they’ll have an amazing experience!
Wednesday morning I attended a “Day of Hope” ceremony sponsored by Logan County Children’s Services in recognition of victims of child abuse. Very sobering. The message I took away is that we in public education have such a huge responsibility to keep a watchful eye on our students—even the “big” ones—and report any suspected abuse. I know you all do a great job of that and provide a supportive environment for our students every day. Keep it up—it matters.
It was announced this past week that the Logan County Area Chamber of Commerce has hired a new Executive Director. As a member of the Chamber Board, I have been aware “on the fringes” of the search and selection process; but I was not at liberty to share. What I can share with you now is that the new Executive Director, Fred Burkhardt, hails from Elkhorn, Wisconsin. Fred has extensive chamber and economic development background, and he is very excited about his move to Logan County. You should know that part of the interview process was to have Fred tour our campus on a Saturday and learn about our role in workforce development. He was amazed at what he saw as I walked him through several of our labs (Wisconsin has nothing like the career-tech structure Ohio has). When he returned this week to be formally hired by the Board, he again expressed his eagerness to work with OHP in his new position!
I hope you have a great weekend—warmer temperatures are on the way back!
Friday, March 26, 2010
March 26, 2010
Ironically, today’s “surprise” snow day falls exactly one month after the last “surprise” one we had—Friday, February 26. I had really hoped we were finished with all of this—who knew?!? I guess I jinxed it when I bid winter good riddance last week.
So, have you been waiting for this Friday for a while? I know most of you will be getting some much-deserved time off next week. The timing is perfect—you’ll need to recharge your batteries as we get into the “end-of-the-year avalanche” that’s ahead!
With the exception of the weather today, this has been such a great week. I hope you’re following Shane’s news releases to keep up with the many events around our district and student successes.
This week started with the “grand opening” and dedication of our new paint booth in Auto Collision on Monday morning. We had a great turnout of program advisory committee members, local auto industry representatives, and contractors who worked on the project. And, of course, our Sloan Trustees, who made it all possible. Bob Newland, Auto Collision teacher, and his students did a terrific job of demonstrating the capabilities of this new booth—what a huge improvement over the old one! They’ve been very, very patient as we worked through the permitting, licensing, and construction process for this project (nothing’s ever easy in public schools!) But Bob told me Monday, “I’m at the top of my game now!” No doubt. A sign hangs on the side of the paint booth which reads, “To whom much is given, much is expected.” I’m going to assume it was Bob who put that up as a reminder to his students how grateful they should be for this technology and to remind them to take good care of it. What an appropriate message. I took a video of the students at work in the new booth, but the file was too large and I couldn’t get it transferred from my phone (still working on those technology skills!) But Shane’s coverage of the event and his photos/videos on our website are much better anyway—check them out.
Wednesday evening’s Board Meeting was just chock-full of recognition for students as well as programs. The posting on our website gives full coverage, but in addition to recognizing our Students of the Month, our Information Technology team presented their video on Dr. Earl Sloan as a “Local Hero” (this is the video they took to state competition), we presented Dave Duff, local building developer who partners with us on our Construction Trades teachers on the project house, with a proclamation from State Representative Dave Burke commending him for the construction of the Touchstone Energy Home last school year, and we heard from Donna Atkinson, Business Teacher at our Graham satellite, about the High School of Business Program, which gives our students incredible credit articulation opportunities. We also got an update on the latest competitive events winners in all of our Career-Tech Student Organizations—the list is growing as events take place! Be sure to follow the news releases and our website to see our winners and extend well-deserved congratulations!
Thursday I attended another Ohio School Funding Advisory Council. Not much new to report. The subcommittee working on CTE funding is still pretty much entrenched in learning about CTE and studying the history of CTE funding. It’s been good, though, to be in the room and answer questions as they come up, and even to cite specific programs, delivery models, and student opportunities. One member did commend us, though, for the data we have to show student achievement both while in our programs and after completion; and he asked why our model of contextualized learning isn’t used across all of education. Hmmm . . . good question!!
For those of you who are taking time off next week, have a wonderful spring break! Travel safely, rest up, and we’ll see you back here for the “home stretch”!
So, have you been waiting for this Friday for a while? I know most of you will be getting some much-deserved time off next week. The timing is perfect—you’ll need to recharge your batteries as we get into the “end-of-the-year avalanche” that’s ahead!
With the exception of the weather today, this has been such a great week. I hope you’re following Shane’s news releases to keep up with the many events around our district and student successes.
This week started with the “grand opening” and dedication of our new paint booth in Auto Collision on Monday morning. We had a great turnout of program advisory committee members, local auto industry representatives, and contractors who worked on the project. And, of course, our Sloan Trustees, who made it all possible. Bob Newland, Auto Collision teacher, and his students did a terrific job of demonstrating the capabilities of this new booth—what a huge improvement over the old one! They’ve been very, very patient as we worked through the permitting, licensing, and construction process for this project (nothing’s ever easy in public schools!) But Bob told me Monday, “I’m at the top of my game now!” No doubt. A sign hangs on the side of the paint booth which reads, “To whom much is given, much is expected.” I’m going to assume it was Bob who put that up as a reminder to his students how grateful they should be for this technology and to remind them to take good care of it. What an appropriate message. I took a video of the students at work in the new booth, but the file was too large and I couldn’t get it transferred from my phone (still working on those technology skills!) But Shane’s coverage of the event and his photos/videos on our website are much better anyway—check them out.
Wednesday evening’s Board Meeting was just chock-full of recognition for students as well as programs. The posting on our website gives full coverage, but in addition to recognizing our Students of the Month, our Information Technology team presented their video on Dr. Earl Sloan as a “Local Hero” (this is the video they took to state competition), we presented Dave Duff, local building developer who partners with us on our Construction Trades teachers on the project house, with a proclamation from State Representative Dave Burke commending him for the construction of the Touchstone Energy Home last school year, and we heard from Donna Atkinson, Business Teacher at our Graham satellite, about the High School of Business Program, which gives our students incredible credit articulation opportunities. We also got an update on the latest competitive events winners in all of our Career-Tech Student Organizations—the list is growing as events take place! Be sure to follow the news releases and our website to see our winners and extend well-deserved congratulations!
Thursday I attended another Ohio School Funding Advisory Council. Not much new to report. The subcommittee working on CTE funding is still pretty much entrenched in learning about CTE and studying the history of CTE funding. It’s been good, though, to be in the room and answer questions as they come up, and even to cite specific programs, delivery models, and student opportunities. One member did commend us, though, for the data we have to show student achievement both while in our programs and after completion; and he asked why our model of contextualized learning isn’t used across all of education. Hmmm . . . good question!!
For those of you who are taking time off next week, have a wonderful spring break! Travel safely, rest up, and we’ll see you back here for the “home stretch”!
Friday, March 19, 2010
March 19, 2010
Today is the last day of winter—good riddance! Spring officially arrives tomorrow, and hasn’t it been a beautiful arrival? I think this spring will be one of the most welcome we’ve had in a long time—we’ve really earned it for making it through this challenging winter. I think I’ll celebrate this weekend by taking the scraper out of the car and putting the snow shovel away!
Thanks to all of you who attended the School Finance 101 session on Monday. The financial future for OHP and all schools I nothing less than uncertain these days. But, as I shared with the group who attended, Ohio Hi-Point has operated from a position of financial strength for 35+ years, and we’ll work hard to protect that financial strength. Will it involve some difficult decisions? Certainly. But in the end we’ll position ourselves to continue to offer those programs that benefit the most students--which is, after all, our mission. We will be posting the data that was shared during the session on our common drive so that you can view it if you were unable to attend—I’ll notify you as soon as that is available. And Eric and I welcome your questions.
Tuesday evening I attended the Ohio School Boards Association Southwest Region Spring Conference at Miami Valley CTC. Over 250 school board members, superintendents, and other school officials were in attendance. Congratulations to the Ohio Hi-Point Board of Education for receiving the Silver level of the Effective School Board Award! This award was based on a self-assessment of board effectiveness on 26 criteria. It’s a pleasure to work with a board that continually strives to get better, and this assessment helped us identify some areas to work on. Next year we’re going for the gold!
Some of our board members were also recognized at the conference for years of service: Susie Bline, Mechanicsburg (15 years) and Joe McKirahan, Logan Co. ESC (10 years). That’s a lot of years of service to our public schools, and we are very grateful to Susie and Joe for giving so generously of their time, energy, and commitment to students!
Wednesday evening five of our best and brightest participated in the American Association of University Women’s Trivia Bee, a fundraiser for local scholarships. “Team Hi-Point” consisted of Caleb Lang (Social Studies teacher), Melissa Sizemore (Math teacher), Benji Billman (Math teacher), JoAnn Ventresco (Language Arts teacher), and Doug Limes (Building Maintenance teacher). A photo of this stellar team is at right. Our team finished 7th out of 28 teams from Logan County. Congratulations Team Hi-Point for an outstanding finish! And thanks for putting in the extra time and effort to support a great cause.
Thursday I attended the National School Public Relations Ohio Spring Conference and had the privilege of speaking on a panel around the topic of social networking in schools. (Thanks to Shane Haggerty for the invitation!) I’m really proud of OHP for being out in front using social networking both for marketing and to allow our students to publish for a “global audience.” I should say I’m really proud of our staff for being forward-thinking enough to support this effort. I always say I’m a “late-comer” to these technologies. I was one of the last people to use e-mail, to get cable TV, to get a cell phone, to blog, etc. Personally, I have to see an assured benefit for the cost. And while I’m still not active with social networking, many of you have demonstrated the usefulness of these tools to reach our students and allow them to express themselves. And you’ve done it while setting high standards of behavior and holding students accountable. What a valuable lesson for them to learn before they enter the workplace or higher education. Thank you for being champions of what can be and not letting "later-comers" like me hold you back!
Enjoy your weekend, celebrate springtime, and get some well-deserved R&R!
Thanks to all of you who attended the School Finance 101 session on Monday. The financial future for OHP and all schools I nothing less than uncertain these days. But, as I shared with the group who attended, Ohio Hi-Point has operated from a position of financial strength for 35+ years, and we’ll work hard to protect that financial strength. Will it involve some difficult decisions? Certainly. But in the end we’ll position ourselves to continue to offer those programs that benefit the most students--which is, after all, our mission. We will be posting the data that was shared during the session on our common drive so that you can view it if you were unable to attend—I’ll notify you as soon as that is available. And Eric and I welcome your questions.
Tuesday evening I attended the Ohio School Boards Association Southwest Region Spring Conference at Miami Valley CTC. Over 250 school board members, superintendents, and other school officials were in attendance. Congratulations to the Ohio Hi-Point Board of Education for receiving the Silver level of the Effective School Board Award! This award was based on a self-assessment of board effectiveness on 26 criteria. It’s a pleasure to work with a board that continually strives to get better, and this assessment helped us identify some areas to work on. Next year we’re going for the gold!
Some of our board members were also recognized at the conference for years of service: Susie Bline, Mechanicsburg (15 years) and Joe McKirahan, Logan Co. ESC (10 years). That’s a lot of years of service to our public schools, and we are very grateful to Susie and Joe for giving so generously of their time, energy, and commitment to students!
Wednesday evening five of our best and brightest participated in the American Association of University Women’s Trivia Bee, a fundraiser for local scholarships. “Team Hi-Point” consisted of Caleb Lang (Social Studies teacher), Melissa Sizemore (Math teacher), Benji Billman (Math teacher), JoAnn Ventresco (Language Arts teacher), and Doug Limes (Building Maintenance teacher). A photo of this stellar team is at right. Our team finished 7th out of 28 teams from Logan County. Congratulations Team Hi-Point for an outstanding finish! And thanks for putting in the extra time and effort to support a great cause.
Thursday I attended the National School Public Relations Ohio Spring Conference and had the privilege of speaking on a panel around the topic of social networking in schools. (Thanks to Shane Haggerty for the invitation!) I’m really proud of OHP for being out in front using social networking both for marketing and to allow our students to publish for a “global audience.” I should say I’m really proud of our staff for being forward-thinking enough to support this effort. I always say I’m a “late-comer” to these technologies. I was one of the last people to use e-mail, to get cable TV, to get a cell phone, to blog, etc. Personally, I have to see an assured benefit for the cost. And while I’m still not active with social networking, many of you have demonstrated the usefulness of these tools to reach our students and allow them to express themselves. And you’ve done it while setting high standards of behavior and holding students accountable. What a valuable lesson for them to learn before they enter the workplace or higher education. Thank you for being champions of what can be and not letting "later-comers" like me hold you back!
Enjoy your weekend, celebrate springtime, and get some well-deserved R&R!
Friday, March 12, 2010
March 12, 2010
Wow, did this week fly by! So many activities this time of year—and many more to come.
Monday I was invited to present to the State Board of Education about the challenges facing career-technical education and the support we need from them. Of course, funding was at the top of the list. I shared several stories about our students’ successes, the variety of students we serve, and their many pathways to careers. I asked the State Board to assure funding for CTE that will allow us to continue to provide quality programming. You may have heard or read that Ohio is a finalist for the federal Race to the Top funding for educational innovation. Unfortunately, career-technical centers were not eligible for this funding as a separate educational entity. However, if Ohio is a winner, the State Board will have discretion over a portion of the funds. So I also asked them to consider us as they determine how those discretionary funds will be allocated. After I presented, we had about a 30-minute discussion—and I wish you all could have been there to hear the many positive comments they had about our career-technical education system in Ohio. They clearly recognize the asset that we are—one Board Member referred to us as the “crown jewel” of career-technical education in the nation—and they were pleased to hear that we are sending more and more of our students to technical schools, colleges, apprenticeship programs, and other post-secondary training. They were also very impressed with the number of college credits our students can earn through articulation and hours they can earn toward apprenticeships. I was very proud on behalf of all of you! Our next step is to have each career center invite the State Board Member from their district to visit the facility and see for themselves. We’ll be extending an invitation to our Board Member, Ann Jacobs from Lima, to visit us soon—I know she’ll be amazed!
Monday evening I attended the Bellefontaine Rotary Honors Dessert where eight of our students were recognized for maintaining a 3.5 GPA throughout high school. Those students were Heather Burk, Daniel McCully, Breanna Schrader, Ashley Kuch, Robert Smayda, Katie King, Mark Salmons and David Thatcher. (See photo of Heather, Daniel, Breanna, and Ashley at right.) It’s neat that our students are recognized both by their home schools and by OHP for their accomplishments—they put our school’s name “in the news” in such a positive way! Congratulations to all these students for this tremendous accomplishment.
Tuesday morning I attended the Logan County RTC Appreciation Breakfast. We were recognized as a business partner for providing a site for job “tryouts” for adults with disabilities and also for providing work for those who work in the adult workshop. (This organization does all of our bulk shredding.) We’re proud to partner with such an organization that provides such great opportunities for these adults!
Wednesday morning, Leadership Logan County held its monthly session on our campus. This group has held its “Education Day” at OHP for several years now, and we’re always glad to educate them about our programs and send them out as ambassadors within the community to spread the good word. Our students provided tours and demonstrated skills—no doubt they left impressed! Thanks to those of you who welcomed them into your labs.
Wednesday evening was our Annual Appreciation Banquet for our advisory committees and other community supporters. I counted them up—we have 52 advisory committees among our main campus, satellite, and adult education programs! We had over 260 in attendance—that’s a lot of expertise dedicated to bettering our programs! Daniel Meeks of our OHP/Kenton FFA chapter was our keynote speaker, and he did an outstanding job of outlining the benefits of career-tech and thanking our supporters. And we also made several award presentations—be sure to check out our website for photos!
Thursday I attended a Report Card Task Force organized through the Ohio Department of Education and the Buckeye Association of School Administrators. Actually, I sat in on the high-school subcommittee as the career-tech representative. A superintendent from a K-12 district commented at length that he feels we owe it to our students to take accountability for their success after high school, not just up to the point where we hand them a diploma. I thought to myself, “Hmmm. We do that in CTE.” I did have an opportunity to share with them our performance measures (including follow-up!) and how we might integrate those measures into the local report card as it is redesigned. We’ll see. This committee will continue to meet next school year, and probably I’ll have another member of the Career-Tech Superintendents organization sit in. But I’ll keep you posted on their work!
I noticed one sign of spring has arrived—worms all over the sidewalk! Another sign of spring arrives this weekend with the arrival of daylight savings. Don’t forget to set your clocks up one hour this Saturday night—and enjoy that extra daylight in the evening. Have a great weekend!
Monday I was invited to present to the State Board of Education about the challenges facing career-technical education and the support we need from them. Of course, funding was at the top of the list. I shared several stories about our students’ successes, the variety of students we serve, and their many pathways to careers. I asked the State Board to assure funding for CTE that will allow us to continue to provide quality programming. You may have heard or read that Ohio is a finalist for the federal Race to the Top funding for educational innovation. Unfortunately, career-technical centers were not eligible for this funding as a separate educational entity. However, if Ohio is a winner, the State Board will have discretion over a portion of the funds. So I also asked them to consider us as they determine how those discretionary funds will be allocated. After I presented, we had about a 30-minute discussion—and I wish you all could have been there to hear the many positive comments they had about our career-technical education system in Ohio. They clearly recognize the asset that we are—one Board Member referred to us as the “crown jewel” of career-technical education in the nation—and they were pleased to hear that we are sending more and more of our students to technical schools, colleges, apprenticeship programs, and other post-secondary training. They were also very impressed with the number of college credits our students can earn through articulation and hours they can earn toward apprenticeships. I was very proud on behalf of all of you! Our next step is to have each career center invite the State Board Member from their district to visit the facility and see for themselves. We’ll be extending an invitation to our Board Member, Ann Jacobs from Lima, to visit us soon—I know she’ll be amazed!
Monday evening I attended the Bellefontaine Rotary Honors Dessert where eight of our students were recognized for maintaining a 3.5 GPA throughout high school. Those students were Heather Burk, Daniel McCully, Breanna Schrader, Ashley Kuch, Robert Smayda, Katie King, Mark Salmons and David Thatcher. (See photo of Heather, Daniel, Breanna, and Ashley at right.) It’s neat that our students are recognized both by their home schools and by OHP for their accomplishments—they put our school’s name “in the news” in such a positive way! Congratulations to all these students for this tremendous accomplishment.
Tuesday morning I attended the Logan County RTC Appreciation Breakfast. We were recognized as a business partner for providing a site for job “tryouts” for adults with disabilities and also for providing work for those who work in the adult workshop. (This organization does all of our bulk shredding.) We’re proud to partner with such an organization that provides such great opportunities for these adults!
Wednesday morning, Leadership Logan County held its monthly session on our campus. This group has held its “Education Day” at OHP for several years now, and we’re always glad to educate them about our programs and send them out as ambassadors within the community to spread the good word. Our students provided tours and demonstrated skills—no doubt they left impressed! Thanks to those of you who welcomed them into your labs.
Wednesday evening was our Annual Appreciation Banquet for our advisory committees and other community supporters. I counted them up—we have 52 advisory committees among our main campus, satellite, and adult education programs! We had over 260 in attendance—that’s a lot of expertise dedicated to bettering our programs! Daniel Meeks of our OHP/Kenton FFA chapter was our keynote speaker, and he did an outstanding job of outlining the benefits of career-tech and thanking our supporters. And we also made several award presentations—be sure to check out our website for photos!
Thursday I attended a Report Card Task Force organized through the Ohio Department of Education and the Buckeye Association of School Administrators. Actually, I sat in on the high-school subcommittee as the career-tech representative. A superintendent from a K-12 district commented at length that he feels we owe it to our students to take accountability for their success after high school, not just up to the point where we hand them a diploma. I thought to myself, “Hmmm. We do that in CTE.” I did have an opportunity to share with them our performance measures (including follow-up!) and how we might integrate those measures into the local report card as it is redesigned. We’ll see. This committee will continue to meet next school year, and probably I’ll have another member of the Career-Tech Superintendents organization sit in. But I’ll keep you posted on their work!
I noticed one sign of spring has arrived—worms all over the sidewalk! Another sign of spring arrives this weekend with the arrival of daylight savings. Don’t forget to set your clocks up one hour this Saturday night—and enjoy that extra daylight in the evening. Have a great weekend!
Friday, March 5, 2010
March 5, 2010
Sunlight after 6 p.m.—how great is that! I think the sunshine this week has done us all a world of good. (A landscaper told me today the Farmer’s Almanac is calling for 30 inches of snow in March, but I’m going to assume he’s talking about North Dakota!)
I’m going to rush spring a little bit and say we’re already well into it with all of our spring banquets, competitive events, and awards programs. There will be lots of news to share regarding these events in coming weeks!
Last Tuesday I attended the Hardin County Chamber & Business Alliance Annual Dinner and had the privilege of seeing our Ridgemont board member, Robert White, receive the Citizen of the Year Award for his work in securing passage of a levy for the County Extension Office and for his support of 4-H programs. Bob told me he was just in the right place at the right time; I told him he was also doing the right things! Congratulations, Bob—we’re proud to have you serve on our board!
This past Monday I had the real treat of sharing a tour of Benny’s Pizza in Marysville (and lunch!) with our Culinary Arts students. I originally had to decline the offer due to my schedule; but when the lunch was rescheduled due to weather they invited me again, and I was able to stop in on my way to a meeting in Columbus. I’ve always been amazed with the customer service at this local favorite, and the tour was really an eye opener. They crank out a lot of great food from very small space in an old building! The kids were great—they were well behaved (of course), asked great questions, ate heartily, and made me feel like an honored guest. Thanks, CUA, for a great experience!
Wednesday I visited our Marysville site and our South Campus and met our Practical Nursing students in those facilities. At Marysville, we have one group about three months away from graduation, and they’re clearly very proud and very excited! Another class there has just begun, and those students seem very determined to take on the challenge and work for a better future. At South Campus we’ve started our very first PN class, and they seem so appreciative of the opportunity. I so admire these adults who embark on such a challenging course of study, and I know the payoff will be huge for them when they graduate. I encouraged them to “keep their eye on the prize” and hang in there when things get tough. I look forward to seeing those same smiling faces at their graduation!
Wednesday we had Chinese students from Urbana University visit our campus. I wasn’t able to be here when they were on campus, but Associate Director Shelly Swaney tells me they were intrigued and amazed by the choices our students have in career-technical training. In their country, their career pathway is decided for them at a fairly young age. As she shared with me their comments, it made me wonder if our students realize how very fortunate they are to have the choices they do. This kind of interaction is so rich for our students—and we look forward to hosting visiting students again!
As the week draws to a close, wasn't it great to have five full days of school? Maybe exhausting, too. I hope you have a wonderful weekend and that you have an opportunity to get out and enjoy the sunshine and warmer temperatures!
I’m going to rush spring a little bit and say we’re already well into it with all of our spring banquets, competitive events, and awards programs. There will be lots of news to share regarding these events in coming weeks!
Last Tuesday I attended the Hardin County Chamber & Business Alliance Annual Dinner and had the privilege of seeing our Ridgemont board member, Robert White, receive the Citizen of the Year Award for his work in securing passage of a levy for the County Extension Office and for his support of 4-H programs. Bob told me he was just in the right place at the right time; I told him he was also doing the right things! Congratulations, Bob—we’re proud to have you serve on our board!
This past Monday I had the real treat of sharing a tour of Benny’s Pizza in Marysville (and lunch!) with our Culinary Arts students. I originally had to decline the offer due to my schedule; but when the lunch was rescheduled due to weather they invited me again, and I was able to stop in on my way to a meeting in Columbus. I’ve always been amazed with the customer service at this local favorite, and the tour was really an eye opener. They crank out a lot of great food from very small space in an old building! The kids were great—they were well behaved (of course), asked great questions, ate heartily, and made me feel like an honored guest. Thanks, CUA, for a great experience!
Wednesday I visited our Marysville site and our South Campus and met our Practical Nursing students in those facilities. At Marysville, we have one group about three months away from graduation, and they’re clearly very proud and very excited! Another class there has just begun, and those students seem very determined to take on the challenge and work for a better future. At South Campus we’ve started our very first PN class, and they seem so appreciative of the opportunity. I so admire these adults who embark on such a challenging course of study, and I know the payoff will be huge for them when they graduate. I encouraged them to “keep their eye on the prize” and hang in there when things get tough. I look forward to seeing those same smiling faces at their graduation!
Wednesday we had Chinese students from Urbana University visit our campus. I wasn’t able to be here when they were on campus, but Associate Director Shelly Swaney tells me they were intrigued and amazed by the choices our students have in career-technical training. In their country, their career pathway is decided for them at a fairly young age. As she shared with me their comments, it made me wonder if our students realize how very fortunate they are to have the choices they do. This kind of interaction is so rich for our students—and we look forward to hosting visiting students again!
As the week draws to a close, wasn't it great to have five full days of school? Maybe exhausting, too. I hope you have a wonderful weekend and that you have an opportunity to get out and enjoy the sunshine and warmer temperatures!
Friday, February 19, 2010
February 19, 2010
What is this? Two days in a row with no delays or cancellations? Normal feels good, doesn’t it? And what is that big shiny thing up in the sky? It’s nice to need sunglasses again! As we get into all of our spring events, competitions, and testing, I know it’s tough to get everything rearranged and caught up. I appreciate your flexibility and patience in making it all happen for our students!
Having people stranded at home certainly has made me appreciate the convenience of technology in this day and age. Our AlertNow phone-calling system sure beats the old “phone tree,” and it allows us to notify students, staff, and home school superintendents and transportation coordinators immediately with a single phone call. (And if I goof up the message or if my dog insists on shaking his head and jingling his tags right in the middle of recording, I can always re-record it before I send it!) Our technology also allows the administrative team and many of you to just “keep on working” whether we’re in the office or not. We’ve gotten used to shooting messages and documents back and forth electronically and holding phone meetings! Makes me wonder how we ever got by without it. Many thanks to our Technology Department for keeping us up and running!
It’s been a short week so I’ll have a short blog. But I do want to share one great experience with students that I had on Thursday. I had the opportunity to visit the Career-Based Intervention students from Waynesfield-Goshen and Upper Scioto Valley as they practiced for the upcoming Knowledge Bowl Competition. The two teams squared off and mastered some really tough questions in the areas of language arts, history, geography, and several others. It’s obvious they’ve been working very hard--and they’re ready to compete! They’ll be attending the Regional competition first and then (I’m confident) advancing on to State. I wish I had thought to get a photo—but we’ll get some from their competitions. We wish them well—go Team Hi-Point!
There’s not a lot positive to share on the school funding front lately, but I do want to share some good news we received last week. As I’ve shared in the last several months, career-technical funding is being studied by a subcommittee of the Ohio School Finance Advisory Council. Up until last week, career-tech did not have any representation on that subcommittee, and we were very concerned about their ability to understand our program delivery and funding needs. We have learned that two career-tech professionals have been added to that subcommittee: John Boggess, Superintendent at Miami Valley CTC (and a former career-tech treasurer), and Dave Plahuta, Treasurer at Polaris Career Center. These two gentlemen bring a wealth of knowledge and background in career-tech to the subcommittee, and we’re confident they’ll guide the group toward an effective funding system that will protect our programming well into the future.
Enjoy your weekend and stay safe!
Having people stranded at home certainly has made me appreciate the convenience of technology in this day and age. Our AlertNow phone-calling system sure beats the old “phone tree,” and it allows us to notify students, staff, and home school superintendents and transportation coordinators immediately with a single phone call. (And if I goof up the message or if my dog insists on shaking his head and jingling his tags right in the middle of recording, I can always re-record it before I send it!) Our technology also allows the administrative team and many of you to just “keep on working” whether we’re in the office or not. We’ve gotten used to shooting messages and documents back and forth electronically and holding phone meetings! Makes me wonder how we ever got by without it. Many thanks to our Technology Department for keeping us up and running!
It’s been a short week so I’ll have a short blog. But I do want to share one great experience with students that I had on Thursday. I had the opportunity to visit the Career-Based Intervention students from Waynesfield-Goshen and Upper Scioto Valley as they practiced for the upcoming Knowledge Bowl Competition. The two teams squared off and mastered some really tough questions in the areas of language arts, history, geography, and several others. It’s obvious they’ve been working very hard--and they’re ready to compete! They’ll be attending the Regional competition first and then (I’m confident) advancing on to State. I wish I had thought to get a photo—but we’ll get some from their competitions. We wish them well—go Team Hi-Point!
There’s not a lot positive to share on the school funding front lately, but I do want to share some good news we received last week. As I’ve shared in the last several months, career-technical funding is being studied by a subcommittee of the Ohio School Finance Advisory Council. Up until last week, career-tech did not have any representation on that subcommittee, and we were very concerned about their ability to understand our program delivery and funding needs. We have learned that two career-tech professionals have been added to that subcommittee: John Boggess, Superintendent at Miami Valley CTC (and a former career-tech treasurer), and Dave Plahuta, Treasurer at Polaris Career Center. These two gentlemen bring a wealth of knowledge and background in career-tech to the subcommittee, and we’re confident they’ll guide the group toward an effective funding system that will protect our programming well into the future.
Enjoy your weekend and stay safe!
Friday, February 12, 2010
February 12, 2010
Well, let’s see. What have we been up to the last couple of weeks? Watching it snow, watching it snow, and watching it snow some more. I’m mindful of what these interruptions in schedules do to everyone’s work, and I know playing catch-up is difficult. But I also know you’re up to it and we’ll recover quickly as we always do. And I think winters like this make us appreciate spring even more when it comes! I had to chuckle at a quote I read yesterday: “There’s one good thing about snow. It makes your lawn look as nice as your neighbor’s.” As someone who took care of a couple of acres by myself for many years (and not always very well), I can appreciate that!
I want to applaud our Facilities & Grounds staff who did an amazing job of keeping the heat and water on and clearing (and re-clearing, and re-clearing) our campus during the one-two punch Mother Nature threw at us this past week. You almost have to have been here to see what they dealt with. To give you an idea, I’ve included a photo of just one of the many massive snowdrifts they dealt with on campus. Thanks to a great team for a great job!
This past weekend, I attended the second in a series of three weekend seminars in the Cleveland area. The focus of this month’s seminar was technology in education, and it was really good information. First, I immediately recognized how very fortunate we are at Ohio Hi-Point to have the resources we do to put amazing technology into the hands of our students. We’re ahead of the game. I also thought about the many challenges we have faced and overcome related to the freedom we give our students. But it’s a constant struggle, balancing freedom with protection and responsibility. One of the speakers recommended a book that I’ve ordered and will be reading as soon as I get it, 21st Century Skills – Learning for Life in Our Times. I’ll let you know what I think. And I invite you to read along with me; I’d be anxious to hear your thoughts.
Since I haven’t done much lately but watch weather reports and try to reschedule meetings and activities, let me share some of what others have been doing at OHP!
On January 29, the high school held its TAD Incentive Day for the second nine weeks. Students who had perfect attendance and no discipline or tardies were treated to a special Movie Day. The cafeteria was set up like a movie theater and the students were treated to an array of snacks to enjoy before the movie. The movie shown was 17 Again. After the movie, the students were involved in drawings for prizes such as Wal-Mart gift cards, tubing passes for Mad River Mountain, and Burger King gift cards. In addition, the committee tossed out an assortment of t-shirts to the crowd. (See photo at right.) Our students were great achievers for 2nd quarter: 86 students met the criteria and 60 participated in this event. Congratulations to them all!
Sometimes we need to be reminded by our own of all the great things Ohio Hi-Point does for students. When I shared in a recent blog about the Career-Tech Legislative Conference the administrators and I attended, I received the following from Rex Kear, our Career-Based Intervention teacher at Upper Scioto Valley:
Kim, I knew once you started to talk to our legislative group that Ohio Hi Point Career Center would be a no brainer. Just think about scratching the surface: Vocational, 2 plus 2 , Dual Credit, articulation agreements, the Federal Gov’t putting money into community colleges because that is the way to get jobs, jobs, jobs…85% of jobs will come from associate degrees. My students even though they are 9th and 10th graders get excited about tech-prep, dual credits, articulation agreements, and associate degrees. You invest 2 years of college--say $20,000--almost guarantee a job you like (career) and get paid $45,000 with benefits. In today’s economy to have that much potential should get everyone excited. Especially when it is already in place and is flexible enough to fit the changes of the near future. Well I just got carried away. Thanks for all you do for kids! Go Team Go!
Rex, you did an amazing job of condensing into one paragraph the many benefits of career-tech and our impact on the workforce and economy! Thanks so much for sharing your kudos with your peers.
By the way, one result of our visits with legislators in Columbus is that Representative Dave Burke toured our campus on Thursday morning. Unfortunately, with our delayed schedule, he didn’t get to see students in action. But he and his aide Kinsey Jolliff certainly got to see first-hand the amazing facility and technology that we are so fortunate to provide to our students (see photo at right). Representative Burke, Kinsey, and I talked at length after the tour and I was able to share with them my concerns about our current and future funding levels. While I expressed that we will be responsible and make good decisions to position our District to weather these difficult times, I also expressed that we will need his support in advocating for equitable funding as the Ohio School Finance Advisory Council studies our funding system. He’s on board!
Senator Karen Gillmore is scheduling a visit for later this month (she wanted to make sure to be here when students are in session). I’ll let you know when we get that visit scheduled--be ready to have your students show their stuff!
I hope you’ll have time to enjoy the opening of the Olympic Winter Games this weekend--be sure to root for Bellefontaine’s own Louie Vito in the snowboarding competition on Wednesday!! Enjoy your extended weekend, share the love on Valentine's Day, make some snow angels (that’s a winter sport!), and stay safe.
I want to applaud our Facilities & Grounds staff who did an amazing job of keeping the heat and water on and clearing (and re-clearing, and re-clearing) our campus during the one-two punch Mother Nature threw at us this past week. You almost have to have been here to see what they dealt with. To give you an idea, I’ve included a photo of just one of the many massive snowdrifts they dealt with on campus. Thanks to a great team for a great job!
This past weekend, I attended the second in a series of three weekend seminars in the Cleveland area. The focus of this month’s seminar was technology in education, and it was really good information. First, I immediately recognized how very fortunate we are at Ohio Hi-Point to have the resources we do to put amazing technology into the hands of our students. We’re ahead of the game. I also thought about the many challenges we have faced and overcome related to the freedom we give our students. But it’s a constant struggle, balancing freedom with protection and responsibility. One of the speakers recommended a book that I’ve ordered and will be reading as soon as I get it, 21st Century Skills – Learning for Life in Our Times. I’ll let you know what I think. And I invite you to read along with me; I’d be anxious to hear your thoughts.
Since I haven’t done much lately but watch weather reports and try to reschedule meetings and activities, let me share some of what others have been doing at OHP!
On January 29, the high school held its TAD Incentive Day for the second nine weeks. Students who had perfect attendance and no discipline or tardies were treated to a special Movie Day. The cafeteria was set up like a movie theater and the students were treated to an array of snacks to enjoy before the movie. The movie shown was 17 Again. After the movie, the students were involved in drawings for prizes such as Wal-Mart gift cards, tubing passes for Mad River Mountain, and Burger King gift cards. In addition, the committee tossed out an assortment of t-shirts to the crowd. (See photo at right.) Our students were great achievers for 2nd quarter: 86 students met the criteria and 60 participated in this event. Congratulations to them all!
Sometimes we need to be reminded by our own of all the great things Ohio Hi-Point does for students. When I shared in a recent blog about the Career-Tech Legislative Conference the administrators and I attended, I received the following from Rex Kear, our Career-Based Intervention teacher at Upper Scioto Valley:
Kim, I knew once you started to talk to our legislative group that Ohio Hi Point Career Center would be a no brainer. Just think about scratching the surface: Vocational, 2 plus 2 , Dual Credit, articulation agreements, the Federal Gov’t putting money into community colleges because that is the way to get jobs, jobs, jobs…85% of jobs will come from associate degrees. My students even though they are 9th and 10th graders get excited about tech-prep, dual credits, articulation agreements, and associate degrees. You invest 2 years of college--say $20,000--almost guarantee a job you like (career) and get paid $45,000 with benefits. In today’s economy to have that much potential should get everyone excited. Especially when it is already in place and is flexible enough to fit the changes of the near future. Well I just got carried away. Thanks for all you do for kids! Go Team Go!
Rex, you did an amazing job of condensing into one paragraph the many benefits of career-tech and our impact on the workforce and economy! Thanks so much for sharing your kudos with your peers.
By the way, one result of our visits with legislators in Columbus is that Representative Dave Burke toured our campus on Thursday morning. Unfortunately, with our delayed schedule, he didn’t get to see students in action. But he and his aide Kinsey Jolliff certainly got to see first-hand the amazing facility and technology that we are so fortunate to provide to our students (see photo at right). Representative Burke, Kinsey, and I talked at length after the tour and I was able to share with them my concerns about our current and future funding levels. While I expressed that we will be responsible and make good decisions to position our District to weather these difficult times, I also expressed that we will need his support in advocating for equitable funding as the Ohio School Finance Advisory Council studies our funding system. He’s on board!
Senator Karen Gillmore is scheduling a visit for later this month (she wanted to make sure to be here when students are in session). I’ll let you know when we get that visit scheduled--be ready to have your students show their stuff!
I hope you’ll have time to enjoy the opening of the Olympic Winter Games this weekend--be sure to root for Bellefontaine’s own Louie Vito in the snowboarding competition on Wednesday!! Enjoy your extended weekend, share the love on Valentine's Day, make some snow angels (that’s a winter sport!), and stay safe.
Friday, January 29, 2010
January 29, 2010
OK, does anyone know what happened to January? It certainly got away from me! Some good news you can hold onto, though—someone told me today only 50 days until spring. Bring it on!
Hope you’ve had a great, productive week. A couple of highlights from my week:
Wednesday and Thursday the administrative team, Shane, and I attended the annual Ohio ACTE Legislative Conference in Columbus (while Jon and Glenn stayed back to hold down the fort—thanks!) Seems what we hear most about today is the need for jobs, jobs, jobs. Our visits with legislators gave us the opportunity to stress to them how career-technical education in Ohio can be part of the solution to the jobs crisis. One visit was especially neat: When Joel and I visited Senator Gillmore’s office, the Senator wasn’t available, so we met with her aide Erica. Once Erica connected who we were, she went on to tell us how much she values career-tech and how she feels more students (including some she graduated with) should take advantage of what we have to offer. She recognized how critical our training programs are to Ohio’s economic recovery. Wow—we hardly had to say a word! If you’ve ever talked with legislative aides before, you know that they’re the “gatekeepers” of information and filter what gets to legislators. So I sometimes actually prefer to meet with them! Erica is one contact we will definitely cultivate. And as we work to stay in touch with our legislators, we will be calling on you to share your success stories and provide data that demonstrates that we get the job done!
During the conference, we also heard some really good speakers on legislation, funding, and the economy. Not entirely the most uplifting messages, but it was gratifying to have legislators, ODE leadership, and business people validate the training we provide to high-school and adult students. We’ve got some tough times and tough decisions ahead of us, but we also have some real opportunities to position ourselves well for the educational reforms being driven by the economy. I’ll have more to share about that at our District Update on February12.
On Wednesday evening we held our Board Meeting and welcomed seven new Board Members. We took a little extra time to educate them on our operations, and I could sense from their reactions that they are really amazed at the many facets of our organization. I’m sure it’s a little overwhelming at first, but we’ll invest time to make sure we get them oriented and up to speed. They’ll be attending orientation sessions the middle of next week, and I look forward to touring them through some of our labs and showing off our students!
We’re heavily into recruiting season, and new opportunities are opening up to us all the time! Last week, Marysville High School hosted a Career Fair and gave our teachers and students an opportunity to come in and share about their programs (see photo at right). This is partnership at its best—making all students aware of opportunities available—and we appreciate Marysville opening their doors to us!
I have to share kind of a cute story about a group of our students. I came out of a meeting in the Inn on Tuesday morning, and I noticed a young man among a group in the Commons with his hat on. I went over and asked him to please remove it (which he did, no problem). I also told them I was glad they made it to school safely in the snow that morning. I have some small bandages on my face where I had some lesions removed. One of the kids—being uninhibited as they tend to be—asked, “What happened to your face?” I had honestly forgotten the bandages were there, so I’m not sure how I came up with this so quickly; but I said, “This is an example of facial piercing gone bad.” He looked pretty shocked, and I could see his wheels spinning wondering why I would try to pierce my face where these bandages are. I laughed and told him I was just kidding—and I reminded the whole group to wear their sunscreen.
Isn’t Groundhog Day coming up? I never can remember when it is or whether we want the little guy to see his shadow or not. Anyway, have a great weekend and hopefully we’ll get to see our shadows!
Hope you’ve had a great, productive week. A couple of highlights from my week:
Wednesday and Thursday the administrative team, Shane, and I attended the annual Ohio ACTE Legislative Conference in Columbus (while Jon and Glenn stayed back to hold down the fort—thanks!) Seems what we hear most about today is the need for jobs, jobs, jobs. Our visits with legislators gave us the opportunity to stress to them how career-technical education in Ohio can be part of the solution to the jobs crisis. One visit was especially neat: When Joel and I visited Senator Gillmore’s office, the Senator wasn’t available, so we met with her aide Erica. Once Erica connected who we were, she went on to tell us how much she values career-tech and how she feels more students (including some she graduated with) should take advantage of what we have to offer. She recognized how critical our training programs are to Ohio’s economic recovery. Wow—we hardly had to say a word! If you’ve ever talked with legislative aides before, you know that they’re the “gatekeepers” of information and filter what gets to legislators. So I sometimes actually prefer to meet with them! Erica is one contact we will definitely cultivate. And as we work to stay in touch with our legislators, we will be calling on you to share your success stories and provide data that demonstrates that we get the job done!
During the conference, we also heard some really good speakers on legislation, funding, and the economy. Not entirely the most uplifting messages, but it was gratifying to have legislators, ODE leadership, and business people validate the training we provide to high-school and adult students. We’ve got some tough times and tough decisions ahead of us, but we also have some real opportunities to position ourselves well for the educational reforms being driven by the economy. I’ll have more to share about that at our District Update on February12.
On Wednesday evening we held our Board Meeting and welcomed seven new Board Members. We took a little extra time to educate them on our operations, and I could sense from their reactions that they are really amazed at the many facets of our organization. I’m sure it’s a little overwhelming at first, but we’ll invest time to make sure we get them oriented and up to speed. They’ll be attending orientation sessions the middle of next week, and I look forward to touring them through some of our labs and showing off our students!
We’re heavily into recruiting season, and new opportunities are opening up to us all the time! Last week, Marysville High School hosted a Career Fair and gave our teachers and students an opportunity to come in and share about their programs (see photo at right). This is partnership at its best—making all students aware of opportunities available—and we appreciate Marysville opening their doors to us!
I have to share kind of a cute story about a group of our students. I came out of a meeting in the Inn on Tuesday morning, and I noticed a young man among a group in the Commons with his hat on. I went over and asked him to please remove it (which he did, no problem). I also told them I was glad they made it to school safely in the snow that morning. I have some small bandages on my face where I had some lesions removed. One of the kids—being uninhibited as they tend to be—asked, “What happened to your face?” I had honestly forgotten the bandages were there, so I’m not sure how I came up with this so quickly; but I said, “This is an example of facial piercing gone bad.” He looked pretty shocked, and I could see his wheels spinning wondering why I would try to pierce my face where these bandages are. I laughed and told him I was just kidding—and I reminded the whole group to wear their sunscreen.
Isn’t Groundhog Day coming up? I never can remember when it is or whether we want the little guy to see his shadow or not. Anyway, have a great weekend and hopefully we’ll get to see our shadows!
Friday, January 15, 2010
January 15, 2010
Well, this has been a sad week. We’ve seen massive loss of life overseas and the loss of one very special life closer to home. As Shelly Swaney put it so well during her invocation at our All-Boards Banquet, “Our hearts are heavy.” The loss of a young life is always so heartbreaking. But if anything positive came of the loss of our student, Ryan Reynolds, in an auto accident on Wednesday afternoon, it gave us a chance to demonstrate how important it is to come together at a time like this. I am so very proud of our staff and students for the way you handled this tragedy. Upon receiving the news, the “machine” of my administrative team went into action to arrange support for students and staff alike. And when you all came together on Thursday morning, it was obvious you cared deeply for those who were hurting, wrapping yourselves around students (and each other)--both figuratively and literally.
I also want to express my deep appreciation for all the support and offers for assistance from our partner school staff and local clergy in providing grief counseling for those who were in need. I was touched that they offered without being asked. I even received offers of assistance from other nearby career centers if needed. It’s a good reminder that, in the educational community, we really are family. Our hearts go out to Ryan’s family and the families of the other boys who were injured. Please continue to lift them up.
On a positive note, we have a new addition to the OHP family—sort of. The construction of the new paint booth in our Auto Collision Technology Program is finally underway! (See photo at right). Bob Newland, instructor, and his students have been very patient as we’ve worked through the lengthy process of obtaining permits, contracting out work, and retro-fitting this new, state-of-the-art booth into an older building. We’re very privileged to have been able to purchase this booth through Sloan Foundation Funds to give our current and future students access to the very best technology in the field. Looks like it’s going to be a beauty—and I know Bob and his students will be anxious to demonstrate once it’s up and running!
The work of the Ohio School Funding Advisory Council is underway to determine how career-technical education will be funded in the next biennium. The Ohio Association of Career-Technical Superintendents has formed a Steering Committee of superintendents and treasurers, and we have begun meeting to draft a funding model, based on the Governor’s evidence-based model, that we feel will serve career-tech adequately and fairly. It’s going to be an arduous task; but we feel it’s important to propose a model based on the expertise of the group rather than having one imposed on us by those with no in-depth knowledge of career-technical programming or operations. I’ll keep you posted on our progress!
January is School Board Recognition Month, and Wednesday evening we held our annual All-Boards Banquet to thank the board members from our 14 partner school districts and 3 county ESC’s. We had a great turnout and good fellowship. Keynote speaker Rick Lewis, Executive Director of the Ohio School Boards Association, gave us an entertaining and enlightening presentation on the many reasons we should be thankful to our school boards. If you have an opportunity to contact a school board member, either from our board or the board where you live, please take a moment to thank them for their service to education.
Speaking of school board members, Ohio Hi-Point welcomes seven new school board members this month:
* Doug Lassiter, Marysville
* Robert White, Ridgemont
* Brian Wright, Riverside
* William McDaniel, Tirad
* Brian Moots, Upper Scioto Valley
* Tom Brookhart, Waynesfield-Goshen
* Chuck Buck, West Liberty-Salem
We thank these members for the extra time they have committed to serving our district, and we look forward to having them learn about the many wonderful opportunities we make available to students of all ages!
Have a great extended weekend, enjoy the warm(er) weather and sunshine, and be good to yourselves.
Friday, January 8, 2010
January 8, 2010
Happy New Year and welcome back to all of you! And welcome back to our Ohio winter weather. To me, this week seems to have lasted a month with catching up after the holiday break and dealing with the uncertainty of the weather. But no doubt it will be a downhill slide (no weather pun intended!) from now until the end of the school year with the many activities in our compact schedules.
I heard someone on the radio say that we have finished the first decade of this century. Wow—that really puts the passage of time into perspective! Remember all the fuss over Y2K? Seems like yesterday--and now we’re 1/10 of the way to Y21K.
It’s so nice to see our students back—and I really think they’re glad to be back. I’ve had a couple of them giving me advice on when to put us on a delay or cancel school (“as often as possible” is pretty much their philosophy!) One young man asked me every time he saw me on Monday, “Hey, did you catch that weather report?” And some of our very dedicated Adult Basic Literacy Education students were here early on Wednesday in spite of the delay. Joan Manns in Adult Education found them a nice, warm place to work until their classes started. Thanks to all of you for your flexibility with the altered schedules. I know it’s a nuisance—and this is likely just the beginning!
Speaking of dedicated, as I drove in early on Wednesday, I passed one of our staff members who was here even earlier. Tom Carrig, Printing & Graphics teacher, was out trudging through the snow to snap photographs of the beautiful frosted trees for next year’s OHP Christmas card. It really isbeautiful with the frosted trees and blanket of snow, and I can hardly wait to see what Tom and his students come up with!
Monday evening I had an opportunity to meet in a small group with Congressman Jim Jordan at one of his local stops in Logan County. He focused primarily on the Health Care Bill, but I did have an opportunity to share with him some of our new programs, the adult workforce training opportunities we’ve made available to displaced workers, and our expansion into Champaign and Union Counties. He said, “Wow, a lot has changed since I was last there!” He said he’d love to come see it all, so we will work to set that up with his legislative aides. I’ll let you know so you can be ready to show off when he comes!
Well, I’m headed to the Cleveland area this weekend for a workshop. Nothing like picking the worst weather in the state to drive into! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend—stay warm and be careful out there!
I heard someone on the radio say that we have finished the first decade of this century. Wow—that really puts the passage of time into perspective! Remember all the fuss over Y2K? Seems like yesterday--and now we’re 1/10 of the way to Y21K.
It’s so nice to see our students back—and I really think they’re glad to be back. I’ve had a couple of them giving me advice on when to put us on a delay or cancel school (“as often as possible” is pretty much their philosophy!) One young man asked me every time he saw me on Monday, “Hey, did you catch that weather report?” And some of our very dedicated Adult Basic Literacy Education students were here early on Wednesday in spite of the delay. Joan Manns in Adult Education found them a nice, warm place to work until their classes started. Thanks to all of you for your flexibility with the altered schedules. I know it’s a nuisance—and this is likely just the beginning!
Speaking of dedicated, as I drove in early on Wednesday, I passed one of our staff members who was here even earlier. Tom Carrig, Printing & Graphics teacher, was out trudging through the snow to snap photographs of the beautiful frosted trees for next year’s OHP Christmas card. It really isbeautiful with the frosted trees and blanket of snow, and I can hardly wait to see what Tom and his students come up with!
Monday evening I had an opportunity to meet in a small group with Congressman Jim Jordan at one of his local stops in Logan County. He focused primarily on the Health Care Bill, but I did have an opportunity to share with him some of our new programs, the adult workforce training opportunities we’ve made available to displaced workers, and our expansion into Champaign and Union Counties. He said, “Wow, a lot has changed since I was last there!” He said he’d love to come see it all, so we will work to set that up with his legislative aides. I’ll let you know so you can be ready to show off when he comes!
Well, I’m headed to the Cleveland area this weekend for a workshop. Nothing like picking the worst weather in the state to drive into! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend—stay warm and be careful out there!
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