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!
Thursday, May 13, 2010
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!
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