Happy Friday and Happy Leap Year Day! I didn’t get a chance to check—but if any of you have a birthday today, I envy you. You only have to add to your age every four years!
As we take this extra day to catch up with the sun (literally!), I thought I’d share some leap-year superstitions that were featured in the Columbus Dispatch this past week:
According to Irish legend, February 29 is the only day a woman can ask a man to marry her, because St. Bridget complained to St. Patrick that it took some men too long to do it themselves. (No comment.)
A Greek superstition claims that couples have bad luck if they marry in a leap year, so one out of five couples won’t. (Whew! I just missed that one!)
Apparently leap year has a reverse effect on a business. It is supposed to be lucky to start a new business during a leap year. So to all you entrepreneurs--go for it!
This past Monday evening, we hosted our first ever Hi-Point Hi-Tech Night in partnership with Honda of America Manufacturing. What a wonderful evening! We estimate we had about 150 potential students, parents, and adults present to learn about career opportunities in Ohio’s new manufacturing economy. After a video presentation, Honda representatives described career pathways including coop experiences with Honda that can lead to exciting careers as manufacturing maintenance technicians. Then, participants had the opportunity to tour our manufacturing-related labs and see for themselves the hands-on education that we offer at OHP. (See the photo at right.) We were thrilled with the results of the evening and look forward to this continuing partnership with Honda to strengthen our programs. The individuals involved in organizing this even are too numerous to mention; but let me just say that the OHP team, including administration, staff, and student ambassadors, came through as usual with flying colors and put on a class act! Thank you so much.
Incidentally, in spite of the news that Honda will cease motorcycle production at the Marysville site, we have been assured that the need for manufacturing maintenance technicians will continue to be strong and that our partnership with Honda will continue to be a priority.
We had our monthly Board of Education meeting on Wednesday evening, and one of the highlights of our meetings for me is always the recognition of our Students of the Month. This month was especially neat because our female student of the month, Brittany Godfrey, was accompanied by her mother (who drove in from Ft. Wayne to be there, by the way!) Her mother is also an OHP graduate from our adult education health program! I can’t tell you how proud I was to know that our programs have had such a positive impact two generations of one family. We just never know how far-reaching our work can be!
When we come back on Monday, it will be March. We’re rounding the corner into spring—and I think this year it’s especially welcome! Have a great weekend!
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Thursday, February 21, 2008
February 22, 2008
TGIF to all of you—and once again, you may be reading this from home because of bad weather!! I don’t’ know about you, but I’m ready for spring rains and hot, humid weather. Enough is enough! Fortunately the weather hasn’t interfered with too many activities this week.
As I read about two different school bus accidents in back-to-back issues of the Bellefontaine Examiner, I realized how very fortunate we were this past Tuesday morning that none of our students on the bus from Kenton to Hi-Point, which was hit by another vehicle, were seriously injured. Many thanks to Bruce Johnson, Instructional Supervisor, who got to the scene as soon as traffic would allow, to see to the needs of our students and to relay information to Nila and me in Columbus (where we were attending a conference). Thanks also to Amy McCarthy, Health and Safety Coordinator, who went to Mary Rutan Hospital to meet the students and their parents as they were transported there. Bruce reported that he was very proud of our students for conducting themselves in a calm, mature manner in what had to have been a very frightening situation. Please keep the driver of the vehicle that hit the bus in your prayers; last I heard, he was in critical condition. I read in the paper that that same afternoon, a school bus in Cottonwood, Minnesota was involved in an accident and four students were killed. How very sad and tragic; we all need to keep the families and loved ones of those families, as well as the 14 injured, in our prayers as well.
Tuesday and Wednesday, Nila Marquard, Shelly Swaney, Darlene Chiles, Julia Barton, and I attended the Ohio ACTE Policy & Leadership Forum in Columbus which had the theme “Economic-Education Summit.” We were especially happy to have economic development coordinators from four counties (Ed Wallace, Logan County; Dave Faulkner, Champaign County; Eric Phillips, Union County, and John Hohn, Hardin County), as well as Doug Weeks from Honda of America Manufacturing, join us for this excellent summit. (See photo at right--Nila and Shelly are not pictured because they had returned to school for a staff meeting!) The keynote speakers and breakout sessions were excellent, and we came away with a sense that we are definitely on the right track—perhaps even leading the pack—with our industry/education partnerships and our focus on workforce development for Ohio’s new economy. (Watch for us on the agenda next year!) Change is hard work; and for those of us in career-technical education, change is especially rapid as we strive to keep up with current technologies. But your tremendous efforts will pay off in the brighter futures you’re opening up for our students!
I’ve often shared comments that come to me about OHP from the most unlikely sources. Wednesday evening, I had an appointment with my insurance agent; and as I was leaving, he commented to me what a difference he’s seen in Ohio Hi-Point and its programs over the past several years. He recognized that we’ve really “ratcheted up” the quality of our offerings and that we’re very visible in the community. He congratulated me; but of course, I had to tell him this progress has been made through the efforts of a very dedicated staff and a lot of great students. Then, I went to get my hair cut (late evening!); and when I walked into the salon, I saw a young lady in one of our OHP shirts. She got a big smile on her face when I acknowledged the shirt and asked her about her program. I’m ashamed to say that I don’t recall her name, but what I do remember is her quiet enthusiasm for her Culinary Arts program and her beaming face as she told me she “loves Ohio Hi-Point!” Her aunt owns the salon, which was what brought her there. She was pitching in and sweeping floors and answering phones—there’s that terrific work ethic we see in our students! I’ll tell you, the good news about OHP is everywhere. I can’t escape it, and I don’t want to!
Robin Curley, Animal Management Technology teacher, shared with me just this evening some great praise for her colleagues at Hi-Point:
We recognize students for going “above and beyond”. I wanted to extend that courtesy to some of our staff members who certainly qualify for “above and beyond”! On Tuesday evening, Ohio Hi-Point FFA hosted the Public Speaking CDE for our Central Sub-District.
First, let me say that our campus shows our pride! Thanks to Robert Walker and crew, it is always clean and neat. I’m in enough schools to know that we are among the finest in that respect!
Our guests were greeted by my FFA members and shown to the ISC. Here they were treated to an array of goodies, thanks to Jann Salyers and our wonderful ladies in the cafeteria. It was yummy, as usual, and certainly appreciated by our guests.
Finally, two of our instructors, Judy Gratz and Melissa Rofe, gave graciously of their time to judge 2 of the events. Judy was gracious enough to sub in at the last minute when one of our original judges went AWOL. She judged our “Beginning Prepared” event. Melissa Rofe not only scored student compositions for the “Beginning Prepared” and “Prepared” events during her weekend, she also stayed to judge the “Prepared Public Speaking” event. Both ladies stayed until results were announced to give students that would go to the next level of competition, specific suggestions for improvement.
I wanted you all to know how much they give, how they impacted our image in the community, and how much I appreciate their teamwork! They are just another example of the commitment to students that our staff is known for!
I echo Robin’s thanks to Robert, Jann, Judy, and Melissa; and I recognize that this is just one of many examples of our team working together to pull off a “class act” in representing Ohio Hi-Point. And, most importantly, our team does it to serve our students. Great job!
I know you’ve all been anxiously awaiting the answers to last week’s Presidential Trivia . . . so here they are!
1. Who was the first president to be photographed? – John Quincy Adams
2. Who didn’t learn to read until he was 17? – Andrew Johnson
3. Who built a swimming pool and a movie theater in the White House? – Franklin D. Roosevelt
4. Who was ambidextrous? – James A. Garfield
5. Who was president for only 32 days? – William Henry Harrison (who died of pneumonia)
6. Who ordered the White House’s first bathtub? – Franklin Pearce
7. Who had the White House’s first telephone? – Rutherford B. Hayes
8. Who held his wedding in the White House? – Grover Cleveland
9. Who let his horse graze on the White House lawn? – Zachary Taylor
10. Who gave his pet mockingbird free reign of the indoor air space? – Thomas Jefferson
How’d you do?
Have a great weekend, and be careful out there!
As I read about two different school bus accidents in back-to-back issues of the Bellefontaine Examiner, I realized how very fortunate we were this past Tuesday morning that none of our students on the bus from Kenton to Hi-Point, which was hit by another vehicle, were seriously injured. Many thanks to Bruce Johnson, Instructional Supervisor, who got to the scene as soon as traffic would allow, to see to the needs of our students and to relay information to Nila and me in Columbus (where we were attending a conference). Thanks also to Amy McCarthy, Health and Safety Coordinator, who went to Mary Rutan Hospital to meet the students and their parents as they were transported there. Bruce reported that he was very proud of our students for conducting themselves in a calm, mature manner in what had to have been a very frightening situation. Please keep the driver of the vehicle that hit the bus in your prayers; last I heard, he was in critical condition. I read in the paper that that same afternoon, a school bus in Cottonwood, Minnesota was involved in an accident and four students were killed. How very sad and tragic; we all need to keep the families and loved ones of those families, as well as the 14 injured, in our prayers as well.
Tuesday and Wednesday, Nila Marquard, Shelly Swaney, Darlene Chiles, Julia Barton, and I attended the Ohio ACTE Policy & Leadership Forum in Columbus which had the theme “Economic-Education Summit.” We were especially happy to have economic development coordinators from four counties (Ed Wallace, Logan County; Dave Faulkner, Champaign County; Eric Phillips, Union County, and John Hohn, Hardin County), as well as Doug Weeks from Honda of America Manufacturing, join us for this excellent summit. (See photo at right--Nila and Shelly are not pictured because they had returned to school for a staff meeting!) The keynote speakers and breakout sessions were excellent, and we came away with a sense that we are definitely on the right track—perhaps even leading the pack—with our industry/education partnerships and our focus on workforce development for Ohio’s new economy. (Watch for us on the agenda next year!) Change is hard work; and for those of us in career-technical education, change is especially rapid as we strive to keep up with current technologies. But your tremendous efforts will pay off in the brighter futures you’re opening up for our students!
I’ve often shared comments that come to me about OHP from the most unlikely sources. Wednesday evening, I had an appointment with my insurance agent; and as I was leaving, he commented to me what a difference he’s seen in Ohio Hi-Point and its programs over the past several years. He recognized that we’ve really “ratcheted up” the quality of our offerings and that we’re very visible in the community. He congratulated me; but of course, I had to tell him this progress has been made through the efforts of a very dedicated staff and a lot of great students. Then, I went to get my hair cut (late evening!); and when I walked into the salon, I saw a young lady in one of our OHP shirts. She got a big smile on her face when I acknowledged the shirt and asked her about her program. I’m ashamed to say that I don’t recall her name, but what I do remember is her quiet enthusiasm for her Culinary Arts program and her beaming face as she told me she “loves Ohio Hi-Point!” Her aunt owns the salon, which was what brought her there. She was pitching in and sweeping floors and answering phones—there’s that terrific work ethic we see in our students! I’ll tell you, the good news about OHP is everywhere. I can’t escape it, and I don’t want to!
Robin Curley, Animal Management Technology teacher, shared with me just this evening some great praise for her colleagues at Hi-Point:
We recognize students for going “above and beyond”. I wanted to extend that courtesy to some of our staff members who certainly qualify for “above and beyond”! On Tuesday evening, Ohio Hi-Point FFA hosted the Public Speaking CDE for our Central Sub-District.
First, let me say that our campus shows our pride! Thanks to Robert Walker and crew, it is always clean and neat. I’m in enough schools to know that we are among the finest in that respect!
Our guests were greeted by my FFA members and shown to the ISC. Here they were treated to an array of goodies, thanks to Jann Salyers and our wonderful ladies in the cafeteria. It was yummy, as usual, and certainly appreciated by our guests.
Finally, two of our instructors, Judy Gratz and Melissa Rofe, gave graciously of their time to judge 2 of the events. Judy was gracious enough to sub in at the last minute when one of our original judges went AWOL. She judged our “Beginning Prepared” event. Melissa Rofe not only scored student compositions for the “Beginning Prepared” and “Prepared” events during her weekend, she also stayed to judge the “Prepared Public Speaking” event. Both ladies stayed until results were announced to give students that would go to the next level of competition, specific suggestions for improvement.
I wanted you all to know how much they give, how they impacted our image in the community, and how much I appreciate their teamwork! They are just another example of the commitment to students that our staff is known for!
I echo Robin’s thanks to Robert, Jann, Judy, and Melissa; and I recognize that this is just one of many examples of our team working together to pull off a “class act” in representing Ohio Hi-Point. And, most importantly, our team does it to serve our students. Great job!
I know you’ve all been anxiously awaiting the answers to last week’s Presidential Trivia . . . so here they are!
1. Who was the first president to be photographed? – John Quincy Adams
2. Who didn’t learn to read until he was 17? – Andrew Johnson
3. Who built a swimming pool and a movie theater in the White House? – Franklin D. Roosevelt
4. Who was ambidextrous? – James A. Garfield
5. Who was president for only 32 days? – William Henry Harrison (who died of pneumonia)
6. Who ordered the White House’s first bathtub? – Franklin Pearce
7. Who had the White House’s first telephone? – Rutherford B. Hayes
8. Who held his wedding in the White House? – Grover Cleveland
9. Who let his horse graze on the White House lawn? – Zachary Taylor
10. Who gave his pet mockingbird free reign of the indoor air space? – Thomas Jefferson
How’d you do?
Have a great weekend, and be careful out there!
Friday, February 15, 2008
February 15, 2008
Happy Friday to all of you. We’ve reached the mid-point of February already—hard to believe!
I know the weather has been a challenge and wreaked havoc with a lot of schedules and events. But we’ll regroup and pull it all together—we’ve done so many times before. I appreciate all of your efforts to provide continuity of instruction for our students. When I see some of the devastation the weather has caused around our country, I’m just grateful we’re all safe. And I’m grateful to have had two days in a row without any delays or cancellations!
Last Friday I had the opportunity to speak to the Leadership Champaign County class about our programs and expansion in Champaign County. I’m always glad to have an opportunity to spread the good news about OHP, and it seems I’m getting more and more help these days! Our Triad board member, Brad Wallace, also spoke to the group as part of a panel of school board members. In addition to sharing about Triad, he took the opportunity to commend our school and our staff for the great opportunities we provide students. Thanks, Brad, for being such a great ambassador for OHP!
On Wednesday morning, I was “Day Chair” for Leadership Logan County; and the topic was local government and leadership. In addition to a session on Strategic Leadership, the class heard from County Commissioner Jack Reser and Mayor Adam Brannon. Darn it if it didn’t happen again—Ohio Hi-Point and the benefits we provide to the community popped up in both of their presentations! (And honestly, I don’t think it was just because I was sitting there!) I hope you all realize what a “local treasure” our school is perceived as in our communities. The value that your hard work brings to our students is recognized!
As we’ve just passed Valentine’s Day and are headed toward President’s Day, here’s a little trivia related to those two holidays. Since Valentine’s Day is the day we give our hearts, do you know how many times the human heart beats in a day? And here are 10 pieces of presidential trivia:
1. Who was the first president to be photographed?
2. Who didn’t learn to read until he was 17?
3. Who built a swimming pool and a movie theater in the White House?
4. Who was ambidextrous?
5. Who was president for only 32 days?
6. Who ordered the White House’s first bathtub?
7. Who had the White House’s first telephone?
8. Who held his wedding in the White House?
9. Who let his horse graze on the White House lawn?
10. Who gave his pet mockingbird free reign of the indoor air space?
Think about those over your long weekend, and I’ll give you the answers next Friday. Have a great weekend!
I know the weather has been a challenge and wreaked havoc with a lot of schedules and events. But we’ll regroup and pull it all together—we’ve done so many times before. I appreciate all of your efforts to provide continuity of instruction for our students. When I see some of the devastation the weather has caused around our country, I’m just grateful we’re all safe. And I’m grateful to have had two days in a row without any delays or cancellations!
Last Friday I had the opportunity to speak to the Leadership Champaign County class about our programs and expansion in Champaign County. I’m always glad to have an opportunity to spread the good news about OHP, and it seems I’m getting more and more help these days! Our Triad board member, Brad Wallace, also spoke to the group as part of a panel of school board members. In addition to sharing about Triad, he took the opportunity to commend our school and our staff for the great opportunities we provide students. Thanks, Brad, for being such a great ambassador for OHP!
On Wednesday morning, I was “Day Chair” for Leadership Logan County; and the topic was local government and leadership. In addition to a session on Strategic Leadership, the class heard from County Commissioner Jack Reser and Mayor Adam Brannon. Darn it if it didn’t happen again—Ohio Hi-Point and the benefits we provide to the community popped up in both of their presentations! (And honestly, I don’t think it was just because I was sitting there!) I hope you all realize what a “local treasure” our school is perceived as in our communities. The value that your hard work brings to our students is recognized!
As we’ve just passed Valentine’s Day and are headed toward President’s Day, here’s a little trivia related to those two holidays. Since Valentine’s Day is the day we give our hearts, do you know how many times the human heart beats in a day? And here are 10 pieces of presidential trivia:
1. Who was the first president to be photographed?
2. Who didn’t learn to read until he was 17?
3. Who built a swimming pool and a movie theater in the White House?
4. Who was ambidextrous?
5. Who was president for only 32 days?
6. Who ordered the White House’s first bathtub?
7. Who had the White House’s first telephone?
8. Who held his wedding in the White House?
9. Who let his horse graze on the White House lawn?
10. Who gave his pet mockingbird free reign of the indoor air space?
Think about those over your long weekend, and I’ll give you the answers next Friday. Have a great weekend!
Thursday, January 31, 2008
February 1, 2008
Well, January has slipped away (where did it go?) and here comes February! And you may be reading this from home or at school on Monday if Friday’s weather pans out as forecast. But even with the crazy, roller-coaster weather we’ve had this week, I'm seeing signs of spring. The days are getting longer, and I saw two really fat robins outside my window this week.
Last week, several members of our administrative team, Shane Haggerty, and I attended the Ohio Association of Career-Technical Education Legislative Conference. We were able to meet with all six of our legislators and share with them the good news about Ohio Hi-Point. We also provided them with electronic decision-making machines (assembled by our Electronics Technology class) to help them with those tough decisions they make! While this is not a state budget year (that comes next year!), we know it’s important to stay in front of our legislators and build those relationships so that when we do need to lobby for continued funding and legislative support, they’re well aware of the value we add to public education in Ohio. Thanks to my administrators and Shane for representing us so well!
At our Board Meeting each month, we recognize both our male and female students of the month. We always give the student, parents, or students’ guests an opportunity to say anything they would like on behalf of the student. I was especially touched by the comments made by the parents at last week’s meeting. One thanked the staff and Board for allowing her daughter to “chase her dream.” The other spoke at length about the quality of instruction and dedication of our staff. I wish you all could have been there to hear them—you’re the ones who deserve the credit! But I certainly wanted to pass those comments along to you.
On Tuesday, we hosted our second “Straight-A Breakfast” for our students who maintained straight A’s for second quarter. What a treat it is for me to be able to spend some time with this group of enthusiastic, hard-working students! It’s sometimes hard to figure out what is the best reward for teenagers; but Nila, JoEtta, Shane, and I decided that food and time out of class is probably the ultimate reward! Thanks to these folks for their work in setting up such a nice event.
Many times I’ve shared with you comments that I’ve heard out in the community about our school. But I know I’m not the only one who hears those comments, and they’re heard in the most unlikely of places! JoAnn Ventresco, English teacher on Main Campus, shared the following with me just this week:
I had to share an experience I had yesterday. I was at the chiropractor, and I was actually lying on the table, waiting for my adjustment. Well, there was a boy on the other table next to me and they were working on him first. His mother was standing there asking him questions. She said, “Did you have a good day?” The boy replied, “Yeah, I went to Hi-Point!” Of course I said something about working there, so I asked him if he enjoyed his visit and he said, “Yes!” That was the extent of it so the doctor could continue working, but I thought it was pretty neat. He was very enthusiastic. He must have been on one of the 8th grade tours yesterday. I guess they are telling their parents about it so our mission is getting accomplished!
Thanks for sharing, JoAnn, and for conveying to this potential student your friendliness and interest in his visit! It will just add to the positive experience he obviously had during his visit.
I hope this storm prediction is all a terrible mistake and that we’re all here on Friday with sunny skies. But if not, enjoy your extended weekend and be careful if you have to go out!
Last week, several members of our administrative team, Shane Haggerty, and I attended the Ohio Association of Career-Technical Education Legislative Conference. We were able to meet with all six of our legislators and share with them the good news about Ohio Hi-Point. We also provided them with electronic decision-making machines (assembled by our Electronics Technology class) to help them with those tough decisions they make! While this is not a state budget year (that comes next year!), we know it’s important to stay in front of our legislators and build those relationships so that when we do need to lobby for continued funding and legislative support, they’re well aware of the value we add to public education in Ohio. Thanks to my administrators and Shane for representing us so well!
At our Board Meeting each month, we recognize both our male and female students of the month. We always give the student, parents, or students’ guests an opportunity to say anything they would like on behalf of the student. I was especially touched by the comments made by the parents at last week’s meeting. One thanked the staff and Board for allowing her daughter to “chase her dream.” The other spoke at length about the quality of instruction and dedication of our staff. I wish you all could have been there to hear them—you’re the ones who deserve the credit! But I certainly wanted to pass those comments along to you.
On Tuesday, we hosted our second “Straight-A Breakfast” for our students who maintained straight A’s for second quarter. What a treat it is for me to be able to spend some time with this group of enthusiastic, hard-working students! It’s sometimes hard to figure out what is the best reward for teenagers; but Nila, JoEtta, Shane, and I decided that food and time out of class is probably the ultimate reward! Thanks to these folks for their work in setting up such a nice event.
Many times I’ve shared with you comments that I’ve heard out in the community about our school. But I know I’m not the only one who hears those comments, and they’re heard in the most unlikely of places! JoAnn Ventresco, English teacher on Main Campus, shared the following with me just this week:
I had to share an experience I had yesterday. I was at the chiropractor, and I was actually lying on the table, waiting for my adjustment. Well, there was a boy on the other table next to me and they were working on him first. His mother was standing there asking him questions. She said, “Did you have a good day?” The boy replied, “Yeah, I went to Hi-Point!” Of course I said something about working there, so I asked him if he enjoyed his visit and he said, “Yes!” That was the extent of it so the doctor could continue working, but I thought it was pretty neat. He was very enthusiastic. He must have been on one of the 8th grade tours yesterday. I guess they are telling their parents about it so our mission is getting accomplished!
Thanks for sharing, JoAnn, and for conveying to this potential student your friendliness and interest in his visit! It will just add to the positive experience he obviously had during his visit.
I hope this storm prediction is all a terrible mistake and that we’re all here on Friday with sunny skies. But if not, enjoy your extended weekend and be careful if you have to go out!
Friday, January 18, 2008
January 18, 2008
Here we are with another cold, snowy Friday—but we’ll take it! No matter the weather, the pace of activity never slows us down around here. (Well, except for maybe an ice storm that knocks out power for a week—but I won’t dredge up those memories!) Hope it’s been a great week for all of you.
On Monday I attended a second meeting with the Ohio Department of Development (ODOD), this one intended for educators. I joined several other career-technical superintendents as well as K-12 superintendents and representatives from the Buckeye Association of School Administrators (BASA) and the Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA). It was an open discussion during which we were invited to give the ODOD specific examples as to how tax-reduction incentives designed to attract and retain businesses impact schools negatively. (I’ve got a great example of the beauty of technology. I didn’t have a financial figure I needed, so I e-mailed Eric Adelsberger from my Blackberry and he had it back to me in seconds. How cool is that?!?) Anyway, I was really pleased with the support that representatives from BASA and OSBA voiced for career-tech. They clearly recognize the added value we bring to public education in Ohio and want to assure that our interests are protected. Yet we all realized the need to attract and retain business to strengthen our economy. The end result was a better understanding of how incentives impact schools, and assurance from ODOD that they will support a new funding structure in Ohio that rewards rather than penalizes schools in high-growth areas. We have a new biennium state budget coming up this year, so stay tuned!
Wednesday evening we held our annual All Boards Banquet to recognize board members, superintendents, and treasurers from our 14 partner schools and 3 partner educational service centers during School Board Recognition Month. What a great evening—and possible only through a great team effort! We had four student ambassadors who conducted tours prior to dinner: Andrew Lemmon, Cory Calland, Brittany Godfrey, and Spencer Wolfe. They did a terrific job (as always) and made us so proud. Thanks to JoEtta Spain for arranging to have them help! Programs were printed by Printing and Graphic Arts and looked terrific—thanks to Tom Carrig and his students! And Cole Carpenter and his Professional Turf and Landscaping students had the planters in the Commons looking beautiful! Thanks also to my administrative team for being there and representing us well, and to Don Jaunzemis, Robert Walker and the Facilities & Grounds crews for having everything in tip-top shape. Finally, thanks to Shane Haggerty and Darryl Hanger for arranging dinner, taking RSVP’s, and making everyone feel welcome at registration. I had several compliments that evening (and several by e-mail since) thanking us for such a nice banquet and commenting on our wonderful facilities and students. In all ways, it was a job well done!
Dr. Robert Head, President of Urbana University, was our keynote speaker, and he encouraged us to “fly above the clouds” where the sun always shines when the going gets tough by remembering that we who work in education have a very special calling. Good advice—and I think we at OHP have weathered some tough transitional times but are breaking through the clouds to see the payoff—better student achievement, growth in enrollment, and expanded programs. We’ve got a lot to be proud of.
I wanted to share a communication that we received from the parent of a former Supply Chain Management Program student. This young man, Christopher Rittenhouse, secured employment at Wright Patterson Air Force Base while still in the program and is currently attending Clark State Community College in their Supply Chain Management Program:
Last Friday the DAU and Clark State Green Campus had a signing and Christopher had been invited to attend. I went with him and was able to meet a lot of them. They truly are great people, and I know their words of encouragement means a lot to Christopher. The president of Clark State was very impressed that Christopher was there. . . and she was able to witness the closeness and wonderful comments that the people of DAU were giving to him. I was also bursting with pride!
I thought I'd just let you know, he is still making a good example of how the Hi-Point/Urbana High/Clark State/Wright Patterson connections are working. The students in your class who are willing to take the leap of faith and continue to study and work hard there is a great future waiting for them. There are wonderful and encouraging people along the way that are willing and waiting to give a helping hand. I and the whole family are so pleased to see Christopher growing and gaining wonderful experiences under his belt, to make him an asset for any employer.
This made me think of how all of our students take a leap of faith to leave their high schools and enroll in our programs, or to be pioneers and enroll in our satellite programs in their schools, or to enroll in adult education programs later in life. And you are the “wonderful and encouraging people” that this parent speaks of who help these students along the way. I wish we could collect all stories such as this one—I know there are thousands!
It’s going to be really, really cold this weekend!! Stay warm, be careful if you have to be out, take care of your outdoor critters, and enjoy your extra day!
On Monday I attended a second meeting with the Ohio Department of Development (ODOD), this one intended for educators. I joined several other career-technical superintendents as well as K-12 superintendents and representatives from the Buckeye Association of School Administrators (BASA) and the Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA). It was an open discussion during which we were invited to give the ODOD specific examples as to how tax-reduction incentives designed to attract and retain businesses impact schools negatively. (I’ve got a great example of the beauty of technology. I didn’t have a financial figure I needed, so I e-mailed Eric Adelsberger from my Blackberry and he had it back to me in seconds. How cool is that?!?) Anyway, I was really pleased with the support that representatives from BASA and OSBA voiced for career-tech. They clearly recognize the added value we bring to public education in Ohio and want to assure that our interests are protected. Yet we all realized the need to attract and retain business to strengthen our economy. The end result was a better understanding of how incentives impact schools, and assurance from ODOD that they will support a new funding structure in Ohio that rewards rather than penalizes schools in high-growth areas. We have a new biennium state budget coming up this year, so stay tuned!
Wednesday evening we held our annual All Boards Banquet to recognize board members, superintendents, and treasurers from our 14 partner schools and 3 partner educational service centers during School Board Recognition Month. What a great evening—and possible only through a great team effort! We had four student ambassadors who conducted tours prior to dinner: Andrew Lemmon, Cory Calland, Brittany Godfrey, and Spencer Wolfe. They did a terrific job (as always) and made us so proud. Thanks to JoEtta Spain for arranging to have them help! Programs were printed by Printing and Graphic Arts and looked terrific—thanks to Tom Carrig and his students! And Cole Carpenter and his Professional Turf and Landscaping students had the planters in the Commons looking beautiful! Thanks also to my administrative team for being there and representing us well, and to Don Jaunzemis, Robert Walker and the Facilities & Grounds crews for having everything in tip-top shape. Finally, thanks to Shane Haggerty and Darryl Hanger for arranging dinner, taking RSVP’s, and making everyone feel welcome at registration. I had several compliments that evening (and several by e-mail since) thanking us for such a nice banquet and commenting on our wonderful facilities and students. In all ways, it was a job well done!
Dr. Robert Head, President of Urbana University, was our keynote speaker, and he encouraged us to “fly above the clouds” where the sun always shines when the going gets tough by remembering that we who work in education have a very special calling. Good advice—and I think we at OHP have weathered some tough transitional times but are breaking through the clouds to see the payoff—better student achievement, growth in enrollment, and expanded programs. We’ve got a lot to be proud of.
I wanted to share a communication that we received from the parent of a former Supply Chain Management Program student. This young man, Christopher Rittenhouse, secured employment at Wright Patterson Air Force Base while still in the program and is currently attending Clark State Community College in their Supply Chain Management Program:
Last Friday the DAU and Clark State Green Campus had a signing and Christopher had been invited to attend. I went with him and was able to meet a lot of them. They truly are great people, and I know their words of encouragement means a lot to Christopher. The president of Clark State was very impressed that Christopher was there. . . and she was able to witness the closeness and wonderful comments that the people of DAU were giving to him. I was also bursting with pride!
I thought I'd just let you know, he is still making a good example of how the Hi-Point/Urbana High/Clark State/Wright Patterson connections are working. The students in your class who are willing to take the leap of faith and continue to study and work hard there is a great future waiting for them. There are wonderful and encouraging people along the way that are willing and waiting to give a helping hand. I and the whole family are so pleased to see Christopher growing and gaining wonderful experiences under his belt, to make him an asset for any employer.
This made me think of how all of our students take a leap of faith to leave their high schools and enroll in our programs, or to be pioneers and enroll in our satellite programs in their schools, or to enroll in adult education programs later in life. And you are the “wonderful and encouraging people” that this parent speaks of who help these students along the way. I wish we could collect all stories such as this one—I know there are thousands!
It’s going to be really, really cold this weekend!! Stay warm, be careful if you have to be out, take care of your outdoor critters, and enjoy your extra day!
Friday, January 11, 2008
January 11, 2008
Good Friday to you all, and Happy New Year! It’s been great to see everyone back; I hope you all had a restful and enjoyable holiday season. And I hope your first full week of 2008 was a good one. (And I hope you’ve all come out of mourning after that “unfortunate incident” on Monday evening!)
As you might expect, it was pretty quiet around here over break, and that was OK—I got quite a bit of work done! But we did have some “happenings” that I want to share.
First, on January 2, we had Clark State Community College officials on campus to sign the formal lease for their new space on our campus (in House #3 out front—I hope you’ve noticed the sign!) Anne Reames, our Board President, and I were happy to welcome them. It was a cold, windy, snowy day to have our picture taken by the building, but it was a great occasion! Clark State’s presence will allow them to expand their general education course offerings (in addition to the healthcare pathway courses they’ve been offering), leading to multiple associate degree options and transferrable to any public college or university in Ohio. We also have an exchange-of-services agreement with them that will give our staff a 1/3 tuition scholarship. We anticipate this partnership bringing many benefits to adults and high-school students alike, and we welcome Clark State to Ohio Hi-Point!
We held our Board of Education Organizational Meeting on Saturday, January 5. Anne Reames from Bellefontaine was re-elected President, and Bill Ramsey from Benjamin Logan was re-elected Vice President. Scott Johnson from Marysville will continue as our Legislative Liaison with the Ohio School Board’s Association. We also welcomed four new Board Members: Pat Wagner representing Graham, Steve Lapp returning to represent West Liberty-Salem, Kim Boswell returning to represent Indian Lake, and Dean McCullough representing Ridgemont. We thank these Board Members and all the others for their continued leadership and dedication to our District!
We also have three new faces on our Main Campus! Don Jaunzemis has replaced Denny Livingston (retired) as Business Operations Coordinator, Rene Mejia is our new Spanish teacher, and Stacy Colwell is a new aide in Early Childhood Education (replacing Barb Culp who has moved to ProjectSEARCH). Please take a moment to welcome these new staff members—it’s great to have them on board!
Wednesday evening, Shane Haggerty hosted a meeting of the Steering Committee for the newly forming “Ohio Hi-Point Alumni and Friends Association.” We are working through the details of the membership and mission for this organization. But stay tuned—we’re confident we’ll be building a dynamic group of supporters of OHP and thinking of ways to benefit our current and future students. And we’ll be seeking your input!
I’m a little late in passing this along, but I wanted to share with you that I received a letter in mid-December from Harold Marker, one of our Sloan Trustees, congratulating us on our excellent performance on our performance measures. Harold wrote:
Congratulations to you as well as to all the administrators, faculty, students, and staff members at Ohio Hi-Point Career Center! Being ranked tenth in the State of Ohio on the list of the top career and technical schools is a huge accomplishment! The speed with which the rise in rank occurred is very impressive!
Harold is one of our biggest cheerleaders and supporters, and we appreciate his acknowledgement of this accomplishment!
I have to share kind of a cute story. One of our vendors was on campus this week, and she was with me in the lobby of the Main Building carrying a fairly big load. One of our students passed by and, without hesitation, asked if he could assist her. She declined, and he went right on his way. I wish I had gotten his name, but he seemed in a hurry to get to class. The visitor said, “Wow, I’ve never had that happen in a school before!” She seemed kind of taken back that a student would be so forthcoming with an offer for assistance. I told her I wasn’t surprised at all—our students are just like that!
For the first time, I’ve had a response from someone outside our District who read my blog. I wasn’t sure that would ever happen! But it’s nice to know someone has happened upon the blog and learned of some of the great things happening at OHP! I hope that “global audience” will grow, and I encourage you all to keep “feeding up” the good news so that I can share!
Have a great weekend!
As you might expect, it was pretty quiet around here over break, and that was OK—I got quite a bit of work done! But we did have some “happenings” that I want to share.
First, on January 2, we had Clark State Community College officials on campus to sign the formal lease for their new space on our campus (in House #3 out front—I hope you’ve noticed the sign!) Anne Reames, our Board President, and I were happy to welcome them. It was a cold, windy, snowy day to have our picture taken by the building, but it was a great occasion! Clark State’s presence will allow them to expand their general education course offerings (in addition to the healthcare pathway courses they’ve been offering), leading to multiple associate degree options and transferrable to any public college or university in Ohio. We also have an exchange-of-services agreement with them that will give our staff a 1/3 tuition scholarship. We anticipate this partnership bringing many benefits to adults and high-school students alike, and we welcome Clark State to Ohio Hi-Point!
We held our Board of Education Organizational Meeting on Saturday, January 5. Anne Reames from Bellefontaine was re-elected President, and Bill Ramsey from Benjamin Logan was re-elected Vice President. Scott Johnson from Marysville will continue as our Legislative Liaison with the Ohio School Board’s Association. We also welcomed four new Board Members: Pat Wagner representing Graham, Steve Lapp returning to represent West Liberty-Salem, Kim Boswell returning to represent Indian Lake, and Dean McCullough representing Ridgemont. We thank these Board Members and all the others for their continued leadership and dedication to our District!
We also have three new faces on our Main Campus! Don Jaunzemis has replaced Denny Livingston (retired) as Business Operations Coordinator, Rene Mejia is our new Spanish teacher, and Stacy Colwell is a new aide in Early Childhood Education (replacing Barb Culp who has moved to ProjectSEARCH). Please take a moment to welcome these new staff members—it’s great to have them on board!
Wednesday evening, Shane Haggerty hosted a meeting of the Steering Committee for the newly forming “Ohio Hi-Point Alumni and Friends Association.” We are working through the details of the membership and mission for this organization. But stay tuned—we’re confident we’ll be building a dynamic group of supporters of OHP and thinking of ways to benefit our current and future students. And we’ll be seeking your input!
I’m a little late in passing this along, but I wanted to share with you that I received a letter in mid-December from Harold Marker, one of our Sloan Trustees, congratulating us on our excellent performance on our performance measures. Harold wrote:
Congratulations to you as well as to all the administrators, faculty, students, and staff members at Ohio Hi-Point Career Center! Being ranked tenth in the State of Ohio on the list of the top career and technical schools is a huge accomplishment! The speed with which the rise in rank occurred is very impressive!
Harold is one of our biggest cheerleaders and supporters, and we appreciate his acknowledgement of this accomplishment!
I have to share kind of a cute story. One of our vendors was on campus this week, and she was with me in the lobby of the Main Building carrying a fairly big load. One of our students passed by and, without hesitation, asked if he could assist her. She declined, and he went right on his way. I wish I had gotten his name, but he seemed in a hurry to get to class. The visitor said, “Wow, I’ve never had that happen in a school before!” She seemed kind of taken back that a student would be so forthcoming with an offer for assistance. I told her I wasn’t surprised at all—our students are just like that!
For the first time, I’ve had a response from someone outside our District who read my blog. I wasn’t sure that would ever happen! But it’s nice to know someone has happened upon the blog and learned of some of the great things happening at OHP! I hope that “global audience” will grow, and I encourage you all to keep “feeding up” the good news so that I can share!
Have a great weekend!
Thursday, December 20, 2007
December 21, 2007
Greetings! I know this is a long-awaited day for most of you, although some of you will already have begun Winter Break by the time this is sent. I’m still amazed we’re nearly halfway through our school year and ready to begin 2008. Where has this decade gone?!? Remember all the Y2K hype?
It’s been fun to see and hear about all of the holiday activities going on throughout our programs (and with our staff!) I’m especially proud of our Student Advisory Council on Main Campus for organizing a food drive to benefit our local food banks. Alyssa Ziehm, a Council member and Architectural and Mechanical Design student, e-mailed me that the project wasn’t as successful as she had hoped. But she realized every little bit helps, and I assured her that she and the other members of the Council have started a tradition that will surely grow! Thanks to everyone who participated.
In spite of the holiday spirit, I haven’t been goofing off all week! On Monday, Darlene Chiles and I attended an Ohio Department of Development regional meeting to discuss the new focus of the Department under Governor Strickland’s administration and to evaluate various incentives which are offered to attract and retain business and industry in Ohio. We were the only educators present, thanks to Darlene’s membership in the Ohio Economic Development Association. The others in attendance were primarily business and industry representatives and economic development coordinators. One of the topics discussed in our breakout groups was the impact of economic incentives (such as tax abatements and tax-increment financing incentives) on schools. I was very glad to have an opportunity to share our perspective as a JVSD and describe the impact of these incentives and other state budget changes on our state funding. (In a nutshell, JVSD’s are not always invited to the table when incentives are discussed and we typically lose tax revenues.) But I also “switched hats” and recognized the importance of attracting and retaining business to strengthen economic development in our communities and stressed the important role career-technical education plays at both the high-school and adult levels in providing a well-trained workforce. The group was very receptive to what I had to say and agreed that they need to get behind a school funding system in Ohio that provides schools with progressive growth in funding without reliance on personal property taxes. The facilitator of the meeting indicated that he would next be working with “education representatives” to further discuss the school funding issue, and he was agreeable to including the Ohio Association of Career-Technical Superintendents. I look forward to continuing to work with the Ohio Department of Development on this important issue.
On Tuesday I visited our satellite programs at Riverside Schools—Career-Based Intervention and Teaching Professions Academy. What a treat! Brandie Roberts, CBI teacher, and her junior high students gave me a wonderful welcome and shared the work they’ve been doing in learning about careers and applying academics while learning the Microsoft Office Suite programs. I observed the group researching banks and credit unions and creating Venn diagrams to compare the two. I was also able to observe them charting data they collected about personal interests and hobbies in Excel. One of the surveys they asked me to respond to was which video games I like the best. I’m embarrassed to admit—I had never even heard of any of the games listed!! (I’m really beginning to realize my age.) So I just picked the names I liked best—I hope I didn’t skew the data! These students were great fun and were totally engaged in their work from beginning to end. They also presented me with thank-you letters to Ohio Hi-Point for our support of them and their program. The letters were a delight to read, and I wish I could share them all; but some excerpts include:
Thank you for supplying all the wonderful things. I love being able to work on the laptops. I really like the new plasma screen TV, it is any 15 year old’s dream to use one . . . Thank you for supplying the best teacher in the world.
Thank you for letting us come to the career center and showing us all the things you can do at Hi-Point.
Thank you for putting a program like this in Riverside. Now we will be able to know how to do things before we’re out of school that some of our parents don’t even know how to do.
The entire eighth grade went to Ohio Hi-Point and it was pretty cool . . . From what it looks like I plan on going to Ohio Hi-Point. I think it would be fun and educational to go. I would also like to say how good Ohio Hi-Point’s staff was. They are very polite.
First off I would like to thank you for CBI class. It is one of my favorite classes at school. Thank you for the opportunity to go to the symphony at Clark Sate. It was really fun . . . This class has given me a lot of new possibilities. I am really looking forward to the Knowledge Bowl contest later this year.
Thanks to Mrs. Roberts and her students for a great visit, and best wishes as you prepare for the Knowledge Bowl Contest!
I also visited Donna Jarzab and two of her Teaching Professions students (most of the students were out on their internships in classrooms). The group had been to Graham High School earlier that day recruiting for the program and were still so excited they could hardly sit still. I’ve always said our students are our best marketers, and these two young ladies were a shining example! They also shared with me their internship experiences and how they felt about working with the various age groups. Adding to the excitement was the fact that one of the girls, Brandy, learned while I was there that she had been elected to the Snowball Court for Riverside’s winter dance. Congratulations Brandy! And thank you to Mrs. Jarzab and her students for taking time to share with me.
Wednesday evening we held our December Board Meeting and our annual Christmas Board Dinner prepared and served by our Culinary Arts Students. They continue to out-do themselves every year! The menu was delightful, the Inn looked festive, and the students were articulate and mature in their presentation. I know our Board felt like very special guests and greatly appreciated the talents of our students. These students and staff were all here on their own time on a Wednesday evening to make this very special event possible. Many, many thanks to Donna Beale, Culinary Arts Instructor, her able assistant Tami Troyer, and our Culinary Arts Students for a fantastic job!
Thursday at lunchtime I visited our Adult Education Staff for their Christmas party which they sandwiched in during their Stephen Covey 7 Habits of Highly Effective People training (presented by our very own Eric Adelsberger). I appreciate the dedication of this group in pursuing professional development in the area of self management in order to be more effective in both their professional and personal lives. And I appreciate the invitation to join them for their festivities!
I’m noticing a theme here—most of my activities this week have involved eating! Speaking of food, our Staff Holiday Luncheon will be Friday from 10:30-12:30 in the Hi-Point Inn. Please stop in if you have an opportunity—we’ll have a delicious lunch and a very special visitor!
Finally, here’s wishing all of you and yours a joyful holiday season. I know many of you will be traveling—please be safe. Take some time to get rested, enjoy family and friends, and ring in a New Year full of new possibilities!
It’s been fun to see and hear about all of the holiday activities going on throughout our programs (and with our staff!) I’m especially proud of our Student Advisory Council on Main Campus for organizing a food drive to benefit our local food banks. Alyssa Ziehm, a Council member and Architectural and Mechanical Design student, e-mailed me that the project wasn’t as successful as she had hoped. But she realized every little bit helps, and I assured her that she and the other members of the Council have started a tradition that will surely grow! Thanks to everyone who participated.
In spite of the holiday spirit, I haven’t been goofing off all week! On Monday, Darlene Chiles and I attended an Ohio Department of Development regional meeting to discuss the new focus of the Department under Governor Strickland’s administration and to evaluate various incentives which are offered to attract and retain business and industry in Ohio. We were the only educators present, thanks to Darlene’s membership in the Ohio Economic Development Association. The others in attendance were primarily business and industry representatives and economic development coordinators. One of the topics discussed in our breakout groups was the impact of economic incentives (such as tax abatements and tax-increment financing incentives) on schools. I was very glad to have an opportunity to share our perspective as a JVSD and describe the impact of these incentives and other state budget changes on our state funding. (In a nutshell, JVSD’s are not always invited to the table when incentives are discussed and we typically lose tax revenues.) But I also “switched hats” and recognized the importance of attracting and retaining business to strengthen economic development in our communities and stressed the important role career-technical education plays at both the high-school and adult levels in providing a well-trained workforce. The group was very receptive to what I had to say and agreed that they need to get behind a school funding system in Ohio that provides schools with progressive growth in funding without reliance on personal property taxes. The facilitator of the meeting indicated that he would next be working with “education representatives” to further discuss the school funding issue, and he was agreeable to including the Ohio Association of Career-Technical Superintendents. I look forward to continuing to work with the Ohio Department of Development on this important issue.
On Tuesday I visited our satellite programs at Riverside Schools—Career-Based Intervention and Teaching Professions Academy. What a treat! Brandie Roberts, CBI teacher, and her junior high students gave me a wonderful welcome and shared the work they’ve been doing in learning about careers and applying academics while learning the Microsoft Office Suite programs. I observed the group researching banks and credit unions and creating Venn diagrams to compare the two. I was also able to observe them charting data they collected about personal interests and hobbies in Excel. One of the surveys they asked me to respond to was which video games I like the best. I’m embarrassed to admit—I had never even heard of any of the games listed!! (I’m really beginning to realize my age.) So I just picked the names I liked best—I hope I didn’t skew the data! These students were great fun and were totally engaged in their work from beginning to end. They also presented me with thank-you letters to Ohio Hi-Point for our support of them and their program. The letters were a delight to read, and I wish I could share them all; but some excerpts include:
Thank you for supplying all the wonderful things. I love being able to work on the laptops. I really like the new plasma screen TV, it is any 15 year old’s dream to use one . . . Thank you for supplying the best teacher in the world.
Thank you for letting us come to the career center and showing us all the things you can do at Hi-Point.
Thank you for putting a program like this in Riverside. Now we will be able to know how to do things before we’re out of school that some of our parents don’t even know how to do.
The entire eighth grade went to Ohio Hi-Point and it was pretty cool . . . From what it looks like I plan on going to Ohio Hi-Point. I think it would be fun and educational to go. I would also like to say how good Ohio Hi-Point’s staff was. They are very polite.
First off I would like to thank you for CBI class. It is one of my favorite classes at school. Thank you for the opportunity to go to the symphony at Clark Sate. It was really fun . . . This class has given me a lot of new possibilities. I am really looking forward to the Knowledge Bowl contest later this year.
Thanks to Mrs. Roberts and her students for a great visit, and best wishes as you prepare for the Knowledge Bowl Contest!
I also visited Donna Jarzab and two of her Teaching Professions students (most of the students were out on their internships in classrooms). The group had been to Graham High School earlier that day recruiting for the program and were still so excited they could hardly sit still. I’ve always said our students are our best marketers, and these two young ladies were a shining example! They also shared with me their internship experiences and how they felt about working with the various age groups. Adding to the excitement was the fact that one of the girls, Brandy, learned while I was there that she had been elected to the Snowball Court for Riverside’s winter dance. Congratulations Brandy! And thank you to Mrs. Jarzab and her students for taking time to share with me.
Wednesday evening we held our December Board Meeting and our annual Christmas Board Dinner prepared and served by our Culinary Arts Students. They continue to out-do themselves every year! The menu was delightful, the Inn looked festive, and the students were articulate and mature in their presentation. I know our Board felt like very special guests and greatly appreciated the talents of our students. These students and staff were all here on their own time on a Wednesday evening to make this very special event possible. Many, many thanks to Donna Beale, Culinary Arts Instructor, her able assistant Tami Troyer, and our Culinary Arts Students for a fantastic job!
Thursday at lunchtime I visited our Adult Education Staff for their Christmas party which they sandwiched in during their Stephen Covey 7 Habits of Highly Effective People training (presented by our very own Eric Adelsberger). I appreciate the dedication of this group in pursuing professional development in the area of self management in order to be more effective in both their professional and personal lives. And I appreciate the invitation to join them for their festivities!
I’m noticing a theme here—most of my activities this week have involved eating! Speaking of food, our Staff Holiday Luncheon will be Friday from 10:30-12:30 in the Hi-Point Inn. Please stop in if you have an opportunity—we’ll have a delicious lunch and a very special visitor!
Finally, here’s wishing all of you and yours a joyful holiday season. I know many of you will be traveling—please be safe. Take some time to get rested, enjoy family and friends, and ring in a New Year full of new possibilities!
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