Tag: West Rutland

STC Hospitality and Entrepreneurship Students Attend National DECA Conference

STC Hospitality students recently attended the DECA International Career and Development Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, April 23rd-April 28th.

Brianna Allen from Mill River Union High School and Christina Campo from Proctor High School attended the School Based Enterprise Academy. As one of forty high schools in the country to receive the initial Gold Level Certification for their school store, Campus Common Grounds, they qualified to do a presentation on Green Marketing.  They were invited on stage during the parade of flags during the opening session of this year’s national DECA conference for receiving the Gold Level Certification.

 To see them on stage and to watch the Opening Session, please visit   www.pdcproductions/deca/ .

Alison McLellan from Proctor High School and Kati Messer from Mill River Union High School attended the Senior Management Institute.

Kayla Buckley from West Rutland High School, and Vermont DECA Secretary, participated in the LEADS Academy and was one of two Vermont delegates to vote for the 2010-2011 National DECA Officers.

 Over 15,000 students participated in the National DECA Conference this year which included visits to Churchill Downs, the Muhammad Ali Museum, the Louisville Slugger Museum, and a concert featuring Lady Antebellum.

Photo: Left-Right:  Brianna Allen (Mill River), Alison Mclellan (Proctor), Kati Messer (Mill River), Kayla Buckley (West Rutland), and Christina Campo (Proctor)

Stafford Technical Center Students Go “Up, Up, and Away With FCCLA” at the 2010 NH FCCLA Spring Leadership Conference

Ten student members of the Stafford Technical Center chapter of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) attended the New Hampshire FCCLA annual Spring Leadership Conference on April 8th and 9th, in Bartlett, NH, at the Grand Summit Resort Hotel.  This year’s conference theme was “Up, Up, and Away With FCCLA”.  Approximately 250 members, advisors, and volunteers from New Hampshire and Vermont attended the conference.  FCCLA – Family, Career and Community Leaders of America – is the Ultimate Leadership Experience.   FCCLA is a national student organization that helps students become leaders and address important personal, family, work, and societal issues through Family and Consumer Sciences Education. 

Every year, FCCLA chapters take part in a nationwide community service project.  This year our students are contributing to FCCLA’s National Outreach Project called DIG IT.  The money raised from this campaign will go to Children’s Miracle Network.  The Stafford Chapter raised $100.00 will go directly the Fletcher Allen Children’s Hospital, the Vermont member the Children’s Miracle Network.

The Stafford Technical Center FCCLA Chapter were also recognized for their outstanding achievements.  The following awards were given to members of Stafford’s FCCLA Chapter.

Applied Technology

            Bronze Medal and $1,000 scholarship to Johnson and Wales University – Charlena Breon (West Rutland) and Mercedes LaPlant (Proctor)

 Chapter Service Project

            Silver Medal – Ariel Martin (Otter Valley), Amy Lincoln (West Rutland), Rebecca Raymond (Rutland)

 Job Interview

            Silver Medal and $750.00 scholarship to Johnson and Wales University – Jack Kearney (Rutland)

 Chapter Showcase

            Silver Medal – Nikki Broadwell (Rutland), Laura Brown (Rutland), Brittany Hance (Otter Valley)

 Focus on Children

            Silver Medal – Highest score and eligible to compete at the national convention in Chicago – Alyssa Hartwell (Rutland)

  

 

Left to Right:Charlena Breon (WRHS), Alyssa Hartwell (RHS), Jack Kearney (RHS), Ariel Martin (OVUHS), Amy Lincoln (WRHS), Brittany Hance (OVUHS), Nikki Broadwell (RHS), Mercedes LaPlant (PHS), Laura Brown (MRUHS), and Rebecca Raymond (RHS)

Welch Hangs with the All Stars

US Representative Peter Welch recently visited Stafford Technical Center.  He toured the facility and spoke with Program Instructors and students. One of the stops along the  tour was Stafford’s Music Technology; Jazz and Contemporary Program.  The students and instructor, Bill Comstock,  performed a musical number for the Congressman. 

Pictured in photo-L to R:  Cameron Watts (Mill River), Frank Venturella (RHS), Jessica Wood (Fair Haven), Jonathan Russell (Fair Haven), Rachel Fillioe (Mill River), Mike Labelle (RHS), Congressman Welch, Alex Horner (RHS), Eric Pillon (Otter Valley), Tanya Averill ( Otter Valley), Steve Shanahan (Mill River), Bill Comstock-Instructor, Tyler Johnson (West Rutland), Austin Herber (Fair Haven)

Students Chat Up Senator Leahy

March 9th, 2010: Nine Students from Stafford Technical Center recently participated in an online chat with US Senator Patrick Leahy. This was the first online chat that the Senator has held with Stafford Technical Center.  The students asked the Senator questions and communicated with him through Skype.  The questions covered a broad range of topics including health care, workforce development, the affordability of college, and even more personal ones like who were his favorite rock bands and the types of summer jobs he had while in high school.  This chat was a wonderful opportunity for the students to interact with an important political figure and learn how they can become more civically engaged in their communities.

Participating students:  Molly Spaulding-Health Careers (Fair Haven High School), Colin Terenzini-Power Mechanics/Welding (Rutland High), David Sexton-Culinary Arts (Mill River), Josh Marcille-Hospitality and Entrepreneurship(West Rutland High School), Colin Haas-Electrical/Plumbing (Rutland High), Luke Molaski-Forestry and Naturual Resources (Otter Valley), Geoffrey McDonald-Public Safety Services (Otter Valley), Lauren Graziano-Architecture Engineering Design (Fair Haven Union High School) and Amber Dumas-Video Production (Rutland High )

High School Students assist at Rutland’s Car Safety Seat Installation Clinic

Rutland hosts Vermont’s busiest car safety seat installation clinic, where new parents, grandparents, and anyone else who transports youngsters, can bring their car safety seat and have it installed by a technician who has had specialized training. The clinics are held weekly on Thursday afternoons from 3-6 at Regional Ambulance Service. The technicians come from different walks of life- police officers, EMTs, police dispatchers, and professionals from child and family centers. Students from the Stafford Technical Center SADD Chapter have recently been assisting the technicians.

    The student assistants perform a variety of tasks. They act as scribes for the technicians, recording and documenting the particulars of this installation. They assist in childcare, so the technicians can do the installations without interruptions. The assistants also help the technician as required in any other part of the process. It is a win win situation for everyone. The technicians get assistance and are able to focus on getting the task done, and the students get to serve their community, learn new skills, and make professional contacts. The students who have been involved in the last two clinics are Cierra Phelps and Haley Cotrupi, juniors from Mill River Union High School, and Kayla Stewart, a junior from west Rutland High School. All three girls are students in the Stafford Technical Center SADD Chapter, and are enrolled in the Public Safety Services Program at Stafford.

Photo: l-r:  Haley Cotrupi and Cierra Phelps help at car safety seat installation

 

Students Address Teen Dating Violence Prevention

Cierra Phelps, a member of the Stafford Technical Center SADD Chapter, and a student in the Public Safety Services Program, was the recent recipient of competitive national grant dealing with teen dating violence prevention. The grant was one of 10 nationwide grants awarded by DoSomething.org with funds from the Liz Claiborne Foundation.

  After being awarded the grant, Cierra and her fellow SADD members and classmates went to work to fulfilling its requirements, which was a challenge considering they were required to do an initial presentation of the program, which was called “Hands Are Not for Hitting”, in the span of about 10 school days. The centerpiece of the program was a “silent witness” campaign with 8 plywood silhouettes of victims of dating violence, each with a personal story. The 8 silhouettes were of 6 women, 1 man, and 1 dog. Animals are often victims of domestic and teen dating violence and are abused to terrify the victim or used as a pawn in the relationship. The plywood silhouettes were made by Jeff Fowler of Stafford’s Construction Technology Program and his students. They were painted by Stafford Technical Center SADD members Cierra Phelps, Haley Cotrupi, and Erika Stocker from Mill River Union High School, Jo Lilly from Otter Valley Union High School, and Kayla Stewart from West Rutland High School.

   The students developed a pledge for others to sign, asking those that signed it not to be involved in an abusive relationship, either as the abuser or the abused person, and also, if they are a bystander witness to domestic or dating violence, to take some action, if only to report the abuse. The SADD members set up the silent witness campaign outside the cafeteria that serves the students at Rutland High School and Stafford Technical Center. There was also a table where students or staff members could get information. Over 400 people signed the pledge that day and were given a purple silicone bracelet with the saying “Hands Are Not For Hitting” on it. The bracelets and the “witnesses” fostered a lot of discussion.

   The SADD members wore T-shirts that were designed by Paige Mayer of the Stafford Digital Arts Program, so that people could identify the members and ask them questions. The shirts, which had a silhouette and the “Hands Are Not for Hitting” logos displayed on the shirts. The logos were so striking that many students and teachers asked if they could purchase a shirt. The SADD members quickly decided to sell the shirts as a fundraiser, and donate the profits to the Rutland County Women’s Network and Shelter. Additionally, the SADD members were asked to do a presentation to the Forestry, Natural Resources, and Horticulture class. Cierra Phelps had a presentation on this topic that she had prepared for a college PowerPoint class at the College of St. Joseph as part of her program of study in the Public Safety Services Program, and she and two other SADD members, James Reed, a junior from Mill River Union High School, and Kyle Lenher, a junior from Proctor High School, presented the program to the Forestry students.

   Other Stafford Technical Center SADD members taking part in this project were Rutland High School seniors Chris Crout, Jordan Grenier, James Bonilla, and Ashley Barnes, Mill River Union High School seniors Cantlin Eaton, Kayla Jones, and Nate Hance, and Geoffry McDonald, a senior at Otter Valley Union High School.

   The students also implemented this program for students at the College of St. Joseph, and are available to do a “silent witness” display at other schools or organizations.

Public Safety Services Students Become Nationally Certified in Hazardous Materials Awareness

Ten students in the Forestry and Natural Resources and Public Safety Services Programs at Stafford Technical Center recently became certified at the Awareness Level in the area of Hazardous Materials. Chief Robert Schlacter of the Rutland City Fire Department was the instructor through the Vermont Fire Academy for this course. Public Safety Services is a program that serves individuals who may be involved in emergency services – fire police, and rescue, as well as those in related occupations- dispatching, courts, attorneys, etc.  Obviously, the professionals in emergency services, the first responders, are extremely at risk to be involved in a hazardous materials incident in a truck crash, a train derailment or a spill or explosion in an industrial facility, as are arborists and tree surgeons who also respond to these emergencies or to the cleanup.

  There are tens of thousands of potentially hazardous materials that first responders may encounter. Some may be flammable, some may be corrosive, and give burns, like acids, some may be radioactive, some may be biological agents that are infectious, some may be explosive, and then there are some that are classified as dangerous, which may have more than one risk associated with it.

  The students who demonstrated their mastery of this course, and who received national certification in this area were: Christopher Crout, Jordan Grenier, and James Bonilla of Rutland High School, Kyle Lenher of Proctor High School, Geoffry McDonald of Otter Valley Union High School, Kayla Stewart of West Rutland High School, Jakob Galvin and Ben Alger of Fair Haven Union High School, and James Reed, Haley Cotrupi, and Cierra Phelps of Mill River Union High School. Chris Crout, Ben Alger, Kayla Stewart, and Kyle Lenher all scored 100% on this difficult examination.

  Ben Alger is a member of the Orwell Volunteer Fire Department and James Reed is on the Middletown Volunteer Fire Department. Ben Alger and Jakob Galvin are members of Mark Skakel’s Forestry and Natural Resoures Program.

Donor Principle

On December 22, students from Stafford Technical Center’s Hospitality & Entrepreneurship, Health Careers, and Human Services Programs recently participated in a very important community service project; The Gift of Life Marathon at the Paramount Theater.  These students and their instructors volunteered in a number of capacities from handing out snacks, keeping a watchful eye on the offspring of those parents donating blood, and some even giving blood for the cause.  Playing even a small part in this very large event, is an important component of their lesson plan for life. 

The following students participated:  Hospitality & Entrepreneurship: Kayla Buckley (West Rutland), Courtney Mumford (Mill River), Brianna Allen (Mill River), Antonia Briggs (RHS), Ashley Carroll (RHS), Stephanie Colton (RHS), Aimee DuBray (RHS), Josh Marcille (West Rutland), Emily Patch (Mill River), Brent White (Mill River), Christina Campo (Proctor), Alison McLellan (Proctor) and Kati Messer (Mill River); Human Services: Charlena Breon (West Rutland), Nicole Broadwell (RHS), Sabrina Benge (RHS), Chelsea Felion (RHS), Brittany Hance (Otter Valley), Alyssa Hartwell (RHS), Rebecca Raymond (RHS), Laura Brown ( Mill River), Sara Graham (RHS), Jennifer Hebert (RHS), Jack Kearney (RHS), Mercedes La Plant (Proctor), Amy Lincoln (West Rutland), and Ariel Martin (Otter Valley); Health Careers: Dan Biebuyck (RHS), Kiarah Bombardier (RHS), Alyssa Chereshkoff (Otter Valley), Colton Francis (RHS), Lindsey Kent (Mill River), Brittany Pierce (Fair Haven), Molly Spaulding (Fair Haven), Kayla Thomas (RHS), Kasey Beebe, (Fair Haven), Shelby Benoit (Otter Valley), Lindsey Brown (Mill River), Robert Forkey (Fair Haven), Sarah Grimes (Otter Valley) and Shannon Whitehurst (Fair Haven).

Students Present on “Sexting”

Jo Lilly Presentation

Picture: Jo Lilly, Stafford Public Safety Services Student presents on “sexting” 

Seven students from Stafford Technical Center’s SADD Chapter, all of whom are involved in the Public Safety Services Program, recently presented a workshop of the topic of “Sexting” to about 50 teens and adults at the Governor’s Youth Leadership Conference in Burlington. The students were Kayla Stewart, a junior from West Rutland High School, Geoffrey McDonald, a senior from Otter Valley Union High School, Cierra Phelps, a junior at Mill River Union High School, Erika Stocker, Kayla Jones, and Nate Hance, seniors at Mill River Union High School, Jo Lilly, a senior at Poultney High School, and Ashley Barnes, a senior at Rutland High School.

   Sexting is a relatively new phenomenon which involves sending sexually explicit or provocative messages, cartoons, or photos of naked or seminude people by cell phone or computer. Sexting is much more common than people think, especially more common than the parents of teens think. About half of all teens report having been “sexted”, and about thirty percent of all teens report that they have sent sexting messages. The percentage of males involved in sending seems to be roughly twice that of the rates of females. Of the girls who sent photos of themselves, about half reported that they were pressured by their boyfriends to do so. Interestingly enough, about one of six boyfriends whose girlfriends sent nude photos of themselves mass e-mail the photos to others following a breakup of the relationship. It is presumed that this happens more often following the girlfriend dumping the boyfriend than the other way around. 

  Sexting can be a form of bullying, also. In a case from Japan, an obese male middle school student was humiliated after a fellow student took naked pictures of the obese student in the shower during gym class, without the student’s knowledge, and then sent the photos out to a large number of schoolmates. In a case from Ohio, a girl committed suicide after months of harassment from fellow students who had been sent naked photos of the girl by her ex-boyfriend after they broke up.

   Sexting can also result in a number of criminal charges being brought against the sender or receiver of the photos, particularly if one of them is a minor. The charges may include pornography or child pornography or a host of other charges. A number of these charges may result in one’s becoming a registered sex offender, also; there are cases where 18 year olds with photos from their sixteen year old girlfriends have become required to register as sex offenders.

   Hopefully, by raising awareness of teens in Vermont of the dangers in sexting, fewer teens will become victims.

Department of Motor Vehicles and High School Students Team Up to Address Speeding

DSC02011      Recently, students from Proctor High School and Stafford Technical Center’s Vermont Teen Leadership Program, and Rutland High School’s Green Mountain Teen Institute Program linked up with the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles to heighten awareness of the dangers in speeding. The partners came together at the Rutland DMV Office, where they placed a couple of hundred “Slow Down, Stick Around” ribbons and attached information cards for DMV patrons to take. The ribbons can be used as bookmarks and are there to reinforce the message every time someone looks at the ribbon.

  The Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles is so committed to this effort that they have offered SADD chapters in areas of the state where there are DMV offices the opportunity to replicate this partnership locally. DMV was well represented at the kick-off of this program, with new Commissioner Robert Ide being joined by Sgt. Joseph Arduca and Inspector Adam Pockette as well as Rutland DMV District Office Supervisor Robin Delong. Cameo Bixby-Clements, a Rutland High student represented GMTI. Proctor High School’s SADD Chapter was represented by student Amanda Zuber and advisor Claire Molner. The Stafford Technical Center SADD team consisted of student Kayla Stewart of West Rutland and advisor John D’Esposito. Troopers Mark Perkins and Rene Klementowski of the Vermont State Police and Rutland County Sheriff Stephen Benard represented the law enforcement community.

  Rutland County’s partnership between law enforcement, youth, and the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles represents another locally developed concept to solve a problem which will be replicated through Vermont, and perhaps through the nation