Giving Thanks at Christmas

Well we are only two days away from our Christmas break. I know many of you have had finals yesterday and today and will be relieved when they are over. I hope everyone studied hard and will be happy with their results. Friday should be a fun day around school and I hope everyone will enjoy themselves but also still respect the school rules and regulations. I want to wish each and everyone of you a very Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year. I will not be blogging over the break so we will catch back up with everything after the new year begins.

As I was thinking about the first semester and reflecting on all that has been accomplished around the school, I thought I would share some thoughts with you and also some of the things that I am so very grateful for as we head into the second semester. I actually thought about each lab that we have here and what has been going on in the labs since August 19th.

Auto Body: If you really want to see some talent, go down to their lab and look at some of the painted hoods and designs that they come up with. Fantastic

Auto Tech: This may be a small group but boy do they accomplish a lot. So many cars come and go out of this lab. Head down there and take a look at the 1928 Chevy that they are completely restoring. They have the lights working, engine running and can now drive it around. This car was not even close to running when it was brought in. Nice job guys.

Ag & Industrial Power: First of all congrats on the fruit sales. This is a huge task that they undertake each year around Christmas and this year was no different. Great job. I wonder how many small engines they have repaired for others this year. Lawn mowers, snow blowers, riders, tractors; it is always something else when you walk in that lab. This along with the big tractors, trucks, diesels, etc...

Building & Grounds: This group kept this place looking beautiful all year so far. The outside yard has never looked better and when they use the "Zamboni" in the hallways and commons, they look great. I also would like to mention the great job they all did on the candy machines they built for the Toss-a-Toy event. Those things are really cool.

Carpentry: Once again, the carpentry team is going hard building a new house. This year it just happens to be for one of our very own- Mrs. Drerup. If you get a chance to stop by, you will be stunned at how much has been accomplished already. Not only are our seniors building it but you will also see the juniors hammering and nailing like they have been doing it forever.

Electricity: Mr White really has his two groups busy this year. He is not only beginning to teach and train them in the new NCCER standards but they also have been going out to the new house and helping the carpentry program. They are doing all the wiring for Mrs Drerups house and making sure everything is to code.

Industrial Mechanics: This group has to be the "king" of outside projects. They are doing so much for the school and the community that it is really worth a pat on the back. They have built fire rings that we are selling at the home school basketball games and donating the money back to the home schools. They made 13 fire rings this year. They also built some outstanding tool box racks for the Kennedy Manufacturing group here in Van Wert. The racks will be shipped out on Friday and they are built first class.

Precision Machine: The juniors and seniors are a great group and working hard every day. The seniors are finishing up their vices for the semester project and will soon be concentrating more on the CNC's. Talking to Mr. Ray, all but one senior now has a job in the field. Every senior will be working not only the second semester but have a job after graduation.

Welding: What can you say about this group. If they keep up the pace they are going, they will be a record setting "certification" class. They obviously will not get certified until later but they are well on their way to setting a new record for certifications in a single class. Once their "coupons" get certified and tested, I will give you an update.

Cosmetology: The seniors are doing a great job of running the "Avantage Salon" which is open twice a week. They have been very busy with customers throughout the year. The juniors are finishing up working with their mannequins and will soon be working on other classmates. How exciting for them.

Culinary Arts: What a whirlwind month it has been for this group. With the Thanksgiving buffet and with this weeks Christmas buffet, they have been extremely busy or should we say "crazy". Everything went well and the public absolutely loves coming in here to eat. The "Cup-n-Saucer" is a big hit during the holidays. Nice work everyone!

Early Childhood Education: If you ever have a stressful day and need a break, stop on down to the Early Childhood program. To watch our students interact with all these little toddlers, will just warm your heart. Each student gives so much of themselves and treats each child like they are their own. These students will be very successful in life. Mrs O and Mrs Myers do a great job with them.

Medical Office Management: Not only has this group helped with the "Day of Caring" like they do every year but this year Mrs VanTilbug introduced a "challenge" with Braun Industries. Because of this challenge, over 4500 items were donated to the food pantry by both groups, and an additional $1600 was raised to purchase more groceries. I would also like to add, if you ever walk into this lab, it is one of the most professional acting groups of students we have. They are always working and quiet when I stop by but they will gladly talk to you about what they are doing.

Senior/Junior Health Careers: As always, what a hard working couple of groups these students are. The juniors seem to always be testing or getting ready for some check off or test. LOL. I'm sure if you ask them, they might feel that way but they are getting really prepared for their STNA testing. This lab is fun to walk through when they are doing check-offs. The seniors are just plain busy. They start off with the blood drive, they do clinicals and now they are getting ready to go out on their job shadowing. I have always said that when these students are done with Mrs. Carey and Mrs. Rohrs, I would never be afraid to have them come into my room if I was hospitalized. They are prepared!

Interactive Media: This is a small group with a lot of energy. I don't know how many people realize this but Interactive Media is the group that puts together our school yearbook. This year they are working with Jostens and I am sure it will be another great one. Stop in this lab some time and just ask the students what they are doing, it is neat to see all the different projects. If they have time, have them demonstrate their new 3D printer.

Network Systems: First of all congratulations to this group for placing 1st and 2nd in the UNOH scholarship testing this year. 1st place receives full tuition and second place receives $5000. If you are interested in the latest gaming technologies, you must stop in this lab. Check out the games they are designing or the new OCULUS  Rift system they just received. This is a fun lab with a lot going on.

Wow. I didn't realize this blog would be so long but it is only because all of you students have done so much in just one semester. I can't wait for the second semester to start. You guys are awesome! Have a great holiday and enjoy the time off.

OGT Results

Well today has been the day many of you have been waiting for. The official results for the Ohio Graduation Tests (OGT), that were given back in October, have finally arrived. I have met with several students already throughout the day. There have been some pleasant results and there have been some results that didn't work out the way you wanted. Overall, Vantage Career Center had 75% of their students who need to pass the OGT for graduation, pass. If you are one of the juniors who have not passed a section of the OGT yet, please begin studying right now for the spring testing. We will once again be giving the OGT tests starting March 16th thru the 20th. I would suggest that during your Advantage periods, you work on the portion of the test that you need to pass. If you have Science to pass, then make an appointment with Mr. Joyce, Mr. Miller, Mrs. Drerup or Mrs. Thomas. Do the same thing for any section that you need passed. If it is math that you need passed, contact your math instructor. If it is Social Studies, then contact those teachers. You get the idea. They will work with you. We have study island to work on, we can copy old tests off of the Ohio Department of Education website and we have links on our website. Please let the instructors know that you want to meet with them and between the two of you, you should be able to come up with a time. All the instructors are here by 8:00 am and they can stay until 3:40 if you need them to.

For those of you that have passed, CONGRATULATIONS!!! I know that it is a big relief knowing that you are finally done with the OGT's. I appreciate your hard work and the time that you put in to studying and practicing. I hope that you will continue to work hard not only in your classes but also on your upcoming final exams. As I mentioned above, if you need help, you just have to ask. I truly mean that. Talk to any of your teachers and they will help you or they will help you with additional resources.

And as I always say, if there is anything that I can do, please come down and see me. We can talk about the resource room, additional help, on-line resources, your study habits and study skills. You are always welcome. Thanks and have a great day.

Tis the Season

I hope everyone has had a chance to take a look at the commons area before it gets emptied out tomorrow. If not, I have included a picture of what these fantastic students and wonderful faculty and staff have done. In the words of Amy Grothouse "What an amazing group". Amy stated that this year we have raised a record amount for the Toss a Toy campaign, over $2,200 in cash and toys. I hope each and every one of you are proud of what you have accomplished. I had one student tell me, "You know when I first put my toy in the box, I didn't really feel I was making a difference but when you look at the stage now, WOW it is incredible and I feel so good". That really says it all. It is amazing what we can all accomplish when we work together. I know Amy would also like to thank Mrs. Osenga (Early Childhood instructor) and Mrs. Wilhelm for all their help on the project.

Well we are winding down on this busy week and heading into our finals week. I hope everyone is ready, relaxed and taking their exams seriously. I know that this upcoming week can be stressful and cause a lot of students to get anxious and agitated. Please don't allow it to be that way. Take each test one at a time and do your best. I know if you prepare properly and study the way that suits you best, you will be o.k. Just to remind you, the first quarter counts as 40% of your semester grade, the second quarter also counts for 40% of your grade and the final exam is 20% of your semester grade. You can see why it is important to study hard and take the exam serious. The final exam can really help improve your grade.

As we are a week past our assembly on "Rachel's Challenge", I hope every student has thought about how they can improve themselves and treat others better. I saw so many people touched during the assembly and showing a lot of tears, now this week I deal with students who are hurt and crying because of something that was said to them. Before you say something hurtful to another student, think for a minute how it may really hurt that person. Probably someone that you don't even know. Think about the fact that you have no idea what that person may be going through at home. If you're laughing at their clothes, hair or shoes, think that maybe that is the best they can afford. If you're laughing at the way they talk or walk, think that maybe they have a physical problem that they can do nothing about. Think about the fact that the student may have lost someone near and dear to them this past year and they are really hurting during this holiday season. Maybe instead of saying something to hurt them, you can do something to help them. Remember, it tis the season.

Take care and have a great weekend and study hard. Thanks for reading.

National Technical Honor Society

I would like to congratulate the class of 2015 National Technical Honor Society (NTHS) members. Tonight we honored 17 outstanding students into the NTHS and all of them are very deserving. The students are:  Dmitry Billingsley, Jarett Bute, Brandi Calvelage, Jeremiah Dealey, Caitlin Geckle, Grant Gillett, Jasper Godeke, Nicholas Grote, Jenny Holbrooks, David Leathers, Cheyenne Miller-Sweet, Alysha Moran, Jill Ross, Derek Schroeder, Alexa Sikraji, Tyler Talboom and Samanth Van Vlerah.

To become a member of the society, a student must:

• Have attended both semesters their junior year at Vantage and be a current senior at Vantage.
• 3.5 Cumulative GPA at Vantage
• 95% attendance rate at Vantage
• Successful completion of all Ohio Graduation Tests
• Teacher recommendations - four
• Completion of the application process which includes:
• Four teacher recommendations
• Resume
• Essay stating why the student should be part of the NTHS, their future plans and what Vantage has meant to them over the last two years.
• Approval of the selection committee

All of this years members are leaders around the school and exhibit the NTHS traits, which are:

Knowledge, Skill, Honesty, Service, Responsibility, Citizenship, Leadership

Once again, we are so proud of all of you and want to congratulate you and wish you all the best not only in your college career but also when you start out in the work force. We know you will be very successful at everything you do. CONGRATULATIONS!!!

P.S. I would also like to thank Mr. Ben Winans for selecting me as the first Honorary Member of the National Technical Honor Society tonight. It was quite a surprise and meant a lot to me. Thanks again and I will uphold the traits of the Society.

FAFSA

Welcome to the wonderful world of Financial Aid. Federal student aid comes from the federal government - specifically, the U.S. Department of Education. It’s money that helps a student pay for
higher education expenses (i.e., college, career school, or graduate school expenses). Federal student aid covers such expenses as tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, and transportation. Aid also can help pay for a computer and for dependent care. There are three main categories of federal student aid: grants, work-study, and loans. The nice part of all of this is that except for the loans, the grants and work-study are free money. WOW! How do I get some of this financial aid to help me in college?

Well that brings us to the FAFSA. The FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and is the means by which you can get hold of some of that government money. When I talk with the students this week, I will mention the most important part of that acronym is the first "F", FREE. That's correct, the application that you need to fill out is absolutely free. Please remember that, it is FREE, FREE, FREE. There are many sites that want to charge you to fill out the FAFSA but please do not pay to fill this out. Simply go to ww.fafsa.gov and you can begin filling out the application. You will also need to apply for a PIN (Personal Identification Number), just like you use at an ATM or other places. This is the way you will sign your FAFSA.

Once you have finished the FAFSA, you will receive a student aid report (SAR). This will include all the data you put into your application and also list your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). The EFC is simply what is says, how much money your family is expected to contribute to your college education. Once you receive this information, call the colleges that you listed on the application. They will receive the same information that you did. It is always good to check with them and ask if they have received everything they need. Shortly after that, you will receive a letter or e-mail from the university that you are interested in, stating how much they will be offering you. Usually they have a deadline with that letter asking you to let them know if you are accepting the money and coming to their school. Please reply before the deadline or you will lose the financial aid.

I know this is a lot of information. On Wednesday, I will hold two presentations for the seniors that have signed up to attend my sessions. They will be held during Advantage period in the community room. However, if your parents are interested in hearing more about this financial aid process, your local home schools are holding an evening session for parents and guardians. The dates are as follows:

                                      VAN WERT - DECEMBER 10 - 6:30 PM
                                      PAULDING - JANUARY 12 - 7:00  PM
                                      KALIDA - JANUARY 12 - 6:00 PM
                                      CONTINENTAL - JANUARY 13 - 6:30 PM
                                      ANTWERP - JANUARY 26 - 6:00 PM

If your school is not listed, you may attend the one in your area. For example; Fort Jennings and Ottoville are also sponsoring the session at Kalida.

A couple of really good sites that I think are helpful are listed below:

                                          Information needed for FAFSA
                                          Myths about Financial Aid
                                          What is Federal Student Aid
                                          Financial Aid Resources (some great links to videos, handouts, etc)

Rachel's Challenge

Early this morning in our commons area, students & staff had a chance to sit through a thought provoking, emotional presentation titled "Rachel's Challenge". According to the Rachel's Challenge website (http://www.rachelschallenge.org/), Rachel's Challenge includes a series of student empowering, educator motivating programs and strategies called the Awaken the Learner Five -step School Improvement Process that equip students and adults to create and sustain safe, caring and supportive learning environments essential for academic achievement.

The programs are based on the writings and life of 17 year old Rachel Scott who was the first student killed at Columbine High School in 1999. Rachel left a legacy of reaching out to those who were different, who were picked on by others, or who were new at her school. Shortly before her death she wrote,

I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion, then it will start a chain reaction of the same. People will never know how far a little kindness can go."

I would hope each and everyone of us will take time to pause and think about some of the things we heard today. Look at how we treat others, the way we pre-judge others and the way we may say hurtful things to others. I have always told many of the students that come to see me that we are only given today. It is one of the greatest gifts we have. No one is promised tomorrow. If today was truly your last day, why waste it being mean to others or making someone hurt so much that it makes them cry. I hope you will read the five challenges over and over again and see how you can incorporate them into your daily living. Don't let this be something that has had a profound effect on you today and then you forget about it by next week. Write this down in your agenda and memorize it, it will change your life. The five challenges are:
                         1. Look for the best in others
                         2. Dream big
                         3. Choose Positive influences
                         4. Speak with Kindness
                         5. Start your own chain reaction

Sharing & Caring

What an exciting time around Vantage this week. Mrs. Grothouse and her VCC class along with Mrs. Osenga and the Early Childhood class are leading the school's Toss A Toy drive this year. There are many families in the area that need help this season and all of us at Vantage can help. Earlier in the year they held a jeans day to start raising money. This Friday, they will be holding another fund raising event that will allow you to wear your jeans and along with that they will include an ugly sweater contest. It will cost $1 for jeans and a dollar to wear either an ugly sweater, Vantage shirt or your home school shirt. Any student who wants to donate a toy can bring the toy to the commons area in the morning and they will receive a ticket to attend a movie in the Community Center room on December 19th during their lab time. If they donate two toys they will be entered into a drawing for a Walmart gift card. Vantage has made a huge difference for little kids in the past and we hope to continue this tradition. Please think about donating and enjoy the season!

I also want to remind everyone about the book fair coming to the library starting this Friday. Mrs Knodel has been doing this book fair for a lot of years and what a great success it is. What a great idea for doing some early Christmas shopping. All books are 30% off and there is NO TAX!!!  There will be more books than you could possibly imagine and one that is just right for that special person on your list. I just read the recent Lexile scores for our students and what an impressive improvement made by over 60% of our school. All because everyone is reading more. I know the students will be tracking their reading time soon so why not pick up a book you would really enjoy and bury yourself in it over the holidays. Just imagine, sitting by the fire, hot cocoa, snow falling down outside and you snuggled up with a great book. It doesn't get any better than that.

Well that is it for now. Don't forget to stop by the office and say hello and grab a piece of candy out of my freshly stocked bowl. The Christmas decorations are up in the office and waiting for all of you to enjoy. Have a great day!