Merry Christmas

As we finish off our last day of school this year and get ready for Christmas vacation, I just wanted to wish all of you the very best Holiday season. My wish is that all of you find the time to relax and spend time with the people who are important in your life. The new year is just around the corner and I hope that you will come back to school with a positive attitude, some challenging goals and finish the school year strong. Take care and have a very Merry Christmas.

Soaring Eagle

In a typical school system, many people are aware of the outstanding young students who excel in their grades or in their academics. We reward them with all "A" Honor Roll or Dean's list. We have the National Honor Society or the National Technical Honor Society. The athletes are rewarded with All State or All District Honors and of course the championship trophies if so earned. I think this is a great honor that these students deserve and I always look forward to reading the paper and seeing the accomplishments of all the students in this area. However, sometimes there are accomplishments that the student works hard for but often gets overlooked. This could be for various reasons but mainly because it is not school related and it is something they do outside of any school activities. Today I would like to highlight one such student and the awesome accomplishment that he just attained.

Alex Burgei, a senior in Industrial Mechanics who is from Ottoville High School, just earned his Eagle badge as a boy scout. For those of you that are not aware of how someone attains this honor, I will list a few of the requirements. The rank of Eagle Scout may be earned by Boy Scout who has been a Life Scout for at least six months, has earned a minimum of 21 merit badges, has demonstrated Scout Spirit, and has demonstrated leadership with his troop. Additionally he must plan, develop and lead a service project - the Eagle Project - that demonstrates both leadership and a commitment to duty. After all the requirements are met, he must complete an Eagle Scout board of review. The Eagle Project is a chance for the Scout to demonstrate leadership of others while performing a project for the benefit of any religious institution, any school or his community. The project may not benefit the Boy Scouts of America or be solely a fund raising project.

The project that Alex did was for the Ottoville community. He had an "Ottoville Community Park" sign installed at the park on Church St. For this project, Alex had to raise the money for the sign and all the material needed. He had to get approval from the Scouting organization and also from the community. He then had the sign made, installed the curbing, stone and lighting. As you can see by the picture, it is a very professional job and one that the community is proud of. I am proud of Alex for all the hard work he put into this project but also all the work he has put in over the years of being a Boy Scout. Alex is one of those special students that when you meet him, you instantly like him. He is kind, helpful, courteous to the staff and to all the other students. Congratulations Alex and I would also like to congratulate all our past students who have earned the rank of Eagle Scout. All of you are in a special group and you should be proud of your accomplishments.

Help for the Holidays

People often talk about the holiday blues or feeling depressed around the holiday season. There is a reason for this. Television, radio and advertisements try to make it feel like everyone is having a "hallmark" type of Thanksgiving or Christmas. If we aren't celebrating like they are on TV, then something must be wrong. If you have been watching any of the movies on the ABC Family channel you will notice a certain theme. It seems like it is always snowing and people are taking sleigh rides through beautiful parks that are all lit up with Christmas lights. The Christmas music is playing, bells are ringing, and in the end everyone is gathered around the decorated table eating a feast made for kings. The movie usually ends with everyone holding hands and going about town singing Christmas carols. The commercials that are on TV can be another problem. It looks like everyone is out shopping and having a great time. They want you to believe that if you don't spend money, you won't be happy. They create the image that you must have everything that is being sold otherwise you won't have a very merry Christmas.


The truth is, the above scenario very rarely ever happens anymore. I don't know about you, but I haven't taken a sleigh ride and sang Christmas carols in a long time. I also realize many of our students have never experienced a Thanksgiving or Christmas like the ones depicted in the movies. I also realize many of you are worrying about how you will eat over the Christmas season. I hope I can offer you some tips and resources that you can use or maybe a friend of yours could use.

1) Don't expect the holidays to be the same as when you were a little child. They NEVER are. You are not the same as you where when you were a child.

2) Focus on what you have, not what you don't. Ignore the commercials where the husband surprises his wife with a brand new luxury car or a diamond ring. This only leaves you wondering, "What about me?" Remind yourself that it's not the stuff that makes the holidays important.

3) The holidays bring back memories of loved ones, I understand that. Give yourself permission to grieve and deal with the loss in your own way. If you want to cry, go ahead. If you want to remember your loved one in a special way, go ahead. Light a candle, put together a scrapbook, decorate the grave stone with flowers, or whatever else you find comforting.

I have a short list of places where you may be able to get help with your meals or other needs during the holidays, please feel free to use these resources, they are there for you. I also hope that you would reach out to someone you know who may be struggling this season. Share this list with them and offer to help them this Christmas season.

           - Trinity Friends Church across from Vantage. Weekly hours are Tuesday from 10:00 am until 12:00 noon and Thursdays from 4:00 - 5:30 pm.

           - Van Wert County Dept. of Jobs and Family Services: 419-238-5430. They can help with a short term family financial need of up to $1000.00

           - Salvation Army: 419-238-9100. They will be able to help or lead you to assistance.

           - Van Wert Ohio Community Action Commission: A regional non-profit that partners with local agencies like the United Way and local churches. Click here for their website.

           - Delphos Interfaith Thrift Store: Not for profit combination thrift store, food pantry and financial assistance entity. 419-692-2942

           - West Ohio Food Bank: A great resource. They work with churches all over Allen, Mercer, Paulding, Putnam and Van Wert counties. They will help. 419-222-7946. Click here for the list of Paulding county agencies, but you can also find all agencies for each county on this page.

           - Call 2-1-1, The United Way help center provides free and confidential 24 hour access to a compassionate professional who will review your options for help. This is a great resource. Either call 2-1-1 or visit 211oh.org to chat online.

And as always, please stop by and talk if you are having problems this holiday season. If you need food, clothing or just want to talk about some struggles you are having, my door is open for you. Thanks and I hope you relax and enjoy this holiday season.

Tis the Season

What an exciting time around Vantage this week and next. Mrs. Grothouse and her VCC 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. On December 9th, next Friday, they will be holding fund raising events. It will be the ugly sweater contest where you can enter for $1 and prizes will be awarded based on the most ugly sweater, the ugliest Christmas sweater and the OMG what where you thinking sweater (school appropriate please). It should be a fun day. It will also be $1 jeans day. We are also having a penny stall in all the academic classes. Remember to fill those buckets with pennies so your instructor will have to count them all during your class, thus stall them from teaching. Cosmetology students will be selling colored hair extensions at lunch for $2. A former VCC elf has set a challenge that if we raise $1000, he will donate $500. As always the tree is up on our stage and if you would like to donate a toy, please just drop it off in the sleigh. 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 and going until December 9th. 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. Why not pick up a book you would really enjoy and bury yourself in it over the holidays.

I hope everyone is preparing for the holidays in their own special way and looking forward to the excitement around school. However, I want to remind you that we still have "End of Course" exams next week. I ask that if you will be taking any exams that you study hard and take your time. For those of you that do not have any exams to take next week, we will be running on a two hour delay all next week. Have a great week and thanks for reading!

A Good Friend

Normally I write these blogs for the students but today it is written for the many staff members and friends of Mr. Kent Taylor. Kent was an instructor here at Vantage Career Center for thirty plus years and substitute taught for the last two years since his retirement. Kent passed away on Thursday, November 10th. I feel so fortunate to have worked with Kent and have been able to call him my friend. I can honestly say that Kent was one of the smartest men I have ever met. As many of you know, Kent taught our Electricity program and also taught some adult education electrical programs.

I thoroughly enjoyed talking with Kent about his program but also electronics. When I first started here I remember talking about my ¨ham radio" hobby with Kent. All of a sudden he starts talking about my equipment, radio frequencies, antennas and so many other topics related to amateur radio, that I would have sworn he was a licensed operator. However, that is just how Kent was. He knew so much about so many topics that it absolutely amazed me. Through the years I´ve learned to rely on Kent whenever I had a question about something I was working on at home. I knew he would have the answer for me or be able to come up with it very quickly. We had nine trade and industry programs here when Kent was working and I swear he could have ran everyone of them. Kent worked on cars, painted them, did welding, machining, PLCś (Program Logic Controllers), construction work and in his spare time he enjoyed drag racing, truck pulls and building engines.

Some of the best memories I have of Kent are back in the old building when he shared an office with Mel White, Mike Klutka and Kevin Van Oss. If I happened to stop by their office during lunch, I was guaranteed to have a stimulating conversation with all of them about the latest issue in the news, and as we would say, ¨we would solve the worlds problems¨. Once we got Kent up on his soapbox, there was no stopping him. Kent would get excited about things because he cared so deeply about his community and this area. He wouldn´t let any politician pull the wool over his eyes. Kent knew more about what was going on in the world then the politicians did.

The one thing I know Kent cared more about than most any issue was career tech and the success of his students. Kent had a real passion for career tech and was really ahead of his time when it came to the importance of a career tech education. Kent also cared so much about his students and their ability to get a good job after high school or even go onto college. He pushed the students because he believed in them and knew how much potential they had.

I carry a black notebook around with me so I can write down things I have to do. On the first page of this notebook are some questions I had for Kent the next time I saw him. It was in regards to an Edenpure heater that he has been telling me to get for two years now. I already miss my friend and I know so many others do to. I have mentioned in my blogs before a poem that was called ¨Success¨. A couple of the lines say that ¨...to leave the world a bit better; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived- this is to have succeeded¨. Well, Kent succeeded beyond any measure and he certainly made my world better. Goodbye my friend.

Life Lessons

I heard another neat country song the other day that I really liked and once again, it got me thinking about our students. The song is by Eric Church and it is titled "Three Year Old". A couple of the lines in the song go like this: "A fishing pole sinks faster than a tackle box. Nothing turns a day around like licking a mixing bowl. I learned that from a three year old." The song is about Eric Church's three year old son and all the things he has learned from him that are so relevant to life in general. If you get the chance, I hope you will give it a listen. I think you will really enjoy it even if you aren't a big country fan.

Like I said earlier, this got me thinking about the students around here and all the things I have learned from talking with them and observing them. I learned that they love when you say happy birthday to them on that special day. I learned that they really don't mind when Mr. Miller asks them during lunch how their day is going. I learned that the students enjoy telling you what they are working on in their lab and showing off their new skills. I have learned that many of them just want to be kids and laugh and have fun but that's not always how their life is. Many of our students seem like they are shy but love when an adult shows concern about them and their future. I have learned that they have hopes and dreams but sometimes need someone to fuel them. The students like to be rewarded with "good as gold" but it is often those students who feel they don't deserve it, that they were "just doing what was right". I have learned that our students love the Friday lunchtime pictures that Mr. Verhoff, Mrs Hall and Mrs. Wilhem put up on the big screen each week.

I think that the main thing that I have learned from so many of our students is that they are great people. They care about others, they hurt when others hurt and they have concerns just like us adults. All of us at Vantage work hard to prepare our students for the "real world" and to make sure they are going to be successful. We provide them the knowledge and information that can lead them down that path. However, I think the one thing that all of us can provide to each of them, and the one thing that they seem to need, is kindness and caring. As we continue to offer this, I am positive we will reap the rewards of seeing some awesome students go through our school. And as a benefit we will learn a lot of life lessons along the way and they will come from the 16, 17 and 18 year old crowd. I keep a note in my office that states: "Don't let the importance of your work crowd out your concern for human need". I need to be reminded of that every once in awhile and it's nice to know that I might even be reminded by a three year old.

Turn Back Time

As you are well aware, next Sunday we will be changing our clocks back one hour and leaving Daylight Savings time. I don't know how you feel about the time change next Sunday, but for me, I have never been real fond of it. I never liked the idea of it being dark an hour or two after we get home from work or school. As Yogi Berra once said "it gets late early out there". It just seems like the energy of the day is already spent and rather than going outside and keeping busy, it's a little to easy to sit down and read or watch t.v. I will appreciate the extra hour of sleep next Saturday night though.

Turning the clock back an hour in the fall and moving it forward in the spring is a strange idea. Can you imagine if we could do that with our life. I was thinking about that today and it was an interesting concept. If I could "turn back time" where would I go to? Would I want to go back to a time when life seemed pretty simple and innocent or would I want to spring forward a few years to see what my children are doing with their lives? It would be interesting to go ahead ten years and see what my granddaughter is doing and what her life is like. If I could go back in time, would I change anything? Would I want to do things over in a different way? I think the answer that I came up with, at least for myself, is that life is pretty good right where I am at. I can look back on life and see the things I've accomplished or maybe some of the things that didn't necessarily go as I would have wanted them to. Either way, they were life lessons that I use in my everyday life. As far as going into the future, I think I am pretty content just holding those plans and dreams in front of me and looking forward to them. After all, I don't want my life to rush by.

I think all of us, especially the students here at Vantage, can look back and see some accomplishments and maybe some disappointments. The important thing is that you learn from them and use them to build your life today. You can also look to the future by setting some awesome goals and working hard to accomplish them. I really think we are all better off by just letting the clocks jump back and forth. Let us live for today and make it the very best day we can. In closing, I would like to say a very happy belated birthday to a dear reader of my blog, Mrs. Van Oss (Kevin's mother). Mrs. Van Oss has lived a nice long life and I'm sure she has so much to be thankful for in her past and also looks forward to her future. I wish you many more birthdays and good health.

Sensitive subject

Today I decided to write my blog on a subject that is very sensitive but one I feel needs to be talked about. The subject is suicide. I touched on this subject last February and you are welcome to go back and read that one also. However, within the last few weeks, there have been at least three suicides that I know of in the Lima and Van Wert area. These suicides involved students who just graduated last year. One of our own home schools, Delphos Jefferson, is dealing with that tragedy today. I had a girl here at Vantage ask me, "What is it going to take for something to change?". She really would just love to tell teenagers everywhere to stop being so judgmental.  To just try to get along and love each other. She said we should be there to pick each other up instead of pushing each other down. Pretty simple words spoken so eloquently by a student who is hurting, a student who cares and a student who is tired of seeing lost lives.

For the last several years I have put on a suicide prevention presentation that is taken from Darcy and Paul Granello and the QPR Institute. Paul & Darcy are both doctors in the mental health field at Ohio State University. The reason this presentation is so important is because based on 2016 data, there are about 117 suicides per day; 1 every 12.3 minutes. Suicide is the 3rd ranking cause of death for teenagers. There are so many teens today who are crying out for help but yet they get ignored. Research shows that the most likely response to suicidal communication from family, colleagues, and friends is...SILENCE. Prior to making a suicide attempt 90% of people demonstrate clear warning signs and 70% tell another person. It is also known that over 60% of all people who die by suicide suffer from major depression. If one includes alcoholics who are depressed, this figure rises to over 75%. Depression affects nearly 10 percent of Americans ages 18 and over in a given year, or more than 24 million people. We must recognize the warning signs of depression so we can get help or get help for someone we know. The symptoms of Depression are:

- Depressed mood
- Change in sleeping and eating patterns
- Loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities
- Fatigue or loss of energy
- Diminished ability to think or concentrate
- Thoughts of death or suicide, or wishing to be dead

A lot of you may be thinking that you know someone who needs help but you are afraid to approach them or you may be afraid of what to say. The main thing that I hope you take from this blog today is that if you are concerned about a friend then you must communicate with them. Tell them you are worried about them and then ask "the question". That question is "Are you thinking about suicide" or "Are you thinking about killing yourself". Research shows that mentioning suicide to a student doesn't lead to suicide. Since almost everything you do to convince the student to live instead of killing themselves will be met with relief, don't hesitate to get involved or take the lead. You are not a counselor, so don't worry about what to say or do. Immediately take them to get help. You can lead that student to a friend, to an older adult, teacher, staff member or myself. I am always available and will help immediately if you come to me.

The main thing you want to do is provide HOPE. Most people who have survived a suicide attempt stated that they did not want to die, they just wanted the pain to end. They didn't know what else to do or who to turn to. They had no hope. Be that hope for them and reach out.

I have included the presentation that I use. You can access it by clicking here.

Fuel The Fire

So many times throughout the school year I deal with students who are dealing with broken relationships or fighting with their best friends. I see the tremendous pain that it causes in their lives and the sadness that they have to deal with. They feel betrayed by their friend or classmate and have a hard time understanding what happened to the relationship. One common theme I hear from them is the words "me" or "I" when they talk about the friendship. In other words, the discussion many times goes back to the point that they feel they weren't treated right or they weren't treated fairly. This could very well be true but I also ask them if they were treating the other person right or fair.

It is very easy for us to look at a relationship and think that the other person wasn't helping to make it work. Many times I hear the students say that their boyfriend, girlfriend or BFF wasn't as nice as when they first start dating or hanging out. I guess sometimes it's easy to become a little self-centered and look at what's wrong with the other person. It's a little more difficult to look in the mirror and ask what might I be doing wrong or how might I not be contributing. I usually get strange looks from the students when I ask this. I have often tried to come up with some illustrations to show this point.

Well this weekend, I had one of those moments that will make a great illustration. Today (Sunday, October 9th) was my wife's birthday. We were very fortunate to have our oldest son, his wife and our only grandchild come visit us this weekend to celebrate. Last night we were sitting around the fire and I was thinking. When I lit the fire, I had all kinds of twigs, pine needles, kindling, etc in the fire pit. As soon as the match hit it, it began a roaring fire. We were all sitting there enjoying it but I realized that I needed to put some logs on it or the fire would go out and everyone would be disappointed (and cold). I knew I had to keep stoking the fire. Throughout the night, I kept adding log after log, which kept the fire roaring so that everyone could enjoy it (even my granddaughter fell asleep by the warmth of the fire in grandma's arms).

Well that reminded me that our relationships are like that fire. It's easy to start out and have a roaring fire. We all remember that first date or that first kiss. Sparks were flying. However, our relationships need "logs" added to them constantly if we want them to keep going. We need to do nice things for our friends or our boyfriend/girlfriend. We need to think of them more than ourselves. We need to do and say things that make them feel special. These are like adding logs to the fire. Like I said, today was my wife's birthday, so after the kids headed home I was able to take Jeana up to the Defiance area and enjoy a beautiful fall day. I know how much she enjoys the fall weather and walks in the woods. This was another way of adding a log on the fire. I hope you think about your relationships and how you can add a "log" everyday to make that relationship roar and last a long time.

Time for FAFSA

For the first time, the FAFSA is now open on October 1st.  (In the past it used to open on January 1st.)  The government and colleges have moved FAFSA's opening date and due dates up in order to give students and families more time to be able to have their financial aid offers and consider the implications when making the decision about which college will be the best fit financially.  The FAFSA for high school seniors will be based upon the 2015 tax returns.  You can access the FAFSA here:  https://fafsa.ed.gov/

When students and parents are completing the FAFSA, you will each need to have an FSAID number.  This number will allow you to electronically sign your FAFSA and in the future it would let you sign promissory notes as well as complete future FAFSA's.

The student and parent will each create their own separate numbers.  You cannot use the same e-mail addresses for the creation of the numbers so if you don't have an e-mail address and have been using your parents e-mail in the past then this is the ideal time to create your own e-mail account.

You will make your own challenge questions to help you access your number if you forget it in the future so it is important to write down those challenge questions and answers to make sure you will remember it down the road.  I recommend that students and parents make a folder related to FAFSA where you store all of this information so that you will always have it when you might need it.

If you forget to create an FSAID number prior to completing your FAFSA, it will still have a link for you to be able to go back and create one, but ideally you should create it ahead of time.

Here is a link to create your FSAID numbers:  https://fsaid.ed.gov/npas/index.htm

There will be several financial aid meetings for parents to attend at the various home schools. Below is the list of dates and times:

Wayne Trace - October 3rd (TONIGHT) @ 6:30 pm
Jennings, Ottoville, Continental, Kalida - October 5th @ Ft. Jennings 6:00 pm
Delphos St. John, Jefferson - October 10th @ Jefferson 7:00 pm
Van Wert, Lincolnview, Crestview - October 12th @ Van Wert 6:30 pm
Antwerp - October 25th 6:15 pm
Paulding - November 10th @ 6:00 pm

I also want to remind the seniors that I will be presenting financial aid information on Wednesday during both Advantage periods. If I didn't get you signed up the other day, please come see me. One final reminder, we will be having our college night here at Vantage on Wednesday, October 5th from 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm. Over 40 colleges will be in attendance. This is a great way to pick up a lot of information on a lot of different schools all in one night. Parents and friends are welcome.

Sit With Us

"One is the loneliest number..." that is an old song by the Three Dog Night released back in 1969. Now I realize that many of you reading this don't know that song but many remember it quite well. I thought those lyrics fit well with the blog today because today's blog is about reaching out to those in our school who may feel like the number one... alone.

I think one of the things that bothers me and really hurts to see, is someone sitting alone at lunch. We are now in week 6 of the school year and I still see a couple students sitting alone in the cafeteria. I don't know if any of you have ever had to sit alone, but it is a very uncomfortable feeling. Just think about the times you have sat down at lunch and your friends are still in the lunch line. You may sit there for three or four minutes alone, but it feels like a life time. Sitting alone is very awkward because you feel that all eyes are upon you. The student who sits alone may wonder "what is wrong with me that no one wants to sit with me?" The student who is alone usually doesn't want to go up to a table and ask to sit down because they fear rejection. It has probably happened to them before and they don't want that lousy feeling again.

I have sat down with some of these students and they are great kids. They have a lot to offer but may be just a little shy. What I am hoping is that some of our student ambassadors or our National Technical Honor students, if you read this, would either ask them to sit with your table or maybe you will be the one that goes over to their table and sits with them. I hope that you would try to imagine being in their shoes for even a day and realize how sad and lonely that situation can be. As leaders of the school, I hope you will make the effort. Reach out and be a friend. You have no idea how much this could impact someones life.

Ms. Wurth showed me a new app for Iphone (not available on Android yet) that was developed by an 11th grader in Sherman Oaks, California. It is titled "Sit With Us". The way that it works is it's a free lunch-planning app where kids can find lunch tables if they feel like they have nowhere to go. Kids can sign up as ambassadors for a Sit With Us club and agree to post open lunches so that anyone who has the app and has nowhere to go can find a table and, hopefully, make some new friends. The student who created this app states that "I tried many times to reach out to someone, but I was rejected many times. And you feel like you're labeling yourself as an outcast when you ask to join a table with someone you don't know. This way, it's very private. It's through the phone. No one else has to know. And you know that you're not going to be rejected once you get to the table".

The app is just an alternative that you may want to try. I really don't care how you go about it, but please, make the effort to reach out to someone who is all by themselves. You may come away with a brand new friendship or at least know that you will have made someones day.

Appreciation

This past Friday, Vantage Career Center held its annual Student Appreciation Day. This is a day we set aside to let all our students know how much we appreciate them. The weather was fantastic, the students were so well behaved and a good time was had by all. I hope the student's realize how much all of the staff really do appreciate them choosing to attend Vantage for their last two years.

Appreciation is really something that I have come to take for granted but was recently reminded of a few weeks ago. To appreciate something is the ability to understand the worth, quality or importance of something, according to Merriam-Webster. I wouldn't want what happened to me a few weeks ago to happen to any of you but I do think there is a good lesson in all of it. I hope the lesson I learned can also be used to get all of you thinking about it too. What happened a few weeks ago was a near miss accident while driving my vehicle. It could have been fatal for the other driver and maybe even for my wife. That incident really shook me up and since that time I have spent a lot of time thinking about it. My life would have changed from that moment on. I don't even want to think about the worst scenario that could have come out of it. However, what it did make me realize is there are a lot of things that we should be thankful for and really appreciate. Sometimes it seems so easy to be negative or complain about situations in our life. You only have to watch the news one evening and you can see all the negativity.

Since that incident, I have become a lot more appreciative about the things in my life. Of course there are the obvious things like appreciating that my wife is still with me and I have my family. What I am talking about, and this could be for all of us, is that I am appreciating the small things in life, the things we may take for granted. I would like you to try a little experiment if you will. See if you can imagine if you were locked up in prison for 10 to 15 years. Think about how that life would be and how most of your freedoms and the things you enjoy would be gone. I thought like this right after that incident and it changed my outlook on life. I now appreciate the drive into work in the morning and watching the sun come up over the horizon. I appreciate my morning cereal and my cup of coffee. I appreciate every friendly smile or big hello. I drive home about 45 miles an hour through the back roads just to enjoy all the sights, sounds and smells (yes, I'm sure I frustrate a few drivers but there really are only a couple a day who pass me). I appreciate my house and all the work that comes with it. I have enjoyed my time even more in the wood shop and even stopped to watch the sun go down. I have shut off the t.v and taped my favorite football games so I could walk or bike ride outside. I even try to leave the phone by the back door the entire time I am home, yes we can enjoy life without social media.

I think you get the point. I hope you will take some time today and try that little exercise. I think you will be surprised at how all the little annoyances that you have in your life, really aren't that annoying. I think you will find the pleasure in peace and quiet. I think you will enjoy a nice fall walk with your boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse or best friend. I believe you will realize that life is short and can end any minute and that appreciating the things we have, whether many or few, are some of the best things life has to offer. I truly do, and I also appreciate you. Thanks for reading.

National Technical Honor Society 2016-17

On Tuesday evening, September 27th, Vantage Career Center will be holding our annual National Technical Honor Society banquet and induction ceremony. The National Technical Honor Society (NTHS) is a way to honor student achievement and leadership in career and technical education, promote educational excellence, award scholarships and enhance career opportunities for the NTHS membership.

To become an NTHS member, a student must first be carrying a 3.5 GPA or above, have 95% attendance for their Junior and Senior years, no discipline problems in both years and have passed all of their Ohio Graduation Tests. If the student meets the above mentioned criteria, then they must write an essay stating why they feel they belong in the NTHS, have four teacher recommendations, submit a resume and complete their application. Once all this is turned in, a committee of teachers and staff meet to discuss each candidate and determine which students best represent the NTHS.

As a member of the National Technical Honor Society, each member has met the seven character attributes, and at the induction ceremony, vow to continue these attributes. They are: Skill, Honesty, Service, Responsibility, Leadership, Citizenship and Scholarship.

I am so proud of these students because they have made so many great choices in their lives. They not only have been successful here at Vantage and their home school, but I know they will be successful in their future college or work careers. If you happen to see these students in the hallway or in your classes, please congratulate them on a great high school career and a great honor in being selected for the National Technical Honor Society. This is a very small percentage of our student body (roughly 5%), but they truly are the best of the best.

CONGRATULATIONS:

Shown in picture front row left to right.

Cooper Clouse (Parkway), Michael Taylor (Antwerp), Joe Callow (Crestview), Daniel Sinn (Wayne Trace), Josiah Dealey (Crestview), Ryan Hoersten (Ft. Jennings), Andrew Foust (Delphos Jefferson), Nathan Klima (Wayne Trace), Kaleb Hanicq (Ottoville), Thomas Waldick (Ottoville), Bryce Hoehn (Ottoville), 2nd row L-R: Alexie Bennett (Antwerp), Trishakay Summers(Crestview), Angela Tenwalde (Kalida), Brittany Batten (Paulding), Julie Holbrooks (Wayne Trace), Aubrey Kremer (Paulding), Andrea Kremer (Paulding), Madison Shepherd (Lincolnview), Halie Hileman (Parkway), Alexa Plescher (Delphos Jefferson), Kenedy Painter (Parkway) (missing Kelsey Shaffer - Crestview)

Need Help? Call 2-1-1

I know that if I asked almost any student "what does the 4-1-1 mean?", they would be able to answer by saying, "oh that is slang for information, like give me the 4-1-1 on what's going down next week". I also know that I could ask almost everyone "what number do I call in an emergency?" and they would answer 9-1-1. Well I have a new number for you that I also hope you remember. It is 2-1-1.

2-1-1- is a free, confidential and non-emergency number that is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This is a fantastic resource that was started in our area by the United Way. The idea behind the 2-1-1 is to get you connected and to help you get answers with many of the problems our students and adults in this area face. Whether you need to find after school care, counseling, help caring for an aging parent, putting food on the table or simply making ends meet. United Way's 2-1-1 provides confidential, easy-to-use and free access to the information you need. If you know me, you know that I have a folder of resources in my office. I try to keep them updated and organized, but that is not always easy to do. With this tool, you will have immediate access to my "folder" with all that information and so much more. Not only is the service free but it is CONFIDENTIAL. Please, if you need assistance with anything and you are afraid to ask, call 2-1-1. Just a few of the many things they can help you with are:

Basic Needs Assistance
Financial Assistance
Children and Elderly Services
Physical and Mental Healthcare
Volunteer Opportunities

As winter sets in, if you are in need of clothing, food or shelter, please call 2-1-1. If there is anyone you know who needs help during this cold weather, either call for them or tell them about 2-1-1. There is no way anyone should go hungry or without warm clothes. There are just to many agencies willing to help out in our area. They also can help you if you are looking to volunteer somewhere. This would be great for our Student Ambassadors, National Technical Honor Society or any student that is looking to help out in the community. Speaking of volunteering, I would hope all of you would volunteer to help somewhere or someone at one point in your life. There is no greater reward. This is all a part of making you the best person you can be, and you know that is what I want for you in life.

If I can quote author and teacher Ron Clark about being the best person you can be, he said "Throughout life, you are going to be lonely at times, you are going to have your heart broken on occasion, and you are going to feel as if something is missing from your life. No life is lived without some amount of pain and heartache. No matter how bad things get, however, make sure you are always developing into the kind of person you want to be, and the kind of person others will want to be around. It is important not to let external factors keep you from developing who you are and the person you are trying to become. Always make sure there are seven things in your life at all times: laughter, family, adventure, good food, challenge, change, and the quest for knowledge. With all of those things, you will grow, enjoy life, and become the type of person you can be proud of. You will also be in a better position to help others, give advice, and learn from your mistakes, because you will be a stronger, healthier, and happier person."  Take care and thanks for reading!

We Are Family

I know many of you reading this today probably don't remember the song "We are family" by Sister Sledge. The song was released back in 1979 but it seems to still be played on commercials as their jingle and in various other places, so maybe you are a little familiar with it. One part of the song goes "Living life is fun and we've just begun, to get our share of the world's delights. High hopes we have for the future, and our goal's in sight...We are family".

The reason I write about this song is because we have just reached the two week mark here at Vantage and that means all class changes are complete and all students are here for the rest of the school year. I applaud all of you who decided to stay here and not return to your home school. I have seen the high hopes and goals you have set for yourself. I know you will find it very rewarding and you will not regret it. What I really hope is that you will soon realize that everyone here at Vantage is like family. From the staff, to the teachers to the students.

Now I realize that the one of the actual definitions for family according to dictionary.com is "any group of persons closely related by blood, as parents, children, uncles, aunts and cousins". So I guess we would be more of an extended family. But really the idea of family and what the song is referring to is the idea that family is a close knit group. They care about each other, they have each others best interest in mind, they want to involve them in their activities and they are proud when each other succeeds. This is what I hope the students will realize as they go through this school year. All of us together care about you, we want to see you succeed, we are proud of you and we want to spend time with you and get to know you better.

I realize there are times when family members don't always see eye to eye or always get along. This is a normal part of the family dynamic. But they care about each other to work through the problems and discuss them and become a stronger family because of that. There is nothing as important to someone as family. You may think your money, job, friend or whatever is what makes you happy but when it really comes down to finding true happiness, that is when family (or extended family) steps in.

This Friday we will be celebrating all the students who have made the commitment to stay at Vantage for this school year. We call it Student Appreciation Day. The last hour and a half will be dedicated to food, fun, games, dancing and other activities. I hope all of you enjoy this time and reach out to other students you may not know yet and talk with them. You could meet a friend for life. Let's think of this is a big family reunion party. See you there!

Recycling

As many of you may find out this week, we are making changes to the recycling program at Vantage. The recycling program has been operated by the Building & Grounds program for the last few years and they have done a fantastic job during this time. I want to thank them for all the time they put into this program and for being such a great example for our school. It is overwhelming to think about all the paper and aluminum that they have collected over the years. Besides the great example they provided to us about conservation and improving the environment, they also showed us what it is to be humble and not feel that a task is below any of us doing. Actually the Merriam-Webster definition of humble is: given or said in a way that shows you do not think you are better than other people. I believe the Building & Grounds students showed us exactly how to be humble and serve others. I just heard recently that we don't serve because we aren't confident in who we are. We are worried about what others will think, or what they will say. The Building & Grounds students performed a service that was needed and one that kept our building looking beautiful.

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) states on its website "that a paper mill uses 40% less energy to make paper from recycled paper than it does to make paper from fresh lumber". Recycling aluminum uses only 5% of the energy required by virgin production (The Economist June 7, 2007). Actually recycling has been around for a long, long time but got really popular during war times. With the significant material shortages due to war efforts, it made it necessary for people to reuse goods and recycle materials. The National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA), reported in May 2015, that recycling and waste made a $6.7 billion economic impact in the state of Ohio and employed 14,000 people.

This year we will have the opportunity to serve just like the Building & Grounds students did. Mr. Unverferth has notified all instructors and staff that there will be a sign up sheet for people to sign up to help with recycling. This will be a great opportunity for all service clubs, labs or even classrooms to sign up and do your part to help improve the environment and our school. If this is something that you are interested in, please ask your lab instructor or classroom teacher. If we have enough people sign up, you may only have to do it once a year. Please encourage your friends to sign up also and everyone do their part to make this school an awesome place to be and learn. I am looking forward to seeing all the different students who put service above themselves and are confident enough in themselves to pitch in and help. I can't wait to sign up and hope you will to.

What Is Your Hope?

On the first day of school for both the Juniors and Seniors, they were greeted by a big sign that stated "What is your hope?". The students were then asked to write on a large banner what their hope was for this year. The idea came from Mrs. Falk who first saw this done on YouTube. It was being put on by Parkway School District in St. Louis Missouri. I'm not sure what the initial reaction was of the students as they walked into school and already had an assignment to complete, but I can tell you the outcome was awesome.

After the second day when the seniors had a chance to sign it, the banners were put on display in our commons area. They are hanging on the wall for all to see. I would hope all of the students and staff would take some time and read them. I found the responses to be really interesting and really allowed us a little peak into the window of our students life. Many of them hoped to meet new friends, to not be lonely, to obtain a certain GPA or have excellent attendance. The more I read the banners, the more my eyes are opened to the thoughts of the students as they come to Vantage.

I want each and every student to at least think about what is your hope for the year, even if you didn't sign the banner. When you set goals and have hope for the future, you begin to walk the path of a very successful life. I remember a quote from one of my all time favorite movies, The Shawshank Redemption, Andy stated "Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies".

I was talking about the banners with Mrs. Wilhelm and I asked her what her hope was. What she told me had such an impact on me that I want to share it with all of you. She said, "I only hope that all the students truly realize how much we care for them". WOW! What a great statement and one that I do hope our students realize. When we tell you to push your chairs in or remove your hats or pick up your trash, we are only doing it because we want to teach you to be the best person you possibly can. We want you to be ready to go out into the real world and be a positive influence to others and also be successful in your career. We have a wonderful, caring staff here at Vantage and each and everyone of us cares about all our students. It makes us so proud when we hear stories of our graduates successes. We love to have our grads come back and visit and tell us what they are doing. We truly take a lot of pride in our school and every student.

I'm sure you are wondering what my hope for this year is. I had to think about if for awhile because there are so many things to hope for. I finally came down to this statement; I hope that I can be there for all of our students and that the students will come to me when they are hurting or need to talk. I never like to hear that a student struggled with a problem alone or tried to deal with a bad situation on their own. Please know that I am here for you and together we can work through the issues you are dealing with. I hope that you will trust me and trust our confidentiality. Let's all keep hoping because hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things.

Welcome Students

Well I have been back from summer vacation for almost two weeks now and I guess it is time to start another year of blogging. I hope you continue to follow the blog and I will try my best to make it interesting and informative. I thank you for reading and following along.

New students will start back on Monday, August 22nd and then on Tuesday, we will have everyone back to school. I hope the new students are looking forward to a wonderful year here at Vantage and all the opportunities that are available to you. I realize many of you will be nervous, excited or even a little scared about coming to Vantage. I understand all that because I realize you are making a big move. You are leaving many of your friends and starting over at a brand new school with all new people. Trust me when I say that you just need to give it a couple of weeks and you will be fine. In no time at all you will feel very comfortable around here. You will know your way around the building and you will be meeting new friends, some who just might become friends for a lifetime. Everyone here at Vantage is so glad you chose to come here for your final years of high school. We will do our best to provide you with all the opportunities to be successful not only in college, if you choose to go, but also in your future career. I promise that you will be more prepared for your career of choice simply because you came to Vantage. I think that before long you will agree with me when I say that we have some of the best teachers and staff in the area. Please set some high goals for yourself this year and work hard to achieve those goals.

I also welcome back the seniors this year. I wish you all the best in your final year of high school. When you come back this year, you will notice some new faces around the building. As many of you know, we have a new Director of the high school. Mr. Tony Unverferth (Mr. U) has replaced Mr. Winans as the Director. We wish Mr. Winans all the best as the new Superintendent at Wayne Trace High School and thank him for a great job here at Vantage. Replacing Mr. U in the social studies classroom will be Mr. Ray Gibson. Mr. Gibson will be teaching Military History and the Government & Economics class. Mrs. VanTilburg has decided to take some time off from teaching and spend it with her new baby. We will miss her a lot but look forward to working with her replacement Ms. Diane Font. Ms. Font will now be teaching Medical Office Management. Mrs. Alaina Ellis is the new front office secretary. She is replacing Mrs. Diane Mercer who is now retired and spending some quality time with her family and her quilting. We will also miss her tremendously but know that Mrs. Ellis will greet all our guests and students with that same warmth and friendly smile. One final change for this year is our wonderful Student Services secretary. No we did not lose Mrs. Hatcher, however, she is now married and is Mrs. Yearling. Congratulations and many wonderful years Mrs. Yearling.

Finally, I hope all of you come back with at least one big goal for this year. If I can recommend one goal for you, it would be to shoot for a great attendance year. I can't stress enough how much attendance and grades are related. Would you believe our top 11 students averaged 4.0 school days missed. Our bottom ten students missed an average of 23 days. If you come to school every day, you will be successful. Well welcome back and let's have a great school year.

Humble & Kind

What a great day we had yesterday for our graduating seniors. The awards ceremony was held at the Niswonger Performing Arts Center in Van Wert and it was a first class celebration. It was great to see so many family members, home school representatives, scholarship presenters and staff in attendance. You couldn't help but be excited for our seniors as they head out into the real world and all the great opportunities they have ahead of them. As always seniors, you will be missed and we hope you find the time to stop by and say hello.

As for the juniors...What a great job you did yesterday as you watched from the balcony. I understand that you were so well behaved and very attentive. It will only be a matter of time that you will be up on that stage and be receiving your passports and awards. I hope you heard what Makayla Ryan had to say in her speech when she mentioned to "work hard next year and get involved in as many things as you can. You will not regret it". Those words speak volumes. Stay involved, volunteer, be here everyday and respect your classmates and staff. If you live by those words, you will have a very successful senior year. We are looking forward to all of you coming back. Please have a safe and relaxing summer.

As many readers know, I like to quote some of my favorite songs, especially country. Well a recent song by Tim McGraw says a lot and I hope it has some meaning for you. It's titled, Humble & Kind".

Hold the door, say please, say thank you
Don't steal, don't cheat, and don't lie
I know you got mountains to climb but
Always stay humble and kind
When the dreams you're dreamin' come to you
When the work you put in is realized
Let yourself feel the pride but
Always stay humble and kind

Don't expect a free ride from no one
Don't hold a grudge or a chip and here's why
Bitterness keeps you from flyin'
Always stay humble and kind...

This is my final blog of the year. As always, I thank all of you readers for following my blog and some very kind comments I receive. I have just gone over 20,000 views on my blog so I have to remember to stay humble and kind. Thank you and have a great summer.

Don't Stop Now

How many times in life have you struggled really hard at something but when you were done, the accomplishment felt really great. You were proud of what you just did and maybe you were even rewarded. I can think of so many things in my life that would have been easy to quit at but I decided to hang in there and it really paid off. One of the things that I was thinking of was a time when I was hiking out in Colorado with my wife and two sons. The entire area was absolutely beautiful and provided scenes that I can't even describe. When we headed out to Colorado, we had a list of places we wanted to see, sort of a bucket list. One of the things that was a "must see" was the Hanging Lake Trail in Glenwood Springs Colorado. To give you an idea of what this hiking trail was like, here is the brief description I read before heading out: The trail is a steep mile-long climb with uneven rocky terrain. Wear proper footwear not flip-flops. Bring plenty of water and be aware of the symptoms of altitude sickness. Be advised that there is no cell service available. Allow two to three hours to complete this hike. Near the top, the trail becomes steeper and even more rocky, but handrails help guide visitors to the boardwalk that frames a portion of the lake. Once at the top, be sure to follow the signs the short distance to Spouting Rock, where icy water from snow-melt high atop the Flat Tops barrels through a narrow hole in the limestone cliff.

From several people I talked with before I left, this was one site not to be missed. So as we headed up the trail, I was stunned at how hard and difficult this trail was. I have hiked several places in my life but this one was really, really steep. As I neared the top, I remember letting my wife and two sons go ahead while I caught my breath, I actually didn't want them to be around if I was going to die on this mountain. As I sat on the rock, I was wondering why I ever climbed this stupid mountain when I had such gorgeous views down at the bottom. As people came down the mountain, I happened to ask one of them how much further it was to the top, I remember the guy saying that it was at least another forty five minutes or so. I wanted to cry and just quit. I think it was his wife that said "honey, don't do that to him, it is actually only another 3 - 5 minutes". Well with new desire, belief and determination, I set off to see what was ahead. As you can see by the picture, it was absolutely gorgeous. I was rewarded for my hard work and it was worth every minute of it. I just stood there and glanced out at the pristine lake and the wonderful views.

So, you may be wondering what this has to do with a school counseling blog, but I hope you see the point I am trying to make. We have two weeks left of school. Many of the seniors are ready to graduate and many are just plain tired. They are ready to quit and not make it to the finish line. I have seen many juniors starting to take a break and begin their summer vacation. I just ask all of you to hang in there and fight on. Once you finish in a few short days, you will be rewarded. You will be glad you worked hard and kept your grades up. This will reward you with a better GPA and for the seniors it will reward you with graduation and open doors to many opportunities. Let me encourage you to keep walking and just wait to see what is just over the hill. It's absolutely beautiful.

Teacher Appreciation Week

This week is national Teacher Appreciation Week! I hope that all of our students here at Vantage would consider taking the time to say thank you to the wonderful teachers we have here and let them know how they have made an impact on your life. We are blessed to have such a great staff who care so much for our students. I have mentioned this before in my blog but I just think this week we really need to let them know how great of a job they do. There are so many standards, tests, and demands on the teachers of today that it is truly amazing that they can do the job that they do. I think our staff is such a kind and caring group of teachers that our students are very lucky. The teachers at Vantage not only teach the three R's and a career skill but they teach so many important life lessons. I know that many of our teachers help out the students with problems at home, school and even work. They take the time to listen to the students needs and help them when they can.

I also hope that you will consider thanking our administrators for their role in leading our school each day. Mrs. Kaufman, Mr. Winans, Mrs. Hall, Mr. Verhoff, Mr. Darrell Miller and Mr. Knott have tough, demanding jobs that require long hours and they don't get thanked enough for everything they do.

I would also like to take this time to say thank you to all of Vantage's amazing teachers and administrators. You make working here a true pleasure.

16 And Counting

Can you believe it? That's right, the seniors have 16 days of school left this year. It has been officially announced that May 23rd will be our seniors awards assembly at 9:30 am at the Niswonger Performing Arts Center here in Van Wert. I think that is going to be so exciting for our students and their families. I want to thank Mr. Winans for spearheading this and always trying to make our awards ceremony a very special and classy celebration. I also would like to thank Van Wert high school for working with Mr. Winans to make this happen. With all the extra room we will have this year, I would hope you would invite your parents/guardians, grandparents or anyone else that has helped you along this journey that started almost 13 years ago.

Sixteen days! Wow, that means you have just 16 days to soak up and enjoy your high school career. Yesterday interim grades were made official. If you have any classes that you are not passing at this point, you better figure out what needs to be done in the next four weeks so that you can graduate with your class. Please don't give up and please come see me if you are not sure or if you need some help. I guess it's time for the sports analogies now; ladies and gentleman, many football games have been lost in the final minute, you must play the entire 60 minutes. Don't ease up even for a minute. Or if you are into baseball; ladies and gentleman, some of the greatest comebacks in baseball have been in the final inning. Don't quit playing hard now, finish strong. Well, you get the idea, I hope you will finish your senior year strong. 16 days is all you have left to complete. I know all of you can work hard for just 16 days.

I have reviewed the senior surveys and I am so pleased that there are so many of you who have plans for next year. Some of you will be going off to college, work or to the military. I hope that whatever you do, that you work very hard next year and in the future. For those of you who indicated that you do not have any plans, Mr. Knott has gone above and beyond what we have done in the past for you select few. I believe there are 22 students at this time who do not have plans for next year. Mr. Knott has invited Interim Personnel Temp Agency into our school to meet with those students and try to get a job for everyone of you. Listen to the announcements for this future date.

Well sixteen days is going to go fast. Make the final push to have a strong finish and you will never regret it. Take care and have a great weekend!

P.S. I noticed that this was my 100th blog today. I really enjoy writing this and have enjoyed so many of the kind comments from so many. I appreciate everyone of you who take the time to read this. It humbles me when I see the number of readers. Thanks again, your the best!

My Wish for the Class of 2016

This is a post that I first ran last year but would like to repeat it for the class of 2016. I hope all of you will take the time to read it and please take it to heart. We will miss you!

My Wish

As the school year is winding down, I don't want to miss the opportunity to say goodbye to the graduating class of 2016. Whenever I have been invited to a graduation party, I have tried to make a point of including in the card, the lyrics to one of my favorite songs, "MY WISH" by Rascal Flatts. The song was written and released in 2006 and I have always thought it had the perfect words to say to the students leaving Vantage. It also has been my ringtone for a long time. I guess now that I have a blog, I will use this opportunity to pass it on to all of our seniors who will soon be leaving us.

   I hope the days come easy and the moments pass slow, and each road leads you where you wanna go, and if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose, I hope you choose the one that means the most to you. And if one door opens to another door closed, I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window, if it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile. But more than anything, more than anything... My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to, Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small, You never need to carry more than you can haul, and while you're out there getting where you're getting to, I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too, Yeah, this is my wish.

As the words say, I really do hope you enjoy life, take it one day at a time and don't get upset by some of the little things you will face. I hope you never give up when you run into trouble. Please don't give up on your dreams, use them as motivation. I also want you to know that wherever you end up or whatever you end up doing, I do care for you and I do want the same thing for you. My door is always open after you leave. Feel free to call or email me anytime. I welcome it.

   I hope you never look back, but you never forget, All the ones who love you, in the place you live, I hope you always forgive, and you never regret, And you help somebody every chance you get. Oh you find God's grace in every mistake, and always give more than you take.

Some pretty simple rules that will help you as you head out into the "real world". Don't hold on to grudges or hold on to your anger just because someone may have made you upset. You will find that when you forgive, you will be released and set free from an invisible prison. You will be a better person because of it. Please continue to give back to the community in which you live. You will not believe how good it feels when you reach out and help someone. Many of you have volunteered while you were in school, keep it up every chance you get.
I know that some of you reading this may have been in my office because you were upset about a mistake you made or something you regretted doing. Remember that I have always told you that you learn from your mistakes. We all make them but it is the mature person who learns from it and grows as a person. Hold on to this bit of advice and don't forget it. I guarantee you will need it again some time in the future. We all make mistakes. Finally as the lyrics above started out with, I hope you never forget. Come back and visit us or send us a quick e-mail to let us know how you are doing. Mrs Wilhelm is always looking for an alumni story to write.

So there it is, my wish for all of you seniors who are leaving us in a few short weeks. I thank you for trusting me with your friendship, your troubles and your last two years of high school. Good luck in all you do. 

There is a Season

I always find this time of year to be very interesting around the school. It seems to be a time of excitement and a time of sadness, a time of laughter and a time of crying, a time to dance and a time to mourn. For some of you that are older, you may recognize these words from an old song by the Byrds, "Turn, Turn, Turn", or if you read the Bible, you may recognize Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. No matter how you recognize those words, they certainly ring true around here as summer approaches.

I think there are a lot of reasons for those feelings and I would like to share them with you and maybe all of us can learn a little more about our classmates and friends. For so many of the seniors, all the excitement of graduation, no more high school classes and freedom from teachers also brings the thoughts of getting a job or applying to college, new responsibilities and loss of some good friends. If you think about it, the seniors have been getting up and going to school for thirteen years now. It is a routine that they have done since they were five or six years old. They know no other way and are comfortable with that. Oh sure, they like to complain about school and getting up in the morning but the truth is, they are "in their zone" and feel at ease here. Now, within a few short weeks, we will send them out into the real world and their life will no longer be the same. This is a very scary thought for so many seniors.

I realize many of you are thinking, "I can't wait to get out of here and start working". I understand that, but I also want you to realize many of your classmates don't feel that way. For many of them, school has been a safe place. They can come to school and be around friends and people who care. They are guaranteed a warm lunch and a friendly smile. This might be something they never get at home. Think about this next time one of your classmates states that they are nervous or scared about graduating. Also try to understand when one of your friends seems a little more agitated or frustrated than normal. They could be going through these same thoughts. Several of the students don't have a job or aren't sure what they want to do, so this causes panic.  Talk with them and have them come see me in student services so we can work together to come up with some solutions. I also know that a few of our students will be missing a parent, grandparent or loved one at graduation. Someone they loved very dearly but they passed away in the last few years and won't be there to see them graduate. These are just a few examples of the range of emotions for our seniors.

Like I said earlier, the senior year is a strange year and emotions ebb and flow. As we near the end of school, be a little more understanding if someone is grumpy, agitated, emotional or quiet. Try to understand that not everyone may have it as good as you do, or maybe you are in the same position as that person and you might be able to help each other out. Whatever the circumstances, just realize people and classmates are more than what you see on the outside. Sometimes there are a lot of layers covering things up. Remember, life and people are like onions, you peel them off one layer at a time, and sometimes you weep.

New Student Ambassadors

I would like to congratulate and welcome our new student ambassadors for the 2016-2017 school year. This is quite an honor and privilege to be selected for this position. These students will be the face of Vantage and will be out in the public arena quite a bit. First of all these students were recommended by either their lab instructor or academic teachers. Once they are selected, they then must go through an extensive interview with one of the three advisors. The advisors then get together and discuss each student and how the interview went along with other criteria like grades, citizenship, leadership ability, etc.

These ambassadors will represent Vantage throughout the school year in 2016-17. They will attend various parades in all the towns represented here at Vantage. They will also work the United Way Day of Caring and the Blood drive. There are a number of events around our school that they will be working at such as; Student Appreciation Day, Open House, Haiti Carnival and just about anything Mrs. Wilhem needs them for. It is a very active group but they do have a lot of fun. If you happen to see any of these members, please congratulate them on this great honor.

Brittany Batten (Paulding - Health Tech), Lexie Bennett (Antwerp - Medical Office), Noah Breece (Van Wert - Precision Mach), Alex Burgei (Ottoville - Ind. Mech.), Joe Callow (Crestview - Ind Mech.), Cooper Clouse (Parkway - Precision Mach), Josiah Dealey (Crestview - Ind Mech), Josh Fowler (Van Wert - Carpentry), Kaleb Hanicq (Ottoville - Network Systems), Halie Hileman (Parkway - Cos), Bryce Hoehn (Ottoville - Network Sys), Ryan Hoersten (Ft. Jennings - Prec. Mach), Julie Holbrooks (Wayne Trace - Health Tech), Andrea Kremer (Paulding - Interactive Media), Aubrey Kremer (Paulding - Interactive Media), Kyle Maag (Ft. Jennings - Ind Mech), Wyatt Miller (Paulding - AG Ind. Power), Alexa Plescher (Delphos Jefferson - Health Tech), Zoey Porter (Delphos Jefferson - Early Childhood), Levi Priest (Wayne Trace - Ind Mech), Kelsey Shaffer (Van Wert - Early Childhood), Angela Simpson (Van Wert - Auto Body), Daniel Sinn (Wayne Trace - AG), David Slagle (Parkway - Ind Mech), Allison Smith (Paulding - Building & Grounds), Jessica Smith (Van Wert - Medical Office), Nathan Soto (Continental - Carpentry), Bailey Stegaman (Crestview - Welding), Trisha Kay Summers (Crestview - Network Systems), Michael Taylor (Antwerp - Electricity), Angela Tenwalde (Kalida - Early Childhood), Jayden Thomas (Van Wert - Auto Tech), Wyatt Tuttle (Parkway - Int. Media), Thomas Waldick (Ottoville - Network Systems), Raymond Wood (Parkway - Welding).

In closing, I would like to thank Mrs. Wilhelm, Mrs. Keith and Mr. Unverferth for all the time and effort they put into selecting these fine students. Like I said earlier, there are countless interviews and a lot of follow-up that they must do to make sure they have a good representation. This is not an easy job, but as the advisors, they excel at it. Thanks again!

What Are You Doing Prom Night?

What are your plans for prom night? I hear all the talk lately about the upcoming proms and who is going with who and what they will be wearing, etc. I know this is an exciting time of year for the seniors. There is so much going on as the seniors near the end of their high school career and prom night can be one of the more exciting nights. It is a chance for some of the guys to trade in their jeans and cowboy boots for one night and put on a tuxedo. For the girls, it's a chance for them to get out of the school uniforms and have their hair done, nails done and dress up in a beautiful evening gown. I know that the cost of a prom today is a lot more than it was when I was attending high school. However, I get it and totally understand the importance of prom night for so many of you. But, I would still like to ask you the question, "What are you doing prom night?".

I hope that if the school where you are attending prom has a pre- and post-prom party, that you would attend. I encourage you to go to these events because they are alcohol free parties and will provide a safe and fun evening for both you and your date. It seems that prom night, in recent years, is seen as a drinking rite of passage for some adolescents. I'm not here to lecture any of you but I want you to know that I truly care about you and your safety. There are so many consequences of drinking - diminished judgement, becoming more uninhibited, nausea, vomiting, hangovers, irritability and sleep disturbances. Drinking too much too rapidly can cause alcohol toxicity that leads to loss of consciousness and even death. I know you have heard all this and I will bet there are some of you even rolling your eyes or laughing. Well it will not be funny if you get sick, run into problems with the law or even end up in the hospital. Please think about the trouble you could get into and don't even be tempted.

One of the hardest things is facing peer pressure. I know some of your friends may keep asking you to take a shot or party with them before or after prom. The best way to handle peer pressure is to simply say " I don't like the way alcohol affects me." Or simply tell them that you just don't want to deal with that tonight. No matter how you say it or what you say, just don't cave into the pressure. You will be glad you didn't drink. Trust me. It is also important that you keep your pop or soft drink with you. Never leave it out of your sight or set it down. Too many times adolescents have had their drinks spiked without them ever knowing it.

Finally, please don't ever get into a car with someone who has been drinking. I don't care if it is the date that you went to the prom with or with someone else, never get into a car with someone who has been drinking. I hope you have a great prom night, I truly do. I hope you make some great memories and share a lot of laughs, dances and fun. Just remember that you will have a lot more fun sober than you ever will drinking. I want you to know that I care about you and want to see all of you safe this year. Thanks!

FFA Banquet

Last  Wednesday the FFA held their annual banquet in our commons area. What a great crowd we had for that event and what a wonderful job the FFA members did in putting this all together. First of all I would like to thank the many sponsors who contributed to our organization. Without those sponsors, none of this would be possible. The Grand sponsors were; Heritage Farm Equipment, Schlegel Farms - Jacob Schlegel, Schlegel Farms - Butch and Amy, Sukup Farms and an Anonymous donor. Other sponsors were Westwood Family Dental, Scott Equity, Mercer Landmark - Grover Hill, Myers Farm - Jim and Gail Myers, Anonymous donor, Haviland Drainage Products, A&J Lloyd Farms and Lee Kinstle.

It is always a sad time when we say good-bye to our current officers. All of those officers did such a great job this year and they will really be missed. Thank you to Jacob Sukup (President), Zach Sinn (Vice-President), Levi Noggle (Secretary), Devin Dicke (Treasurer), John Breckler (Sentinel), Wyatt Wolfle (Student Advisor), Dylan Tumbleson (Reporter) and Chase Gerken (Chaplain).

It is also at this time that we celebrate the new officers and look forward to their term in office. We welcome, Blake Miller (President), Daniel Sinn (Vice-President), Zach Dealey (Secretary), Peter Wharry (Treasurer), Andrew Grote (Sentinel - blocked in above picture), Wyatt Miller (Student Advisor), Logan Shaner (Reporter), Gabe Evans (Parliamentarian) and Logan Gerding(Chaplain).

The award winners this year were;

Attendance - Zach Dealey and Devin Kline
GPA - Daniel Sinn and Jacob Sukup (both 4.0)
Citrus - Dalton Smith (1st), Jacob Sukup (2nd), Blake Miller (3rd)
Most Valuable FFA member - Jacob Sukup
Outstanding Weld Board - Zach Sinn
Tractor Trouble Shooting - Jacob Sukup and Zach Sinn
Ag Mechanic Skills - Jacob Sukup and Zach Sinn
Small Engines - Jacob Sukup and Zach Sinn
Quiet Leader - Zach Dealey and Jacob Sukup
110% Award - Daniel Sinn and Jacob Sukup
Most Improved - Charles Thomas and Levi Noggle

I can't help but put a extra note in for our out-going president, Jacob Sukup. Jacob did such a tremendous job as the president. He was a leader by example as can be noted by all the awards. He is such a hard worker and will truly be missed. Thanks for all you did this year Jacob and for being such an outstanding leader. Jacob will be the first to say that he had a lot of help from his vice-president, Zach Sinn. You may also notice Zach mentioned in the above awards list many times. Both of these fine gentlemen will be missed next year. Thank you and good luck in all you do.

Finally I just want to say thank you to Mr. Mike Miller. Mike does such a great job with these students and shows such an interest in each and everyone of them. When you are in Mike's lab, you feel that you are with the best and you feel valued. Thanks Mike!

P.S. Thank you also to Mrs Stoller for the great cupcakes again this year. Mrs. Stoller has been doing this for several years now and it is very much appreciated. Thanks!