Congratulations BPA

On January 20th, Vantage students from Medical Office, Interactive Media and Network Systems competed in the Business Professionals of America (BPA) contest at Ohio High Point. On January 28th, the students then went to Graham High School just west of Piqua to see how they ended up in the competition and to see if they would be going on to the state competition. I am proud to say that we had several students come home with some hardware as you can see on the right. The final numbers break down like this:

Interactive Media - Six students will be going on to State competition. This group collected 14 plaques by finishing either in first, second or third place (several students competed in more than one competition).

Medical Office Management - Six students will be going on to State competition. This group collected 16 plaques by finishing either in first, second or third place (several students competed in more than one competition).

Network Systems - Fourteen students will be going on to State competition. This group collected 28 plaques by finishing either in first, second or third place (several students competed in more that one competition).

Some of the categories that the students competed in are: Digital Publishing, Computer Modeling, Parliamentary Procedure teams, Video Production, Advanced Word Processing, Presentation Management teams, Medical Office Procedures, Interview Skills, Prepared Speech, Computer Network Technology, PC Service & Troubleshooting, Computer Security, C++ Programming, Web Site Design and Computer Animation. WOW!!! Talk about a lot of talented students. I am really impressed with the amount of knowledge these students gain while they are here.

If you get a chance, congratulate all the students who competed because they all did a great job. No matter if they took home an award or not, all of these students should be proud. They all worked hard and gave their very best. If you take a look at the picture on the left, you will see this years Seniors who ended up winning and moving on to state. And who said they have senioritis? This is a great group and they are gaining all they can as they finish off their senior year.

Good luck to all the students going to State and watch for future blogs to give you an update on how they did at the State competition. I also want to send out a great big thank you to Mrs. DeWert, Mrs VanTilburg and Mr. Regedanz. Without them, none of this would be possible. They put in a lot of time with these students to make them excel at these competitions. Congratulations teachers and students. You make Vantage proud!

P.S - This just in... I just received an email from our Junior Health Technology (JHT) instructor and she reported that all 26 students passed the skills portion of their STNA test and 23 out of 26 students passed the written portion of the STNA test. In the state of Ohio, there is a 68% pass rate for the written portion of the test with the majority of those students comprised of adults. Those three students who did not pass the written portion will have two more opportunities to pass that test. I am sure they will. Congratulations JHT students and also to you Mrs. Carey. What an accomplishment and the reason Vantage is celebrating 40 years strong on February 22nd.

Practice Kindness

I received an email this week that I thought was really interesting and I thought would make a good blog. Rather than try to elaborate on the topic, I thought I would just repeat it here for your enjoyment and also some "food for thought". This comes from the Ohio Education Teachable Moments.

February 14-20, 2016 is Worldwide Random Acts of Kindness Week – recognizing the incredible impact of human kindness on one another.

When kindness is a priority in the lives of young people, they are likely to have an increased overall sense of well-being, purpose and happiness.

We all want our children to be happy, right? So as parents and teachers, we find ourselves going out of our way, doing many small acts of kindness every day, solely for their benefit. But what we quickly learn is that these acts of kindness actually benefit us as well, even if unintended. Why? Because we care deeply about our children and students, and it feels good to do good for them.

The same holds true for our children. When they take the opportunity to do something good for someone other than themselves, they feel happy because they made someone else feel happy.

Such good deeds and the spreading of kindness need not be complicated. Try sharing these simple, yet effective ideas with your teens:

• Hold the door, give up your seat or let someone go in front of you
• Leave change in the vending machine
• Help out around the house without being asked to do so
• Send someone a text of ‘thanks’
• Hand out a compliment
• Say good morning to your bus driver or teacher
• Help a younger sibling with homework
• Pick up litter around school
• Mow someone’s lawn or shovel their drive
• Stand up for someone being bullied
• Donate your old sports equipment
• Wash the family car
• Visit an elderly neighbor
• Hug your parents, call your grandparents

Of course if you’re wanting to instill the importance of kindness in youth, it is best taught by example.

In addition to positive role modeling, you can help youth put kindness into practice through an easy and enlightening activity. Whether at home or in the classroom, have each child (as well as yourself) record ONE act of kindness per day that they engaged in, during a chosen month. At the end of each week, take time to share and learn from each other’s good deeds. This kind of sharing is also beneficial because it encourages reflection and helps bring meaning to their actions.

During Worldwide Random Acts of Kindness Week, you are encouraged to focus on kindness, keeping in mind that goodness breeds further goodness, and a single act can influence dozens more.

Stay Calm and Relax

Well we are now a week into our second semester. We are also only a week away from turning the calendar over to February. My how time flies. This means that the seniors have approximately four months remaining in their high school career. This is such an exciting time for all of our students but especially the seniors. When I talk to the seniors about them getting close to graduation, they are always shocked and excited to think about how fast this year is going. Along with this excitement though, I am seeing a lot more students getting stressed out and frustrated about their futures. They are asking me about scholarships, college applications, FAFSA, and finding a job.

I just want all of you to take a deep breath and relax. We will get through this together. I realize for many of you, you are the first one in your family to go to college. This is exciting, but at the same time I realize you have no idea where to start or what steps to be taking. That is okay. That is what I am here for. If you have been feeling anxious or stressed out about where to go to college, not sure what you want to major in, financial aid questions, deadlines or any of the above, then I encourage you to take time and stop by my office. If you are planning on going into the work force and want some advice or direction, once again, please stop by and see me. This really is an exciting time for all of you seniors and I want you to enjoy it. I don't want you stressing out or getting overly anxious about your decisions. I also want you to take a good look at your grades and if during the first semester you failed a class, we will be talking. I will call you down and we will discuss what must be done to pass for the year. Please do not sabotage yourself or your grades in your classes as a "solution" to not feeling ready to leave high school.

Finally, once you have been accepted into the college of your choice, the military, or landed a career job, please stop by student services so we can get your picture and put it up on the bulletin board outside the media center. We are proud of you and just want to brag a little. Thanks,

Happy Anniversary

Well if you haven't heard by now, I can guarantee that you will be hearing about the big anniversary celebration coming up on February 22nd. You may be asking the question, "what anniversary"? Well it is the 40th anniversary of Vantage Career Center and we are preparing for one heck of a bash. There will be information about this big event on our Twitter feeds, on Facebook, on the radio and in newspaper advertising. You wouldn't believe all the excitement that is building all around the school and even in the community regarding this big event. Forty years... wow just think about that. What were you doing forty years ago. I was a senior in high school and looking forward to the next four years of my life at Western Michigan University. Gerald Ford was the president of the United States but lost the election in November to Jimmy Carter. The Cincinnati Reds were the World Series Champions and the Pittsburgh Steelers were the Super Bowl Champions. Apple computer was formed by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak and most people were listening to Peter Frampton's "Frampton Comes Alive" album. "Happy Days" was the number one watched show in America and the billboard number one song for February 7th - 27th was "Fifty ways to leave your lover" by Paul Simon. Well like I said, that was a long time ago and for some of our staff, they weren't even born yet.

We have some incredible staff members working on this big anniversary celebration and they have put in a lot of hours to make this a very special event. The committee is led by Mrs. Wilhelm and she has put together some awesome activities for that evening.  The celebration will begin at 5:00 pm and run all the way until 7:30 pm. We will have eight food vendors from around the area so you will be able to sample some pork sliders, boneless chicken chunks, soup or a slice of pizza. Follow that up with some chips and salsa, meatballs and pub pretzels. Now if you have room, there will be ice cream, cupcakes and cookies. Every single one of our labs will be having some demonstration going on. You will be able to experience our virtual painter or enter the virtual welding contest. If you feel really brave, take a ride on a virtual 3D roller coaster using the Oculus Rift in the Network Systems lab. There will also be a raffle for the Vantage clock that was built by our Precision Machine lab or take a chance on a beautiful Vantage Quilt that was made by one of our very own office secretaries.

If you will allow me just a few more minutes, I have to mention some of the door prizes. How about winning a Mechanics Hand Free Headset LED Flashlight or a Kawasaki Cutoff Saw? Other door prizes will be women's jewelry, a fine food gift basket, Scentsy Buddy gift, a Fitbit, Kindle Fire, tablet, Welding helmet or Doterra Essential Oils basket and finally two Cornhole Sets. Like I said, this is turning out to be one fantastic open house.

While all this is going on, there will also be an anniversary proclamation to Superintendent Kaufman by Senator Cliff Hite at 5:30 pm. Immediately following the presentation, we will induct our very first members of the Vantage Hall of Fame. At 6:00, Mr. Knott and I will be holding an information session for all parents of students who are interested in attending Vantage next year. There will also be an application station for interested students to sign up to attend Vantage. Finally, there will be an alumni station in our media center with T-shirts and mugs for sale. WOW! What an open house and I hope all of you will take the time to stop by and see what we have to offer. I hope the old students will stop by and visit with us and let us know how they are doing and what they have been up to. I am really looking forward to this night and I hope you are also. See you there!

One Year Check Up

As I was looking back over my blogs from the previous year, I ran across one that is just over a year old. The blog was titled "Rachel's Challenge". I remember the presentation that we had in the commons for our students. I'm sure the seniors remember this presentation as well. Just as a quick reminder, the presentation was about Rachel Scott, a 17 year old who was the first student killed at Columbine High School in 1999 (see picture). Rachel lived her life in an unusual way from her other classmates. She was always reaching out to those who were different, who were picked on by others, or who were new at her school.

The presenter goes to high schools all around the United States and challenges the student's to live like Rachel did. I remember there were a lot of tears shed during that presentation and it had a strong effect on many of our students. In fact, we had several students that started a small group during their lunch time and they discussed how they would be different around school because of Rachel and her challenge to all of them. This group went on for about a month but then membership slowly dropped off and they no longer met.

Reading through the blog again got me thinking and wondering about how I am doing one year after the presentation and how I am doing meeting the five challenges that were presented to us. In case you don't remember, the challenges were:

                       1. Look for the best in others
                       2. Dream big
                       3. Choose positive influences
                       4. Speak with kindness
                       5. Start your own chain reaction

As I thought about this, I realize that I can point to certain areas that I am improving upon but others that are still a work in progress. While going through this exercise, I thought about our seniors and staff that sat through this presentation. Maybe each of you can think about how you are doing one year later. Are you looking for the best in others? Are you reaching out to help the students who are a little bit "different"? How about the one's who are being picked on? Do you stick up for them?

Today's blog isn't for pointing out faults or for analyzing if most of us have forgotten what this challenge was all about. I simply want all of us to think about Rachel's challenge again and ask what you are doing different because of it. The one thing that hurts me so much when I see it is when a student is sitting alone during lunch. I can't imagine the loneliness that those students are feeling and how awkward it must be. My hope for writing this blog is that maybe someone will step out of their comfort zone and go sit at that table with the student or welcome them to your table. Sometimes the most simple act of kindness can change another person's entire day or possibly their life. I hope you will take this challenge and watch how it will change you also.

Powerball Mania

Well everyone is talking about it, the powerball mania. I don't care where you go lately, the talk is all about the powerball lottery and the growing pot which is now over 1.5 billion dollars. Everyone has dreams about how their life would change and what they would do with all that money. I for one do not play the lottery. However, I do enjoy hearing all the ideas and thoughts people have about the money and how it will change their lives. I don't want to be someone who rains on your parade but I was just reading about the odds of winning this powerball lottery and the article stated that the odds are one in more than 292 million. I can hear people now saying, "but if I don't buy one, I can't win". If you saw the movie Dumb and Dumber, you will remember when Lloyd was asking Mary what are the odds she would go out with him and she said, "not good". Lloyd then said "not good like one out of a hundred?" and Mary replied, "I'd say more like...one in a million" to which Lloyd replied "so you're telling me there is a chance. Yeah!"

So yes there is a chance that you may win, but again that chance is one in 292 million. Now please bare with me while I get to my point. I don't want to sound like the grim reaper or start focusing on death, BUT... If you won all that money and then found out you had cancer, I don't think at that point the money would be as important to you. Sure you could try to find the best doctor or pay for the best medicines, but the bottom line would still be the same, you have to deal with the cancer. You may be saying, "what are the odds that would happen?". Well according to U.S. National Cancer Institute's Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results Data Base, the odds of a man developing prostate cancer are one out of every seven men and the odds of a woman developing breast cancer are one out of every eight women. Now this range certainly depends on a lot of factors like lifestyle, genetics, etc... So I don't want you to start worrying about getting cancer. My point is that if you really want something that will change your life, and the odds are very good you can obtain it, then you should set your sights on something more meaningful and more obtainable. I can also promise you that even if you did develop an illness, your life would be better served and you would have lived with a lot more meaning.

So what is this concept that will change my life and serve me more than winning the lottery? What I am talking about is your everyday interaction with the people all around you. You want your life to change for the better and have more meaning? Then start by seeing people with whom you interact each day not as stereotypes but as real people with needs, gifts, and great possibilities. Start by looking at the people you work with or go to school with. Try this exercise:

               On day one: whenever you pass someone in the hall, think about all the needs people have. I promise you, everyone is dealing with something in their life. You are not alone. It may be that we are worrying about our parents getting older or we worry about our children or siblings. We certainly worry about our own health and maybe our finances. Do you see what I mean? EVERYONE has some issue that they are carrying around with them, and this issue causes them to stay up late at night or think about when they are driving or walking down the hall.

               On day two, think about the people you pass and what gifts they have. Oh we have so much talent in this school. You only have to walk around and visit the labs to see how talented our students and instructors are. Walk in the Auto Body and see some of the painted hoods, the artistic work in the Welding lab, the abundance of talent in Cosmetology and Network Systems. The list goes on and on in each and every program. And what about our staff? Every staff member you pass, just stop and think of how they are so gifted in what they teach or what they offer to our school.

               Finally on the third day, think of all the great possibilities that each person you pass has. I look at our young students and see a whole new world in front of them. I see all the job opportunities that are becoming available in the manufacturing and business world. I see them going to work, college, raising families and strengthening our country. As Louie Armstrong said in his song Wonderful World, "...they'll learn much more than I ever knew, and I think to myself what a wonderful world".

I hope you will try this exercise that I mentioned above. I promise you that it can be a life changer for you. When the students come in to see me, I try to see their needs and what I can do to help them work through their problems. I also see their wonderful talents and gifts and how much promise their life holds if they can work through their problems. You will begin to feel the same way. When you realize that people do have concerns and needs, you want to reach out and offer love and support because you will believe in them and their possibilities. After doing this for awhile, it will become part of your everyday routine. You will see the best in others and while doing this it will change your life for the better. Not to mention, the odds are pretty good that it will.

Final Exam Week

Well this week is the end of the first semester but with that comes the final exams? Are you feeling anxious? Test Anxiety can be common for students - especially with exams since they have such a significant influence on your semester grades. The best strategy to prevent test anxiety is being prepared. It is much more likely that you will be anxious and struggle with feeling overwhelmed if you have not adequately studied and prepared for the test. Unfortunately, for some students, you can be well-prepared, but still struggle with anxiety.

There are a wide range of strategies you can use to help deal with anxiety:

- Research has indicated that spending several minutes before a test to write about your feelings will help decrease test anxiety and improve test scores. The University of Chicago researchers “believe worrying competes for computing power in the brain’s ‘working,’ or short-term memory.”

- Practice putting yourself in testing situations when studying. The more you get used to the experience and feelings of testing the less anxious you will feel when in the actual test.

- Just before the test, avoid talking about the test material with your friends. Chances are fixating on the test material and talking about it with your friends right before the test will only make you more anxious.

- Approach the test with a positive attitude. Don’t go into the test expecting the worst to happen. You can remind yourself that you have studied and know the material.

- Avoid distractions so that you can focus on the test and not on what other students are doing. Do not compare yourself with others and how they are doing on the test.

- Take a deep breath, relax, and do the best you can.

I should also mention that smart testing strategies like getting a good night of sleep, eating breakfast, having all of your required materials (pen, pencil, calculator, scratch paper, etc), getting regular exercise, and giving yourself plenty of time to get to your test on time will also benefit you as a whole and in testing situations.