South Shore Vocational Technical High School

May Updates

2013-05-03T08:53:00.001-04:00

Hello SSVT Community,

I have three updates to pass along:

1. The SSVT Hall of Fame Induction and Class Reunion, held on April 26 at Harmon Golf Course, was a great success! We will upload some pictures later on for review. Thank you to the Hall of Fame committee members and volunteers, as well as graduates who attended from the past five decades.

2. Additional congratulations are extended to our medalists from the State SkillsUSA competition held at Blackstone Valley VoTech in Upton:

Bronze

Kelley Campanile- Graphic Communications

Silver

Alyssa McWilliams, Vanessa Saganetti, Mark Troup- Chapter Display

Tyler Devlin- Power Equipment Technology

Meaghan Swist- Cosmetology (over 500)

Gold

James Aiguier- Nurse Assisting

As a gold medalist, James is headed to the SkillsUSA National Competition in Kansas City in June!

I would also like to thank SkillsUSA Coordinator and MFW instructor Bob Mello for his leadership, along with Assistant Coordinator Minnie Doherty and all our SkillsUSA Advisors who prepared our students for the competitions. SkillsUSA is a student competition but it is a also celebration of the importance and critical role of vocational technical education!

3. Town Meeting Update & State Budget Update

Scituate and Cohasset held their town meetings in April and the SSVT budget was passed in both towns. On Monday, May 6th, town meetings are being held in Whitman, Hanson, Norwell, Rockland and Hanover.

The legislature is in the process of developing its own budget proposals, along with the Governor's budget from January. Currently the House of Representatives proposal provides less Chapter 70 state aid to SSVT. The Senate will develop its own budget proposal and it will likely end up in a conference committee later this spring. Please contact me if you have further questions.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Hall of Fame Update

2013-04-05T08:37:00.000-04:00

Hello SSVT Community,

Here is the text of an article written by Mike Melanson of the Whitman-Hanson Express. It was published in the March 28, 2013 edition of the newspaper.

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SSVT celebrates hall of famers, fit students

By Mike Melanson
express correspondent

The South Shore Vocational Technical High School will hold a reunion and Hall of Fame induction, at 7 p.m., Friday, April 26, at Harmon Golf Club, 168 Concord St., Rockland. On March 20, Principal Margaret Dutch told School Committee members that the reunion and induction is an exciting way to let those who graduated from or worked or volunteered for SSVT to come back and celebrate the school, and to build up an alumni network.

“The idea behind it is to establish a tradition,” said Principal Margaret Dutch.

The evening will include a meet-and-greet, light buffet and program, and dancing to the music of the Boomers.

Dutch said Hall of Fame awards would go to 10 outstanding individuals who contributed to the high school and strengthened the school community and who exemplify craftsmanship, citizenship, character and professionalism. This year’s Hall of Fame inductees are:

• Warren Anderson, school assistant superintendent and director from 1962 to 1992, who will be inducted posthumously

• Gayle Holmes Cronin, Class of 1999, Cosmetology

• Angela Mariani Greene, Class of 2000, Electronics

• Rosemarie Hahn, secretary to the superintendent from 1975 to 2005

• Eileen Hayes, English teacher and Drama coach from 1983 to 2003

• William Laidler, Class of 1967, Electrical, and Electrical teacher from 1976 to 2007

• John Llewellyn, Class of 1975, Carpentry

• Edward Schneider, aide, coach and bus coordinator from 1969 to 2011

• Frank Snow, Class of 1976, Carpentry, and School Committee member from 1978 to 1983

• Frederick Teed, first superintendent, from 1962 to 1981, who will be inducted posthumously

Dutch said tickets cost $25. There will be a cash bar and attendees must be at least 21 years old. Tickets will not be sold at the door. Tickets are available by contacting South Shore Vocational Technical High School; Marie Mariani; 476 Webster St.; Hanover, MA 02339. Tickets are also available by calling Mariani at 781-878-8822, ext. 413, or by email at mmariani@ssvotech.org.

In other business Thursday, Superintendent-Director Thomas Hickey said SSVT students are the fittest in Massachusetts, at least according to a state Department of Public Health report issued last December, based on body mass index. According to the state health department, BMI measures a person’s body fat based on average height and weight measurements for children of the same age and gender. Hickey said DPH collected BMI data statewide and sampled students who were sophomores in the 2011-2012 school year.

“I’m pleased to report that the school district with the lowest BMI in the state is this one,” he said. “I don’t claim to have an explanation for that.”

Hickey said continued development of the school’s wellness program and policies and the restoration of the physical education teacher from a part-time to full-time position would let SSVT continue to field physically fit students.

2013-2014 Program Openings for Students

2013-04-01T09:43:00.001-04:00

Hello SSVT Community,

Please pass this along to families who will have 10th and 11th graders next year! This ad will be running in local newspapers as well.

*****

Two Educations in One!

South Shore Vocational Technical High School

Announces

10^th and 11^th grade openings

For the 2013-2014 School Year

In the following programs:

Auto Body Repair

Drafting

Precision Machine Technology

For application information, please contact

Pam Titus, Pupil Services Director at 781-871-4153 or

ptitus@ssvotech.org

South Shore Vocational Technical High School, 476 Webster Street, Hanover. www.ssvotech.org

*****

Jennifer Lee Named SSVT's Outstanding Vocational Student of the Year

2013-03-15T15:53:00.000-04:00

Hello SSVT Community,

I would like to congratulate Culinary Arts Senior Jennifer Lee for being named SSVT's Outstanding Vocational Student of the Year! There is a great article on Jen in this week's Abington Mariner.

Jen will be recognized at the Abington Board of Selectmen meeting on March 25th and at a state wide banquet in Worcester on April 4th.

March Updates

2013-03-11T12:55:00.000-04:00

Hello SSVT Community,

I hope you are enjoying the melting snow!

I have a few updates from the past few weeks.

First, we want to congratulate Josh Kimball (CP, Grade 12) for being named the February Student of the Month. Josh was recognized at the February 25 school committee meeting and the meeting was covered by the Whitman-Hanson Express in its February 28, 2013 edition.

Also, we were fortunate to host Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray on March 8th as part of our Winter Program Advisory meeting. The Lieutenant Governor has been a strong advocate for vocational education and he spoke about a recent grant that was published that will help fund vocational equipment. He also toured the school seeing several of our vocational programs, and met staff and advisors. Thank you also to State Representatives Rhonda Nyman and Jim Cantwell for attending. Finally, a big thank you to all advisors and staff for attending the meeting during the beginning of what was a very significant snowstorm! WATD covered the event along with the Mariner newspapers.

The Whitman-Hanson Express also covered the event with an article on page 11.

Please check the school website for information on soon-to-be school calendars and information on our SSVT Class Reunion and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony!

Brass Lantern Featured in Whitman-Hanson Express

2013-02-26T14:08:00.003-05:00

Hello SSVT Community,

The Brass Lantern restaurant and our Culinary students and staff were featured in an article this week in the Whitman-Hanson Express! Great job!

FY14 Budget Update

2013-02-26T13:18:00.001-05:00

Hello SSVT Community,

The South Shore Regional School Committee met on Monday night and certified a FY14 Budget that represents 2.36% increase over last year's budget. The original budget proposed was 4.92%, but in light of economic limitations conveyed by several of our sending communities, the committee opted to reduce the budget by $280,000.

The cuts in the budget avoided core instructional services such as staffing, equipment or supplies. supplies. Cuts were instead targeted at capital items and funding of OPEB (Other Post Employment Benefits).

Over the next month or so, we will begin meeting with town finance committees to further explain our budget. The budget process then will move to town meetings, typically held in May or June, where each town votes on its spending for the next fiscal year.

The other important budget process is at the state level. The state provides aid to all public school districts called Chapter 70 aid. Final state aid numbers will not be confirmed until the state budget process wraps up in June.

If you have any questions, please let me know! Thank you.

It's In the Mail: Mid Year Competency Reports

2013-02-04T19:06:00.003-05:00

Hello SSVT Students & Families,

Early February marks the second half of the school year. (If the Patriots had made it to the Super Bowl, this would have been a good place to insert football metaphors...but we'll punt on that idea until next year.)

Anyway, February is a good time for students to take stock of what they have accomplished thus far and set goals for the rest of the school year.

To help start these conversations at home, we are providing families with a new mid year competency report which is being mailed home today. In this report, teachers provide feedback on students performance in specific skill and content standards, rather than relying on letter grades.

We encourage you to review this FAQ Document on the Mid Year Competency Report.

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The mid year competency report is another example of our faculty's commitment to providing authentic and timely feedback on student performance beyond letter grades. We want the conversation to focus on how students are learning, and not just whether they have earned a magic number of points!

It will take an extra step, but we encourage students and parents of 10th-12th graders to follow the steps to log into VTCTS, which is the separate software program that tracks your child's vocational competencies in greater detail. More information will be on the competency report. These reports will give you a sense of the breadth and depth of skills being taught in our vocational areas.

After reviewing this information, please reach out to teachers, counselors or administrators with any questions. Our staff welcomes conversations that will help our students develop strategies to for future success.

SSVT FY14 Budget Update

2013-01-30T11:46:00.000-05:00

Hello SSVT Community,

At the school committee's January 16th meeting, a public hearing was held on the school budget. There were representatives from three towns finance committees in attendance. The current budget proposal stands at a 4.92% increase. The Whitman-Hanson Express covered the meeting if you would like further information.

Over the next few months, the state legislature will begin its deliberations on the state budget, which has a direct impact on how much state aid schools get (referred to as "Chapter 70" aid). Also in the next few months, we will begin to meet with town finance committees to discuss the individual town costs ("assessments") that pay for a portion of the overall school budget.

The budget process concludes in May/June when our individual towns hold their respective town meetings and ultimately vote on their assessment.

Please contact me if you have any questions!

Press and Event Updates

2013-01-26T08:42:00.001-05:00

Hello SSVT Community,

Here are a few updates and repeats from previous posts:

SSVT recently received some press coverage from the Mariner newspapers for receiving a $120,000 grant from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Council! Congratulations to grant author Vincent Barba for securing the funds which will go toward purchasing equipment and supplies to support engineering instruction in several vocational programs!

Nominate someone for the SSVT Hall of Fame! The HOF nomination form is now on the website. We'd especially like alumni and staff to consider nominating retired employees and volunteers who have made a lasting impact over the past 50 years.

The SSVT Parents Association is hosting a February 7 Fundraiser, Dining for a Cause, at the 99 Restaurant in Rockland from 5:00-10:00 PM. 15% of the guest check will be donated to the PA if you eat in the restaurant during this time and identify to the server that you are participating in the fundraiser.

Have a great weekend.

Congratulations Alison Gurney, January Student of the Month

2013-01-23T11:49:00.000-05:00

Hello SSVT Community,

At the January School Committee meeting, we recognized Alison Gurney as January's Student of the Month. Below is the recognition that was read by Ms. Titus at the meeting.

Alison is pictured with grandmother June Gurney, father Brian Gurney, and
Hanson School Committee Representative Chris Amico (R)

Allison Gurney has been nominated for Student of the Month by the staff of South Shore Vocational Technical High School. Allison is a 12^th grade Graphic Communications student from the town of Hanson.

Why do we become educators? The answer for many us has to do with that special student whom we have had the opportunity to watch grow into a very special adult. Allison Gurney is one of those special SSVT students. When Allison walked into her freshman year, she was a shy, somewhat introverted fourteen year old, who did not seem to have much motivation for school. Now we a watching a motivated, confident and self assured young woman walking out of her high school and into the receptive arms of the world. Allison Gurney will become whomever she desires.

Allison is a leader, a critical thinker, an advocate and role model in our school community. She is a young adult who wants more to life. She wants to learn, she wants to succeed and she wants to be challenged. Allison is confident and willing to be herself. She also focuses her attention on those around her to help make life better for them. Allison is a creative student who has been instrumental in our creative writing club this year, with the production of a very powerful collections of stories concerning bullying. She is producing several videos of life at SSVT that will be presented to her senior class and will be a part of her senior portfolio. Allison is continuing her education at Gordon College majoring in Communication Arts.

We are all very PROUD of Allison Gurney and who she has become. We are thrilled that she chose to be a student at South Shore Vocational High School.

Abington Mariner Spotlights Nick Lascuola

2013-01-22T18:24:00.002-05:00

Hello SSVT Community,

Abington sophomore Nick Lascuola was featured in this week's Abington Mariner. Check out how Nick combines his passion for cars with charitable activites!

http://www.wickedlocal.com/abington/features/x1631904751/Abington-teen-lives-in-the-wheel-world?zc_p=0#axzz2IkWxFWNd

Long Range Facilities Plan

2013-01-17T08:23:00.006-05:00

Hello SSVT Community,

Yesterday I sent along a link to a FY14 budget presentation made this month to the school committee. Viewers might be interested in a more detailed narrated presentation on facilities I provided to the school committee in December. With a 50 year old building to take care of, we will continue to prioritize maintenance in our budgets, and it is important to name the areas we need to address.

The audio may be very low on the presentation, but the slides should provide sufficient information. Please let me know if you have questions.

Save the Date: February 7th Fundraiser

2013-01-16T22:42:00.002-05:00

The SSVT Parents Association has planned a "Dining for a Cause" fundraiser for Thursday, February 7, 2013 from 5:00-10:00 P.M. at the 99 Restaurant in Rockland.

Anyone who eats at the 99 Restaurant between 5:00-10:00 and identifies themselves as being part of the SSVT fundraiser will be able to have the value of 15% of the guest check donated to SSVT!

Thank you in advance for your support of SSVT!

Fiscal Year 2014 Budget Presentation

2013-01-16T19:30:00.000-05:00

Hello SSVT Families, Friends and Staff,

During the winter months, SSVT is in the middle of its budget building process. This process begins in the fall with department heads submitting proposals for the next fiscal year, which will run from July 1, 2013-June 30, 2014.

At the January 16 school committee meeting I am providing this FY14 Budget Proposal handout. I made a similar budget presentation at a January 9th budget meeting, which was covered by the Whitman-Hanson Express.

A budget should reflect a school's priorities in both the short term and the long term, and this budget attempts to meet these priorities through investments in facilities, instructional technology, personnel and capital equipment.

If you have any questions on the presentation, please let me know!

A Few Updates for the New Year

2013-01-02T17:44:00.000-05:00

Hello SSVT Community and Happy New Year!

I hope your December vacation was enjoyable and relaxing.

Last week, the Whitman-Hanson Express published an article covering our December School Committee meeting. Congratulations to Christina Brennan for being named Student of the Month! Christina was recognized during the school committee meeting.

***

Over the December break, we had two windows installed in rooms 203 and 204 in our science wing. I want to thank our custodial crew and buildings and Grounds Director Bob Moorhead for having everything ready in time for classes to resume today.

***

I'll be posting very soon with information on our 50th anniversary multi-class reunion on April 25, 2013, and on the establishment of a SSVT Hall of Fame. Stay tuned!

Open House Article in Whitman-Hanson Express

2012-12-23T07:18:00.000-05:00

Hello SSVT Community,

The 2012 SSVT Open House was a fantastic success, as evidenced by the nearly 200 students and their families who attended, along with a great showing of alumni! What attendees witnessed were our students and instructors in their shop settings doing what they do best. Families also were treated to a fantastic culinary display in the cafeteria and also were provided important information from our guidance staff, academic department heads, and our athletics program.

Whitman-Hanson Community Access producer Kevin Tocci attended the event and with the assistance of our Vocational Director Deborah Collins, videoed clips from our shops during the Open House. That footage is being edited now and once finished, it will run on the Whitman-Hanson local cable access channel, and we will be able to distribute it to other local cable stations in the district and also link it to our website.

Thie Whitman-Hanson Express also covered the event and published an article this week http://www.whitmanhansonexpress.com/whitman-hanson-news/9505-kicking-the-educational-tires.html

I hope you and your families have a restful vacation. I'm off to the mall!

Thank you Mrs. Bumpus!

2012-12-21T06:54:00.002-05:00

Hello SSVT Community,

As the school prepares to wrap up for our December vacation and look with ahead to the new year, this is also an important time for one of our faculty members, Mrs. Jeanie Bumpus. Mrs. Bumpus is retiring after 27 years of service to the students of South Shore Vo-Tech. More than anything, Mrs. Bumpus maintained a firm belief that all students can be successful, and many, many graduates can attribute their post-secondary success to her efforts.

We wish Mrs. Bumpus the very best in the next chapter of her life with her family and we thank her for her dedicated service!

Viking Football Featured in Ledger/Enterprise

2012-11-16T06:13:00.004-05:00

Hello SSVT students, families and staff,

When you have a moment, please check out these photos from Thursday's football practice:

http://www.patriotledger.com/photos/x2105838787/A-memorable-season-for-South-Shore-Votech-football

We are all very proud of what our team has accomplished and hope to see you at the Thanksgiving Game at home vs Southeastern at 10AM!

Traffic Flow Patterns

2012-11-05T18:01:00.001-05:00

Hello SSVT Staff, Students and Families,

In an effort to ensure consistent traffic flow patterns and provide parents, students, staff and guests with clear directions, we will be upgrading, relocating and in some cases removing some directional signs on campus.

A few helpful hints:

During school hours, there should be no vehicles driving around the back of the building except for authorized school business.
For everyone's safety on campus we are asking all drivers at all times to follow the same counter-clockwise traffic flow pattern at all times, whether during school hours or not.
Families arriving for an after school game who are likely to park in the back or near the library should bear right, driving around the back of the building toward the library parking lot. There is no problem with turning left to remain in the front of the building, but those cars are limited to parking in the front of the building only.
Families idling on Webster Street picking up their children should avoid idling close to the school exit so that those cars leaving the lot can see clearly onto Webster Street when turning left.

Thank you!

Revised School Calendar

2012-11-05T18:01:00.000-05:00

Hello SSVT Students and Families,

Our students and staff got right back to work without missing a beat after losing two days to Hurricane Sandy last week.

Here is a copy of the revised 2012-2013 school calendar in light of the October 29-30 days off. In this version, which is on the school website, we made a slight adjustment to the list of holidays on the right of the calendar (there were two dates for Good Friday listed).

Thank you!

Draft Vocational Curriculum Frameworks Published; Public Comment Sought

2012-10-17T11:41:00.002-04:00

In Massachusetts there is plenty of attention given to academic curriculum frameworks because of the high stakes nature of MCAS testing, and with Massachusetts moving toward alignment with national Common Core curriculum standards.

In the vocational community we consider the vocational technical curriculum frameworks to be equally important. There have been state curriculum frameworks for our vocational programs for several years now, and our 14 vocational programs are aligned with the current frameworks.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education recently convened groups of educators and employers to write new frameworks which have been released in draft form . For now, SSVT students will be taught in alignment with the existing frameworks until these new frameworks are adopted.

There is a public comment period on these curriculum frameworks and I encourage all SSVT staff, parents, advisors, alumni to share your perspectives on what a rigorous and relevant vocational curriculum should look like in all of our programs. I also encourage our current students to take a look and talk with your teachers about these documents and/or give feedback to our Vocational Director Mrs. Collins.

Each framework document is packaged around an industry area and may not match up with the titles of our 14 programs, so please contact me if you need assistance determining which framework matches up with our vocational programs.

We will be discussing this information with our Program Advisors at our fall meeting on November 8, 2012.

Notice to Parents: Online Option to Schedule Nov 1st Parent/Teacher Conferences

2012-10-10T16:12:00.001-04:00

Hello SSVT Parents:

This letter is being mailed home, but here is an advance copy...

This year SSVT will be utilizing an on-line scheduling tool to book parent/teacher conferences. To get started, visit the school website at http://www.ssvotech.org and click the link: “schedule a Parent/Teacher conference” located on the home page. Once at the Conference scheduling page, follow the step-by-step instructions below:

1. Check the box next to the name of the teacher you want to have a conference with.

2. Enter your child’s last name, first name, your name, and your email address. Click the submit button.

3. You will receive an email at the address you specified in step 2. You will have to click the link in the email message that says “click here to select conference time.”

***If you do not receive an email please check your Spam folder ***

4. You will be directed to a website with a list of available meeting times for the teacher you selected. Choose the time that best meets your needs by checking the box to the left of your selected time slot. Times listed in RED are unavailable because they have already been booked by another parent.

5. When done, click the button done choosing appointment time.

6. On the next page you have 3 options:

a) I am finished making appointments

· Choose this option if you are done making appointments with each of the teachers you’d like to meet with.

b) Yes, I need to register another conference for this student

· Choose this option if you need to schedule a conference with another teacher.

c) Yes, I need to register another student

· Use this option if you have more than one student at the school and would like to schedule a conference for your second child.

7. Continue following steps 4-6 until you have scheduled all the conferences you would like to schedule. Choose I am finished making appointment when you are done.

You will receive email notifications of all of your appointments and will also receive reminders of your appointment times. You may reschedule any of your appointments up until October 31^st, the day before the scheduled Parent/Teacher conferences.

If you do not have internet access or would like assistance in scheduling your conferences please contact your child's guidance counselor. Use the chart below to determine which counselor is assigned to your child.

Counselor Name	Student Assignments	Phone Number
Amy Dow	Auto Body, Culinary Arts, HVAC, Metal Fab, Cosmetology	781-878-8822 x440
Joseph Madera	CIT, Electrical, Electronics, Drafting, Graphic Communications, Allied Health	781-878-8822 x422
Todd Zahurak	All Freshman, Automotive, Carpentry, PMT	781-878-8822 x421

Save the Date: Craft Fair October 13th

2012-10-01T11:57:00.000-04:00

The SSVT Parents Association is sponsoring its very popular Craft Fair on October 13th from 10-3 PM. There are over 70 crafters this event, so people who attend will have many great creations from which to choose!

The proceeds from the craft fair go towards student scholarships and other Parents Association donations to the school throughout the year.

Here are a few pictures from last year's fair, courtesy of PA Treasurer Judy Pucci. It is a busy place!

MCAS Scores and Other Uses of Data

2012-09-28T06:47:00.001-04:00

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education recently released the MCAS scores from Spring 2012. Here is a look at recent trends in SSVT's MCAS scores. The scores continue to head in the right direction as they have for several years! One key indicator to review is the percentage of students scoring Advanced and Proficient.

Our faculty will be spending time analyzing results and making instructional adjustments as needed, because such adjustments in curriculum and instruction will increase opportunities for students to be highly successful on MCAS testing.

MCAS scores generate a lot of attention to be sure. But at SSVT, we collect data on student growth and achievement every day, and we place equal importance on student growth and achievement in all of our programs, regardless of whether it has a MCAS test. Every time a car leaves our Automotive Shop or a client leaves our Cosmetology Salon, we have engaged students in high stakes, real world tests, where customer satisfaction and accuracy of the completed task are essential! Furthermore, as a school district, we value the importance of collecting data and using it to make decisions, whether that is in setting a budget, planning a school lunch menu, or differentiating math lessons.

The way data are organized also tells an important story. Parents of 10th-12th graders may have noticed this when we altered our report card structure last school year. Previously, just having a single letter grade of C+ did not clearly distinguish between success with the curriculum and the effort being put forth to achieve success. By reorganizing the data collected in teachers' rank books and issuing two letter grades per course, we can clearly tell two stories: a letter grade for Achievement (what have they learned) and a letter grade for Work Habits (what effort and habits of mind do they exhibit in pursuit of learning).

I'll post further comments later in the year regarding student assessment, data, the difference between "growth" and "achievement" in testing results and how SSVT is using data to make decisions.