Senator Square: Career and Technical Education Expo coming to Carson High School

Editor’s note: The following was written by Richard Kale, a Carson High School Career and Technical Education consultant.

The Career and Technical Education program is preparing for Wednesday’s Career Expo from 6 to 8 p.m. at Carson High School. This event gives Carson City School District students and their parents a picture of the Career and Technical Education options at CHS. The expo invites providers of post-secondary training and education, WNC, TMCC, Sierra Nevada College and UNR Business, Engineering, Health Science, among others, to illustrate links needed for career advancement. In addition, the employer presence gives an idea of who hires students after education and training. This is especially important for the parents of first-generation planning for college. CTE asks 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th graders and their parents to attend, not just 8th graders. CTE has tripled the number of employers to give a broader picture of their career options, and juniors and seniors will have the opportunity to discuss summer employment options. Since the colleges and university will be there, senior students and parents may ask questions that have come up after they received an acceptance letter. Last year, 41 out of 60 invitations were accepted by the employers and university. This year, 172 invitations were sent out with 88 confirmations. Representatives reflecting all 21 career pathways are sought with 32 invitations for engineering. Hamilton, Panasonic, Click Bond, CGI, Bruce Aerospace, NDOT and UNR Engineering have already confirmed. In health science, Carson Valley Medical Center, the Nevada Nurses Association and the Nevada Health Information Management Association have agreed to participate. Carson City and the State of Nevada Human Resources will attend. It was agreed that this event also be open to the broader community as well because there are employers and others who are interested in what is going on with Career and Technical Education at CHS, but do not want to be responsible for a booth or table. So, everyone is invited. Feel free to invite curious friends who do not have high school aged children. Need to get a job? Want help with a resume, portfolio, and job interview skills to help acquire employment? Head to Room 104, and talk with Mr. Ackerman or Mr. Kale for information. What a fantastic opportunity is being made available to not only CHS students, but also everyone in Carson City.

SENIOR PROJECT HIGHLIGHT

CHS senior Mason Martin just completed the restoration and rebuild of a 1932 Bantam Altered. All CHS seniors must complete a senior project; it is a graduation requirement. Students choose to research an area of interest, develop a product or project, compile a portfolio, and give a formal presentation of their project to a panel of judges. CHS invites the Carson City community to partner with these students through volunteering to judge and serve on panels consisting of 3-5 students. The high school relies on community volunteers to make this a success, and senior project presentations this year will be held in April. If interested, please go online to carsonhigh.com, and find the “Senior Project” link, or email Media Clerk and Senior Project Coordinator Lavon Sollberger at lsollberger@carson.k12.nv.us. Mason has been working for some time, way more than the required number of hours, with his mentor, Buzz Wagner. Mason plans on taking the Bantam to Top Gun Dragstrip in Fallon to see how it performs. Way to go, Mason.

COLLEGE WEEK AT CHS

An exciting week was had at CHS with College Week, which began Feb. 20 with a list of school-wide activities a mile long. On the first day, next to many of the teachers’ classroom doors, were individual signs with their college seals, and students competed to turn in a completed scavenger hunt page for a chance to win prizes. Next was College week Bingo, and again, students who completed it won a prize. On Friday, teachers also wore gear from their alma mater. For College Week, teachers were given a list of fun ideas to cover. Some teachers asked their students to plan a college road trip, include a map and route, and budget where they would visit and why. Another idea was to fill out a college application and then set goals to fill in the gaps on the application, or write to colleges to get catalogues, admissions videos, etc., and think about the future by writing a letter home from college describing the experience. Other ideas were to research the college attended by people who come up in class studies or discussions, or have the teachers themselves talk about their college experience. Questions about college? CHS provides abundant information; however, parents may want to call the counseling department chair, Nicki Hendee, at 775-283-1915 for information.

8TH GRADERS VISIT CHS

Approximately 550 eighth graders from EVMS, CMS, St. Teresa’s and Bethlehem Lutheran toured CHS and its CTE classrooms this past week in preparation for attending CHS next school year. Students from all CTE programs acted as hosts, guides, and speakers both Feb. 21 and 22. District Curriculum Coordinator Candi Ruff led the event and is available for questions pertaining to the visit; go to Room 104 at CHS, or call 775-283-1636.

COLLEGES VISIT CHS THIS WEEK

Seniors, college representatives will be visiting students this week during lunch in Senator Square, so students should stop by to talk with representatives in order to find out what options are available to them locally for education after high school. Feb. 26 is the Paul Mitchell School and Sierra Nevada College, Feb. 27 has no visits due to ACT testing for juniors, Feb. 28 is the Career College of Northern Nevada and the University of Nevada, Reno, March 1 is Western Nevada College, and March 2 is the Professional Institute of Technology and Accounting. It is scholarship season, and Senator Scholarship Scoop is online every Monday at carsonhigh.com with the latest in scholarships, testing, college visits, and grants. Also, interested in learning more about scholarships and tips for applying? Come to College Connections after school in Room 256, and/or call 775-283-1910, and ask to speak with a CHS counselor.

TUESDAY NIGHT LIVE

In need of a good laugh? Tuesday Night Live is Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Carson City Community Center. Tickets are $5 at the door.

MR. CARSON HIGH 2018

It is time once again to take part in one of the most important decisions a high school can make, and that is who the husband of the bride will be. This year’s theme is “All around the World” because this is how far this decision will echo. So reserve March 2 at 6:30 p.m. to visit the Carson City Community Center for an evening filled with great talents and entertainment with more than 20 CHS senior boys competing for the title of Mr. Carson High 2018. There will be some great raffle prizes to win as well. Each raffle ticket is $2, and each general admission ticket is $10. Moreover, and please take note of this unique opportunity, VIP admission tickets for this event include a dinner sponsored by the Olive Garden and served at the Community Center with preferred seating starting at 5:30 p.m. The cost is totally reasonable at $20. For information, contact Sheila Story at sstory@carson.k12.nv.us.

PTSA REFLECTIONS COMPETITION

CHS PTSA is holding a Reflections Contest, and the theme is “Within Reach.” All work must be original with no copyrighted material. Categories are literature (2,000 word max), photography (must not exceed 11-by-14 inches, 300 dots per inch), musical composition (five-minute maximum), visual arts (2-D or 3-D), dance (five-minute maximum video), and film (five-minute maximum video). Get an application in the CHS library. Entries may be submitted through the CHS library, or contact teacher Wendy Tims in Room 235. The deadline is Wednesday.

YES TO ACT TESTING

Parents, guardians, and students, ACT testing takes place on Feb. 27 at CHS. Why is the ACT so important and beneficial to a student’s future? The ACT helps students know whether or not they are college and career ready, it assists students with scholarships, and it is an entrance exam for most colleges and universities around the country. All CHS juniors will take the ACT college placement test. It is the intent of CHS to continue to build on its past successes with students performing at the highest levels on this important exam.

STUDENT OF THE WEEK

The CHS Student of the Week is Gabe Tatro, a sophomore who is currently taking AP Chemistry and AP History. His favorite class this year is with CHS mathematics teacher Monica Chavez. Gabe says, “She pushes me to learn math and makes me believe I can do it.” Gabe is a self-motivated young man who likes to work, not just academically, but physically. He believes school is important, but he also believes he should be a part of the non-academic working world before he graduates high school. CHS congratulates Gabe for being such an inspiration to all those fortunate enough to know him.

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT

CHS is pleased to recognize Edson Lemus as this week’s Senior in the Spotlight. Edson has a GPA of 4.70 and continues his academic pursuits with a full load of classes, three of which are AP. Edson is an exemplary role model as he is the current student body vice president and has been active in CHS leadership for the past two years. Last summer, he was chosen to attend Rotary Youth Leadership Awards. RYLA is a weeklong leadership training experience sponsored by the Rotary Club. Edson has also been a member of National Honor Society for three years as well as Link Crew (the group of students that assists freshmen in their transition to high school). In addition, Edson is a member of the Blue Thunder Marching Band all has been all four years; he plays multiple instruments. He held the position of first percussion chair in the State Honor Band. Of particular note is Edson’s script writing ability. He wrote the entire script for the fall comedy show “Wednesday Night Live” as well as the script for the upcoming spring show. In addition to his many school activities and commitments, Edson has worked at a local Mexican restaurant as a busser, waiter, and cashier since he was 14 years old. Edson plans to pursue a degree in engineering and has been accepted at both Ohio State University and UNR. CHS is proud of the contributions Edson has made to his school and the community, and looks forward to the future accomplishments of this talented student.

Phil Brady is an English teacher at CHS.