Draft Vocational Curriculum Frameworks Published; Public Comment Sought

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

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

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!