FY17 Budget Process Underway

Hello SSVT Community,

As we approach a well-deserved vacation and end of 2015 I want to inform you that SSVT is beginning to build its budget for the 2016-2017 school year.  Our department heads have submitted requests for supplies and equipment and this past Wednesday night I presented a FY17 budget proposal to our school committee.  The entire budget process will take several months and involves our school committee and our eight district towns.

This budget increase includes the funds needed to maintain current curriculum and technology in our academic and vocational technical areas, as well as funds facilities projects to help keep our school modern and responsive to student and staff needs.

In addition to the budget presentation for 2016-2017, there is also a narrated Long Range Facilities Plan that highlights the many projects that have been completed since the summer and the many projects planned for the future.

Both items are posted to our school website: www.ssvotech.org.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

---Mr. Hickey

Vocational Education is the Focus on Radio Boston

Hello SSVT Community,

On Wednesday, Upper Cape Tech Superintendent Bob Dutch and Northeastern University Economist Barry Bluestone appeared on Radio Boston (WBUR, 90.9 FM) to discuss how there is a great demand for vocational education statewide and how a recent study commissioned by the Massachusetts School Building Authority points out how a majority of jobs needed in Massachusetts through 2022 will not require a college degree.  Listen to the 15 minute interview here.  It is an excellent discussion of this topic.

I hope this conversation and the release of this report will lead to further discussions about how to increase student access to high quality vocational technical education.

For me, "access" starts with giving middle school students (in grades 6-8) and their parents time to learn more about careers (You can't pigeonhole an 11 year old into choosing a specific trade area, but you can get them thinking about the ways they like to learn the the things they like to do!).  This will require even more collaboration with our sending schools and direct support from the state department of education.  Maybe with less testing time, there would be more time to fit this in?

Access also includes having modern vocational technical school buildings for our students.  While we work hard to keep our 53 year old school in tip top shape, it becomes increasingly challenging to maintain a building and ensure that we have current instructional technology and equipment.  To support our school, we have applied to the MSBA to fund a building expansion and renovation project.  It is a lengthy process but I will keep you posted

---Mr. Hickey

Important Information for Our Students: What Employers Look For When Hiring

Hello SSVT Community,

Recently a local employer who is a member of one of our vocational advisory committees answered this question: 

"What does an employer look for in a candidate?"

Here is his answer:

• Positive attitude
  
• Always taking care of the customer- no excuses not to follow up with customers and find answer in a timely manner.  Being solution driven will allow sales to follow because customers are happy.
  
• Respect for co-workers and management.  Know that if you do not do your job, a fellow employee will have to pick up your slack.  Feel empathy know how your actions can negatively and positively affect the work environment daily.
  
• Willingness to learn and be humble.  If unsure ask questions.
  
• Look beyond the immediate situation to see issues/answers in future
  
• Not being satisfied with just doing the minimum to not get in trouble at work.  Go above and beyond each time. [P]eople do notice.
  
• Be professional and arrive on time.

There are SO MANY skills beyond your technical knowledge that are important to employers.  If you can fulfill all of these characteristics and bring a solid technical foundation to each job you have, I know you will be successful!

---Mr. Hickey

Well Attended November Program Advisory Meeting

Hello SSVT Community,

Last night on November 5th we hosted program advisors for our annual Fall Meeting.  Culinary Arts students provided us with a wonderful meal!  The lecture hall was filled with students, parents, industry and post-secondary advisors.  Many of those in attendance were graduates who have continued to work in their trade area.

I want to thank all those in attendance for their commitment to SSVT and a commitment to long range planning for future curriculum and equipment needs.  It helps to keep our school's programs on the cutting edge.  We now enter the budget building phase for the 2016-2017 school year and the advisory committee input on vocational technical budget requests is very important.

We are always looking for new industry advisors so if you know anyone who is working in a field related to any of our 14 vocational technical programs who might be interested in volunteering to be part of one of our committees, please contact me.  Meetings are held twice per school year.

---Mr. Hickey

Newspaper Article on School Committee Representative Kenny Thayer of Cohasset

Hello SSVT Community,

In this week's Mariner newspapers, there is a great article spotlighting our School Committee Representative from Cohasset, Mr. Kenny Thayer.

Mr. Thayer graduated from SSVT and also sent his son to SSVT.  He previously served on our Advisory Board before becoming a school committee representative.

The article does a great job explaining the special mission that our students and staff members fulfill every day at SSVT!

---Mr. Hickey

Article on SSVT Students and Grads in Mariner Newspaper

Hello SSVT Community,

I'm so proud of our students and graduates who are making great strides in the workforce.  Check out this article in the Norwell Mariner.

Cooperative education (Co-op) can be a powerful part of your SSVT experience.  Students, please talk to your teachers, counselors, Mr. Carll or Mrs. Collins about the benefits of co-op and the process you would need to follow to get on co-op.  While it is mostly a 12th grade experience, you can start setting goals now!

Also, to parents of 11th and 12th graders, there will be a co-op informational session at Meet Your Child's Teacher Night if you would like more information.

Thank you,

Mr. Hickey

Opening Year Welcome to Parents

September 8, 2015

Hello SSVT Parents ,

I hope you and your families have enjoyed the delights of the summer season!   I’d like to offer an early welcome to the 2015-16 school year.  For the past 22 years as a teacher and administrator I’ve been fortunate to start my school years at South Shore Vo-Tech, and I am looking forward to all that our students are going to experience and accomplish this year.  

Our staff members have been working hard to prepare the school so it will provide your children with the best learning environment possible.  This preparation includes maintaining a safe, clean building with shops and classrooms that are modern, spacious and focused on giving students the resources they need to actively engage with their subject matter.  

Our custodial crew and summer staff have done an excellent job!  For our returning students you will find new flooring in our school restaurant and in our science wing, along with significant renovations in our Electronics, Cosmetology and Graphic Communications programs.  Click here to see a video presentation of our summer work.

Our instructional and administrative staff are excited to meet (and get reacquainted with) our new 9th graders.  We hope that we have provided valuable orientation sessions for new students and families so that their start of the school year is as smooth as possible.  

As a parent of a 9th grader and a 6th grader, this is a big transition year in my home as both of my sons are moving up to new schools.  As a parent I look forward to being informed about upcoming events and helping my kids get ready for their new routines and school expectations.  I know you want the same for your children.  

At SSVT, we know that regional vocational schools must maintain excellent customer service and responsiveness to families needs.  In many cases our school is not just “right down the street” from your homes.  Rest assured, we will use all of the tools we have available to stay connected with you.  A school community thrives with we are there for each other, and that relationship is built through every phone call, conversation, email, text, school event and meeting.

Whether your child in is grade 9, 10, 11 or 12. I hope you will take a few simple steps to stay connected with SSVT:

• Access Power School so you can access your child’s progress in their courses.
• Download our School App
• Explore our school website, www.ssvotech.org to see what resources we have available.
• Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.  My Twitter account is @SSVTSuper.

If you have any questions or concerns that I can address, feel free to contact me at school, 781-878-8822, x 417 or via email at thickey@ssvotech.org

Best wishes for the start of the school year on Thursday!

Cosmetology Students Participate in Employer Table Talk Event

Hello SSVT Community,

Recently our Cosmetology instructors hosted employers for a Table Talk event, where students could speak with professionals and learn more about the diverse fields they could pursue with their background in Cosmetology.  It was the second time our instructors have coordinated this event, and it is a wonderful experience for our students!

Students AnneMarie Marcellino and Brynda Whitman work with

Mariolga, a licensed esthetician and make-up artist.

Students Caroline Perry, Isabella Pagnozzi and Christina O'Brien speak with Delgiza Barros, 

board certified colorist and owner of Hair Color Group in Pembroke

Students Emma McGlone, Stephanie McCarthy and Olivia McGlone speak with Tuan Nguyen, 

owner of Tuan Design Studio is Action, MA

Herb Chambers Lexus Representative Visits Automotive Shop

Hello SSVT Community,

Having strong connections with our local employers is absolutely essential.  When local employers know about SSVT and the high quality programs we run here, they become very interested in partnering with us because we can supply them with strong candidates for employment.

Mr. Ricky Medeiros, Herb Chambers Lexus Representative toured the Automotive shop to get a sense of what our students are working on.  Herb Chambers Lexus is a new auto dealership located near the intersection of Routes 53 and 228 in Norwell.  Our region has seen an increase in dealerships in the past few years and I hope we can call upon local industry in the future to help us as we pursue plans to expand the Automotive shop space in the future.

Here are some pictures from the visit with instructors Mr. Scott Kessell, Mr. Shaun Hennessy, and Mr. Ronnie Michaud, and students Michaela Johnson and Dylan Peebles.

NECN Features Culinary Arts Students & Brass Lantern Restaurant

Hello SSVT Community,

On Tuesday March 24th,, New England Cable News (NECN) featured SSVT on its Making the Grade segment of its 9:00 news broadcast.   Click here for that video clip.

What a wonderful showcase for all the awesome students in Culinary Arts and the value of a vocational technical education!  Viewers can clearly see how passionate and motivated students can be when engaged with their hands-on work.  We are all very proud of you.

---Mr. Hickey

Time to Download the new SSVT App!

Hello SSVT Community,

Many of you have probably heard by now that SSVT has its own app.  I want to encourage staff, students and parents to download the app at your earliest convenience. We have received great feedback from those who have already downloaded it.

The app helps you access all of our school information in one place from any mobile device.  It gives you access to the school bulletin, news, sports information, important notifications, links to log into PowerSchool and much more.

To download the app visit the app store on your Apple device or the Google Play store on your Android device and search for “South Shore Vocational Tech HS”. 

If you have any questions feel free to contact the tech department via email iParenthelp@ssvotech.org or via phone at 781-878-8822 x451.  Thanks for staying connected with SSVT!   

---Mr. Hickey

Below are a few tips to help you get started with the app:

Directory:  Provides a listing of all teachers and staff, giving you an easy way to contact teachers or other staff members.

PowerSchool:  Provides a link for you to log into PowerSchool.  If you do not already have the PowerSchool app installed you will be prompted to do so.  If prompted for the district code, you will need to enter:  CLGC

Notifications:  This is where you'll find important notifications from the school - like snow days, Delayed starts, or a notification that your bus is going to be running late.  

If you swipe left, you'll go to page 2 of the app. Below is a list and description of each of the icons available on this page:

Stream:  Is a running stream of all social media and calendar posts related to SSVT.

Calendar:  A calendar of day and evening activities at SSVT.

News:  See news articles related to SSVT.

Tip Line:  The tip line provides the community with a way to notify Administration of events they consider important.  There are several categories available, including Bullying, Drugs, Kudos/Praise, Threats, Vandalism, and Weapons.  You can choose whether your tip is anonymous or not, you can provide a picture to go alone with your tip, and provide any information you feel will help make your school a better place!  

Photos:  Pulls pictures from any social media post made by SSVT and puts them all into one place.

Sports:  Provides information about SSVT Sports.

Superintendent:  Choose this option to access my blog.

Facebook:  See SSVT's facebook page.

Twitter:  See SSVT's twitter account.

YouTube:  See SSVT's Youtube channel.

Resources:  This section is broken up into 5 categories. You will most often be using the "Parents" link inside of the resources folder.  Some of the links can be accessed elsewhere in the app, but the attempt was to provide a one-stop-shop for you to access anything you might need.  For instance, there's another link to log into PowerSchool, as well as a link to our uniform policy and the "My School Bucks" site where you can add money to your child's lunch account. 

One more swipe left will bring you to the third page.  

My School Bucks:  A link to log into "My School Bucks" to add money to your school lunch account.

Settings: Use the settings icon configure the schools you're following, how you want your alerts to behave, select your language, and rate the app.

Engineering Academy Students to Benefit from $133,000 Grant

Hello SSVT Community,

Running vocational programs requires current technology and equipment and adequate supplies to give students the best experiences possible for the short time they are in high school.

Due to budget limitations, SSVT often looks for grant opportunities.  Grants provide funds from outside sources, allowing schools to grow and modernize.  It is not easy to get grant money because there are typically many schools and organizations who compete for this money.

I think this is important to share because it underscores our excitement when we learned that SSVT was awarded a $133,000 Massachusetts Life Sciences Award from the Mass Life Sciences Center.  Here is a full copy of a press release issued from SSVT on the grant award.

The students who will benefit from the grant are our Engineering Academy students. The Engineering Academy includes students in Precision Machine Technology, Drafting and Electronics.

Congratulations to Electronics instructor Mr. Barba for writing the grant.  It was a lot of work!

Below is the write-up and picture from the January 18, 2015 issue of the  Boston Globe South section.

"The South Shore Vocational Technical High School in Hanover has received a $133,000 grant from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, an organization dedicated to supporting innovation in the life sciences in Massachusetts. Administrators at the school announced that they plan to use the money to jump-start the school’s 11th- and 12th-grade engineering curriculums and to introduce students to real-world prototype manufacturing processes. “It’s going to allow us to expand our shop and to buy equipment to teach students premanufacturing processes,” Vincent Barba, the school’s electronics department head, said of the grant. He said he also hopes to expand the school’s relationship with electronics companies, which provide excess and obsolete components for the students to work with.

Electronics students Brittany Ceurvels, Nathan Tavares, Richie Lobo, and Madeline Long,
with instructor Mr. Johnson

This extra effort helps to keep our technical programs on the cutting edge!

---Mr. Hickey

Congratulations to Cosmetology Students Passing Their State Board Tests

Hello SSVT Community,

One of the career activities that makes SSVT unique is that our students can earn third party industry credentials during their high school years, thus making them more marketable when searching for jobs, and accelerating their path up the career ladder of their choice.  Our Cosmetology students are allowed to take the State Cosmetology Board Exam once they have accrued enough hours of practice and theory.  

We are thrilled to congratulate Alicia St. Amour, Taylor McCarthy, Samantha Swanson, Alison Wamness, Alysia Caparotta, Nick Bunker, Morgan Reardon and Michelle Long for achieving this goal!  

Our Cosmetology instructors did a great job celebrating their students' accomplishments by putting together a display on the bulletin board outside the CM shop.  Check it out!  

Congratulations!

--Mr. Hickey

Concession Stand Update

Hello SSVT Community,

Last week, on Tuesday, the thermometer read 18 degrees and our Carpentry seniors were out in the elements making steady progress on the concession stand.  Here are a few photos.  The posts you see in front of the concession stand will support the overhang of the concession stand roof.

CP Seniors Brandon Teixeira and Anthony Spicuzza
with CP instructor Mr. Burke (Back Left)

CP Senior Dominic Varrasso is up on staging
working to cover the plywood seams

The CP students learn how to work in these weather conditions and continue to make great strides for this on campus project. Great work!


---Mr. Hickey

HVAC-R Program Earns Department of Public Safety Approval

Hello SSVT Community,

Earlier this year, our HVAC-R program was visited by officials from the Massachusetts Department of Public Safety (DPS), the agency that oversees oil burner and refrigeration licensure.

As a result of the DPS visit and review of our HVAC-R program curriculum, the DPS has approved our HVAC-R program. This means that students who complete the rigorous course of student and who wish to pursue further training can earn hours toward their oil burner and refrigeration license, which is a logical next step for our HVAC-R graduates.

The specific components of the program approval are:

Shop/Work Experience
Practical Piping Work	140 hours
Practical Electrical Work	140 hours
Practical Sheet Metal Work	100 hours
Practical Refrigeration & A/C  Work	700 hours
Practical Heating (Gas & Oil) Work	270 hours
Classroom/Educational Theory Experience
Massachusetts Electrical Code Training	100 hours
ASHRAE Refrigeration Code	180 hours
Sheet Metal Calculation & Design	30 hours
ASHRAE Air Conditioning & Heating	140 hours

During these hours of instruction, our HVAC students get considerable hands on practice and related theory.  It goes without saying that, in order to earn these hours, students need to maintain excellent attendance and demonstrate achievement in the program curriculum!

For HVAC-R graduates, this is just another opportunity that awaits them when they enter the workforce and seek to advance themselves in their chosen field.

---Mr. Hickey