SSVT Secures Another Competitive Grant for Vocational Equipment

Hello SSVT Community,

Today I attended a meeting at the DCU Center in Worcester, co-hosted by the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce.  At the meeting, the Patrick Administration announced its latest round of Vocational Opportunity Challenge (VOC) Grant recipients.  I am pleased to pass along that SSVT secured a competitive equipment grant for its Electrical program!

Vocational technical education cannot fulfill its mission without remaining current with its equipment and supplies.  Competing for grant funds is an excellent way to help us reach that goal.

Electrical instructor Eddie Carll wrote the grant and deserves our thanks for securing these funds.   As part of the grant application, Mr. Carll wrote an explanation of the use of the funds:

This equipment will be used to provide the knowledge and skills to develop student introduction, direct training and advanced programming of automated systems, touch screen technologies and programmable controls for 10, 11 and 12th Grade Electricity student. This program will introduce students to programming and wiring of advanced industrial controls and automation, to include industrial, commercial, and residential automation applications using Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC)...

Here is the press release below:

Patrick Administration Announces $1.3 Million in Grants to Expand Vocational Programs

School Equipment Grant will provide more opportunities for hands-on learning and academic, career success for students

Worcester - May 30, 2014 - Massachusetts Secretary for Administration and Finance Glen Shor, Secretary of Education Matthew Malone and Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Rachel Kaprielian today announced $1.3 million in grants to expand vocational programs to prepare students for modern workforce demands.  The announcement was made at the Career, Vocational, Technical and Agricultural Education Summit, hosted at the DCU Center in Worcester by the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators (MAVA).

This second round of grants through the Patrick Administration’s Vocational Opportunity Challenge (VOC) grant program, provides one-time funding to qualifying institutions to purchase equipment for new and expanding vocational programs, and encourages and strengthens partnerships between school districts and related industries and institutions of higher education by offering innovative educational programs to support a range of career fields to prepare the next generation of skilled workers.

“The VOC program demonstrates the Patrick Administration’s commitment to investing in the future of the Commonwealth,” said Secretary Shor. “Through this program we are providing students with skills and tools to succeed academically and in the workplace.”

The VOC program will provide funding to 34 projects at unique school districts across the Commonwealth in ten occupational areas: Agriculture and Natural Resources; Arts and Communications; Business and Consumer Services; Construction; Early Education and Care; Health Services; Hospitality and Tourism; Information Technology; Manufacturing, Engineering and Technology; and Transportation.

In total, 2,212 students across 216 cities and towns will participate in programs that receive grant funding through this initiative. The announcement builds on the successful first year of the program which provided $1.1 million in VOC grants. In the two year history of the program, the Patrick Administration has provided $2.4 million in funding to a total of 58 programs. 

 “This program not only helps provide technical training for students in ten targeted areas, but it also is designed to meet the workforce needs of businesses across industries and regions of the Commonwealth,” said Secretary Kaprielian.

“We know that hands on training better prepares our students for scenarios they will experience in the work place,” said Secretary Malone. “We are working hard to improve access to career readiness programs and by affording schools, faculty and their students with opportunities to practice on industry relevant equipment we are helping more students to succeed.”

All of the Commonwealth’s regional vocational school districts applied for grant funding, as did 70 percent of all schools in Massachusetts with Chapter 74-approved vocational programs. 

“Our Vocational, Technical and Agricultural schools are one of the Commonwealth's most important educational and economic development resources. Strategic investment that modernizes equipment and training facilities for our students builds a strong workforce and bright futures and is smart public policy,” said Timothy Murray, President and CEO of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce.

“Creating quality workforce development opportunities for emerging careers in our innovation economy is crucial to the economic stability of the Commonwealth. Graduates of vocational technical schools must be prepared with the cutting edge skills for the workplace of the future,” said David Ferreira, Executive Director of MAVA. “The VOC Grant Program provides support for securing needed state of the art equipment. We continue to be most appreciative of this funding stream provided by the leadership of the Patrick Administration.”

The Patrick Administration is dedicated to preparing its future workers for careers in the 21^st century economy. This competitive grant program that benefits Massachusetts vocational schools is funded through a $5 million investment in the Administration’s Five-Year Capital Investment Plan. The VOC Program provides grant funding to qualifying institutions to purchase necessary equipment at their facilities. Each year for three years, recipients are required to report on program outcomes, such as the number of students completing the program and the number of graduates placed in related industry jobs or attending institutions of higher education in Massachusetts.

For more information on the program, please visit: www.mass.gov/ANF/VOCGrants.

Fiscal year 2014 VOC Grant Program Recipients:

SCHOOL DISTRICT	PROGRAM FUNDED	FUNDING AMOUNT
Attleboro Public Schools	Graphic Communications	$25,000
Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical School District	Machine Tool Technology	$99,070.25
Blue Hills Regional Vocational Technical School District	Machine Tool Technology	$25,000
Boston Public Schools	Carpentry	$100,000
Essex North Shore Agricultural Technical School District	Graphic Communications	$44,063
Franklin County Regional Technical School District	Cosmetology	$4,800
Fall River Public Schools	Graphic Communications	$16,900
Greater Fall River Regional Vocational Technical School District	Machine Tool Technology	$50,000
Greater Lowell Regional Vocational Technical School District	Graphic Communications	$43,992.50
Martha’s Vineyard Regional School District	Health Assisting	$14,000
Medford Public Schools	Engineering	$36,300
Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical School District	Automotive Technology	$70,295
Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School District	Health Services	$42,490
Nashoba Regional Vocational Technical School District	Engineering	$24,148
Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational Technical School District	Drafting	$35,335
Northern Berkshire Regional Vocational Technical School District	Metal Fabrication and Joining Technologies	$43,303
Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical School District	Culinary	$25,000
Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical School District	Horticulture	$21,000
Pittsfield Public Schools	Health Assisting	$12,950
Plymouth Public Schools	Programming and Web Development	$17,288
Salem Public Schools	Culinary	$25,000
Silver Lake Regional School District	Horticulture	$23,747.10
Smith Vocational and Agricultural School	Manufacturing	$39,203
Somerville Public Schools	Graphic Communications	$25,000
South Middlesex Regional Vocational Technical School District	Culinary Arts	$25,000
South Shore Regional Vocational Technical School District	Electrical	$33,796
Springfield Public Schools	Early Childhood Education	$24,931.96
Tantasqua Regional School District	Drafting	$23,924
Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical School District	Engineering	$68,037.50
Upper Cape Regional Vocational Technical School District	Environmental Science and Technology	$61,346
Westfield Public Schools	Programming and Web Development	$25,000
Weymouth Public Schools	Carpentry	$14,277.60
Whittier Regional Vocational Technical School District	Machine Tool Technology	$75,030
Worcester Public Schools	Precision Machining	$94,279

Spring Updates

Hello SSVT community,

The post-April vacation race to the finish begins!  Students begin to take stock of their accomplishments and focus on the tasks ahead of them as we inch closer to the end of the school year. There are plenty of upcoming athletic and social events.  Most notable is our prom, next Friday, May 9th at the Hingham Country Club.

We recently had some great press coverage from our April Credit for Life Fair in the Whitman Hanson Express and in the Boston Globe South section. Our math department, dozens of area volunteers and SSVT retirees once again devoted themselves fully to the event and it was a fantastic experience for everyone!

From Credit for Life to Civics for Life: The early spring also ushers in the country's oldest form of direct democracy in the form of town meetings. Students, while this may not sound as interesting as the Prom, it is a civic activity that I hope you will becoming aware of and begin attending after you register to vote!  

On Monday evening, May 5th, town meetings are being held in Hanover, Hanson, Norwell, Rockland and Whitman.

At each town meeting, SSVT's budget proposal for next year is discussed and voted upon.  

We are also seeking something unique this year: the establishment of a stabilization fund. This will allow us to save money over multiple years for large capital projects. Currently if we need a 'big ticket item' such as a school bus or a milling machine or a boiler, we either have to take on the entire cost in one fiscal year, or we need to borrow for the cost.  A stabilization fund gives us a third option for saving money.

Baseball: I'd like to thank custodian Bob Bunker for his excellent work on preparing our baseball field.  

It was not an easy task, but the finished product rivals Fenway Park! Bob's work is representative of the great work our custodians do.

May 5-9 is Teacher Appreciation Week.  Students and parents, I would urge you to send a friendly note or email to our teachers, counselors, administrators and support staff for the great work they do!

Spring Fling Success:  Thank you to our dedicated parents, friends and SSVT staff members who made the May 2nd Spring Fling a success.  The Parents Association works tirelessly to raise money for school programs and student scholarships.

Keep checking our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter to stay in touch!  We will keep you posted on the progress of our SkillsUSA kids at the state competition from this weekend.

Mr. Hickey

March Updates

Hello SSVT Community,

Are we done with this snow?  March certainly gets us closer to the spring, but with this weather pattern, it is anybody's guess.  We won't let the weather stop us as we have a busy month ahead!

Here are an assortment of updates and upcoming activities

1. FY15 Budget: At its February meeting, the school committee certified a FY15 Budget that reflects a 4.67% increase.

The next step in the budget process will be meeting with town finance committees to discuss the budget and the impact on each town's assessment.  On February 22nd, we met with the Whitman Finance Committee, and on March 6th we met with the Scituate Advisory Committee.  We will be meeting with Abington Finance Committee on March 12th  and Hanson Finance Committee on March 18th.

Despite an increase in our student enrollment, the overall amount of state aid (Chapter 70 aid) was nearly level funded, which puts more of a burden on our local communities.  We continue to appreciate our towns' support of our school mission and support of the students we educate every day.

2. Energy Sharing Arrangement with Town of Scituate.  Thank you to Scituate Special Projects Director Al Bangert and the Town of Scituate for reaching out with an opportunity for SSVT to purchase Scituate's surplus energy from its solar array.  Details are being worked on currently; the savings to SSVT could reach as much as $30,000 which is good for the environment and good for our utilities budget.

3. Joint Ways and Means Committee: On March 3rd, we hosted the state legislature's Joint Ways and Means Committee, who held a public hearing for state agencies advocating for funds for next year's state budget. State Senator Tom Kennedy (who co-chaired the committee and represents Hanover, Hanson and Whitman) was very complimentary of SSVT, its vocational technical mission, and also the condition of the building.

The committee meeting was co-chaired by State Representative Rhonda Nyman who represents Hanover, Norwell and Rockland.  State Representative Geoff Diehl, who represents Abington and Whitman (precincts 2, 3, 4) was also in attendance.

Joint Ways & Means Committee opens meeting in the Lecture Hall

4. Winter Vocational Advisory Committee: On March 5th we hosted the Winter Vocational Advisory Committee meeting for all of our vocational programs.  Advisory committees meet twice per year to discuss budget and curriculum issues with our vocational programs to ensure we remain current with our vocational technology and resources.

Our Culinary Arts students, under the guidance of Instructors Mrs. Monteiro, Mr. McBurney and Mr. Worden, once again provided the attendees with excellent food and service.

Culinary students were recognized by Vocational Director Deborah Collins
at the start of the meeting

5. Skills USA District Competition: Nearly 100 SSVT students participated in the district level Skills USA competition at Greater New Bedford VoTech. It was an impressive display to see all our students cheering on classmates for their awards and accomplishments!  Thank you also to our staff who attended the event.  I think there were more teachers from SSVT in attendance than any other visiting school.

For those students who have not participated in Skills USA, I urge you to get involved and challenge yourself to be part of this great organization.  For more information, contact our SkillsUSA Advisor Mr. Mello or ask any vocational teacher!

6. December Open House: Our friends at Whitman-Hanson Community Access were kind enough to videotape our December Open House.  Thank you to all those who participated and assisted in this great night.  Thank you to Guidance Director Mr. Janicki and Electronics Senior Kim Cordiero for serving as hosts!

7. ELA MCAS: Last, our best wishes to sophomores on their upcoming MCAS English Language Arts test. You are the best prepared students in the Commonwealth, thanks to your ELA teachers and your hard work!

Keep checking our Facebook Page and follow us on Twitter for updates!

Mr. Hickey

Mid-Winter Updates

Hello SSVT Community:

I hope that  the beginning of  2014 has been enjoyable and productive despite the cold weather!  No more snow!  Once again, thank you for all the aspiring student meteorologists who keep me informed on weather-related updates and share their opinions on the value of school cancellation :) .

Our last day of school as of today is Friday, June 20th.

*****

In this update I want to bring several items to your attention:

1. Precision Machine Technology Program Secures State Grant for New Equipment.  I am thrilled to announce that our PMT program will receive almost $80,000 from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center for supplies and equipment, most notably in the form of a new Haas VF-2 vertical milling machine.

The strength of this competitive grant application had a lot to do with our area employers and advisors.   and I would like thank the following local companies for their continued support of SSVT and our students by providing matching donations for this grant:

• F.H. Peterson, Stoughton, MA
• AutoCam Medical, Plymouth, MA
• North Easton Machine Company, North Easton, MA
• AccuRounds, Avon, MA

Also, we thanks area employers who have been supporting SSVT's by hiring our graduates and providing co-op opportunities:

• Bendon Gear, Rockland, MA
• Custom Machine Co, Hanover, MA
• Draper Labs, Cambridge, MA
• Evans Machine, Brockton, MA
• L.F. O'Leary, Weymouth, MA
• Nova Machine, Halifax, MA
• Stoneridge Inc., Canton, MA

2. FY15 Budget Update:  The school committee will be discussing FY15 budget certification at its February 19th meeting.  The proposed budget presented to the committee for consideration is a 4.67% increase over last year's budget (which saw a 2.36% increase).  The Governor's proposed budget, which was released on January 22nd, included a nearly level funded amount of chapter 70 state aid.  There is a FY15 budget presentation on our website.

3. Traffic Study:  We are looking in the process of studying changes to our traffic flow patterns for next school year.

A top priority is alleviating the front of the building congestion in the morning and also the volume of vehicles on Webster Street waiting for students after dismissal.  We are looking at the possibility of moving the bus drop off and pick up to the library side of the school, and move parent traffic for pick up and drop off to  the front of the school.

Again, this is still being studied for next school year---I would appreciate any feedback or ideas!

4. SSVT planning to host Board of Education's Vocational Advisory Council and Senate Ways & Means Committee Hearing.  I am pleased to report that SSVT has been asked to host meetings from these two committees.  The Vocational Advisory Council meeting is February 6th and the Senate Ways & Means Committee hearing is March 3rd.

5. Communication:  We are looking for ways to stay in touch with students and parents.  Please follow us on Twitter and also follow our Facebook page.  We are also looking into eventually developing a school app and also are working on how to have students volunteer to sign up for text alerts.

I'm sure they would love a daily text that reads:  Do Hmwk :)  

Stay warm! 

November Updates

Hello SSVT Community,

As we near the end of the first trimester, everyone agrees that November is a busy month at SSVT!  I'd like to share some assorted updates with you:

Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Mariani: Last week Mr. and Mrs Mariani welcomed three grandchildren...in the same week! The Marianis' daughter Angela and her husband Barry welcomed their son Bryce Alfred Greene on November 11th.  Also, daughter Nichole and her husband Tom Dever welcomed their daughter Sadie Dever on November 15th.  Daughter Ashley and her husband Kevin welcomed their son Tyler James Cutter on November 14th. 

 If there is an spike in SSVT enrollment in 2027, we will know why!

NCTE Conference:  On Friday November 22nd, teachers Sandra Baldner, John Scopelleti and Michael Mahoney are presenting at the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) conference held in Boston. Their presentation is entitled "Faking the Grade".  SSVT faculty have spent several years refining our grading procedures in an effort to give an accurate picture of student growth and achievement in the areas of Achievement and Work Habits. Thank you to these instructors for sharing their insights and talents!

Thanksgiving Football Game: November 28th at 10:00 at Southeastern Regional in Easton. If you can make the trip, come out and support our players and coaches for this wonderful tradition!

Congratulations to our Cheerleaders:  The cheerleaders are competing on Sunday, November 24th at Wachusett Regional High School in the State Championship Cheerleading Competition. The start time for our group is 10:30 AM.  We are in the top 10 in the state for Division 4. The girls earned this spot for receiving a score 141.50 at the South Regional on Sunday Nov. 17th. at Dartmouth High School. 

Cross Talk cable show.  Whitman Hanson Community Access has been very generous in hosting SSVT on its Cross Talk cable show.  This month, I was fortunate to be on the show with SSVT students Payton Brown and James Aiguier.  Readers can watch the episode here!

Tours:  The 8th grade tour groups continue to report back on how impressive our shops are and they have commented on the great job of our student tour guides. SSVT students clearly show their school pride and their shop pride!

Open House: December 10th from 5:30-8:00.  We look forward to welcoming prospective students and their families!  

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!