Update: Electrical Students Complete Outdoor Lighting Project

Hello SSVT Community,

This week some of our Electrical Seniors are working together to install lighting above the entrance to our school restaurant and salon.  The lighting will help to illuminate our school name on the concrete entrance.  You can imagine the amount of safety training that was required for these students to operate the scissor lift.  Mr. Hohenleitner described to me how this project is the perfect challenge for these students, as they have to apply many skills, running wire both behind and in the front of the concrete.

Thank you to the students and teachers in Electrical!

Electrical Seniors Hunter Burt and Kevin McGee get ready to work on the project. 

Senior Jamie Crandall discusses next steps with Mr. Hohenleitner.

Senior Jake Cyrus prepares to get on the scissor lift.

Further preparations are made.

The lift from a distance.

Another quality student job done at SSVT!

SSVT Hosts First Cross Country Meet with New Trail

Hello SSVT Community,

On October 15th, SSVT was proud to host its first Cross Country meet on campus. This is a very detailed event to organize and it could not have been accomplished without the work of Senior Cosmetology Student Nick Bunker.  Nick is also in the midst of completing his Eagle Scout project as part of Troop 38 of Hanover.

For Nick's project he chose to build a Cross Country Trail for the school, and we could not be more grateful for his efforts.  Eagle Scout projects bring communities together and are an invaluable learning experience for the young adults who embark on the project.

Nick worked with Cross Country coach Mr. Joe Madera and also with Drafting Class of 2014 graduate Brendan Shea (who was also a member on the Cross Country team at the time).  Brendan and his Drafting teachers Ms. Jeanne Downey and Mr. Rob Freitas assisted with providing AutoCAD drawings of the trails.

Last school year, I met with Nick and his scoutmaster Mr. David Sawin to discuss Nick's plans before he had to go to Hanover Conservation with the idea.  With careful planning and organizing, Nick set a goal and reached it! He is very appreciative of all the help and support.

To Nick and the volunteers from Troop 38, South Shore Vo-Tech says "thank you!"

Nick Bunker's planning and hard work will benefit our Cross Country team
for years to come

The trail is outlined with branches and rope
for safety and direction for runners.

Engineering Academy Students Participate in National Manufacturing Day

Hello SSVT Community,

On October 3rd, students and teachers from our Engineering Academy program (Electronics, Precision Machine Technology and Drafting) participated in a whirlwind  National Manufacturing Day activities by visiting three local employers:  North Easton Machine Company in North Easton, MA; Accurounds in Avon, and F.H. Peterson in Stoughton. These companies have been staunch supporters of SSVT, providing us with donations that have helped us secure recent Mass Life Sciences grants for our Precision Machine and Electronics programs.

Our local manufacturing employers are consistently asking SSVT for skilled workers to enter the workforce without the need for a four-year college degree.  Many of these manufacturing jobs are the "middle-skills" jobs that have been referenced in so many media articles in the past few years.  Manufacturing has a bright future in Massachusetts and students from many SSVT programs can be a part of the industry's success, leading to higher earnings and clear career ladders over time.

I'd like to give a big thank you to our local employers for their continued support of our engineering programs at SSVT, and for our instructors Mr. Hickey, Mr. Ahola, Mr. Barba, Mr. Johnson, Ms. Downey and Mr. Freitas for giving students access to strong, viable career pathway opportunities.

Below are some photos from when the students visited North Easton Machine Company,

Mr. Hickey

Engineering Academy students attending the field tip

Above: NEM Production Manager Mike Medeiros addresses students on the tour
Below:  Assorted photos from the tour

HVAC Students Install A/C for Electronics Shop

Hello SSVT Community,

Investing in technology requires that we consider how the technology is maintained over time, and a climate-control plan is important.  To help with our technology investment in Electronics shop, Mr. Mulkern's HVAC-R students are installing three condensers on the roof above the shop.

Mr. Burke from our Carpentry shop assisted with reviewing proper OSHA safety protocols, including the proper set-up of staging inside the Electronics shop itself.

The students are making great progress!

Mr. Hickey

Student Tyler Fabian works on one of the condenser units.

Students (L to R) Pat Mahoney, Jacob Gruner, Eric Jarvinen, George Phillips,
Jon Beasley, and Shane Bartholomew discuss flaring the copper pipe.

Student Dan Brady (R) works with Tyler Fabian
on the second condenser unit.

Student Jon Beasley and Mr. Mulkern make a decision
on what parts to use for the project

Concession Stand Excavation and Foundation

Hello SSVT Community,

If you have had any reason to be on the athletic fields recently you would have noticed some excavating work.  Very soon, our Carpentry and Electrical programs will be working on the construction of a new concession stand that will also include two bathrooms.  I'm very excited that our students will be able to take on this project right here on campus.  Stay tuned for further updates!

Mr. Hickey

The digging started during the week of 9.15.14

Preparing the foundation

Foundation as of 9.24.14

Foundation as of 9.26.14

Back filling on 10.8.14

Radio Documentary on Vocational Education

Hello SSVT Community,

I received word that there is a recently released radio documentary on vocational education by American RadioWorks.  I'm told that Minuteman Tech in Lexington is part of the documentary. I'm going to listen to it this weekend.  Check it out!

The piece is just under an hour and can be found at

http://www.americanradioworks.org/documentaries/ready-to-work/

 
Have a great weekend!

Mr. Hickey

Welcome Back!

Hello SSVT Community,

Our 2014-2015 school year is officially underway!  It is my pleasure to welcome back staff, faculty, and returning families.  I'd like to offer a special welcome to the students and families making up the class of 2018!   It's great to have the our school full of students once again.

Items on the Horizon

1. Traffic Plan:  Mr. Aubrey has been keeping parents and students informed about the slightly changed traffic patterns on campus.  Parents are encouraged to pick up students in the afternoon in front of the school instead of parking out on Webster Street, where parked cars can often block the view of cars leaving the exit area.

2. Exploratory Program:  This week our 9th graders are participating in a whirlwind of exploratory activities, seeing each of our 14 shops for a few hours at a time.  Through this experience, they will have a sense of everything that SSVT has to offer.  Starting in the following vocational cycle, they will explore one shop per week for a more in-depth experience.  For more information on Exploratory, please contact our 9th grade guidance counselor Todd Zahurak.

3. SSVT Parents Association:  All parents are encouraged to become part of our SSVT Parents Association. It is a wonderful network that is a very valuable resource, especially for parents new to the SSVT community.  The PA does amazing work raising money for scholarships. All regular meetings are the second Wednesday of the month at 6:30 in the Teachers' Room.  The meeting schedule this year is as follows:

September 10
October 8
November 12
January 14
March 11
May 13
June 10

Please contact our Principal Margaret Dutch for more information.

As the year unfolds, I look forward to providing you with more updates and timely topics about SSVT!  Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.