In this issue... CTE Teacher of the Year C T E CTE Advisory Member of the Year Program Highlights from High School JROTC programs Memorial Day is Monday May 30, 2016 Memorial Day is especially important as we are reminded almost daily of the great sacrifices that the men and women of the Armed Services make to defend our way of life. Robin Hayes May 2016 Newsletter Congratulations to Michelle Hamilton- CTE Teacher of the Year! Michelle is currently a Family and Consumer Sciences teacher at Bethel High School. She teachers Nutrition & Fitness and Personal Relations to students in grades 9-12. Michelle is a graduate of Bethel High School, and attended Eastern Washington where she earned her teaching degree. She was hired in our district in 1988 and has been teaching here ever since. Michelle is also the advisor for Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA). She works tirelessly doing community service with her students. She also prepares them for competitive events in which members are recognized for proficiency and achievement in chapter and individual projects, leadership skills, and career preparation. The CTE department is very fortunate to have a dedicated teacher like Michelle. She has been an outstanding teacher for 28 years. Michelle is loved by her students and always strives to ensure all students receive the best opportunities that Family and Consumer Sciences has to offer. Diane Carver, CTE Director As America celebrates Memorial Day, we pay tribute to those who have given their lives in our nation's wars. John M. McHugh In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. Martin Luther King, Jr. Michelle is pictured here with some of her students at BHS. Michelle is in the middle front, beige jacket.
Lesa Catt is named CTE Advisory Member of the Year! Industry partners play a huge role in the Career and Technical Education department. They are part of the Advisory Committees whose purpose is to promote greater cooperation between the CTE teachers and the private sector in preparing individuals for employment and making the educational delivery system more responsible to the labor market. Advisory Committees have three major roles, to advise, assist, and provide support for quality CTE education. We are fortunate to have Lesa Catt as one of our advisory members, and proud to choose her as Advisory Member of the Year for her dedication to students and staff. Lesa has owned and operated Gold Definitions for 21 years. She has been very supportive in reviewing the Metals and Jewelry Design curriculum that is used in the classrooms at SLHS and GKHS. Lesa meets with Jewelry teacher Jennifer Buckle often each year and speaks to students about employability skills, apprenticeships, and what she looks for in applicants. Lesa recently presented in the GKHS Jewelry Design classes. Jennifer Buckle had this to say about her; She did an AMAZING job yesterday talking to my classes about employability skills. She was very impressed with the program and said that the students who complete it are actually ready for Apprentice 2 programs. Thank you Lesa Catt! Lesa uses the latest technology in her store where she designs about 50% of the jewelry she sells. She also uses a computer-aided drafting program called Counter Sketch to help her customers design one of a kind pieces. Lesa (on the right) and Jennifer Buckle meet on a regular basis to discuss curriculum and new business ideas which are then shared with the students in Jennifer s classroom. Advisory partnerships are in the best interest of the students and a crucial piece in keeping students updated with the latest industry standards and use of technology. Lesa Catt
Bethel High School Air Force JROTC Bethel High School s Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Corps is a 145 member strong unit from Spanaway Washington with a mission to Develop Citizens of Character. Winners of the Outstanding Unit Award with Merit for 2015, Bethel cadets have accumulated over 1200 community service hours so far this school year and 2,000 previously. Marching in the Daffodil Parade are members of their Armed, Unarmed and Color Guard teams. AFJROTC competes throughout the Northwest during the school year in addition to appearing at several civic events in our local communities. Thank you BHS Cadets for all you do in our community! Bethel Cadets proudly lead the participants from the BHS Band, Cheer, and Drill team through the streets during the Daffodil Parade. At the beginning of Spring Break, Bethel AF- JROTC brought home the gold from the US Orienteering National Championships in Ohio. Christian Albright, Jacob Krogh, and Robert Long competed in three categories: JV High School, JV JROTC, and JV AFJROTC. In a tough field of orienteers they finished 5th in the High School category, placed 4th in the JROTC category behind three strong AFJROTC teams from Henry County High School, Georgia, and took top honors placing 1st among six AFJROTC JV teams from across the US. Individually, Christian was the top AFJROTC orienteer, Robert took 3rd and Jacob finished 4th. Recently the Military Order of World Wars recognized two of our very own for Outstanding Youth Patriotic Activities in the Community. Qualifying activities include; patriotic education, community service, scouting service, or writing or musical contributions of a patriotic nature. Many civic and legislative leaders were on hand to recognize their achievements. These Bethel standouts are Jamie Terry and Kayla Martin! Congratulations on your award! story by Stephen Tkach. Pictured below from left to right; Jamie Terry, Major Keith Warren, USAF (Ret), Kayla Martin and Instructor; SMSgt. Stephen Tkach USAF (Ret)
Graham Kapowsin High School Army JROTC The Graham Kapowsin Army JROTC program has the largest number of cadets in the district at 190! The curriculum emphasizes Army History, World Geography, International Relations, Economics, and Leadership. On February 25, 2016 GKHS Battalion won the NW Drill and Rifle championship, Puget Sound Division. Instructor Michael Meray stated I am very proud of all our cadets for their hard work and dedication this year! Students also volunteer in the community throughout the year and assisted in the set up and tear down of many large events at GKHS including ABC Day and the Art and Tech Fair. The GKHS Army JROTC are no strangers to community service. To their credit, the cadets log thousands of hours each year. Their most recent Community Service Project took place at the Orting Soldiers Home. Forty-five GKHS Cadets teamed with Comcast Employees, and a local Boy Scout troop to work on the grounds at the Soldiers Home. Over 260 volunteers, painted picnic benches, mended fences, restored storage sheds, cut grass, weeded and planted flowers. It was absolutely amazing to see so many people come together and share to in the task of beautifying our community. said Instructor, CW3 Michael Meray. Photo above; Proud cadets from GKHS at Regional Competition event hosted at BHS in March. Photo to right; Student Leadership training at Cispus Learning Center in Randle Wa. The five day training happens during the summer to prepare students for the upcoming year. Cadets participate in activities such as scaling lower and higher ropes. It s purpose is to build confidence and to learn to work as a team.
Spanaway Lake High School Navy JROTC Spanaway Lake NJROTC is an extremely well-run program and contributes to the warm and welcoming climate at SLHS. Its success is credited to the instructors, Lieutenant Commander Tara Lambert and Senior Chief Dean Sevigny. The program averages 125 students each semester. As with the other JROTC programs, volunteering is big part of what they do. NJROTC logs over 2000 hours of Community Service each school year in and around the Bethel/Spanaway area. They are a huge force in the organization of vendors at the SLHS Holiday Craft Fair, and volunteering at many events held at the Mary Mount Event Center. The Color Guard has performed at countless Mariner and Rainier baseball games. One very memorable activity for the cadets is to ride one of the Navy ships from Everett to the Port of Seattle for the US Navy Fleet Week at Seafair. One of the ships they rode was the USS Essex, an amphibious assault ship. It is very cool to see students experience what life would be like on a ship as they think about the possibility of a naval military career. D. Hominda Photo above: Cadet Honor Guard preparing for Homecoming. Cadets in the photograph from L to R are: Dhalia Morales, Jaqueline Freeman, Alejandra Careaga, Donovan Smith-Charles, Mark Feliciano, Randolph Kim, Alexander Soderstrom and Avery Fernandez USS ESSEX Photos below; SLHS Cadets marching in this years Daffodil Parade in Puyallup, Washington. Sentinel Commander Donovan Smith Charles leading his Command through the streets of Sumner. SLHS Cadets stand in formation at the flag pole at SLHS for Morning Colors. They practice this during their Mini Boot Camp in August to prepare for the daily duty each upcoming school year. Congratulations to Gabriel Lizama- CTE NJROTC Student of the Year!