Career Center names fall 2013 Students of the Month

Career Technical Education (CTE) program instructors at the Clare-Gladwin Career Center, a program of Clare-Gladwin RESD, have announced the Students of the Month recognized during the fall 2013 semester. Students were selected based on their academic achievements, citizenship, and work ethic.    

Each month during the semester, the Students of the Month were entered into a drawing to receive a Clare-Gladwin Career Center t-shirt donated by Create-It in Beaverton. The fall winners included Wyatt Duggan of Harrison, Brook Harvell of Clare, Garret Henry of Farwell, and Jay Poet of Clare.

All recognized students were given a Student of the Month certificate along with a gift from a local sponsor. The Clare-Gladwin Career Center thanks the area sponsors: Bucilli’s in Clare and Farwell; Create-It in Beaverton; Hungry Howies in Clare and Gladwin; Lang’s Pizza in Beaverton; Mama Cilli’s in Harrison; Pizza Hut in Gladwin; and Subway in Coleman and Farwell.

Listed below are the fall 2013 Students of the Month from each program and their home high schools.

Education in Training:

Samantha Chasteen - Beaverton HS       

Samantha Rulapaugh - Clare HS

Alexis Sines-Clare HS     

Harvell: T-shirt winner. 

Brook Harvell - Clare HS

Health Occupations:

Dallas Gibson - Gladwin HS         

Brennan Baum- Beaverton HS   

Kaitlyn Jacques- Beaverton HS  

Taylor Helka - Clare HS  

Josh Kinberg - Clare HS 

Brenden Gyulveszi-Clare HS       

Bailey Reger - Clare HS

Wyatt Duggan - Harrison HS       

Megan McCarrick - Harrison HS 

Kayla Bush- Harrison HS               

Briannah Mercer - Farwell HS

Automotive Technology:

Henry: T-shirt winner.

Mariah Roskamp - Harrison HS  

Hunter Gross - Coleman HS        

Richard Walters - Beaverton HS

Ryan Rybkowski - Beaverton HS               

Dillon Hillier - Gladwin HS             

Ken Hagerty - Coleman HS

Digital Media:

Drew Porter - Beaverton HS       

Jace LeFevere- Gladwin HS         

Mason Woodruff - Gladwin HS 

John Libbey - Harrison HS

Construction Trades:

Gage Agin- Harrison HS

Kyler Zinser - Clare HS   

Garret Henry - Farwell HS            

Duggan: T-shirt winner. 

Devon Poet- Clare HS

Aidan O'Rourke - Beaverton HS

Hunter Walters - Beaverton HS 

Kyle Buckley - Gladwin HS           

Boone DeShano – Gladwin (Homeschool)

Criminal Justice:

Skyler Howard - Coleman HS     

Jay Poet - Clare HS       

Joseph Berenyi - Coleman HS     

Brad Gallagher - Gladwin HS

Graphic Arts:

Kyle Sweet - Clare HS    

Tristan Shimmons- Farwell HS   

Kathryn Loesel - Gladwin HS      

Malinda Hershberger - Clare HS

Culinary Arts:

Ariel Rose - Farwell HS  

Poet - T-shirt winner. 

Ciara Chambers - Harrison HS    

Jacob Buccilli - Farwell HS             

Randa Schultz - Farwell HS

Nicole Martin - Beaverton HS    

Kelsey Kula - Harrison HS             

Jaime Phillips - Beaverton HS     

Heather Baker - Gladwin HS

April is Autism Awareness Month; More than 100 people attend Sensory Friendly Family Movie Day

April is Autism Awareness Month and more than 100 people from four area counties attended the first annual Sensory Friendly Family Movie Day on April 2 at Celebration Cinema in Mount Pleasant; organized by the early childhood partners of the Clare-Gladwin and Gratiot-Isabella Great Start Collaboratives.  

With the sound turned down and the lights turned up, Sensory Friendly Family Movie Day offered local families affected by autism the chance to spend a day at the theater while being free to walk around and talk as they wished. Sponsored in part by Early On, Clare County Youth Council, Clare-Gladwin RESD, MidMichigan Health, and the Michigan State Police, everyone in attendance received free admission, free popcorn, and a free beverage as they watched the movie, “Despicable Me.”

“Sensory Friendly Family Movie Day was a big success,” said Clare-Gladwin Great Start Collaborative Director Heather DuBois. “It was heartwarming to see so many families enjoying a morning at the movies together. Plus, the support from the organizations that made this event possible was a wonderful testament to our local communities’ commitment to Autism Awareness.”

Officers from the Michigan State Police, Mount Pleasant Police Department, Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Police Department, and the Central Michigan University Police Department greeted families with a sticker and a smile as they arrived at the theater. “I believe that building relationships with families and children affected by autism is very important,” said Community Service Trooper Michael White of the Michigan State Police. “Participating in the Sensory Friendly Family Movie Day gave the children the chance to have a positive experience with the police in a fun, non-threatening environment.”

Students and their families wore blue to the event in honor of Autism Awareness Month, World Autism Day (April 2), and the global effort to help increase awareness about autism known as, “Light it Up Blue.”

Following the show, the Blu-Ray/DVD of, “Despicable Me,” was raffled off to an audience member.

Gratiot-Isabella Great Start Parent Liaison Jennifer Peska (left) and Clare-Gladwin Great Start Parent Liaison Rachel Haltiner (right) greeted families attending the Sensory Friendly Family Movie Day in the lobby of the Mt. Pleasant Celebration Cinema on April 2.

From the left, Mount Pleasant Police Department Officer Tim Standen, Central Michigan University Police Department Officer Laura Rico, Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Police Department Officer Jim Post, Mount Pleasant Police Department Officer Mike Williams, and Michigan State Police Community Service Trooper Michael White handed out stickers as families arrived at Sensory Friendly Family Movie Day. 

Community Service Trooper Michael White of the Michigan State Police welcomed a local family to Sensory Friendly Family Movie Day.

Culinary Arts students welcome local dietitian to share expertise with class

Registered Dietitian Kati Mora shared her expertise and passion for healthy living with the Culinary Arts students at the Clare-Gladwin Career Center last month. Mora spoke about her profession, nutrition, and the variety of job opportunities available to those pursuing the dietetics field.

“Many students were surprised to learn about all of the things a dietitian can do,” said Culinary Arts Instructor Heidi Rocha. “Kati showed them how she has been able to break out independently to achieve a number of goals in her industry,” she said, referring to Mora’s role as a writer for Fitness Magazine, creator of the nationally recognized website www.aroundtheplate.org  and owner of The Plate Boutique in Mount Pleasant.

Culinary Arts is one of nine Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs offered to local high school juniors and seniors at the Clare-Gladwin Career Center, a program of the Clare-Gladwin RESD. Students spend half of their regular school day in CTE and the other half at their local high school. For more information, please visit www.cgresd.net.

CTE Construction Trades students begin remodeling project for Hope Pregnancy Center

Old flooring came up and wood-paneled walls came down this month as the Clare-Gladwin Career Center’s Construction Trades students began remodeling the future site of the Hope Pregnancy Center in Harrison.  

“The benefits of this project are abundant,” said Construction Trades Instructor Josh Myers. “We have on-site work that is ‘real life’ construction training that helps the community and fulfills a portion of our curriculum. We are very thankful for the opportunity.”

Construction Trades is one of nine Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs offered to high school juniors and seniors through the Clare-Gladwin Career Center, a program of the Clare-Gladwin RESD. Over the next few months, the students will be performing interior finishing, including hanging drywall, painting, trim carpentry, and flooring. The students will also do some landscaping and exterior painting in the spring. All of the labor will be free of charge.

“This partnership is definitely a win-win situation,” said Hope Pregnancy Center Director Jon Hoerauf. “The kids are getting real-world experience, and there is no way Hope Pregnancy Center would be able to carry out a project this big without them.”

With less than a month of work completed, Hoerauf said he is “amazed” at how quickly the students are working. “They are polite…and great representatives of their schools,” he said. “Many lives will be blessed because of the work of these students.”

The Hope Pregnancy Center offers caring and compassionate support and education to those experiencing unplanned pregnancies. All services are free and confidential.

Scheduled to open in the late spring, the new Hope Pregnancy Center office is located at 498 N. Clare Ave. in Harrison. 

Record number of CTE students earn ServSafe Food Safety Certification

Eighteen students from the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Culinary Arts class have earned the ServSafe Food Safety Certification from the National Restaurant Association. This is the highest number of students to earn the certification at one time in the program’s history. 

In order to obtain the certification, students must pass an exam administered by the National Restaurant Association, testing their knowledge on topics covering food borne illness, contamination prevention, and proper food serving techniques.   

“I was very impressed when I received the results,” said Culinary Arts Instructor Heidi Rocha. “Typical passing rate averages around 50 percent because of the exam’s level of difficulty. This year, we had a 75 percent passing rate. I am very proud of all of the students for working so hard.” 

In the state of Michigan, every food service operation is required by law to have at least one person on staff with the ServSafe Food Safety Certification. “Students are very marketable as potential employees when they have this credential,” she said. 

Rocha is an approved ServSafe Food Safety instructor through the National Restaurant Association. Students in her culinary arts/hospitality management class can take the test free of charge by participating in fundraising activities. Typically, individuals pursuing ServSafe Food Safety Certification on their own pay $200-$1000 for both the training and the exam. 

Culinary Arts is one of nine Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs offered at the Clare-Gladwin Career Center, a program of the Clare-Gladwin RESD. Students spend half of their regular school day in CTE and the other half at their local high school. 

Students practice money-management at S.P.A.R.K.S. Mini Society Auction

Local middle school and junior high students practiced money-management skills during the S.P.A.R.K.S. Mini Society Auction on Nov. 14 at the Clare-Gladwin Area School. The Mini Society, an economics simulation program developed by S.P.A.R.K.S., brought in local auctioneer Aiden Yoder to auction off items donated to the event by the after-school site coordinators.  

The students from Beaverton Middle, Farwell Middle, Gladwin Junior High, and Harrison Middle Schools bid on the variety of stuffed animals, backpacks, and more, using S.P.A.R.K.S. Bucks; a form of money they earned throughout the semester by successfully completing jobs and projects during their regular S.P.A.R.K.S. sessions. The kids also spent S.P.A.R.K.S. Bucks on student-made food for sale at the event. 

“The Mini Society introduces students to financial concepts, including spending and saving,” said S.P.A.R.K.S. Director Joe Trommater. “The Mini Society events, such as the Auction, are fun, hands-on ways the kids can apply what they are learning in a real-world setting.”   

 The Clare-Gladwin RESD’s S.P.A.R.K.S. program (Students Participating in Academics and Recreation for Knowledge and Success) is an after-school and summer-school program for students in Beaverton, Farwell, Gladwin, and Harrison school districts, made possible through grants from the Michigan Department of Education.