Career & Technical Education Consortium Logo

Board Minutes from March 6, 2025

Agenda for April 10, 2025

The students have worked through the various plumbing stations. They have learned how to sweat copper, thread steel, use crimp or expansion pex fittings for water and gas supply lines. They also hooked up the drains and vents with pvc for several sinks and toilets linked together. They learned how to repair toilets, replace faucets, drain traps, and about the different tools needed to complete those tasks. We are currently working on constructing a truss or ark type bridge. This will educate the students about how the triangle & compression techniques are used in everyday construction. Each student is building his own bridge, everyone has the same amount of material to work with. We will strength test them when everyone is finished. This has been a popular lesson, all  of the students have embraced the challenge.

Careers In Business (CIB)

April 2025

The first year students have been job shadowing (JS) on Thursday’s and will continue until the end of the school year. Students have been welcomed by the community in the following areas: accounting, finance, entrepreneurship, real estate, project management, banking, investing, and marketing, just to name a handful.

 The goal of shadowing is to help students learn about various career paths in an effort to solidify their choice or perhaps remove it as an option; therefore, saving them time and money in the future. The academic end of JS includes students polishing their communication skills in a variety of ways: using proper email etiquette with their mentors, researching and writing pre-job shadowing memos, post JS thank you letters, and making PowerPoint presentations to share with the class about each experience.

 Often, students find a business they would like to intern for. Several of the current juniors have chosen to take the second year of the program which means having an internship next school year. In fact, some begin in May of the current year. It is my sincere belief that having an internship elevates the student from other students; in particular, when “selling” yourself to colleges and trying to obtain scholarships. The internship is also dual credit which is an added plus!

Lastly, a very sincere ‘Thank You!’ to the area businesses for supporting our CIB program! This is an immeasurable experience for the students and we are always very appreciative of your time.

In the second half of March, students learned about egg cookery while developing practical skills through lab activities such as huevos rancheros. In April, students will continue to develop their culinary skills. Their instruction will focus on advanced baking, including recipes such as pastry cream, macaroons, and eclairs. Additionally, students are attending a field trip to Blackhawk Technical College in Janesville in the beginning of April, where they will see how culinary school functions first-hand.

The HOYA 2 students are on the downhill slide before they reach the ultimate goal post of high school graduation!! They are keeping extremely busy and avoiding the plague of senioritis. I am confident that these young people will maintain their focus even as the weather gets warmer and graduation creeps closer.  

HOYA 2 students are continuing to use their critical thinking skills by doing situational assignments where they interact as CNAs and potential healthcare professionals via their online workbook. This allows a much more accurate illustration of what they can expect as they progress through their career paths..   

We have completed our cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive system units with student presentations of different cardiac disease processes next week. This has been an interesting unit as we were able to dissect 3 venison hearts, livers, lungs, trachea and esophagus that were donated by HOYA students, Kendra Kuhlemeier, Caily Richardson, and St John’s Director of Congregational Life, Pam Wessel and her husband, Dan. Students were a little squeamish at the beginning of the activity but then the fun began. Not everyone realized the size and toughness of the trachea; which we were able to witness during the dissection.  Students were able to view the pericardium, the 4 chambers of a heart as well as the valves. They also found food in the esophagus and a bit of bile in one of the liver ducts. 

The students are working on this month’s Community Health Bulletin board which will focus on Stress Awareness and Management. April will be just as busy as we attempt to finish up the remaining modules of Medical Terminology. As we study the integumentary system, students will be working in groups and simulating different wounds.

HOYA 1 Update, March/April: 

During the week of March 9th, the students learned about death, dying, and Hospice. The chaplain from FHN came to speak to the students about his experience in the hospital setting and his personal story. We learned how a chaplain provides not just religious support but also spiritual and emotional support to the patient and their family.   

This week, the students learned about rehabilitation, restorative care, and surgical interventions, including preoperative and postoperative care. The students performed skits demonstrating their skills and knowledge of how to use assistive devices, walking aids, proper patient positioning, and range of motion exercises. We are continuously practicing our patient care skills in the lab and on residents/patients during our clinical rotations. After we come back from break, we will learn about home care and review infection prevention practices. Everyone is doing great and I am proud of all their hard work!

Student Comments:

“I have many useful skills that have significantly helped me in my clinicals. I am really enjoying clinicals and can’t wait for pinning !!”

“This school year I enjoyed practicing skills with my friends and the friends I've made in class!”

“When clinicals first started I was freaking out. I didn’t think there was any shot that I could do anything on actual people. We practiced so much during the year in class and in the skills lab and I began to get very confident. Then I started clinicals and felt very proud with how I continued to do skills on actual people and none of that would’ve been possible without all the work we do in class. I’ve learned so much about caring for people.”

“A tracheostomy is a surgical procedure that creates an opening through the neck to the trachea and allows air to reach the lungs fully.”

“I'm excited to do more clinicals. Mainly for the fact for me to get more experience for when I become a CNA. I also love building relationships with all the residents I meet.”

“I have really grown on my skills in the last few weeks. I am excited  to finish my clinicals and get pinned! Mrs. Miller always tries to make the class fun and engaging.”

“I've been practicing and getting better at my skills in the skills lab, I can't wait till I'm done with my clinicals and work as a CNA!”