The year is winding down. We have finished our session on woodworking & cabinetry. Our last shop project is a bridge building competition. Each student will get the same amount of material and use their own design. We will weight test them to determine a winner. We will finish up the year dismantling our larger projects. Recycling what we can for future use.
The HOYA 2 seniors are down to their final hours of the school year, and it has truly been a pleasure to watch their growth. This group has worked through some big decisions, figuring out what comes next isn’t easy. Through the College Choice research project, they took a hard look at the pros and cons of different universities, and I’m confident they’ve made strong choices for their next steps.
We had the opportunity to hear from Staff Sergeant Williams of the Illinois Army National Guard following his recent return from Somalia. While some students were already familiar with him from visits to their home schools, his presentation broadened their perspective on the many roles and opportunities within military healthcare.
They’ve balanced a lot this year; internships, school responsibilities, and being seniors. While the requirement is 288 internship hours, several students have gone well beyond that, with some exceeding 800 hours! Along the way, a few have even discovered new career paths, which is exactly the purpose of these experiences.
Their capstone projects wrapped together everything they’ve learned across all body systems. Some of these were truly outstanding; detailed, thoughtful, and a clear reflection of the work they’ve put in all year. It’s always easy to see who took pride in it.
We’ll finish the year with our integumentary system unit. Students will be creating simulated wounds using common household items, always a favorite. HOYA 1 students will assist by voting on the most realistic creations. More importantly, students will apply proper medical terminology to describe their wounds, explain how the injury occurred, and outline appropriate first aid.
Congratulations to:
HOYA 2 Outstanding Student--Mylie Getter Pecatonica
Karen Johnson Scholarship Recipient--Haley Tipton Pecatonica
We recently reviewed the amount of work necessary outside of the classroom as it relates to the credit hours of their college courses. I look forward to hearing from them as they step into full-time college and gain a better understanding of what it takes to keep everything in balance.
I hope everyone has an amazing and safe summer!!
In the last two weeks of April, Culinary Arts students attended a field trip to Blackhawk Technical College in Janesville and prepared for the Mock Restaurant event. At the field trip, students were given a tour of the college and provided with a seven course meal. The Mock Restaurant is the capstone event for the Culinary Arts program and consists of inviting students' parents, guardians, or other family members to attend and providing them with a five course meal. The menu is chosen by students and prepared entirely from scratch. This year, the menu consists of homemade nachos, potato bacon soup, bistro salad, chicken sofrito, and strawberry shortcake. The event will take place in the first week of May, and teaches students about menu planning, plating, food costing, and kitchen professionality.
HOYA Monthly Update
As we wrap up the month of April, I want to take a moment to share the incredible progress our HOYA students have made.
This month, our focus has been on managing career readiness and preparing for the transition into the workforce. Students worked hard to build professional portfolios that include resumes, cover letters, professional statements, and letters of recommendation from references they identified and secured. They also gathered job shadow evaluations that highlight their professional strengths and collected proof of CPR certification. In addition, students completed job applications and spent time learning about professional behavior and interview skills.
To build confidence, students participated in mock interviews in class, and some had the valuable opportunity to complete mock interviews with healthcare professionals. These experiences, along with their completed portfolios, will be essential tools as they begin applying for jobs in the near future.
In the lab, we continued hands-on practice while completing final skill check-offs. Students have shown great dedication in developing and refining their clinical skills.
We also welcomed a guest speaker on April 20th—a medical military professional—who did an excellent job explaining the roles and responsibilities within that career path. It was an engaging and informative experience for all.
On April 23rd, we completed our final clinical day. I am proud to share that all students have officially finished the CNA portion of the class. This is a huge accomplishment, and I am incredibly proud of their hard work and commitment.
Looking ahead to May, we will begin reviewing for the CNA state test, which is scheduled for May 20th. Students will be able to sign up in class once registration opens, and I will share updates as soon as that information becomes available.
We are also excited to celebrate our students at the Pinning Ceremony on May 13th, where we will recognize our future CNAs and their achievements.
Thank you for your continued support
Teachers: Long sleeved shirts are available for $15. Please contact Elizabeth Hazzard at 815.275.3948
Careers In Business (CIB)
April 2026
The first year students have been job shadowing (JS) since October 2025, on Wednesday’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. This year, I’m thrilled that 12-14 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 each 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!
Students have also begun competing in the Stock Market Game (SMG) and it is extremely competitive between each team! Teams are developed with student input and any team member may be fired from their group if they don’t perform. The consequence is having to complete the entire project alone. Or, they may quit their team but only if another team is willing to hire them. The reason is to emulate the real world where a lack of performance has very real consequences. During the SMG, students learn how to research stocks, analyze each using a variety of metrics, trade Long or Short, buy bonds, etc. Then they use Excel, Word, and PowerPoint to create team portfolios, presentations, and evaluations which they present in mid-May to each of the SMG teams.
Lastly, 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.
