Open Salon Cancelled 12/17

IMPORTANT NEWS!!! Tonight's open salon night 12/17 has been cancelled due to weather. We will let you know when we have a new date scheduled!

Open Salon Night!

It's that time again! Come get pampered by our future professionals during open salon night! Tuesday December 17, from 3:30-5:30 in the Crimson Creations Salon located in the Concord High student center.

The salon will be providing hair salon services such as, waxing, clipper cuts, blunt cut, long-layered haircut, manicures, paraffin hand dip, scalp massage, polish change, nail art, braiding, blow dry or curling style. There will be a $5.00 charge for each service.We hope to see you there!

Congratulation to our NH Healthy Meals Contest Winners!

On November 9, six of our Culinary Arts students competed in the NH Healthy Meals Contest. They worked hard and spent all day prepping their dishes for the judges. In the end all their hard work paid off and we could not be prouder! 

NH Healthy Meals Challenge: create a healthy side dish that meets USDA nutrition guidelines and uses NH grown orange vegetables like: Carrots, Pumpkin, Sweet Potato, Butternut, Acorn or Hubbard Squashes

How was it judged? The recipes were judged on nutrient content, cost, taste, use of local ingredient(s) and presentation. Recipes needed to feed 6 people but had to be able to be scaled up to feed 25 to 50 people. The nutrition content of each recipe needed to be provided and had to include sodium, fat, calories, and portion sizes. Local ingredients also needed to be identified. The entries were  judged by members of the SNA, media, farmers, students and others.

*Extra points were awarded for those recipes that included orange vegetables grown in New Hampshire:

• Carrots
• Butternut Squash
• Sweet Potatoes
• Acorn Squash
• Hubbard Squash
• Pumpkin

In addition they also had to abide by these Recipe Guidelines:

1. Side dish recipes will contain NO trans fat
2. Side dish recipes will contain NO added sodium
3. A single serving will have < 175 calories
4. A single serving will cost < .45

Our culinary students did a fantastic job and the judges thought the same!

First PlaceNate Hollis (CHS) Created a Mt. Washington Apple 
Rosemary Roasted Butternut Squash.

Tied for Second Place 

 Team of Andy Saffian, (CHS) Hunter Lemay, (JSRHS) & Miranda Arris, (JSRHS) 

&

Tyler Raczkowski (JSRHS)

                                                      

Fourth PlaceAlyssa Pepin (CHS) Created a Concord Kadoo (African Braised Pumpkin)

Update: Youth Arts Leadership Governors Arts Award

A few weeks back we posted a story congratulating our graphic arts student Pedro for receiving a letter stating he was to receive the Youth Arts Leadership Governors Arts Award. Here is our update to that story.

Below you can see Pedro accepting his award and giving a thank you speech at the recent award ceremony. We also learned this was the first year they have offered this award, what an honor to be the first recipient.

What is the criteria for the award you ask?

Youth Arts Leadership Award: Recognizes a high school-aged student who has demonstrated exceptional leadership skills and initiative by developing and/or implementing an arts-based project in any discipline (music, visual arts, crafts, film making, writing, poetry, etc.) that directly impacted a community in New Hampshire by strengthening the community’s identity, increasing local engagement in the arts, or by reaching under served populations in the community. The recipient must currently be a student at a public or private high school or be an equivalent high school-aged youth who is being homeschooled.

Come get pampered at our Future Professionals open salon night!

Dear Friends & Family:

Our Future Professionals would like to invite you to an evening of fun and glamour on:

Wednesday, November 20, from 3:30pm – 5:30pm

At the Crimson Creations Salon

located in the Student Center

 at Concord High School

During this time, the seniors will be providing the following hair and nail salon services.  There will be a $5.00 charge for each salon service.

  

Scalp Massage

Shampoo & Condition

Braiding

Blow-dry

Curl/Flat Iron

Manicure

Polish Change & Nail Art

Paraffin Hand Dip

Blunt Haircut

Long Layered Haircut

Waxing

We look forward to seeing you!

Ms. Kimberly & the Senior Cosmetology Class 2014

National Leadership Award

Congratulation To Brittany W!

The CRTC family would like to give another big Congratulations to our Culinary Arts senior Brittany! 

 

Brittany was the only student in New Hampshire to receive this award and we are beyond proud of her for this accomplishment.

 

Keep up the great work and we will be on the look out to see what leadership roles you will find yourself in, in the future.

Youth Arts Leadership Governors Arts Award

Congratulation Pedro!

The CRTC family would like to give a big Congratulations to our Graphic Arts senior Pedro! He will be receiving the Youth Arts Leadership Governors Arts Award on November 6, 2013. We are very proud of Pedro and can't wait to watch him continue to grow and prosper in the Arts.

Check out our update on this story here

Running Start Excitement!

We received some amazing news this month from Manchester Community College! This is the e-mail we received:

"Our college has officially approved you to teach our BLDG 112 Methods of Construction I Theory (4 credits) course starting next semester (end of January 2014-June 2014).
This Running Start opportunity will give your 2nd year students the option to sign up for the 4 college credits."

This is wonderful news for our Construction students and a big congratulation to Mr. Hubbard for all the work he put into making this happen!

Paul Mitchell Northern New England - 2013 Icons Hair Show & Hair Camp

Check out this amazing video from the Paul Mitchell Northern New England Hair show that out Cosmetology students attended in the spring! See it you spot our students at 1:12!

We're Back!

We are back in action after a wonderful summer and have hit the ground running! We have been hard at work, working on new and exciting things you can look forward to seeing throughout the year. We would also love to hear from you! Please let us know what you would like to see from us, what you would like to learn more about, or if your company would like to become involved with our programs! Be sure to check back weekly for updates.

Our Health Science/HOSA students participated in last weekends homecoming parade. Take a look at these great images that were captured.

                                                     

Congratulations and welcome to the CRTC family!

Welcome new students and families to the CRTC

Post by: Director Steve Rothenberg

I want to welcome you to the CRTC Family. We are very excited you are aboard. You should feel honored to be selected as all of our programs have a waiting list. Some lists are considerable.


You will be learning more about the CRTC over the coming stretch through our postings to Facebook and our blog. Please "friend us" as well as share your email address so you can get on our blog contact list. All directions to do so on our web site, http://theCRTC.net .


In addition, on a more formal basis, we have the following upcoming dates:

• Friday, May 10 - Please confirm acceptance by visiting your guidance office (sending school students) or visiting/emailing the CRTC Office (CHS students). A confirmation is necessary to ensure your spot is not given to someone on the waiting list.

• Wednesday, May 15 - Dessert Night. This is our official welcome night. The evening starts at 6:30 PM in the CHS Student Center (cafeteria).

• Teacher Preparation: Dessert Night will be held at Abbot-Downing School and not at Concord High School. The night's agenda will be reversed. The Director's welcome talk will be after the program portion.

• Fire Science: Most of our families have already attended one of our informational nights therefore we won't be offering a specific Fire Science program portion on Dessert Night. Fire Science families are welcome to come on May 15, but we suggest holding off and coming to an orientation night we will hold in the weeks before the program officially starts on January 27, 2014.

• We don't send home a summer informational packet, but we will send emails and an auto-dial phone call a few days before we open.

• Wednesday, August 28 (first day for CHS students)

• Thursday, August 29 (first day for all students including sending)

Please feel free to contact our office with any questions or concerns.


THANKS Steve

Congratulations to out new LNAs and EMTs!

On May 9, 2013 we honored our students who earned LNA and EMT Certificates this year.  A total of 23 were honored.  Special thanks to the Red Cross and Sally Becker.

Click here to view more pictures from the night

"A Moment In Time" Fashion and Hair Competition

Check out these great photos from the show this past Saturday. Cosmetology students from all over the state came out to compete. Great job ladies!

https://picasaweb.google.com/109717916432098429163/CRTCHairShow2013?authuser=0&feat=directlink

What Moment In Time Inspires You?

Don't miss out on this great event!

 Our cosmetology students have been hard at work preparing hairdo's from time periods that inspire them.

The Harlem Shake Competition is on!

We challenged each class to come up with some spirit and show it in a Harlem Shake video. The creativity they have show has been wonderful see below for yourself!

Automotive Harlem Shake

Criminal Justice Harlem Shake

It's not on....It's over...Any challengers out there?

Health Science Technology 

They really have their heart into it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=oeGHGLTH6KI

Construction Technology
They have found their Shake!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=sp-cfIOKCM4

Paul Mitchell Fantasy Hair Show!

Nellie, Liz and Evelyn with their teacher Ms. Kimberly Hannon. All

three were volunteer models in the Michael's Hair School Paul Mitchell

Fantasy Hair Show at 24 Depot in Manchester on April 6, 2013. This

was the first time modeling for all three. Parents and relatives for

all three were there to share this exciting event. There were a

number of charities supported.

Welcome to Brian Saltmarsh

We are proud to announce that we have contracted with Lt. Brian Saltmarsh of the Concord Fire Department to consult with us in the design of our new CRTC Fire Science Program. Brian will be working with us over the next six months to design a top-notch program in preparation for an expected January 2014 opening pending our team finalizing enrollment.

Brian is a 26 year veteran (29+ years total) of the Concord Fire Department starting as a Firefighter/EMT. In addition to his job at the Concord's Broadway Station, presently he is heavily involved with the NH Fire Academy teaching a range of courses, some at the highest level of instruction a firefighter can be trained.

Fire Science is a very unorthodox (and progressive) program for us for a number of reasons. Please check out our letter to Fire Science students to get a better idea of its differences. Students signing up are being asked to think this through before making the final commitment. We will be holding telephone interviews with students during the week of April 8, 2013. Once we have the students confirmed, we will give the program its final "go ahead" blessing on April 12, 2013. We won't go forward without enough serious students registered.

One challenge is to develop a community vision to this program. We are proud to have Concord Fire Department as a partner and we intend to expand ownership to the 28 other communities we serve. In addition, there are a number of businesses in the area that also work in this industry including Globe Manufacturing in Pittsfield and Valley Fire Equipment in Bradford. Finally, we also have Lakes Region Community College, home of an extensive Fire Science Program, as a partner.

Brian graduated from CHS in 1983. His wife, mother and grandmother are also CHS graduates. His oldest son (fourth generation CHS) graduated in 2011 and his other son is presently a junior. Brian is seeing this as a special opportunity to serve the CHS/CRTC community.

Brian will be working with our staff to flesh out all the details. We will be sure to post information on this blog as things evolve. Stay tuned!

HOSA Winners!

Congratulations to our Health Science Students that competed in the HOSA State competition this week! From Left to right: Emily Stearns(MV, 2nd place Medical Photography), Emily Lafond (CHS, 1st Place Medical Photography) Katie Dasey and Sweta Basnet (CHS, third place, Career Health Display, Meaghan Littlejohns and Alison Quinn (1st Place Career Health Display, NH State Vice President and Secretary), Lindsey Vogt (Bow, 2nd place Extemporaneous Poster). Great work future medical professionals we are very proud of you!

Teacher Spotlight On: Jennifer Strong- Rain & Val Flanders

Crimson Tide Preschool Instructor- Jennifer Strong-Rain
Education:Bachelor's Degree in Child Development from Colby-Sawyer College

Teaching Experience: 14 years in education: 11 years teaching hard of hearing and deaf children at an auditory-oral preschool; 2 years teaching title-one preschool for Concord; 2 years at CRTC

Other Interests: running, coaching, family, traveling, PTO

Fun Fact: Jennifer was recently elected to the budget committee for her town of Bow.


Teacher Preparation Program Instructor-Valerie Flanders
Education: Bachelor's Degree in Elementary (K-8) and Special Education (K-12) from Keene State College
Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from New England College

Teaching Experience: 16 years in education: 13 years at CRTC, 3 years in Special Education at Merrimack Valley High School, will teach as EDU 200 as an adjunct professor at SNHU in fall of 2013

Other Interests: family, reading contemporary fiction, music

Fun Fact: Valerie is a graduate of the Teacher Preparation Program and then came back to teach the program.

Spotlight On: Teacher Preperation

The Teacher Preparation Program 

Post by: Val Flanders & Jennifer Strong-Rain

Program Mission and Basics
Mission Statement- The mission of the Teacher Preparation Program is to advance the quality of private and public education by training student teachers who pursue post-secondary education and who are sensitive to the needs of individual students, can plan and teach developmentally appropriate curriculum, and can manage classrooms confidently and effectively.
Program Basics- The Teacher Preparation Program is designed to train students who are interested in teaching students from preschool through high school. Students learn quality teaching practices that can be used with students of and age and in any setting. Students in Teacher Preparation become skilled at teaching children of various abilities and ages through a combination of learning about educational theory and practicing hands-on application.

History
The Teacher Preparation Program has grown and expanded over the past 30 years. The program was originally called Child Care and was intended to train students to work as assistant teachers in child care facilities. Over the years, the program underwent several name changes like Early Childhood Education, Foundations of Education, and Exploring Teaching while the curriculum continued to change as well. Rather than focusing on training students to assist with young children, we have expanded the focus to training classroom teachers in grades preschool through twelfth grade. Because of this change, more of our students than ever attend colleges to earn Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Elementary Education, Special Education, and Secondary Education.

Current Curriculum
Students in the Teacher Preparation Program learn about curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Specific competencies include classroom management, how the brain operates, history of education, educational theorists, social issues students face, special education, differentiated instruction, and teaching with technology. Students in the program are assessed on their understanding of the theory of teaching and their ability to imement this knowledge into the practice of teaching.

College Credits
The Teacher Preparation Program has a Dual Enrollment agreement with Southern New Hampshire University. Students in the first year of the program can earn 3 college credits for SNHU's EDU 200: Intro to Education Course.

Teaching Experiences
Year One
Students in the first year of the program student teach in our lab school, Crimson Tide Preschool. Students spend about half of their time student teaching in the preschool. They are in charge of teaching lessons to small and large groups of preschoolers. During the first year, students teach formal lessons in Math and Literacy. Students also gain skills when they work with the preschoolers during centers, obstacle course, library time, choice time, and meal time.
Year Two
All students in the second year of the program complete an internship. This is when students get to customize their program by selecting the grade level they want to work with during internship. Some examples of where current students are interning are with an elementary art teacher, a speech and language pathologist, an eighth grade science teacher, a fifth grade teacher, and a second grade teacher. Second year students have the option of completing an internship in an elementary classroom AND continuing to teach in the preschool or just completing an internship in an elementary, middle, or high school classroom. These internships range in length from 12-24 weeks. Students believe that the internship is the highlight of their Teacher Preparation experience.

Facility
The Teacher Preparation Program and Crimson Tide Preschool are currently located in Abbot-Downing School in Concord, NH. Abbot-Downing is one of the brand new elementary schools and is equipped with the most current technology and equipment. This location gives the Teacher Preparation students a true understanding of the day to day operations of an elementary school. Students also have had the opportunity to work with the elementary students and to observe elementary teachers instruct.

Technology Integration
Students in both years of the Teacher Preparation Program are learning how to teach and assess using technology. First year students use the ENO board to teach. This is an interactive whiteboard used to engage children in the learning experience. The students use software to create their own unique Math and Literacy lessons.
Second year students are issued an iPad that they are able to use in class, on internship, and at home. They use the iPad to support their own learning through journaling, research, and compiling a digital portfolio. The students use a variety of apps to teach and assess the children on their internship sites and in the lab preschool.

Career Opportunities
The Teacher Preparation Program prepares students to pursue a degree in a variety of careers in the field of education. Some of the careers that our graduates have entered are elementary education, special education, school guidance counseling, early childhood education, psychology, social work, middle and high school education, and speech and language pathology.

Most of our graduates go on to four year colleges to pursue a Bachelor's Degree. Current seniors have been accepted into a variety of colleges including SNHU, UNH, Springfield College, Keene State,

Crimson Tide Preschool
Crimson Tide Preschool (CTP) is the lab for Teacher Preparation students. There are between approximately 15 children who attend CTP. These children are between the ages of 3 and 5 years. The children come from Concord and the surrounding towns. Four of the preschoolers have special education needs and are placed in the preschool by Concord School District. CTP is open from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm Monday through Friday from September to June. The preschool is staffed by a preschool teacher and an assistant teacher.

A.C.E. Club
The Assisting Children Everywhere club runs in conjunction with the Teacher Preparation Program. This is a community service based club and is new this year. Students in the club have raised money to buy less fortunate children holiday gifts, run a children's clothing drive, and assisted a Title I reading program. This club will continue to grow and develop in the coming years.

Congratulations To Chef Mac

Presidents Medallion Awarded to Chef Mac

We would like to share the great news and give a big congratulation to the head of you Culinary Arts program Bob McIntosh! On Friday March 8th at the Epicurean Dinner that his students worked very hard on to prep for he received the Presidents Medallion from the American Culinary Federation-Professional Chefs of New Hampshire. This is a great honor and we are all very proud of this accomplishment.

March Tidbits of Classroom News

Health Science

Post by: Sharron Bean

As we head into Spring the Health Science students remain active in school and in the community. Our big event this month is the HOSA 33rd Annual NH State Leadership Conference on March 19th and 20th at the Radisson Hotel in Manchester, NH. There are 23 students participating in competitive events and two running for a state officer positions. It is a very exciting educational experience where students will compete against other NH HOSA students in events related to the health care fields. For example Medical Terminology, Medical Math, Career Health Displays, Extemporaneous Writing, Extemporaneous Poster, Medical Photography and HOSA Bowl. Students when not competing will attend workshops on Forensic, Intubation, Acupuncture demonstration, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This event addresses State Competencies of Leadership Skill Development, Personal Growth, Self Advocacy, Research, Communication Skills and Team Building. For fun while we are there we will enjoy a hypnotist show, swimming and socializing. It is a memorable high school experience.

The Seniors who are in the Red Cross LNA program are active in their clinical experiences at Presidential Oaks and loving it! It is an additional 60 hours of out of class commitment to complete the program. These students are commended for this challenging experience they are taking on.

On Thursday, March 14th we will have our Annual Dodgeball Tournament at Concord High. Spectators are welcome and encouraged at no charge. We have teams of three girls and three boys competing for First Placed , Best Dressed and Most Team Spirit. We have a DJ, concessions, 50:50 Raffle and lots of fun! It is refereed by Mr. Steve Rothenberg the Director of CRTC and Gene Connolly the Principal of Concord High.

Lastly, we have students volunteering at the Christa Mcauliffe Health fair this month and the Abbot Downing Health Fair next month as well as the Paul Mitchell Hair Show in Manchester where they will be educating attendees about Melanoma.

Automotive

Post by: Scott Mayotte

On Tuesday March 5th approximately 90 of our automotive students boarded two buses for a field trip to Nashua Community College. Upon arrival at the college campus the students were directed into the auditorium where they received information about the courses offered at the college as well as the application process. After the orientation the students were divided into two groups and were given a tour of the college campus. When the tour of the campus was finished the automotive instructors at the college led our students on a guided tour through the newly renovated auto shop. The students learned that the college offers both auto repair and auto body repair as well. NCC is the only college in the state that offers auto body repair.
Automotive Technology is a two-year Associate Degree program that is designed to combine automotive technical training and academic course work to provide the student with the skills and knowledge needed for an exciting and rewarding career in the automotive service industry.

The Honda Automotive Technology program, otherwise known as PACT (Professional Automotive Career Training) is a partnership between Nashua Community College, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. and Honda/Acura Dealers. This associate degree program is designed to train students for employment in Honda/Acura dealerships and to prepare them for ASE Master Certification.

The Collision Repair Technology Program is designed to provide students with the skills necessary to enter the collision repair industry. The Collision Repair student will study the theory of repair and actually perform each of the different types of repairs (panel replacement, frame straightening, refinishing, etc.) on damaged vehicles.

At the end of the field trip NCC had lunch for the students and offered to waive the application fee for students who applied. About 25 students took advantage of the free application and each student that filled out an application received a T-shirt.

Construction

Post by: John Hubbard

Construction Technology students Colby Desmaris, Mike Lalley , and Jimmy Anderson are competing in the NH Skills Carpentry competition at the Seacoast School of Technology in Exeter on Friday March 15. Thirty students from NH construction programs are expected to compete for scholarships, tools, and the right to represent NH at the national competition to be held in Kansas City in June.

Construction Technology has 3 teams competing in Dodgeball on Thursday March 14. Teams are compose of students from Construction Technology, Health Science and Cosmetology.

On Saturday March 8 Construction Technology students are volunteering their time to renovate the Goat Barn at White’s Farm on Clinton St. Students will spend the day applying a new ceiling and organizing stored materials. Coffee, donuts and pizza will be provided.

Construction technology I students have begun the assembling of 7 sheds in the CT lab area. The sheds provide the students with the opportunity to show off the skills they have learned in the past year. The sheds are sold to the public for $1300 which covers the cost of materials. Anyone interested in purchasing a shed should contact Mr Hubbard in Construction Technology.

Criminal Justice

Post by: Scott Lane

It’s hard to think about March and St. Patrick’s Day and not tip your hat to the Irish Immigrants that were some of the first Police Officers in the United States. In the mid 1800’s the Irish immigrants was beginning and they weren’t always welcomed. In 1844 the City of New York was plagued by crime and the city was considered unsafe both day and night. The Governor of New York created a unified force of 800 men to combat it the power to hire was bestowed upon the Mayor James Harper, a Protestant, who did not want the authority to hire to go to the Irish Catholic Ward and Aldermen bosses. In other words, the Irish need not apply.

Galway native Barney McGinniskin is generally acknowledged to be the first Irish-born cop in a major U.S. city. He was hired by the city of Boston in 1851. He was fired 3 years later when the infamous anti-Irish, anti-Catholic Know Nothing Party took control of the legislator.

In 1863, when the New York City Draft Riots arose, many of the Police Officers who help put the riots down were Irish. By this time the Irish Immigration was well underway. The Irish came to dominate local politics and police departments. The proud tradition of Irish Service in law enforcement was born.    

Graphic Arts

Post by: Tom Mungovan

This month in Graphic Arts started using the Smart Board for classroom instruction. The upgrade in technology in critical discourse is immeasurable. Seniors are knee-deep into internships as we partner
with Say It In Stitches, Concord Litho and NH Bindery for extra learning opportunities. Projects this month are CD Covers, Scratch Tickets, T-Shirts and a group collaboration project for Juniors, to
solve a real life graphic design industry solution.

Cosmetology

Post by: Kim Hannon

Future Professionals from the junior and senior class volunteered their services at the Concord High Prom Fashion Show. This was a wonderful opportunity for these students to think outside of the box and become creative artists.

This quarter the seniors have turned the salon into a spa. They are studying the skills needed to give a great facial. The junior class continues to practice their braiding and marcel iron techniques. They soon will be moving onto shampooing and scalp massaging.

The senior class had a great opportunity to be part of the Board of Barbering, Cosmetology and Esthetics monthly meeting. The members of the Board graciously moved their meeting to our classroom. This allowed students to witness the decision-making process involving the safety of the consumer in our industry.

Information Technology

By: Joe Messineo

Info tech students are learning how to build applications that leverage deeper features of the .NET Framework using the C# programming language. This class provides an in-depth study of basic C# programming syntax in conjunction with a detailed introduction to the concepts of writing code. Topics include: programming concepts such as decision making and flow control, an introduction to object oriented programming, extensive data type review, and syntax for working with the .NET common language run time.

You're Invited!

Join us for our family Open House!!

January 30, 2013 7:00pm-8:30pm

or 

February 5, 2013 7:00pm-8:30pm

Meet in the Media Center at Concord High (West Building, Ground Floor)

Director Steve Rothenberg will explain all aspect of Career and Technical Education, including how we carefully mix classroom, hands-on experiential and extended learning opportunities to engage students. Tour our modern facilities and meet our teachers. Gain an understanding of how students are able to earn high school, and in many cases, college credits while at CRTC. Learn how enrolling in CRTC programs can enhance a student's high school and post graduation plans. For a description of our ten  diverse programs and much more, visit our website:

www.theCRTC.net

New CTE, Old "VOC"

New CTE, old “VOC”

The Concord Regional Technical Center is an Economic Engine

Like the old advertisement that said this is not your father’s Oldsmobile, Career and Technical Education (CTE) is not your father’s or mother’s vocational education. The Concord “Voc” that many of you grew up with does not resemble what you experienced or perceived decades ago. Career and Technical Education is a competitive and robust option for high school students who want to be prepared for college and careers.

The Concord Regional Technical Center (CRTC) as a public career and technical high school, offers a tremendous opportunity for students attending any of the nine regional high schools we serve to become considerably more college and workforce competitive upon graduation.

Far too often I hear adults praising the major benefits of career and technical education for the reason that not every kid can or will go to college -- and thank goodness -- they have something. The truth could not be further from this perception. We service an extremely diverse student body. Almost every one of our students is planning his or her postsecondary future; and it may be argued, our students are considerably more focused on where they are heading when compared non-CTE students.

A student graduating one of our programs has two years of experience under their belt; in addition, in many cases they have earned credits for two or more college classes and have earned industry certificates like an LNA license or an OSHA Safety Card upon completing one of our programs When one of our students applies to a post-secondary institution they can write about their 9 week internship in a local car dealership or their 12+ week internship as a student teacher. Our students also have stories to tell because they’ve trained on some of the newest and best industry equipment and have gained confidence in doing so.

Our students are well ahead of the game. In most cases, they don’t risk wasting money or taking on excessive loans exploring untested post-secondary options, many already know what they want because they’ve had a extensive taste of it already. They have focus and have begun to build a pathway to their future.

A new program slated for next year allows student to earn their Firefighter I certificate as well as college credits at the same time. This exciting program is offered in partnership with the Concord Fire Department. The instructors will be certified fire professionals.

Our students are going to study such post-secondary tracks as: automotive technology, physical therapy, graphic design, programming, welding, elementary education, criminology, cosmetology, and baking to name a few. For example, we are especially proud of a number of our Culinary Arts students who have been accepted and enrolled in Bachelor’s Programs at Culinary Institute of America and New England Culinary Institute, considered to be two of the finest culinary schools in the country.

We believe our students possess a significant head start on post-secondary education when compared to non-CTE student. For example, almost all of our eligible programs offer dual enrollment college courses. In addition, our programs are carefully linked to college classes through written understanding called articulation agreements. Our CRTC students are regularly coached by their instructors on the value of continuing their education. We have frequent college visits and regular conversations about “next year”. Our instructors take great pride in their efforts to connect with every student. It is very personal.

In the 2011 report, “Pathways to Prosperity” published by Harvard University, Career and Technical Education is praised as a very competitive, highly regarded option. The report stresses that aiming to have every student go to college is a worthy goal, but not necessarily of value or realizable to our nation if every student in fact went to and graduated college with a mix of bachelor’s degrees. Often we hear the word college and think four-year degree, but the term ‘college’ extends to 2-year degree and trade certificates. This is a shift in thinking for many of us.

“Pathways to Prosperity” emphasized that we need graduates with college thinking skills, but also with technical skills valuable to the 21st century high-value workplaces. The report references underemployment. Meaning we have jobs that are not filled due to not enough skilled trained workers being available. The report emphasizes expanding our national vision to include a renewed emphasis on technical skills at the secondary and postsecondary level is necessary in order for this country to remain competitive. For many of you in industry including our local partners, this is common sense and not a surprise.

Add it all up and you may conclude, as we have, that this might be the “right” time for career and technical education. We continue to grow and refine our operations, while increasing rigor throughout. The diversity and the quality of our offerings, along with our skilled instructors, is meeting the needs of a very wide span of regional high school students. Come check us out. You will be impressed.

The Concord Regional Technical Center is a public school embedded in Concord High School serving high school students living in the majority of the Capital Region cities and towns including: Allenstown. Andover, Boscawen, Bow, Bradford, Chichester, Concord, Deerfield, Deering, Epsom, Henniker, Hillsboro, Hopkinton, Loudon, Newbury. New London, Pembroke, Penacook (MVHS), Pittsfield, Salisbury, Springfield, Sutton, Warner. Washington, Weare, Webster, Wilmot, and Windsor. Students attend our elective programs as a supplement to their regular high school curriculum and still graduate from their home high school. February is sign up for CTE month.


by Steve Rothenberg, Director

Mac & Cheese Bakeoff!

And the winners are....

Erik Farrar and Katie Lord entered the NH Dairy Council's Mac & Cheese bakeoff on Saturday and took 3rd place in a contest with 30 teams entered, some from local restaurants. Both are students in our Culinary Arts program. Great job!

January Tidbits of Classroom News

Health Science 

Post by: Sharron Bean

The Health Science seniors who are interested in obtaining a Licensed Nursing Assistant (LNA) certificate are actively engaged in training. The training consists of 126 classroom hours of theory and 60 hours of clinical training. The clinical experience is at Presidential Oaks, which is a familiar place for Health Science students and is a neighbor of CHS. Upon successful completion of the theory, clinical, a written state exam and a skills exam students will be licensed to practice as an LNA in New Hampshire. It is a great opportunity that has proved to provide successful employment to support students as they pursue their post-secondary experience.

Students are beginning to prepare for the HOSA State Conference which is on March 19-20, 2013 at the Radisson Hotel in Manchester, NH. The HOSA State conference is a time for all interested Health Science students in the state of NH ( 9 schools, approximately 400 students) to gather for leadership training, team building, and a chance to meet other students interested in being future healthcare professionals. It is a great experience that is in a safe environment for students to learn and grow.

Students from all three Health Science classes participated in the “Be a Santa to a Senior “ program and were featured in an article in the Concord Monitor, Insider.
http://www.theconcordinsider.com/article/chs-students-collect-gifts-for-area-seniors

Automotive 

Post by: Phil Bill & Scott Mayotte 

Twenty four automotive students have signed up and are starting to prepare for the Ford/AAA competition. The competition is co-sponsored by AAA and Ford Motor Company. Its objective is to encourage talented young people to pursue careers as automotive service technicians. This is a nationwide competition for 11th and 12th grade students in secondary schools. Schools may enter one team (2 students). Auto technology students take a state qualifying exam which is taken on line. The ten teams scoring highest on the state qualifying exam then move on to the "hands-on" state finals. In the "hands-on" competition, new Ford Motor Company vehicles are uniformly "bugged" so that each team has identical malfunctions to diagnose and repair. The competition requires repairs to be made with the highest quality workmanship in the lowest total time. The winning two-person team from each state and their instructor are provided expense-paid trips to the national finals in June 2013.

Students win scholarships, trophies, jackets, certificates, trips and automotive equipment. Instructors are eligible to win training engines, equipment, trophies, trip and prestige for their schools. Awards start at the State Qualifying Exam level. Opportunities with the Ford ASSET program will be available to many of the competition finalists. The names of each contestant are submitted to AAA affiliated service facilities, Ford Motor Company dealers, and many other sponsoring organizations that have a need for automotive technicians and other service specialists. This competition complements other Ford and AAA efforts to promote the training and certification of qualified auto service technicians. These activities enlarge the pool of trained auto repair personnel available to serve the public.

    Criminal Justice

    Post by: Scott Lane

  An Exciting Career Path

There are few Career and Technical Education programs that give a student more employment options than Criminal Justice. Traditional police law enforcement, working as a uniformed police officer, is often viewed as the conclusion of this career path. But for many it is simply the start of a rewarding and exciting career.

Specialized law enforcement assignments can include S.W.A.T. operations, air support, K-9, criminal investigations, community resources, traffic enforcement, and under cover narcotics enforcement just to name a few.

There are few areas of society that are not regulated in some manner. Wild life officers, park rangers and Forest Service rangers help protection our outdoor resources. Border Patrol Agents, Immigration and Customs Officers support our Homeland Security efforts. The legal field employees court officers, criminal investigators, and facility security experts who often start their careers in traditional law enforcement roles.

These specialized law enforcement assignments are exciting, rewarding, and sought after by many. You can take the first step down any of these career paths in the C.R.T.C. Criminal Justice Program.

Cosmetology 

Post by: Kim Hannon

The junior and senior class pulled their resources together to put a smile on a child’s face for the holidays. The senior class had a very successful open salon night during the month of December. The proceeds went toward purchasing gifts for three young girls.

What skills are we learning now? In the salon lab juniors are perfecting their up-do and braiding techniques. The senior class is working on their artistic talent by practicing clipper cutting and hair stenciling designs. This service will be a new added on to our salon menu.

Our 2nd Annual Hair-Fashion is in the works. We have invited students from other career and technology centers to join us for this event. The theme this year is “What decade inspires you? Teams of students will create the hair and fashion of their favorite decade.

Graphic Arts

Post by: Tom Mungovan

This month in Graphic Arts will see the installation of a Smart Board and new 50” Flat Screen for classroom instruction. The new technology equipment will enhance learning functions and increase classroom discussions during our critique process. Internships are being geared up to start sending students out and about to experience a real life working environment. Projects being worked on were a complete game board design done by the seniors. The had to work in groups and design a real life working game board complete with instructions, game pieces, box design and actual board to play on. They did a tremendous job as all of their designs were top notch and ready to play. The juniors worked on DVD covers, book jacket designs and gained valuable experience in Photoshop and Illustrator. Both classes will be working on department logos for the CRTC. Stay tuned for the winners! Running Start dual enrollment classes will be offered this month for Manchester Community College, with the addition of these 3 new classes it brings up the total credits one can earn in Graphic Arts to 12 after high school graduation

Teacher Preparation

Post by: Val Flanders

Teaching with Technology

The advancement of technology has had a direct impact on the career of teaching. Today’s teachers are expected to integrate technology into their daily instruction and assessment. Students in the Teacher Preparation program are learning how to teach with technology.

The main technology focus for Teacher Preparation I is the interactive whiteboard. Students are using a program called Smart Board to design math and literacy lessons. They create their teaching materials on the computer. Then while they are teaching the materials are projected onto the interactive whiteboard. The preschool children use a special tool that allows them to move objects on the board. For example, if the student was teaching counting, he may have a picture of a penguin with a 3 on it’s belly. The preschool child would then move 3 fish over to feed the penguin. The Teacher Preparation I students are embracing this technology and have been quite creative when planning and teaching their lessons.

The main technology focus for Teacher Preparation II is the iPad. Every senior is going to get an iPad to use for the rest of the school year. There will be several apps that all of the students will have that will help them during the class portion of the program. They will be able to use the iPads to take quizzes, take notes, and complete research. Students will also be able to use the iPads for their internships. They will complete a digital journal and portfolio to document the growth of their professional skills. They will also be able to customize the iPads by choosing apps that are appropriate for teaching the children in their internship classrooms. The Teacher Preparation II students are eager to begin this exciting experience this month.

Information Technology

Post by: Joe Messineo

Intro to C# programming has been officially certified as a Running Start program. Courses taught through the Running Start program are college courses taught at the high school by credentialed high school faculty as part of the daily class schedule.Students who participate in a concurrent enrollment program are able to earn high school credit and college credit simultaneously.

Taking a college course while still in high school helps students learn about college expectations and sharpen academic skills while offering them a chance to discover what college classes are like before they arrive on a college campus. That means students will have a Running Start on other first-year students who have no prior college experience.

Accepting the challenge of taking college coursework shows that a student is serious and wants to make the most of his/her educational career

Teacher Spotlight: Bob McIntosh

Bob McIntosh

Sulinary Arts

Background: in the restaurant / hospitality industry since the 1970’s Worked in many styles of places including , fine dining, casual dining , hotels, seasonal resorts and restaurant consultation.

Other:

Adjunct instructor at Lakes Region CC, certified Servsafe proctor and instructor, certified Prostart proctor, National Education Team leader for Skills USA for 9 years, American Culinary Federation member - 7 years, apprentice trained sushi chef.

Fortune Cookie: Doing Is Learning
Quote: “Would you serve it?”

Our College Boards

Our college boards have started! As our program completer's are accepted into college and post secondary schools we encourage them to post it on their classroom boards. Check back in a few months and they will be full! To our students keep up the great work!

Spotlight on: Culinary Arts

Post by: Bob McIntosh

The culinary arts program at CRTC is designed to prepare student to enter the world of food service. This may be by working in the industry, finding an apprenticeship or pursuing a certificate or degree from a culinary college. Over the two years students study most aspects of running a restaurant including, cooking and baking methods, knife use, commercial equipment use and safety, dining room service, plating and garnish,etc. During these years student will operate our 50 seat cafe dining room and experience many types of service including casual and fine dining table service, buffet, catering, delivery, fast food and heat and eat.
The program has seen many changes over the last few years. Foremost, a renovation which started to open another space which eventually was outfitted as a separate bake shop, almost doubling the kitchen size. In addition most of the large kitchen equipment has been updated or added to and a large makeover of the dining room made a huge improvement. All of the updates have made it possible to branch out in new teaching areas and give the students more opportunities to learn what it’s like to run a restaurant operation.


Our curriculum is based on federal and state standards that mirror all of the accredited culinary colleges as well as national certification programs such as the American Culinary federation and National Restaurant Association Education Foundation. All aspects of cooking and baking are explored as foundation in the first year and then more in depth in the second. Management skills are also included when students learn to write menus, calculate food and labor cost, set up banquets and buffets and explore starting a business as a personal chef in our capstone project. Students also acquire job skills while participating in our SPUR conference process which is similar to a job review where students show evidence of their skills to prove they deserve the grades they apply for.

During their time here students are exposed to many work-based experiences and also have opportunities to pursue more on their own. Each year chefs from the major culinary schools, as well as the many wonderful local schools, demonstrate for us in our classroom, giving the students a great opportunity to learn about the schools one to one with a working instructor. In addition we are visited by many people who work in the non-traditional parts of the industry such as food and equipment sales, kitchen design and specialty businesses. We also have business partners that provide work opportunities in area restaurants and banquet facilities such as NH Lodging and Restaurant Association, the Marriott Grappone Center of Concord and the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Nashua.

Students are also urged to participate in many other opportunities provided by the program. Career based clubs like Skills USA and the local American Culinary Federation chapter offer professional contacts and training as well as competitions and scholarships. We have been fortunate enough to have had many students compete at state level and win then be able to compete at the \national level, receiving scholarships as well as fantastic learning opportunities.

We also have articulation agreements and dual enrollment programs with colleges such as the Thompson School at UNH, Lakes Region Community College and the Culinary Institute of America, which allow students to earn college credit in their high school class. We also offer the opportunity to get nationally recognized industry certification through National Restaurant Association.

Some future projects I hope to get off the ground are in many areas. Our business partners are working with us to develop an internship program that will give the students hands on experience in area establishments. We are also trying to offer evening classes in our kitchen by the instructors at Lakes Region Community College and offer more dual enrollment credits as well.

Please feel free to stop by or come in for lunch some day and see what we’re cooking up for you.
Bon Apetit,
Chef Mac