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.