Superintendent

Superintendent

Monday, November 26, 2012

It's a Monday . . .

I used to think the worst sound in the world was the engine not turning over when I started my car. Last night  I knew the worst sound is actually the absence of sound, as in when you turn your heat up and the furnace doesn't kick on. Yes, it was a cold night, and an even colder morning, trying to get ready for work in a house with no heat--the thermostat read 55 when I left this morning!

Apparently my furnace stopped working sometime over the Thanksgiving holiday, when (luckily) I was visiting my kids in Defiance. I chose not to drive back there at 10 p.m., when it became evident that the furnace was definitely not going to come on. I had spent most of the day driving to Cleveland and back with my oldest daughter and finally arrived back in Van Wert at 9 p.m. The "It's a Monday . . ." title was inspired by my hands being so cold this morning that I dropped my yogurt as I was getting it out of the refrigerator to pack in my lunch. Yes, it splattered all over the kitchen floor, and down my knee-high black suede dress boots. . . one of the rare days in the past two years where I have worn a dress to work, due to the rough conditions of the school's construction project.

The minor yogurt catastrophe reminds me of the old Erma Bombeck calendar quote, "Life is a bowl of cherries. . .spilled on a brand new white silk blouse." If my furnace breaking is the worst thing that happens to me, I can handle it! I am so thankful for skilled tradesmen.The good news is the furnace has now been fixed, AND at a very reasonable price, thanks to A & A Mechanicals. Tyler Holdgreve, the owner, is a former Vantage student! His service man, Forrest, was professional, knowledgeable, prompt, and courteous.

Friday, November 16, 2012

November 16, 2012

Two blogs in ten days or so. . . it may be a record for (infrequent) blogging on my part. I have been in Columbus three days this past week, to attend the annual Ohio School Boards Association conference. Several Vantage board members attended the career-technical superintendents' association breakfast and meeting on Tuesday, November 13. The keynote speaker was Dick Ross, Director of 21st Century Education for Ohio. While a funding formula is still being worked on for CTE, we are anticipate weighted funding to be adapted per program operating costs. Vantage depends on receiving weighted funding, and hopefully the balance of low, middle, and high-cost programs we operate will see similar revenue to what has been received in the past. The exact formula remains to be seen until late January or early February, when the Governor unveils his school funding formula.

School funding is too heavy of a conversation with which to end this blog, especially on a Friday evening, when I have a date with my rake and a yard full of leaves! Lots of good things happened this week at school--our Interactive Media program produced an excellent slide show set to music, for the Van Wert Chamber of Commerce's Annual Small Business Awards luncheon. The slide show was shown to a huge crowd of 140 area business partners. Some of our Vantage students, and their instructor, Jill DeWert, were able to attend, along with our Adult Education Director Pete Prichard and me.

One of our students, Robert Leonard, Network Systems, and from Parkway Local Schools, is still hospitalized following a car accident which occurred a week ago, but we are receiving daily updates from his parents, which sound encouraging. This young man is extremely lucky to be alive, and has undergone 13 surgeries in the past week, with several more ahead of him. Our hearts go out to Robert and his family, with best wishes for his continued recovery and strength.

Vantage is proud to be asked to help with a local collection of toys for area children for Christmas. This year there is no Toys for Tots program in our county, but all of our county schools have been invited to have a toy drive to fill the void. Several area businesses and other groups will assist as well, and together we will help make the holidays brighter for several families.

Until next time, (which will hopefully be next week), enjoy the weekend!


Thursday, November 8, 2012

November 8, 2012

It's November 8 already, and only 24 degrees outside this morning! Today started off with patchy fog coming into the south of our district, requiring a 2-hour delay decision, after Van Wert county schools were impacted. That provided a nice opportunity to write a quick blog, since the school is really quiet at 8 a.m. on 2-hour delay days!

Vantage successfully renewed our .8 mill operating levy in the November election. We are ecstatic, particularly because it was passed in each of the four counties we serve! Passing it with a "grand slam" has not happened in our voting history. Many thanks go out to all of our voters who support our school. We believe in the training we provide to high school students and adults, and the election results indicate that you support us too.

Eighth grade tours are concluding this week--it has been great to see these students in our labs. Each eighth grader who attends the Vantage visit gets a five-minute exposure to each of our training labs. Yes, it's brief, but we intend to spark interest and make students aware of career training options before they are in high school.

It is my belief that at least every eighth grader and sophomore should experience a visit to Vantage, so that they, and their parents, can make an informed decision about career training and their future. If you want more information about our school, please check out our website at vantagecareercenter.com  Our student services office may also be reached at 419-238-5411 ext. 2126, Secretary Lisa Hatcher, or Ben Winans, Supervisor, ext. 2140.