Governor Appoints Former County Police Officer Renee Taschner to NCC Vo-Tech Board of Education
Renee C. Taschner, a retired New Castle County Police senior sergeant, has been appointed by Gov. Jack Markell to serve a seven-year term on the New Castle County Vocational Technical School District Board of Education. Taschner took her oath of office at the school board's monthly meeting December 19.
Unlike other Delaware public school districts, vo-tech school board members are appointed by the Governor, not elected by the community. Taschner, 47, fills the seat formerly held by Ray Christian, a retired Colonial School District superintendent who died in September after an extended illness.
Taschner first entered public service as a Delaware State Police dispatcher, before graduating from the New Castle County Police Academy in 1988. She was one of only two women in that graduating class. Taschner served on the force until retiring in 2004.
A Delaware resident for over 30 years, she is a graduate of Dickinson High School and earned a degree in Criminal Justice/Police Science from Delaware Technical and Community College. She has served as treasurer and secretary of the Fraternal Order of Police, and is a member of and chaplain for the NCC Police Alumni Association.
School District Superintendent Victoria Gehrt said she and the district administration look forward to the expertise Taschner will bring to the seven-member board.
"Her wide range of experiences in the law enforcement field, as well as in public service and community outreach, will certainly add value to our Board," said Gehrt. "We look forward to her tenure with us."
"New Castle County Vo-Tech has an outstanding reputation for doing positive things for students," said Taschner. "I consider it an honor to have been selected by the Governor to serve with the other members of this well-respected board, to continue with the good work they are doing." She said she is eager to get into the four vo-tech high schools to observe instruction and learn about the programs offered to students. "I want to assure the community that we are providing students the necessary tools to be successful after graduation," she said.
Taschner and her husband, Jeff, live in the Newark area with their two children.
GOVERNOR SEES STUDENTS TURNING LAYOFFS INTO NEW LEASES ON LIFE
Dozens of students shared their stories with Delaware Governor Jack Markell and a group of state lawmakers as they visited Delaware Skills Center this week. Students who had been employed in the finance, insurance and retail sectors and recently lost jobs due to downsizing are actively engaged learning new skills and gaining certification in areas such as computer support, medical assistant, construction electric and HVAC. Upon completion, the Delaware Skills Center helps students secure jobs. 80% of the students who completed courses in 2011 obtained employment.
"I saw motivated men and women re-making themselves and learning new skills so they will have a job in today's market," said Governor Markell. "Delaware Skills Center is giving them the education they need to re-tool themselves in a challenging job market. They are giving themselves the chance to secure new futures for themselves and their families."
Recent course upgrades include solar thermal heating, heat pump operation and energy efficiency training in HVAC, Linux, green IT, software trouble shooting and customer service training was added to the computer support course. Medical Assistant students are practicing medical laboratory procedures and electronic medical records applications. Input from advisory committees members from business directs changes in course content and course offerings are built in response to high demand jobs identified by the business community and the Delaware Department of Labor. Courses are funded by the Delaware Workforce Investment Board and the Delaware Office of Education.
Adult Vocational School Highlights Success in Helping the Unemployed
NCC Vo-Tech has 3 on Team USA!
Parade magazine highlights the upcoming international WorldSkills competition in London in October, and 3 of the USA team members are graduates of NCC Vo-Tech!
Once on the site, click the blue Meet Team USA — and Send Them a Message of Support! Scroll down the photos on the left, and of the 17 team members featured, 3 are from our school district: John Huhn, Hodgson HVAC graduate from 2009; Melissa Rubican, Delcastle Culinary Arts graduate from 2009; and Ryan Spinden, Hodgson Plumbing graduate from 2010.
WorldSkills Competition is called the Olympics of skilled labor. Starting Oct. 5, SkillsUSA's World Team will square off against 55 other national teams in areas ranging from welding to cooking to IT networking.
District Meal Benefits Available Throughout School Year
The New Castle County Vo-Tech School District offers free or reduced-price meals to any student who qualifies. To apply for these benefits, a Meal Benefit Form must be completed. Forms are available online, in the Guidance Office, or from the school cafeteria manager. Forms should be completed and then returned to Guidance or the Cafeteria. You will be notified by mail with the results. You may apply at any time during the school year should your income change or should you become unemployed. Please remember in this changing, stressful economy, that these meal benefits are available through our school district. Thank you.
Howard's Teacher of the Year Introduces VP Biden
On Monday, March 21, Vice President Biden, Governor Markell, and Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education, visited Howard to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Delaware's being awarded the first and top-rated State RTTT application. Read more about it here: News Journal
Delcastle Cooks and Bakers Team Takes Win at 2011 The Farmer and The Chef Competition
The Delcastle Cooks and Bakers Culinary Arts team scored a repeat win September 15th at the 4th annual The Farmer and The Chef fundraiser event benefitting the March of Dimes. The event pairs local farmers with local chefs who create tasting samples for all attendees, using products provided by the farm. Attendees then vote on their favorite dishes. More than 1,500 attended this year's competition, held at the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington.
The cook-off had 44 chefs listed to compete, from such notable establishments as the Hotel DuPont, the Back Burner, Piccolina Toscana, Union City Grille, Caffe Gelato, Lamberti's, and the Columbus Inn among others. Delcastle Cooks and Bakers took top honors again!
Winners are:
1st Place: Delcastle Technical High School Cooks & Bakers, paired with Blair View Farms and Kalmar Farm
2nd Place: Woodside Farm Creamery
3rd Place: Hotel Dupont, paired with Highland Orchards and Bob & Barbara Russell
Rookie of the Year: Desserts by Dana, paired with Highland Orchards
For video congratulations from the governor, click "More Info" below.
Delcastle Electrical Trades Takes Classroom to the Roof
A new solar energy system installed on the roof above the commercial industrial electrical trades lab at Delcastle was dedicated Wednesday morning by school district officials and industry partners who donated the equipment. The event was covered by the News Journal, Channel 6, and WDEL. A feature story is expected to be published within the next few days in the News Journal, but video of the event is available at:
Delcastle High School biology teacher Brian Gross shows Mrs. Prickles, a hedgehog, to Odyssey Charter School second-graders. The News Journal/JENNIFER CORBETT
Howard Students Throw Sweetheart Dance
Read about Howard students throwing a Sweethearts Dance for aged residents of Luther Towers.
Howard High School of Technology students Julianna Beltz (left) and Aunyaie Parker hand off desserts as they serve residents of Luther Towers in Wilmington at the sixth annual Sweetheart Ball. / The News Journal/WILLIAM BRETZGER
Hodgson Environmental Landscape Tech Students Create Garden for Hospital
Hodgson students' project produced raised garden beds and access pathways for residents at Emily P. Bissell Hospital. See the story by visiting the News Journal link:
Hodgson Technical High School students (from left) Stacy Kline, 16, Ron Killen, 18, and Deanna Evans, 17, lay gravel around the base of one of the raised garden beds at Emily Bissell Hospital.
Delcastle Trio Designs Winning Poster
Delcastle Graphic Arts students designed a Disability Awareness poster to be used in schools across Delaware.
If you are interested in using the Disability Awareness poster designed by Delcastle Graphic Arts students, please click to DOWNLOAD (7.05 MB PDF - opens in new window).
At Howard camp, students explore potential career paths
Every summer, middle schoolers fill the classrooms of Howard High School of Technology to explore future careers. The campers spend four half days in their chosen areas and seem to have a common complaint: "It's just not long enough." For more information click on Career Camp.
Cosmetology students at Howard's Summer Camp
Hodgson's Art Club Creates Mural
Hodgson's Art Club spent several Saturdays at the Delaware City Arts Center designing and painting a mural for their Between Fences exhibit. The exhibit, located at 60 Clinton Street, officially opened March 21st and will run through May 1st.
The Between Fences Exhibit is part of Museum on Main Street, a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and the Delaware Humanities Forum. The Art Club mural featured several images depicting Delaware City's unique flavor...the Fire Hall, Crabby Dick's restaurant, the park benches, a Fort Delaware soldier, the Edwin Reybold house, etc.
The mural served as a backdrop for the exhibit, which explores the importance of fences in defining American history. The Arts Center will host several lectures and events to further explore the Between Fences theme in the coming weeks.
Participants in mural: Shakena Corbett, Taylor Murphy, Anna Henry, Kevin McCarthy, Michael Stumpf, Jillian Ousey, Kelly Boyle, Erin Foraker, Bryana Hahn, Gloria Hahn (advisor), and Rolinda Roper (advisor).
Hodgson's Art Club Members and the mural they created for the Between Fences exhibit
Delcastle Students Bake Cookies For Police Officers
"Bake the Night Away" was an overnight effort by Delcastle's culinary arts students designed to make 500 dozen cookies for hundreds of police officers statewide. The 6,000 cookies were contributed to "Cookies for Cops," an annual program sponsored by Mothers Against Drunk Driving as a holiday thank you to police for trying to keep impaired drivers off the highways.
Delcastle Graphic Arts Wins Poster Contest
Congratulations to Delcastle Graphic Arts students who were winners in the Delaware Department of Natural Resources Conservation Youth Poster Design Contest, New Castle County division. Emily Hunter won 1st Place; Tiffany Noel, 2nd place; and Ammon Hutt, 3rd place. The students were recognized in an assembly on December 16 and received certificates and cash awards. Emily's poster can be viewed at the DNREC web site by clicking on More Info.
Hodgson's Chef Gerry Treese Wins Ice Sculpting Award
Temperatures hovering below 30 degrees with a wind chill that made it feel like 17, made for ideal ice-sculpting weather for three carvers on Saturday morning, January 31st on the Boardwalk outside the Atlantic Sands Hotel.
Chef Gerry Treese, a culinary teacher at Hodgson Vocational School, started with a 300 lb. block of ice and transformed it into an airplane in just a couple of hours.
To read more about the contest, click on more info.
Hodgson's Dental Assisting Clinic Provides Free Dental Care
As part of a special arrangement between Brader Elementary School and the New Castle County Vocational Technical School District, Hodgson's Dental Assisting students learn workplace skills while under-insured children receive free dental care.
"Dollar Wi$e" Campaign Kicked Off at Howard's Academy of Finance and Business
Students from Howard's Academy of Finance and Business and their instructors, Mr. Matt Kane and Tim Johnson, hosted the kickoff of Howard's participation in Wilmington's "Dollar Wi$e" Campaign last week. Wilmington Mayor James M. Baker, the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League (MWUL), the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and Citigroup announced Wilmington's participation in this national program - a collaborative effort created by the U.S. Conference of Mayors to help citizens achieve better financial security through a series of free financial literacy training classes. The campaign targets Wilmington residents of all income levels and urges citizens to be financially literate and save for the future. The free financial literacy classes will be co-hosted by MWUL and the Delaware Money School.
You can watch our students in the WPVI-TV piece by clicking on the link:
Howard Pioneers Structural Steel Detailing Program
Howard started a structural steel detailing program four years ago and is one of the only schools in the country -- if not the only one -- with such a program. Other schools might have a detailing class, but not a three-year program like the one at Howard High, said Patrick Mulhern, who teaches the trade at the school.
Instructor Pat Mulhern works with a student in class.
Howard Cosmetology Students Featured in Sunday News Journal Article
If you thought the only connection between hair and furniture would involve the action of a vacuum cleaner, think again. Howard cosmetology students are working with a famous designer, incorporating their braided creations into furniture.
Hodgson Students Learn How to Install Solar Panels
GLASGOW, DEL. - May 29, 2008 (WPVI, By Laura Wilson) -- Students at Hodgson Vo-Tech High School will have one up on other newcomers in the electrical trade industry.
Thanks to a company that specializes in renewable industry, and a $10,000 grant from the Delaware Department of Energy, these kids installed solar panels to a portion of their own school. The students learned about solar energy by reading books supplied by the General Electric company, and by doing their own Internet research. "I think we're the first people in the nation to install that in a high school. To me, it's kind of a great experience," said junior Brian Ksiazek.
As for why this project is so important, junior Steve Lebischak said "we're going to run out of fossil fuels sooner or later and we're going to need some way to power America."
