The NEW! Fall/Winter 2010 Adult Career & Technical Education Course Catalog

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Alternative High School Students Graduate

Sixty-six Dutchess County students graduated from the Dutchess BOCES Alternative High School (AHS) Programs on Friday afternoon. Student speakers at the commencement exercises held at the Dutchess Turnpike campus were Zach Ferris, Patricia Mendoza-Case and Paul Pierson.

On June 25th, Dutchess BOCES recognized faculty and staff at the End-of-Year event.

The Dutchess BOCES/Arlington High School Prom was held at the Arlington High School Gym on Friday, May 14, 2010. Students and staff (and some retirees!) had a wonderful time dancing and enjoying a light meal, snacks and desserts! Many thanks to all the staff and students who helped make this prom a huge success!

Several cosmetology students from Marcy Grady and Madeline Balog's CTI Cosmetology class gained practical experience of hairstyles and makeup from the 1950s. Our students worked backstage, preparing the actors for the Admiral Players' spring musical production of "Grease". The production, which took place on April 16, 17 and 18, 2010 at Arlington High School, was a huge success. This is another example of a great partnership between Dutchess BOCES and one of our component school districts!

What a day they had! Lisa Slagle's class took a train trip to NYC. Their first activity of the day was Broadway in the Classroom. This was a session in a real Broadway dance studio taught by one of the actors from Broadway's The Lion King. Derrick, one of the dancers from the show, taught the students some dance moves. He led our students through different parts of the choreography while teaching them some crazy moves! Students enjoyed seeing The Lion King later that afternoon and identifying the dance steps they had learned. After the show, everyone enjoyed a delicious meal at Dean's Italian Restaurant before heading back to Dutchess County.

On Wednesday, May 12, 2010, Leah Pollack and Daniele Rimaldi hosted a school-wide science fair at the Salt Point Center. We were fortunate to have two former employees of Dutchess BOCES, Nan Eidle and Linda Kilpatrick, judge this event. We had many participants at the elementary and middle school level with creative projects and demonstrations. The Science Fair was well attended and considered a great success! We hope to continue this tradition in the future.

On Tuesday, May 18, 2010, Jesse A. Saperstein spoke to parents and members of our community about his experiences as an individual with Asperger's syndrome and provided insights about supports children with autism need to be integrated into their communities (work, school, and day-to-day living). A local resident, Saperstein is sought after in the autism community. He is dedicated to demystifying Asperger's syndrome and autism in our culture. Saperstein authored a book entitled ATYPICAL: Life with Asperger's in 20 1/3 Chapters. (Perigee Trade Paperback ISBN 978-0-399-53572-7, Penguin Books).

The Dutchess BOCES class at Pawling High School completed a multi-disciplined module on Afghanistan and Pakistan. The students read "Listen to the Wind," which tells the story of Dr. Greg Mortenson's mission to "promote peace, one school at a time." In addition, they tasted various foods of the region. With the help of art teacher Caroline Van Wagner, they created a sixfoot collage depicting a scene from Mortenson's book. Under the auspices of the Interact club, the class collected $60 in contributions for Pennies for Peace.

A new chapter of BOCES Interact at our Salt Point Center is now official. This chapter is unique in New York in that it not only has members who are not yet the usual high school age, but also is THE FIRST to do so under the new lowered-age Rotary International guidelines. As if this were not enough, this SPC Chapter is also THE FIRST to incorporate a guitar club, a chorus, and a student senate as primary components of their mission to bring leadership through representation and service through music!

Two MTI adult education students from the HVAC spring course have been accepted into two union apprenticeship programs:   International Union of Painters and Allied Trades Local 155; and, Laborers' Local 1000.  Congratulations to students and staff!

Dutchess BOCES Educational Resources Division offers many advisory councils, workgroups, consultant activities, workshops, online trainings, and business and university partnerships. Collaboratively, let’s work together to promote student learning, improve pedagogy, and utilize new technologies to better meet the needs of our students.

Browse the Summer 2010 Professional Learning Catalog here

Educational Resources is offering Understanding the Needs of Students with Autism: NYSED Autism Certification Course. New York State Education Law requires individuals applying for licensure to have completed the three hours of coursework in Understanding the Needs of Students with Autism.

CTI Carpentry students participated in a Recreational Trails Program grant for improvements to the Hyde Park Heritage Greenway Trail System.  The students built five trailhead kiosks and continue to make the majority of the routed trail directional signs.  The Greenway recently received a 2010 Recreational Trails Achievement Award and is highlighted on the American Trails website.

Three students from the Hudson Valley Region have received prestigious national awards for their outstanding artwork through The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, the 87 year-old national program that recognizes outstanding creative teenagers and offers scholarship opportunities for graduating high school seniors.