www.CiTiboces.org

March 2016 News from the Center for Instruction, Technology & Innovation

SpotlotligightSSppootltliigghhttTheTThehe

Pre-K student Aiden Faulstick learns how to brush his teeth from “Harry the Monkey” and CiTi Dental Assisting student Brittany Jolly.

Alternative Education: How Sweet it is

Alternative Education Teachers KC Jones, far left, and Carolyn Deary-Petrocci, far right, teach Project Explore students steps of maple syrup production, including how to tap sugar maple trees and the role of an evaporator.

Students in the Project Explore program at CiTi are working hard to reap sweet rewards of their maple syrup unit.

Both AM and PM participants have spent the last several weeks tapping trees under the direction of KC Jones, alternative education teacher. Jones said students will learnabout the syrup’s production from how to tap trees at least 10 inches in diameter, how a freeze at night and thaw during the day keeps sap coming, collection of sap, pouring of sap into a wood-burning evaporator so it boils and separates water from the sugar.

The process takes place behind CiTi’s Mexico campus, where there is an abundanceof sugar maple trees on the property. A short walk into the woods leads to the sugar shack where the evaporation process occurs. Jones said students also learn about reverse osmosis and how to remove excess water from sap before it is boiled.

Jones said approximately 30 gallons of maple syrup is expected to be produced.Andrew Ives, a sophomore at Paul V. Moore High School in Central Square, said

his favorite part of the process thus far has been riding the tractor into the woods and learning how to drill a sugar maple tree at the proper angle, which helps drain sap.

The hands-on learning experience will culminate in April when Project Explore students team up with the Culinary Arts Career and Technical Education students to host a pancake breakfast. Each student from Project Explore will get to take a bottle of their maple syrup home, and maple syrup will also be on sale for CiTi faculty and staff.

Students Teach Dental Health

The CiTi dental assisting classrecently visited Noah’s Christian Nursery School in Fulton to educate preschoolers on theimportance of brushing their teeth.

The students used creative tools to capture the attention of the children while also teaching an important lesson. For instance, a “Harry the monkey” stuffed animal showed the kids the proper way to brush their teeth, making sure to get the ones all the way to the back of the mouth.

One dental assisting student evendressed up as “Tommy the Tooth” and performed in song and dance to get the kids excited about taking care of their teeth. Each child also received a goody bag from the CiTi adult education class, which included a toothbrush, coloringbook and more.

ww

w.C

iTib

oces

.org

Life Skills Gained at Retail CiTi

Students in the Project Explore Alternative Education program at the Center for Instruction, Technology & Innovation foster life skills at Retail CiTi, a small shopwhere items they create are sold.

CiTi Alternative Education Teacher Helen Perth said student responsibilities include brainstorming project ideas, pricing, catalog development, purchasing of supplies, crafting, marketing, participation in bi-weekly business meetings and selling handmade projects at Retail CiTi, located within CiTi’s main campus inMexico. The hands-on learning process, she said, affords students the ability to develop and enhanceorganization, planning and related skills necessary to be successful.

Retail CiTi proceeds go into a club account and are used to purchase additional supplies for the store, student rewards or small gifts for students who commit to hard work and dedication of projects.

Project Explore students make handcrafted items, such as the spring chick at left, which are sold at the Retail CiTi store at the Mexico campus. Many additional items are for sale.

Making a Mark on the Iditarod TrailStudents in Becky Craig’s Exceptional Education classroom at CiTi have made

their mark on the Iditarod trail.Their recent book drive “Books on the Trail” garnered 83 brand new books,

nearly enough for the 100 students in the school they were shipped to in Elim,Alaska. The small city is a stop on the Iditarod trail, which is a 1,000-mile pathway throughout Alaska’s remote and bustling areas as part of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. As part of an English Language Arts project-based learning activity, Craig’s students researched the trail history, designed posters and created a bulletin board presentation. They also tracked progress of mushers, drivers of a dogsled, along the trail and received a video message from one of the race participants.

The unit culminated with a March 16 visit from one of the mushers and her dogs.

CARE Students Produce Video

Students enrolled in CiTi’s Credit Accrual and Recovery Programfor Everyone (CARE) diligently worked alongside SUNY Oswegostudents to produce a video, whichexplains their program. They created storyboards, recordings, and completed various duties of a director, writer and illustrator, among several other components of the production process.Their project, which is part of their English grade, will be showcased during CiTi’s annual meeting dinner on April 6.

CiTi Staff Build 3D Printers

CiTi staff members recently attended a three-day Genesee Valley Educational Partnership workshop in Batavia, where they learned how to assemble 3D printers.

Participants can now troubleshoot the printers if they are not working correctly. Knowledge from the workshop will be shared with CiTi students, so they can print end-products for items they design and create for projects, or small models for larger items they design. Students in Jon Miller's Digital Media Technology classroom currently have access to 3Dprinting, as there is one machine there.

Pictured above, from left are: CiTiExecutive Director of Technology and Data Tracy Fleming, Itinerant Computer Ed Specialist Dan Rupert, Digital Media Technology Instructor Jon Miller,Alternative Education Teacher KC Jonesand ITS: Model Schools Coordinator Peri Nelson-Sukert.

ww

w.C

iTiboces.org

Tech Tour for CTE ClassesA recent visit to SUNY Oswego’s Technology

Department opened up doors of educational opportunity for several Career and Technical Education students at CiTi.

Students toured a technology lab where they observed that college students use a variety of machines that are available at CiTi: a CNC router, 3D printer and scanners to createprojects. They toured a design studio and lab where one professor talked with CiTi students about using technology to solve problems. The tour also aimed to empower and motivate students in their CTE class.

CiTi Receives Several Accolades at SkillsUSA Competition

CiTi walked away from the Area II Regional Conference SkillsUSA competition with 9 first-place awards, 9 second-placeawards and 5 third-place winners.

SkillsUSA is a national organization that creates opportunities for career and technical education students to demonstratetheir learned skills and abilities. Next up for the competitors is the New York State competition in April.

The event was held at SUNY Morrisville and showcased the talents of students from 17 different career and technical education programs. SUNY Morrisville will offer a $250 scholarship per semester to any Area II SkillsUSA participant student who chooses to pursue their education at Morrisville State College.

CiTi's Career and Technical Education students discuss the benefi ts of continuing education beyond high school during a recent visit to SUNY Oswego's technology department.

Caring for Our CommunityBridges to Success students recently spent some time

at St. Francis Commons Assisted Living Residence in Oswego playing bingo and socializing with residents.

Students volunteered their time to spend with our community's older citizens and earned community servicehours toward graduation. Bridges School Social Worker Chalet Dewey-Flint said students in the AlternativeEducation program at CiTi have become more engaged in giving back and continue to share ideas on how to maketheir schools and communities better places.

Bridges students Sabrina Ouderkirk, left, and Shaun Huggins, right, help assisted living residents play bingo.

Christopher J. ToddDistrict Superintendent

Board of EducationJohn Shelmidine, PresidentDonna Blake, Vice President

Eric BehlingGregory Muench David Cordone

Kevin DixCasey BrouseTed Williams

William David White

179 County Route 64, Mexico, NY 13114315.963.4251

www.CiTiboces.org

A publication of the Public Relations Service at the Center for Instruction, Technology & Innovation

The

The Center for Instruction, Technology & Innovation shall continue its policy of providing educational opportunities for all students who wish to enroll in any course without regard to race, sex, religion, national origin, or creed. The Title IX Compliance Offi cers are Roseann Bayne and Mark LaFountain. They can be reached by calling 315.963.4251 or by mail at 179 County Route 64, Mexico, NY 13114.

Cooking up the Competition Culinary Arts students at CiTi, Bailey Hilton and Rachael Wideman, have paved their

own way to tasty success.As second-year students of the Career and Technical Education program, Hilton and

Wideman used introductory cooking skills, knife cuts, respect of a kitchen chef and timemanagement learned at CiTi as the backbone to competing in the Paul Smith’s College’sannual Cooking for Scholarships competition, held March 5 at Paul Smith's College.

The students collected recommendation letters, completed a written test about culinaryskills and terminology, set up a kitchen station and were tested on: knife cuts, how to create a sauce, how to prepare a chicken entrée and what to pair as side dishes. After two hours, Hilton, Wideman and about 20 other students were graded on sanitation, preparation techniques, final presentation and taste.

Hilton, a senior at Pulaski Academy & Central School, placed fourth and Wideman, a senior at Mexico Academy & Central School, placed fifth. Both ladies received a newprofessional knife set for their efforts.

The friends said they are excited to start their post-secondary education together at the Paul Smith’s College Culinary Arts program. Hilton said she will also double-major with hospitality and restaurant management.

Additional Culinary Arts highlights include a March 8 visit to the WegmansSuperstore in Dewitt and the AM vs. PM buffet, held March 16 at CiTi. Students willalso prepare items for the March 22 Youth Summit at SUNY Oswego, as well as for theCiTi annual meeting on April 6.

Culinary Arts students Rachael Wideman, left, and Bailey Hilton, right, show off their new knife sets they received at a recent competition.

CiTi Students Visit SUNY Oswego

A field trip to SUNY Oswego has empowered Exceptional Education students at CiTi to explore colleges.During the recent visit, students in grades seven through nine felt a boost of confidence as they gained accessto the following areas of college life: adormitory room, the Marano ice arena, classroom labs and the planetarium.The tour culminated with a science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) activity (creating cardboard robotic hands) and then eating lunch at a dining hall. CiTi students were joined by several college students who theywere paired with as part of the Mentor-Scholars Program, a partnershipbetween SUNY Oswego and CiTi. Holly Nosiglia, graduate assistant for the program, said the partnershiphas afforded students the opportunityto gain confidence and to establish individual goals with support fromtheir mentors.

New ESOL Class OfferedWant to learn to speak English or

improve your English speaking skills? The Center for Career and Community Education (CCCE) is offering an English class for speakers of other languages (ESOL) on Monday and Wednesdayevenings, 4:30 – 7:30, at 806 West Broadway, in Fulton. There is no cost to

the student, just the commitment to be here for six hours every week. The class is open to those who need to learn Englishat any level, from beginner to advanced. Call 963.4256 to register. CCCE is a collaborative partnership between theAdult Education Department at CiTi and Cayuga Community College.