Hunterdon County Polytech Students, Chapter Win Big at FCCLA States

Flemington, N.J. – Education students from Hunterdon County Polytech Career and Technical School have a reason to celebrate after participating in the Family Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) State Leadership Conference held in late March. All seven students who participated won gold, and the Polytech Chapter of FCCLA received the Red Rose Chapter Award, an honor bestowed to only four schools in the state.

Congratulations to the stellar Polytech students:

· 1st Place Gold, Chapter in Review (STAR competition) – Tori Sebastiano, Eli Gerth and Maddie Torkildsen for their project, “Find Your Treasure in FCCLA.”

· 1st Place Gold, Early Childhood Education (STAR competition) - Claire Gootman for submitting a portfolio and resource box, which included a letter of employment, letters of recommendations, lesson plans, pictures, activities in different subject areas, a weekly plan and an emotional development chart for 4- and 5-year-old children. She also had 20 minutes to prepare and present a lesson.

· 1st Place Gold, Focus on the Children (STAR competition) - Kathleen Lowndes and Emily Augustus for their project, “Kindness for Kids.” “Our goal for the project was to educate children about how to be kind with others while developing empathy and highlighting positive relationships in their lives,” says Augustus.

· 1st Place Gold, Storybook Ethics – Kristen Weingart, who used the book Hugs All Around by Janet Craig to focus on caring as one of the pillars of character. “I think caring is one of the most important pillars of character, especially as a foundation for preschool children so they can understand how to better work with each other before moving on to harder concepts,” says Weingart. “I think it’s a good stepping stone."

Weingart’s competition was a state-only event. All other Polytech winners will move on to the National Leadership Conference held this summer.

"I’m really proud of my students’ hard work, determination and enthusiasm for their projects and as members of FCCLA,” says Natalie Guarino, instructor of the Early Childhood Education and Teacher Academy programs at Polytech. These programs will combine to become the Principles of Teaching program, starting next academic year.

Polytech’s FCCLA Chapter was recognized with a Red Rose Chapter Award for Excellence in Character, Community Service and Leadership. This is the fourth year the award has been given and the fourth year Polytech has received it.

“I believe in the value of what the FCCLA does for our students,” says Guarino. “Students learn essential life skills including leadership, public speaking and community service. These are the types of people we want to become teachers.”

Current high school students interested in exploring the education field can learn more at polytech.hcvsd.org. The two-year Principles of Teaching program is for high school juniors and seniors. That program continues to accept students for next academic year on a rolling basis.

Hunterdon County Polytech Career and Technical School is the largest component of Hunterdon County Vocational School District (HCVSD). Polytech is the district’s shared-time high school that prepares students for a seamless transition to college and career paths. HCVSD also operates an Adult and Continuing Education school and three science-based high school academies: the Biomedical Sciences Academy, the Computer Science and Applied Engineering Academy and the Environmental Sustainability and Engineering Academy. Learn more at www.hcvsd.org.

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All pupils will be given equal opportunity for enrollment in programs operated by the Hunterdon County Vocational School District regardless of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender, religion, disability, or socioeconomic status (34 C.F.R. Part 100, Appendix B, Section IV-A). No qualified handicapped person shall, on the basis of handicap, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity which receives federal financial assistance, et seq (34 C.F.R. Part 104.4(a)(b).