The Adult & Continuing Education Spring-Summer 2016 catalog is on its way to Rockland County residents. Offerings range from Veterans Administration-approved Career and Technical Education courses to personal wellness programs. Ten new courses include Green Cleaning/Custodial Training Program, Hospitality, a tasty Tour of Italy and much more.
Can’t wait to check out the catalog? Click here to view it online.
As part of a legislative hearing in Albany last week, Commissioner of Education MaryEllen Elia indicated that NYSED leadership had in fact heard the message sent by parents and teachers about the stresses of mandated tests for students in Grades 3-8.
Click here to view a summary of how the next round of assessments will look different.
CTEC’s Culinary Arts Club will be hosting its next Pop-Up Restaurant Night on Wednesday, February 24 from 5:00-8:00pm. This is the second event in the Pop-Up Restaurant Night series, which provides Culinary Arts students with the opportunity to work shoulder-to-shoulder with local restauranteurs and caterers on a real event.
This month, students will collaborate with the talented staff of La Talaye Catering & Event Design. The menu (click on the image at right) features dishes with bright flavors, such as a Farmer’s Market Salad with Lime Vinaigrette and Pineapple & Ginger Roasted Salmon Vera Cruz Style.
Tickets are $25 per person for a four-course meal. Proceeds benefit the Culinary Arts Club, which produces the Culinary Banquet each spring. Advance reservations are required; to reserve a seat, call (845) 627-4700 x4498.
At this atypical February 12 Science Fair, science teachers from across the region came to check out what’s trending in science kits. Contents of the kits, purchased by BOCES from several vendors, are used at all grade levels, including kindergarten, where students use them to explore “Materials in Our World.” The kits are aligned with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), as well as New York State Learning Standards.
The Instructional Services & Professional Development division has been providing science kits to component districts for more than 20 years—and has the building of these customized kits down to a science.
Roll up your sleeves, Rockland!
Rockland BOCES’ 6th Annual Community Blood Drive is Monday, February 29 from 11:00am – 5:00 pm at 65 Parrott Road, Building 10, West Nyack. Community members are encouraged to participate.
Walk-ins are welcome, but those who wish to schedule an appointment may do so here or by contacting Patty Savage via email or at (845) 627-4716. Please eat and drink prior to donating, and bring identification with photo or signature with you.
You must be at least 16 years old to donate. Parental permission is required for 16-year-olds to donate; forms are available online and onsite. Additional criteria are required for donors under age 19 and all donors must weigh at least 110 pounds.
Not sure if you’re eligible to donate? Click on the links below for more information.
General eligibility: http://nybloodcenter.org/d…/become-donor/can-i-donate-blood/
Medical conditions: http://nybloodcenter.org/…/fil…/2013/05/23/med_condition.pdf
Travel restrictions: http://nybloodcenter.org/…/filer_pub…/2013/05/23/malaria.pdf
Medication restrictions: http://nybloodcenter.org/…/2013/08/08/medication-english.pdf
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Rockland BOCES Career & Technical Education Center is hosting an open house for prospective students and parents from Rockland and New Jersey on Wednesday, March 9 from 6:30-8:00pm. The event will be held at 65 Parrott Road in West Nyack. Attendees will have the opportunity to tour classrooms and workshops and speak with instructors about their programs.View the open house flyer.
Want to learn about Career & Technical Education programs before you arrive? Take a look at the 2016-17 Program Guide.
The application process for the 2016-17 school year is underway at Hudson Valley P-TECH, an integrated, six-year STEM program that offers a rigorous academic curriculum, targeted technical training and comprehensive workplace learning in a dynamic, project-based learning environment. Current eighth-grade students who are interested in science, technology, engineering, and math and who would benefit from a dynamic, hands-on learning environment are encouraged to apply.
P-TECH students begin taking college coursework by 10th- or 11th-grade and graduate with an associate degree at no cost to their families. Students also participate in one-to-one professional mentoring and career-related internships with private sector partners. Areas of study are: Computer Information Technology, Engineering and Green Building Technology & Management.
Want to learn more? Check out the Hudson Valley P-TECH video and call (845) 680-1484 to schedule a school tour.
Anne Nissen, Executive Director of Rockland County’s 21C, was honored with the Commitment to Excellence Award at the February 24th meeting of the Rockland BOCES Board of Education. She is retiring after more than a decade with the agency.
Under Anne’s leadership, innumerable children and their families have benefitted from the services provided by 21C, including Family Resource Centers, located in schools throughout the county.
For the past several years, 21C’s offices have been located on the BOCES West Nyack campus, giving BOCES staff and 21C staff wonderful opportunities to share the strengths of experience, all for the benefit of the county’s youth.
In remarks to the Board and others in attendance, Anne thanked Dr. Mary Jean Marsico for her support of 21C through the years. Anne also thanked BOCES Facilities department, noting that they always looked out for her during late evenings in the office.
Next Generation Science Standards, 3D design and printing in the science classroom, and the flipped classroom model are among the workshop topics scheduled for the 2nd Regional Superintendents’ Conference on Friday, March 11. The all-day professional development program, coordinated by Rockland BOCES’ Instructional Services & Professional Development Division, will draw educators from school districts across Rockland County and provide a forum for sharing experience and best practices.
Hear what local school district administrators have to say about the value of professional development opportunities like this.
At the April 6 meeting of the BOCES Trustees, Chief Operating Officer Dr. Mary Jean Marsico and Executive Director of Business David Gleason will present Rockland BOCES’ Proposed 2016-2017 Budget.
On April 19, component boards will vote on the approval of the administrative portion of this budget.
The districts will also vote to elect three BOCES Board of Education members to represent the following component school districts: Clarkstown, East Ramapo and Ramapo Central.
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CTEC made an impressive debut at the New York State ProStart Competition on February 27 at Schenectady Community College, with its Culinary Management team medaling with a fourth place finish.
ProStart, a National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation initiative, is one of the largest industry-supported career technical education programs in the US, empowering students to achieve long term, successful careers in the restaurant and foodservice sector.
Culinary Management teams demonstrate their business acumen and culinary skills by developing a concept for a restaurant and delivering a series of presentations about its target market, layout, menu, costing analysis and market strategies for judging. Throughout the competition, each team member assumes a professional role: General Manager, Front of the House Manager, Executive Chef or Human Resources/Marketing Manager.
Congratulations to culinary arts students Corinne Jordan, Dylan Perez, Avery Payne, Joseph Matesic, Sarah Resanovich and Chyna Kephart for a strong showing at their first ProStart Competition.
Learn more about culinary arts and other career and technical education programs at the CTEC Open House on March 9 from 6:30-8:00pm at 65 Parrott Road, West Nyack. The event is free and open to the public.
Considering a career change or re-entering the workforce?
Rockland BOCES offers a number of part-time vocational courses that offer training for careers in health care, construction trades, restaurant and food service industries, and more. Daytime and evening classes are available; courses are held at the BOCES Educational Resource Center (BERC) in Nyack.
Learn more by attending an upcoming orientation at BERC:
Advance registration is required; please call (845) 348-3500 x3500 to reserve a seat.
In conversations with legislators and the Governor (yes, that’s right, the Governor) during Lobbying Day on March 2nd, BOCES students were very clear about the value of the programs offered here.
P-TECH student Jolie and River View High School student Anderson accompanied Chief Operating Officer Dr. Mary Jean Marsico, Electrical Trades teacher and BSA President Kevin Connell, P-TECH Principal Natasha Shea and Director of Communications Stephanie Gouss to BOCES Lobbying Day.
This annual day is an opportunity for state legislators to hear about how BOCES students are faring and ask for the legislators’ continued support by voting in favor of legislation that allows BOCES to fulfill its mission. It’s a wonderful opportunity for students to see firsthand how state government works and learn how certain legislation can impact education. In their own words students reminded the legislators and their aides that BOCES has provided them with a pathway to growth and success.
When walking from one meeting to the next, the group was fortunate enough to meet the Governor in the hallway, and seized the moment to speak about P-TECH and other programs. Hudson Valley P-TECH is one of the first P-TECHs launched under Governor Cuomo.
To learn about the specific issues representatives focused on during Lobby Day, click here.
Rockland BOCES is one of 37 BOCES statewide. Find out how students of all ages across New York benefit from BOCES.
Pictured from left: Congresswoman Nita Lowey, RBA Board member Michael Beckerle and Rockland BOCES COO Dr. Mary Jean Marsico at the Rockland Business Association breakfast forum on March 10.
Rockland BOCES Chief Operating Officer Dr. Mary Jean Marsico shared information about the educational landscape in Rockland County public schools at a March 10 breakfast meeting with Congresswoman Nita Lowey. The event, hosted by the Rockland Business Association, gave local business leaders a forum for substantive dialogue with the congresswoman.
Visual arts teachers took part in hands-on clay, mandala making and figure drawing workshops at Rockland Center for the Arts during the second Regional Superintendents’ Conference Day on March 11.
Computer science, 3D design and printing in the science classroom, and the flipped classroom model were among the many workshops offered during the second Regional Superintendents’ Conference on Friday, March 11.
The all-day professional development program was coordinated by Rockland BOCES’ Instructional Services & Professional Development Division in collaboration with assistant superintendents for instruction county-wide. Teachers, guidance counselors and nurses gathered with colleagues from local school districts for presentations and hands-on workshops specific to their work.
At Felix Festa Middle School, science teachers learned about 3D design programs that can be used to engage students in formulating, testing, evaluating and modifying ideas in order to deepen their knowledge and understanding of complex phenomena.
Engineering and technology educators from Rockland school districts discussed K-5 robotics, game programming in Visual Basic, Unity and Scratch, and more at Tappan Zee High School on March 11.
On Friday, March 18, CTEC’s SkillsUSA chapter will be hosting its Annual Pasta Buffet to raise funds to underwrite travel costs for students participating in the 2016 New York State SkillsUSA Competition in Syracuse next month. Tickets for adults ($10) may be purchased in advance by calling (845) 627-4770. Children’s tickets ($5 for those under age 8) may be purchased at the door.
CTEC’s Digital Design & Marketing program is celebrating two students—J.T. Mancino (Clarkstown North) and Glenroy Carnegie (Pearl River)—whose work recently earned top honors in local competitions.
Congratulations J.T. and Glenroy!
County Executive Ed Day presented CTEC Digital Design & Marketing student J.T. Mancino with an award for winning the 2016 Rockland County Traffic Safety Board logo design contest.
Digital Design & Marketing student Glenroy Carnegie poses with his winning graphic for the 2016 United Way Day of Caring T-Shirt Design Contest.
Adult Education is partnering with the Rockland County Task Force on Water Resources Management and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rockland to help local homeowners save money and conserve water.
Participants in the “Introduction to Water Wise Landscaping (Part I)” course will learn to plan and maintain ecological landscapes that conserve water, provide food and habitat for wildlife and enhance the aesthetic beauty of their property.
The seven-week program will run on Thursday nights starting April 7. A complete description is on page 9 of the Spring/Summer 2016 Adult Education catalog.
With a focus on transportation around Thruway Exit 10, P-TECH students offered comprehensive plans for rail transportation that would run behind the Pfizer property in the Town of Orangetown. The culminating symposium took place on March 18 at Rockland Community College.
The P-TECH plan incorporated social communication, economic opportunity and environmental sensitivity. P-TECH was one of several area high schools that participated in this multi-level project.
Over the past several months, P-TECH students have worked in their classrooms with business partners on the development of a comprehensive transportation plan with a strong sensitivity to the environment. Principal Natasha Shea says that this project was a great opportunity for P-TECH students to make connections to the world of high tech business and the decision making that happens every day.
P-TECH students who focus on Green Building Technology have an opportunity to graduate with an Associate in Applied Science. The curriculum included targeted technical training, comprehensive workplace learning and individualized support services and career pathways in Rockland County.
Rockland P.L.U.S. is a partnership of Columbia University Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Keep Rockland Beautiful, Rockland Conservation & Service Corps and SUNY Rockland Community College.
At the April 6 meeting of the BOCES Trustees, Chief Operating Officer Dr. Mary Jean Marsico and Executive Director of Business David Gleason unveiled Rockland BOCES’ Proposed 2016-2017 Budget.
On April 19, component boards will vote on the approval of the administrative portion of this budget and elect board members to represent the Clarkstown, East Ramapo Ramapo Central school districts. Wendy Adolff is running for the Clarkstown seat; Bernard Charles, Jr. (East Ramapo) and Sandi Jeannette (Ramapo Central) are seeking re-election.
