SkillsUSA Candy Bar Sale

The brown boxes are back!  

One of the biggest fund-raisers for SkillsUSA, club members, once again, have the sweet-treat you seek!  Traditional flavors are back:  Crispy, Milk chocolate, Caramel, and Peanut Butter.  However, we have two new flavors to make you smile:  Semi-sweet Chocolate and Pretzel!

Each bar is $1, and with every purchase,  50% of the proceeds go to help that student with dues, leadership conference fees, and district and state competition.  

We figured it all out, if a student sells 22 boxes, they can earn enough profit to pay for everything without having to dip into their own pockets!  

So far, the Dilling family is in the lead; Devin and Aaron have sold 11 boxes each, and it's only October!  

Sorting bars

Counting carefully!

Looking forward to a super-successful year!

The Future is Mine: Personal Hygiene Drive

The Future is Mine Club is taking part in a community service project. The students are collecting toiletries for local shelters. We will need brushes, combs, soap, deodorant, dental floss, toothpaste, and so on.

To get students more motivated, we will be having a shop contest. The A or B week shop that collects the most items will be given a Christmas pizza party provided by TFIM. We will determine the winner based on the number of items divided by the number of students in the shop in each week. So, the A week kids in one shop will also be competing with the B week kids in the same shop!

Boxes will be distributed to shops next week. They will be collected and counted at the end of each week. The contest will run through the first week in December.

Let’s make a difference and have some friendly competition!

Thank you all in advance for your support and contributions,

Preparing to help our community!

Haliegh Sue delivers the Drive box to Dylan Janiel

SkillsUSA Costume Day

Who says that Halloween is just for little kids?   We're all "young at heart" at LCCTC!

SkillsUSA hosted a costume day on October 31st, and the student body and staff joined in the fun to raise over $200 for the club to off-set expenses of competition and travel expenses.

All students made sure they followed the rules: The costume must be school appropriate.  They all proved that we can have a little fun while we learn!

Prizes went to the top three costumes:   Congratulations Shelby Keister, best dressed; Kevin Kumrow, most character-related; and Keegan Wallace, most creative!

LCCTC wishes you a very Happy Halloween! 

Congratulations Shelby, Best Dressed

Congratulations Kevin, Most Character-Related

Congratulations Keegan!  Most Creative Costume!

Finalists

Judging

Congratulations to the winners!

Cos girls put their make-up skills to work!

Way too cute!!!

Giddy-up!  

It's a good thing Pandas are not carnivorous!

Yee-ha!

Great friends having lots of fun!

"Do you wanna build a snowman?"

Outstanding makeup job, Angel!

I thought Pandas only ate bamboo?

Do bunnies and kitties get along?  In VA they do!

USO singers still work hard in Cos!

Ghoulish makeup job, girls!

Dressed as a first responder in HA

Too cute...just way too cute!

The ultimate oxymoron!  An Amishman
working a CNC machine?

Go get 'em, Rosie the Riveter! 

Letterman Jackets ~ Shelby Leasure

Do you have a GPA of 2.5 or higher? How about a clean disciplinary record? If so, you may be interested in an opportunity to purchase an LCCTC Letterman jacket!

Any student who has attended the school for at least one year, has a GPA of 2.5 or higher, and follows the attendance and disciplinary policies are eligible to purchase a letterman jacket.

The total portion of the student cost is $100. (Although the jacket costs more, the school is generous enough to split the cost with us!) To have your jacket in your possession before Christmas break, which begins December 22nd, you first $50 deposit is due by November 17th. You can turn your deposit into the main office. If you are not looking to receive your jacket by December 21st, your first payment of $50 is due December 22nd.

The spiffy outerwear shines with gold and authentic black leather to represent the spirit of our school. Your name and shop is also included on the coat, along with any sports and activities you may be involved in with your home district.

The letterman jackets are offered to the students of LCCTC to show appreciation for hard work, great grades, and good behavior. If you are eligible to purchase a coat, do not miss the opportunity, as it is for sure a great one!

________________________________________________________

“Let your dreams stay big and your worries stay small.”  ~ Rascal Flatts 

Shelby Leasure is currently studying Health Assistance.  She works at the Haven Nursing Home in New Castle.  A member of SkillsUSA and ROVA, she enjoys spending time with her friends and going on as many adventures as possible.  In the fall, she looks forward to attending Pittsburgh Technical College for Nursing. 

More Than a Frighteningly Good Time: Coolspring Corn Maze ~ Heather Burns

Let's go to Coolspring!  ...but isn't it closed?

Many know about the Trail Of Fear, open in the evenings on the last two weekends in October, but did you know that Coolspring Corn Maze is still open?

Now that November is finally here, Coolspring Corn Maze is home to many fun and family fulfilling activities. All activities include: The non-haunted corn maze, hayride, indoor hay maze, indoor jumping pad, pedal-tractor racetrack, 20’-40’ slides, and the barnyard board game. 

The hours for the maze will be Fridays 4-11pm, Saturdays 11am-11pm, and Sundays 11am-8pm thru November 5th. General admission is less than $10.  If you want to visit the Pumpkin Blaster, you can include it in your cost for less than $3, or purchase it at the site for an extra $5. 

The Coolspring Corn Maze also offers school trips scheduled for Thursdays and Fridays between 10am-3pm. The price for group member is $6.95. 

Maybe LCCTC will take a trip to the pumpkin patch soon!

SWPB: Principal's 200 Club October

"It's good to see you today!"

"You have your homework?  Good.  Let's get started..."  

"Thank you; that was so kind."

"It's a good thing you were there to help."  

These are just a few of the things you'll hear so many of our teachers say every day -- not just in the classroom but in the hallways, as well."  

Why?  "Because here at LCCTC, we are HERE, we are READY, we are RESPECTFUL, and we are SAFE."  By now, even our sophomores can say this because we hear it every morning and afternoon on the announcements, we see it on posters throughout the school, and we are reminded of it in the way we conduct ourselves every day -- no matter where we are. 

School Wide Positive Behavior (SWPB) is a school of thought that LCCTC students and staff have adopted, and it makes our little place on the planet a pretty nice to be.  

Why would we want to do this?  Well -- there is a lot of good in being GOOD!  

The benefit?  Each day, randomly-selected teachers are given 4 or 5 tickets to pass out to students who they catch being good.  On each ticket, teachers circle the reason:  HERE, READY, RESPECTFUL, and  SAFE.  

At the end of the day, students with tickets are called down, and their names are put on a SWPB board for the entire school to see.  When a row of 10 students accumulate, those students are called to the office -- all for being good.  They each receive the coveted "Milanivich buck," redeemable in the cafeteria for special treats.  

A special drawing is made from those 10 students and the winner receives a coupon for a free SWPB incentive trip (the movies / a hockey game / ice skating / baseball game) or a Dunkin' Donut coffee.  

The teacher who distributed the ticket gets a "Rich buck" REDEEMABLE with a little comp time.   

See?  There IS a benefit to making good choices -- in doing the right thing! 

Noah Skelley draws the winning name.

These kids each earn a Milanovich buck!

Mr. Milanovich congratulates Joey Herman; Joey opted for the free coffee as his prize!

Mr. Simon shows off his Rich buck; it was his student he recognized who won the drawing.

On the Job Site: Masonry ~ Calvin Lample

On Tuesday, October 17th, the junior/senior masonry class of LCCTC were able to gain experience in the field by finishing Shenango High School’s outdoor area. This class consists of seniors Thomas Campbell and Zach King and juniors Donavan Griffin, Kayla Karenbauer, Marilyn Knechtel, Calvin Lample, Trevor Stubbs, and Trenton Yale.

Calvin sets pavers 

What did their scope of work include? This class had to grade all of the soil deposits remaining in the area; this includes digging down 4-5 inches below the finished grade, putting down a layer of limestone gravel, and laying limestone sand on top of the gravel. These kids had to plate tamp the area to make it level so the top layer of pavers is laid perfectly.

Though it's not easy work, Masonry students love the work.

Zach King said, "Going out on the job site helps better our understanding of what real world of work is like."

Making sure it's perfectly level

“My teacher often tells us that ‘Speed is money’,” reflects Donovan Griffin. “I understand what he means; the faster we work – correctly – the faster we’ll be paid.”

Mr. Sperdute makes sure the job is done and done right! 

"I'm glad I chose masonry. Mr. Sperdute makes sure I fully understand what I'm doing before I move on, and he makes me feel like I belong here,” Kayla Karenbauer states.

These kids will soon be ready to go out on the job site and see what real jobs are like so they can face the field with skill and experience..

Thomas set the bricks 

Laying a solid base

Marilyn works to make sure the bricks fit just right! 

Out of the Darkness: October Pride and Promise: Felicity Weir

Felicity, Vice President of Peer Leadership, gathered seven other LCCTC students to volunteer at the Out of the Darkness: Suicide Prevention Walk at the Downtown Riverwalk on September 16, 2017.  They helped pass out water bottles to walkers who were there to show support to family and friends who have lost a loved one to suicide.

Any time someone returned from their walk, our students rang the cowbell to support the walkers and to honor the memory of those who have left our world in such sorrow-filled circumstances. Our students helped with the setup and cleanup for supporting organizations including the Crisis Shelter, the Veterans Association, and UPMC Jameson.

LCCTC is proud of our students and the work they do to help in the community.

Additionally, Felicity is the Vice President of LCCTC’s SkillsUSA State Champion Opening and Closing team. She runs a non-profit support group for teens in troubled situations.  She is a co-editor of the LCCTC Eagle Blog, a member of National Technical Honor Society, the LCCTC Eagle Archers, and the yearbook club.  In her spare time, she works at Subway.

For more information on the Out of the Darkness:  Suicide Prevention Coalition, see here:  https://thelcctceagle.blogspot.com/2017/10/suicide-prevention-coalition-felicity.html 

50 Years of Excellence ~ Shelby Leasure

On October 7th, over 150 gathered at the Cascade Park Pavillion to celebrate 50 years of Excellence at Lawrence County Area Vocational School/Lawrence County Career and Technical Center (LCVT/LCCTC).  Since 1967, LCVT/LCCTC has been teaching young people academic and vocational skills and preparing them for immediate employment upon graduation.

Earlier in the night, LCCTC's Opening and Closing team assisted alumni and family who came to our school to walk through their Alma Mater and reminisce about the years spent in our hallways.  Many things remain the same, but with the times, much has changed as the employment needs of the community have changed.

Honored that night were eight founding members of the LCVT/LCCTC Hall of Fame:

• Randy Clause ('76)  Electronics, Owner of Claw Inc.
• Jeri Palumbo (1973-2015)  42 years teaching;  Peer Leadership, Founding Advisor; Dual Enrollment Classes through BC3
• Frank Pascoe ('72) Carpentry,  Pascoe Builders
• Ann Peay (1973-2008)  DECA Advisor -- continues to assist LCCTC
• Felix Sperdute (1974-1995)  Sperdute Masonry & Union Masonry
• Keith Stitch ('09) Commercial Artist, Elite Orthotics -- As a paraplegic he established a World-Record for benching over 300 pounds!
• Arthur R. Zarone (1967-1995) 28 Years as Principal, Founding Administrator and was there at the laying of the first brick
• Gerald Zona (1967-2004)  Established Commercial Art and Pioneered Computer Technology in Graphic Design, three-time Teacher of the Year

Comments made by the attendees were supportive and all were pleased to see that the school continues to work hard toward producing skilled workers, prepared to embrace the future with a step ahead.

Thanks goes to the following members of the 50th Anniversary committee who organized the event: Dave Blank, Jodi Cepro, Ken Cole, George Dudich, Juliet Gettings, Kirby Kegel, Michael Milanovich, Nick Neve, Vincent Pavia, Leonard Rich, and Karen Sipe.

We also encourage our community to support the following businesses who also sponsored the event: UB Trucking, Blank Concrete & Supply, Seminara Builders, Gettings' Financial.

All in all, over one-thousand members have joined the LCVT/LCCTC 50th Anniversary Reunion Facebook page; celebrating a milestone like this allows them to reconnect and reflect on all our school has meant to them.  One day, our current students will, too -- we hope, with a smile.

To return to the Alumni page on the school's website, click here:  Alumni

To enlarge pictures, click on the pictures below:

LCVT/LCCTC Hall of Fame Inductees

visiting at the celebration

Representative Chris Saniato presents Mr. Rich
with a Special 50th Anniversary Commendation

a member from the class of 78 sports her
memorabilia from Commercial Arts

special design created to celebrate the 50th Anniversary