local on in 'cupcake wars' - County Times - Southern Maryland Online

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Community The Calvert Gazette Thursday, January 5, 2012 6 Spotlight On Fundraiser for Fallen Volunteer Roy Rogers is holding a benefit fundraiser for the family of Keith Dowell who passed away Dec. 8 while volunteering his time putting up a steeple at the Potter Place Church in St. Leonard. He leaves behind his wife Valerie, and two children, Autumn and Justin. Where: Roy Rogers - 14000 H.G. Truman Drive Solomons Island MD When: Thursday Jan. 12, 5 – 9 p.m. Twenty five percent of all proceeds from dining in and drive through customers will be donated to the fund for Autumn and Justin. Dowell was born in Calvert County on Dec. 31, 1966. Dowell had built a porch roof over the entrance of the church to protect congregants from the weather and had told his wife he wanted to build a steeple for the church. He had previously been a deacon at Southern Calvert Baptist Church. Dowell also served with the Solomons Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad, where he eventually became a sergeant. He served for five years in the U.S. Army as a military officer and later in the Army National Guard. He became a U.S. Capitol Police Department officer in 2002. Sneade’s Donates $2,000 to Calvert Hospice From left is Dr. Raymon Noble, Lynne Sneade, Dana Sneade Banyasz, Jeanne Coonan, and Tricia Willis. Lynne Sneade, Tricia Willis, and Dana Sneade Banyasz of Sneade’s Ace Home Center presented Dr. Raymon Noble, Calvert Hospice Interim Director and Medical Director with a $2,000 check for the Festival of Trees on Friday, Dec. 30. “We are still putting the numbers together,” said Jeanne Coonan, of the Festival of Trees Steering Committee. “But I think we did really well this year judging by the foot traffic. Checks are still trickling in - we’re so grateful to have the support of community businesses like Sneade’s.” Both Lynne Sneade, co-owner of Sneade’s Ace Home Center and Tricia Willis, retail marketing programs manager have been on the Festival of Trees committee in the past. “We’ve been a part of the Festival for a number of years,” said Lynne Sneade. “And you know how it is, the whole family gets involved. I remember when it was at Patuxent High School. There have been a lot of changes, but the cause remains the same and Calvert Hospice is a great cause.” Willis’ father went through hospice care. “Being involved with the Festival of Trees is a great way to give back,” she said. Schools and NAS Pax River Partner for Future Employment By Corrin M. Howe Staff Writer Calvert County Public School Superintendent Jack Smith told over 100 parents and students in an informational meeting before winter break that the nation is facing a critical shortage of qualified employees in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields. “I heard on NPR over the summer there are a million jobs left unfilled because of the skills gap,” Smith said. Kathryn Glockner, NAVAIR Outreach Coordinator, confirmed Smith’s statement. “We are extremely committed to pursuing programs like STEM. It is more than just a NAVAIR issue,” Glockner said. One way the school system and the Naval Air Station Patuxent River officials plan to home-grow future employees is by providing a number of summer internships and jobs for both high school and college students. Glockner said she’s seen videos of “How Engineering Changes Your Life” using the examples of iPhone, iPad, and Lexus’ automatic parallel parking. “People are living longer and better lives because of engineers. It all starts with an education pathway, like Project Lead the Way,” she said. Project Lead the Way is a curriculum used in Calvert schools to introduce students to STEM principles at early ages. Taking parents and students through a PowerPoint slide program, Glockner highlighted some of the programs offered through Patuxent River. She also walked everyone through the application and resume process on their website www.ndep. us/LabsPax.aspx. “It’s a long and complicated application. I recommend you start now and prepare to do a good job on it,” said Glockner. Glockner told rising middle school through high school students to be very careful not to become in drugs or illegal activities and be financially responsible, as it will affect their ability to pass a background check. She said to get help with the resume. “There is nothing worse than misspelled words or incomplete information.” Also, keep the resume to a page and prioritize all their strongest skills and experience. “You can put that you play football on the resume, but remember we are looking for engineers.” Finally, don’t neglect opportunities for non-paid internships. “This is often the foot in the door for future employment,” she said. A copy of the slide program explaining all the different opportunities can be found at www.ndep. us/Labs/Pax/DestinationPaxRiver2012.pdf. corrin@somdpublishing.net Mark Wilding, Principal at Calvert Career and Technology Academy, mans the sign in table for students and parents interested in learning more about summer job opportunities at Patuxent River Naval Air Station and Calvert School’s STEM program. Student Opportunities • Cooperative Education Program: This program offers tuition assistance and book reimbursement for college level students. Students are employed by the Navy, and work on the complex during the summer months, along with holiday breaks. A service obligation is required for this program. Contact the program office at (301) 757-4119 for more information or go to http://www.ndep.us/Labs/Pax/engineering_co-op_flyer_ver5.pdf. • Pax River Student Summer Employment Program: NAWCAD has a limited number of engineering technician positions open to students. All candidates must apply on-line through the NAVAIR jobs website. Students must be at least 16 years old. Students can get a head start on their career with the Navy by applying for the Office of Naval Research Science and Engineering Apprentice Program (SEAP), which offers a limited number of summer positions at Patuxent River. The goals of SEAP are to encourage participating students to pursue science and engineering careers, to further their education via mentoring by laboratory personnel and their participation in research, and to make them aware of Department of Navy (DoN) research and technology efforts, which can lead to employment within the DoN. The annual application process, deadline and other details may be found at http://seap.asee.org. Call (301) 757-4123 for more information. • Mechanical Engineering Degree Program Partnership: The University of Maryland in partnership with the NAWCAD offers an undergraduate Mechanical Engineering degree at the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center, providing students with an education and career opportunity in Naval Aviation. Contact Dr. David John Barrett Director of Engineering Education and Research Partnerships (301) 342-9360 David.Barrett@Navy.mil • Naval Research Enterprise Intern Program (NREIP) NREIP provides competitive research internships to approximately 238 college students (174 undergraduate students and 64 graduate students) each year. Participating students typically spend 10 weeks during the summer doing research at approximately 18 Navy laboratories. To participate, a student must be enrolled at an accredited four-year U.S. college or university. For more information see nreip. asee.org. • The Science, Mathematics And Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship for Service. An opportunity for students pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines to receive a full scholarship and be gainfully employed upon degree completion. See smart.asee.org/
7 Thursday, January 5, 2012 The Calvert Gazette Spotlight On Working to Fill the Gap in STEM Career Fields By Corrin M. Howe Staff Writer Piggybacking on Naval Air Station Patuxent River’s informational meeting about summer job opportunities, Calvert County Public Schools informed more than 100 parents and students about classes and programs focusing on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) skills. The presentation started off with pictures of Career and Technology Academy students set to Only Won’s rap song “I Want To Be An Engineer” with the chorus “Every time I close my eyes, I calculate a new design. I want so freakin’ bad to optimize the things I’ve always had.” Patuxent High School teacher Jon Vandeverter talked about the Project Lead the Way’s Pre-Engineering program currently being taught there and at Calvert High School. Eventually students will receive four years of classes that introduce engineering design, principles of engineering and digital electronics. “I love it because it is changing the way students think. They don’t have to wish their product is better. We are teaching them how to design them better,” Vandeverter said. The culmination of the four years of studying aerospace engineering is to take a real world engineering problem, design a solution and then defend their work before a panel of five professional engineers. Kristin Pratt, teacher at Calvert High School, is in the third year of the Bio-Medical pathway. “Healthcare field is huge. It is a constant. There are jobs and not just about being a doctor or nurse. There are forensics, pharmacy, research Natalie Cloak and Gabriella Fratantuono are building a windmill. They design blades, test the blades and then go back to change the blades to improve the design. Teddie Delehanty is learning how to build and program a stop light. Eighth grade students trace the history and development of automation and robotics. and innovations for injuries,” Pratt said. She said she likes to call her classes, “CSI meets ER” where students take a hypothetical dead body and discover the cause of death. It could be homicide or medical. Either way, the students learn about pandemics, how to read an autopsy, monitor an EKG test and write grants, among other real world skills. Next year, all four county high schools will offer both STEM pathways. These are courses in which students can take in addition to their college-bound curriculum. In some cases, colleges are accepting the Pre-Engineering and Bio-Medical programs and offering an academic credit. The Career and Technology Academy also offers pathways from the Project Lead the Way curriculum, designed to better prepare students to compete globally. At the end of the Manufacturing, Engineering and Technology program students will possess a broad and fundamental knowledge of electrical, electronic, mechanical, civil, industrial and manufacturing engineering. The Computer-Assisted Drafting program teaches students to free-hand sketch and then use a number of software-based design programs. Instructor Gary Chapman said he recently received an email from a former student now at Webb Institute, a four-year, engineering college specializing in naval architecture and marine engineering. “He thanked me because he’s so much further ahead of most students because of what he learned,” said Chapman. Project Lead the Way has courses in four of the middle schools. In sixth grade the students learn design and modeling, in seventh they learn about energy and the environment and in eighth grade automation and robotics. corrin@somdpublishing.net Mount Harmony Kicks Career Day Up a Notch By Corrin M. Howe Staff Writer Mount Harmony Elementary School has taken “Career Day” to entirely new level this year. Instead of the traditional day of guests coming in to talk to students about their careers, the school has three days dedicated to the futures of their young professionals. Prior to winter break, the school set aside three days to start kids thinking about the years ahead that will present them with decisions about further education, job interviews and types of jobs available, according to Guidance Counselor Katie Sinclair. On Wednesday the students wore clothes from colleges and universities and attend an assembly about the importance of continuing their education. “We had one teacher tell the kids she decided to attend her college because she liked the name,” Sinclair said. Thursday the students came dressed for job interviews. The schoolwide assembly that day talked about dressing for success. On Friday, Tony Navarro, the former MHES principal, kicked off the traditional career day as the guest speaker. He talked to the students about why it is important, even at their age, to think about careers. Then he shared with them information about his career as a reading specialist working for both Prince George’s and Calvert County and then his path Kindergarteners Kelly Speyer and Tate Coffey dress up for College Day at Mount Harmony Elementary School. Photos by Corrin M.Howe Hailey Fowler, 4th grade and Mrs. Carla Fowler, 5th grade teacher Calvert County Sheriff Deputy Rick Cox takes students into the SWAT vehicle. through his other positions. Community members representing the military, Secret Service, <strong>local</strong> garden nursery, healthcare industry and engineers spoke to the individual classrooms. In all, 25 speakers shared information and answered questions. Some students were introduced to unique careers such as elevator technician, cryptology, and counter-piracy. corrin@somdpublishing.net
Page 1 and 2: January 5, 2012 Priceless Gazette C
Page 3 and 4: 3 Thursday, January 5, 2012 The Cal
Page 5: 5 Thursday, January 5, 2012 The Cal
Page 9 and 10: 9 Thursday, January 5, 2012 The Cal
Page 11 and 12: 11 Thursday, January 5, 2012 The Ca

local on in 'cupcake wars' - County Times - Southern Maryland Online

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?