OCS CTAE News
September 2021
Welcome to the Oconee County Schools CTAE Newsletter!
Beth Parks
Oconee County Schools
Director of CTAE
CTAE Business Partner of the Month!
Oconee County Schools is excited to begin a new recognition program called "CTAE Business Partner of the Month". This program is designed to show our appreciation for those local businesses that support our students, teachers, and programs.
We are excited to announce that Carter & Sloope, Inc. was selected as our first CTAE Business Partner of the Month for the month of September! Carter and Sloope graciously hosted a Counselor from NOHS who was interested in participating in an externship to learn more about the field of Engineering. They are also integral parts of the OCS Engineering Advisory Committee, served on the Industry Certification team for North Oconee HS this past spring, and will also be a part of the Certification team for Oconee County HS this fall.
WBL Employer of the Year for 2020-2021
The Work-Based Learning program at North Oconee High School and Oconee County High School selects an Employer of the Year each school year. This honor recognizes a strong educational partnership between the business community and the school system. Work-Based Learning students have the opportunity to nominate and share how employers "make a difference" to students' career education. The WBL employers honored for the 2020-2021 school year are Empire South (OCHS) and Baseline Surveying & Engineering (NOHS).
- OCHS: Empire South with mentor, Allison Roberts, and WBL Marketing student, Sophia Beasley
- NOHS: Baseline Surveying & Engineering with mentor, Gary Ray, and WBL Engineering student, Jacob Keller.
OCHS Agriculture Program is Industry Certified!
On May 6, 2021 the Agricultural Mechanics program, under the leadership of Mr. John Collins, completed the review process to achieve Industry Certification! Shortly afterwards, on May 28th, the Agriscience program, under the leadership of Mrs. Chelsea Begnaud, completed the review process to also become Industry Certified!
We are certainly proud of these two teachers for all of the hard work that was putting into completing this process and achieving this recognition!
FBLA National Leadership Conference
OCHS Junior, Victor H., is not new to success in Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) competitive events. As a freshman, Victor placed first in the state in the Introduction to Financial Math event, and went on to place 6th at that year’s national competition. As a sophomore, Victor moved up to the Business Calculations event (an event geared towards juniors and seniors). Victor worked very hard throughout the 20-21 school year to prepare for the state competition, where he placed 2nd. The hard work did not stop there, as Victor went on to compete in Business Calculations at the national level. At this high level of competition, Victor received 2nd place recognition, the highest national level finish for an OCHS student in 8 years! We are all very proud of Victor for his hard work! Victor was recognized for his achievement at the FBLA Virtual National Leadership Conference in July of 2021. While he still has 2 years of high school remaining, Victor already has his sights set on a career in finance. Through participation in FBLA Victor is already off to a strong start in that pursuit!
MBMS FFA Awards Banquet
Malcom Bridge Middle School FFA held its annual Parent Member Awards Banquet on May 3, 2021. Even though COVID-19 restrictions limited attendance, parents were able to watch their children receive recognition for their accomplishments in FFA during the school year. The FFA officer team did a stellar job in orchestrating each component of the banquet event.
Two NOHS Counselors Participate in Externship Opportunities!
Dr. Christy Conley and Ms. Katie Wood, counselors at North Oconee High School, took advantage of an opportunity presented to them this summer to participate in a Counselor Externship Program. Through this program, Dr. Conley and Ms. Wood, spent a day with a local business to gain insight into the operations and workforce trends within a career field. This hands-on, real-world opportunity provided valuable educational experiences which will be utilized in the career guidance of students interested in learning more about these career industries.
Dr. Conley completed her externship experience at Carter & Sloope, a local Engineering firm. Ms. Wood spent a day at Mars Hill Animal Hospital. Both Engineering and Veterinary Science are CTAE programs offered at NOHS, and our counselors felt that this externship experience would provide valuable information for advising and exploring the value of these CTAE programs with students. Both counselors had the opportunity to network with a variety of professionals at each business which allowed for greater knowledge on the skills needed in industry, education and training options, and employability skills required to be successful.
Georgia HOSA Officer Jumpstart
Members of the 2021-2022 North Oconee HOSA officer team were able to attend the Northeast Georgia HOSA Officer Jumpstart. The officer Jumpstart was an event held on July 21, 2021 at Rabun County Highschool. HOSA officers from all over the northeastern part of the state met up and discussed ideas regarding fundraising, community service, and participated in leadership building activities. Overall, this was a great experience for the North Oconee HOSA leadership team and the HOSA chapter has many ideas for ways to give back to the school and our community. We are looking forward to a fun and productive year ahead!
Officer Q&A:
What was the most valuable takeaway from the Officer Jumpstart event?
“Officer jumpstart allowed us to learn more about how to manage our chapter more effectively and efficiently. Because of the event, we were able to learn how to effectively communicate with members of the club and our community. Using precise language and effective communication, we can strengthen our chapter and empower it to grow into a bigger and more successful chapter within our region, state, and nation.”
-Ankit Pokharel
What advice would you give to rising leaders?
“My advice to future leaders is to be welcoming, open-minded, and respectful. While being a leader holds a lot of responsibilities some of your best memories will come from it."
-Simone Phillips