CATEC Newsletter
December 2020-January 2021
2020-2021 School Year Information
In December, CBS19 reported on our students' return to in-person learning. Additionally, Fire Horse Pictures created videos about CATEC and all of its programs, which we are excited to use to spread the word about our course offerings.
Director's Message
Happy New Year, CATEC Students and Families! The start of a new year is always time for reflection and planning. As I reflected on this past year, I want to thank our entire school community. The CATEC community has shown much grit and resilience through the various challenges and obstacles 2020 presented. I am so thankful to be part of this community.
It is hard to believe we are rounding the corner into the second half of the school year. February 1st marks the beginning of semester two. Students are half way through their courses and we expect this semester to be much more hands-on. With the beginning of the new semester, we are also returning for face-to-face instruction following the hybrid model we implemented in December. We are also making plans to have smaller classes attend two days a week. It is our goal for our students to get as much hands-on learning as possible the second half of the school year.
As always, please feel free to reach out. We are here to help and support in any way possible! Together, we will continue toward our mission of preparing our students for life after high school.
Sincerely,
Stephanie Carter
CATEC Director
School Counseling
Career Development & Workplace Readiness
In Career Development this month, students learned about things they should do before applying for jobs, including setting up their voicemail messages, creating professional email addresses, and looking at their social media from the perspective of employers. Students also analyzed job postings specific to their CATEC industry and reviewed tips for filling out a job application completely.
Programs focused on the following VA Workplace Readiness Skills: #8 Respect for Diversity, #20 Professionalism, and #9 Customer Service Orientation.
Automotive Body Repair
Building Trades
Cosmetology I and II
Culinary Arts I and II
Electricity
Fire Science
Nurse Assistant
Veterinary Science
Academic Courses: English 11, English 12/Government, & Personal Finance/Economics
English 12/Government students are wrapping up their unit on the judicial branch by researching and arguing a landmark Supreme Court case. They are delving into why and how these cases changed America and thinking critically about whether they agree with the SCOTUS's ruling. In quarter three, students will learn all about the legislative branch and how it functions. They will also dive into important social issues facing our nation right now that Congress has the power to address.
Personal Finance/Economics students focused heavily on Savings Accounts. They discussed the concept of Paying Yourself First and studied how saving money starting at an early age, pays off mightily in the long run. They also completed a project on savings goals where each of the students had to pick 15 items they would like to buy in the future. They sorted those 15 into short, medium, and long term goals and then selected the top goal from each. For those top three they researched cost and were charged with developing savings plan to reach each of them. To do this they focused on a concept called Periodization, where you take a big goal and gradually break it into bite sized chunks of savings. Next up in Semester 2: personal finance simulator, credit, insurance and all of our favorites...TAXES.
Adult Education and Apprenticeship Programs
Visit www.catec.org or call us at 434-973-4461 for inquiries.