2018-2019 LWTHS Mustang Message
February 2019
Lorenzo Walker Technical High School Mission "Purpose" Statement
TEACHERS OF THE YEAR!
Schools are asked to answer four questions to explain why their teacher should be awarded this distinction. Please read a little snip it of what was written for Tara and Andy. Thank you to the teachers and students who helped with the writing process by sharing their thoughts and experiences with us.
How Does the Teacher Demonstrate the Ability to Arouse Curiosity?
Tara has the innate ability to instill curiosity in her students and constantly encourages their desire to learn beyond the scope of the lessons she teaches. She is openly curious herself and is always on a quest to find out what her students know and how they learn best. Mercedes, a current student writes that “Mrs. Barr makes us curious about the material by catering to all our learning styles and therefore has many teaching styles. She makes sure that no one gets left behind and does her best to ensure everyone knows the material. She is very enthusiastic when teaching her subjects. She gets us involved in creative labs that help us visualize the concepts and uses real life scenarios that are currently happening with the new advancements in science. Most importantly, she creates a welcoming atmosphere where we feel involved. That makes students want to learn in class.”
Curiosity flourishes in her classroom because Tara has created an environment that is open, where the discussions and the questioning that take place are not limited to the confines of her planned lessons and she allows them to move in any direction. Students feel comfortable about raising questions and testing their own hypotheses by having discussions with peers and brainstorming ideas with others. If Tara's students are intrigued by a new idea, have a question or are compelled to explore ideas or topics within or outside of her lessons, this can and does happen for her students. The questions are typically driven, not by Tara, but by her students because she encourages curiosity as part of her daily instruction. As a result, her students find this power of curiosity to be motivating and are eager in their quest to discover new learning for a project or a new question to examine that will extend their learning.
She also arouses curiosity and interest in students by motivating even the most reluctant learners to improve because she engages them in real-world, relevant curriculum. Donna Lang, our ESE inclusion teacher, is constantly amazed at how Tara creates a climate of caring and respect with students who have disabilities or are lower performing. Donna writes that “Tara is respectful and kind when working with our ESE students. She values their input and works with them to meet the high expectations of an honors course. The ESE team can depend on her to be proactive in communicating academic/behavioral challenges and seeking guidance in alternate strategies to ensure student success”. Tara makes content connections to their everyday lives because she realizes that science is not everybody’s passion. However, when students see the connections and relevance, they are eager to participate in classroom discussions and collaborate with their peers. Tara knows her students are always watching her, so she is a teacher who is always engaged and focused and models what she expects from her students.
How does the teacher demonstrate the ability to successfully prepare students for the workforce?
When you walk into Mr. Retz's collision lab it looks much like the state-of-the-art service centers at dealerships like Toyota, Lexus etc. and he runs his lab in the same fashion. He has a job board posted daily and a team leader assigned to work on the cars and projects. Students have mastered different competencies and are in various places in their learning so the instruction and placement on the projects is differentiated to meet their individual needs. He is heavily involved in securing high quality internships for his students with local dealers and other collision business owners. Mr. Retz physically meets with each employer after school and on weekends if necessary to secure these opportunities and together they hand pick the employees at the internship sites who will mentor his students. He also works closely with his Advisory Committee members to ensure that his instruction and focus in the classroom not only follows curriculum frameworks but meets the industry needs in the community so students have the skills needed to be employable and secure jobs. A large percentage of Mr. Retz's students receive paying jobs prior to completing the OCP's required and graduating.
He has also written two“Ultimate Collision Education Makeover” grants through The Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) in the short time he has been an instructor at LWTC. The first was for $27,000 and the latest one for $5,000. These grants honor schools that have been doing an outstanding job in educating students in collision repair, but need some financial assistance to improve their program’s teaching materials and equipment. Mr. Retz wants his students to have all they need to be successful and is willing to go the extra mile to ensure it happens.
On a daily basis, he models employability skills and practices the soft skills and career ready practices needed for the students to be successful in the workforce as local employers report these skills are lacking in their new hires. Mr. Retz is also working at the state level for I-CAR to be an accepted industry certification alongside Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) which is currently utilized. Employers in this area are asking for this change and he is focused on this becoming a reality. Lastly, he supports students to create Career Portfolios in College Central Network (CCN) alongside one of our workforce advisors and uploads interview videos to CCN so students can see actual interviews in action which will prepare them for their own interviewing experiences.
Teacher of the Year at LWTHS:
Donna Lang: 2012-2013
Dulcie Neiman: 2013-2014
Patricia Metcalf: 2014-2015
Tara Barr: 2018-2019
LWTC:
Chris Fowler: 2011-2012
Mary Crowley: 2012-2013
Robert Jackson: 2014-2015
Nancy Turmelle: 2015-2016
Scott Schnappauf: 2016-2017
Andy Retz: 2018-2019
Staff and students of the month
Casey Perez 9th Grade student of the month
Elsa Sandoval 10th Grade student of the month
Makaylee Alexis 11th Grade student of the month
Melissa Juarez 12th Grade student of the month
Ms. Neiman Staff member of the month
Student of the month luncheon
Vaccination Clinic
On Saturday, 1/12, the veterinary assisting students volunteered their time at the Veterinary Services for Animals vaccination clinic in Immokalee. VSA provides low-cost vaccinations, deworming and spay/neuter services for dogs and cats. Over 175 families and their pets came out for the event. The students had a fun time as well as gaining valuable experience with the people and their pets. The final clinic for the year will be held March 2nd at Max Hasse Jr. Community Park in Naples from 12:30 – 3:30.
SAT and ACT Test dates
- March 9, 2019-Regular Registration by February 8, 2019
- May 4, 2019- Regular Registration by April 5, 2019
- June 1, 2019- Regular Registration by May 3, 2019
ACT Test dates:
- February 9, 2019- Regular Registration by January 11, 2019
- April 13, 2019 -Regular Registration by March 8, 2019
- June 8, 2019- Regular Registration by May 3, 2019
After School Academic Support Program
Transportation is provided on Monday-Thursday. If you wish for your son/daughter to be a part of the After-School Academic Support Program, contact the school at 377-3320 and we will make sure that you receive an application.
LWTHS Upcoming Events for the Month of February
- January 31: Blood Drive
- February 1: Entrepreneurship field trip to Palm Beach Atlantic
- February 1: 9th grade student trip to FGCU
- February 7: Staff and Students of the Month Luncheon
- February 8: Entrepreneurship student field trip to FGCU
- February 12: Early Dismissal
- February 12: 9th grade Walkathon around E.N.M.S.
- February 15: Talent Show
LWTC Tours and Workshops
Campus Tours:
- February 5th, 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM
- February 7th, 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
- February 19th, 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM
- February 20th, 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
- March 5th, 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM
- March 6th, 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
- March 27th, 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
- April 23rd, 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM
- April 30th, 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Workshops:
- February 5th, 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM: Cash for College-FAFSA Open Lab
- February 7th, 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM: Career Exploration: Find Your Path
- February 12th, 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM Career Transitions 101
- February 13th, 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM: Cash for College-FAFSA Open Lab
- February 14th, 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM: Market Yourself with an Effective Resume and Career Portfolio
- February 19th, 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM: Career Exploration: Find Your Path
- February 21st, 2::00 AM to 3:00 PM: Cash for College-FAFSA Open Lab
- February 21st, 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM: Employability Skills and Workplace Success
- February 28th, 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM: How to conduct a Job Search and Ace the Interview
- March 5th, 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM: Career Exploration: Find Your Path
- March 5th, 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM: Cash for College-FAFSA Open Lab
- March 7th, 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM Career Transitions 101
- March 19th, 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM: Market Yourself with an Effective Resume and Career Portfolio
- March 21st, 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM: Career Exploration: Find Your Path
- March 21st, 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM: Cash for College-FAFSA Open Lab
- March 26th, 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM: How to conduct a Job Search and Ace the Interview
- March 28th, 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM: Employability Skills and Workplace Success
- April 2nd, 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM: Career Exploration: Find Your Path
- April 2nd, 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM: Cash for College-FAFSA Open Lab
- April 9th, 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM Career Transitions 101
- April 10th, 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM: Cash for College-FAFSA Open Lab
- April 16th, 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM: Market Yourself with an Effective Resume and Career Portfolio
- April 18th, 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM: Career Exploration: Find Your Path
- April 18th, 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM: Cash for College-FAFSA Open Lab
- April 23rd, 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM: Employability Skills and Workplace Success
- April 30th, 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM: How to conduct a Job Search and Ace the Interview
LWTC Program of the Month: Automotive Collision Technology Technician
Automotive Collision Technology Technician Grant
Our Automotive Collision Education Technician program is listed for the second year in a row as one of the Grant winners to the Collision and Refinishing Educational Foundation (CREF). We will not know the amount of the grant until we are awarded at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Convention in Las Vegas Oct. 29th - Nov 2nd.
Congrats Andy Retz!!
Now Available: Grade and Attendance information for parents of students in Grades 6-12, use the Focus icon in the CCPS Portal. Additionally, you can sign up for text-based messaging to receive important information on a timely basis.
To login to the Parent Portal you can use your email address, mobile phone number, or Parent Portal ID.
Student Gradebook
Once you have logged into the CCPS Portal, you will be able to access the database that hosts students' grades through the "Focus" icon. Please see the directions below.
School Advisory Council Meeting-Come join us!
Our SAC Committee meets on the third Tuesday of each month from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM in the LWTC Formal Dining Room.