From the Principal's Office
January 2020
Happy New Year! We hope you are returning from Winter Break rested and refocused. The first semester ends on January 16. Work hard and finish strong!
If you have any questions or concerns, I am always available. Feel free to contact me via phone at 440-774-1051, ext. 22273, or via email at tpelto@lcjvs.net.
Tina Pelto, Principal
Lorain County JVS
Spotlight on Students
At this time of the year, many of us look ahead to the future. Our students have been looking ahead since making the decision to attend the JVS. They select a trade and work towards achieving success. Most of our students plan to make a career in their field of study; however, many individuals use their trade as a springboard towards a different kind of future. Midview Senior, Madison Gregory is one of these students.
Madison Gregory enrolled in the Cosmetology Program at the JVS, where she learns the skills needed to earn her Ohio Cosmetologist License. Madison plans to use that license to work her way through college – to become an endocrinologist.
Why endocrinology? Madison tells us, “I’ve always loved the thought of helping someone take care of themselves.” At age 8, Madison was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes. She has learned to monitor what she eats and how she lives in order to successfully live with the disease. Madison explains, “When you grow up with it and it’s life or death, you’re going to do what you need to do.” Madison was inspired by her physician, Dr. Douglas Rodgers, to pursue a career in the medical field. She said he always treated her like she was an adult, helping her understand how to manage her disease on her own. She admitted that sometimes she made mistakes, and had to learn to do things differently: “That’s a life lesson. It’s ok that you messed up, but you can’t keep doing it.”
Madison’s mother, Tammy Gregory, tells us she has always encouraged Madison to pursue her dreams, “I told her – you have diabetes, it doesn’t have you. You can do anything you want!”
So why cosmetology? Madison said, “I’ve always been an artistic person. I’m always drawing.” Madison said her favorite part of the program is cutting hair. She said she also loves working with color. “I don’t feel like I’m in school. I’m having fun. I always want to do better.”
As part of the cosmetology program, Madison is taking coursework that will help her down the road, such as Anatomy, Microbiology and Trichology. In her anatomy class she focuses on the skeletal structure, the muscular system, as well as disease prevention. Madison told us science is her favorite subject. She said her teacher, Mrs. Christine Runkle teaches science so well, it really sticks. “Science became cool to me. People don’t see that part of cosmetology. We study anatomy so we know what to do and what not to do.”
Mrs. Runkle is impressed with Madison’s work in science. “Madison is the type of student you dream about having. She's intelligent and serious about her schoolwork, and has a pleasant personality to boot. I also found her very receptive to learning about the material covered in Microbiology/Trichology. The vast majority of that course contains information most students have not previously studied. It is very challenging… the entire year is challenging. I believe Madison has a bright future ahead of her!”
Madison plans to review with Mrs. Runkle prior to the State Board Exam. She will be ready to test in March. She hopes to sit for the exam over Spring Break so she doesn’t miss school. “If I get this license while still in high school, I can work through college. I don’t have to work at CVS or Wendy’s. I’d rather work behind a chair than a grill”
Madison has earned Midview’s “Academic M” Award based on her success in her high school academic courses. She is also excelling in her cosmetology program. Her teacher, Sandy Hernandez, tells us, “Madison Gregory is a pleasure to have in my class. Madison is talented, strives for excellence, and takes pride in her work. She is always respectful and gets along great with her peers.”
Madison qualified for the Summer Internship last summer based on her grades, attendance and discipline record. She was placed at Great Clips at Chestnut Commons in Elyria working as a Receptionist, where she is still currently employed. The company has offered her a full-time position once she obtains her license. Manager, Jahnnitza Lopez, gave us glowing reports about her performance at Great Clips. “Madison is a quick learner, very professional and helpful to the salon and staff. We are looking forward to hiring her as a stylist when she gets her license.”
Madison finds her main source of inspiration at home. Madison’s sister attended the Allied Health Program at the JVS and is currently studying nursing. Her mother, Tammy Gregory is also going to school to become a nurse. Madison said her mother is very smart, and she plans to study with her. She attributes her work ethic to her mom, who always told her, “C’s will not get degrees!” Madison intends to go to Lorain County Community College for the first two years, then continue her studies through the University Partnership Program.
There is no one path to success at the JVS. The best part of career technical education is that it provides options that allow for student to quite literally choose their own adventure—sometimes in a way that no one else would imagine. Madison Gregory is a prime example of a student who is using the resources here to do more than get from point A to Point B. As Madison plans for her future, she is embracing both cosmetology and medicine, and in the process will help us all to be beautiful, both inside and out.
Sophomore Tours
Wednesday, January 22 -- Students in Attendance
- All Senior Half Day 2-Year Labs
- All 9/10th Grade Afternoon Labs
- Career Based Intervention (CBI)
- The Following Every-Other-Day Labs: Heating & Air Conditioning II, Masonry Trades II, Carpentry I, Industrial Electricity I, Bakery Pastry Arts II, and Culinary Arts II
Thursday, January 23 -- Students in Attendance
- All Junior Half Day 2-Year Labs
- All 9/10th Grade Morning Labs
- One-Year Programs (Except CBI)
- The Following Every-Other-Day Labs: Heating & Air Conditioning I, Masonry Trades I, Carpentry II, Industrial Electricity II, Bakery Pastry I, and Culinary Arts I
Dates to Remember
January 16 -- JVS Board Meeting
January 16 -- JVS Preview Night
January 16 -- Last Day of 1st Semester
January 17 -- Teacher Inservice Day (No School)
January 20 -- Martin Luther King Day (No School)
January 22 & 23 -- Sophomore Career Days
January 26 -- JVS Open House
Parent Corner
Resolve to Be More Mindful
Have you made your New Year’s Resolutions yet? As parents, it is easy to get caught up in our busy day-to-day lives. Consider resolving to be more present when we spend time with our children. The article Resolve to be Mindful by Janine Defao discusses the practice of Mindfulness, and how it can affect our parenting.
“The start of a new year is a time when many people take stock of their lives and resolve to make changes. If you’re looking for more peace amid a frenetic lifestyle, for yourself and your family, Michelle Gale suggests simple steps to add mindfulness to the mix.
Her book, Mindful Parenting in a Messy World: Living With Presence and Parenting With Purpose (Motivation Press, 2017), combines practical tips and resources with a personal narrative about her own journey. The mindfulness teacher and executive coach lives in Larkspur with her husband and two sons, ages 14 and 10. Learn more at michellegale.com.
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness brings us from being on autopilot to being aware. Mindfulness is paying attention on purpose to what’s going on inside of us and outside of us with compassion and without judgment.
Why is it important?
I think that the modern lifestyle, particularly in the Bay Area, is go go go. I rarely speak to a parent, a working parent or stay-at-home parent, who doesn’t desire and long for more pause and more connection to themselves and their families. We’re in a bit of a crisis of attention right now with technology and the pace of our lives. People are longing for something deeper.
How do you fit it into your busy day?
What I often do is have parents look at their whole day from waking up, and write up in news clips what they do. “Wake up. Have coffee. Make breakfast….” Imagine the entire day, and then inject mindfulness into what you’re already doing. … It might just be walking from the door to the car and really feeling your feet on the ground. It might be on your commute and downloading an app on your phone like Simplehabit.com, (a five-minute meditation app).… It might be doing a little meditation while waiting to pick your kids up from soccer or dance lessons. I often sit in my car and close my eyes and focus on my breathing. I use Insight Timer. It’s a great app with short mediations.
How do you handle stress?
We want to notice our triggers early on. For me, it’s often about running out of time. I can get pretty snarky and snippy. As soon as I notice the stress coming, I’ll often notice my feet on the ground or where my hands are hitting the table. Something happens when we shift from mind to body… We want to explore our triggers ahead of time. Is it when my kids are fighting and bickering? Is it when my house is a mess and I can’t think? Bring in curiosity and humor, be able to smile a bit. “The house is a mess, I can see that, and I’m going to let it go.” It’s not something that just happens. It happens slowly over time.
What do you do when you fail and lose it?
I always say I’m a recovering yeller... The yelling happens and then the guilt sets in. In the moment, it feels good. It’s a release of energy. … It doesn’t mean we should never be stern or use a different tone of voice, but yelling usually doesn’t get us anywhere but kids crying and us in a bad mood. … It helps us to be more aware. What caused this trigger? Then there’s the recovery. We want to repair. … “So I yelled and I got angry. I wish I hadn’t done that. This was what was going on for me. What was going on for you? How can we do this better?””
Janine DeFao is an associate editor at Bay Area Parent.