BCIT Brief
February 2016, Edition #15
Editor: Mrs. Laura Geltch, District Program and Community Coordinator
Check out our district BCIT Video!
A Message from your Superintendent
Dear School Community:
This month we present to the Board of Education and school community our mid-year report on progress toward achieving our districts' goals.
School district goals are designed to promote our vision of all students discovering their full potential. The goal setting process begins with evaluating progress on the previous year's goals, and determining program and student needs for the future. Administrative and staff goals are then aligned to support the achievement of district goals. Budgets are designed to support the implementation of programs, professional development, and other resources to support the achievement of the districts’ goals.
We are pleased with the substantial progress our staff and administrators have attained toward achieving the districts’ goals, and look forward to reporting continued progress at the end of the school year.
Sincerely,
Dr. Chris Manno,
Superintendent of Schools
A letter from Dr. Nagy, Assistant Superintendent for Special Education, BCSSSD & BCIT
Tolerance Awareness Month
Dear BCIT Community,
As we celebrate Tolerance Awareness Month, I am reminded of the 1985 award winning American drama film, Mask, which captured the real story of the life and early death of Roy L. "Rocky" Dennis, a boy who suffered from craniodiaphyseal dysplasia, an extremely rare disorder due to the disfiguring and enlargement of the cranium. Throughout his early life Rocky encountered many disparaging remarks and overheard comments about how strange he looked. One day when in an amusement park with some of his classmates, he found himself in a room of mirrors that would normally distort how one looked. To the surprise of his classmates, Rocky actually looked normal. The mirrors provided, for the first time to his classmates, the opportunity to actually see Rocky for who he was, inside and outside. It marked a turning point for Rocky and his classmates. They accepted Rocky for the beautiful person he was.
This month affords us the opportunity to look at how we treat one another, and how we look at others who may have a different physical condition, mental challenge, learning challenge, race or religion, to name a few. Yet at the end of the day, our happiness and our wellbeing are contingent upon others. In fact, as noted in one of my blogs this past week, Psychologist, Dr. Christopher Petersen found that we are connected or completed by three words: Other People Matter. Let us take a moment to reflect on how we can do a better job to exercise tolerance and learn about the beauty of another person inside and out, much like the classmates did with Rocky.
Sincerely,
Dr. Chris Nagy
Assistant Superintendent, Special Education
A letter from the BCIT Adult Education Principal, Patrick Cruet
Dear BCIT Community Members,
It is time to begin thinking about your plans for Summer and Fall. Whether you want to take a course and brush up on skills or learn a new career—it can be done in a year or less. Burlington County Institute of Technology Adult Education can help you meet your goals.
Check out our recently updated Career Exploration events with scheduled dates running through June. These events will provide you with our many career program offerings. You may visit our technical shops and classrooms, and ask any questions you may have about our programs. If you cannot make any of those dates, please call the Adult Education office and we will assist you with your career options.
BCIT will offer a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) 90 hour program this summer, in which students will be able to complete their certification in as little as one month.
Sincerely,
Patrick Cruet
BCIT Adult Education Principal
BCIT Adult Education Student Spotlight
Nicole Benish, a Welding student in our Adult Evening School, has an excellent work ethic as shown not only in her grades but also in her participation. Nicole has never missed a class and has an “A” average. Nicole works currently with her father in the family business as a Crain Operator in Burlington County. Growing up, her plan was to continue her education and work in the medical field. Now her true ambition is to learn how to weld. She believes this is a challenging field that would directly assist her and her father in the family business.
Nicole’s instructor, Mr. Horner, stated Nicole is an “ideal” student. She enjoys working with her hands and always gives 110% each night! Nicole admits that she was a little nervous when she began the course because she is a female; she soon overcame this as the instructor and class treated her as an equal.
Nicole plans on continuing in the welding field after her successful completion of the BCIT program with advanced courses. Nicole aspires to one day be a pipe welder. She enthusiastically recommends anyone who wants to learn about welding to seriously consider taking the course at BCIT Adult Education.
BCIT Adult Education Career Exploration Fairs - FREE!
Senator MacArthur visits BCIT Westampton for a tour of our Dental Occupations classroom in honor of National CTE Month.
US Rep. Tom MacArthur visits Burlington County Institute of Technology
BCIT/BCSSSD Board of Education Policies & Regulations
The following policies and regulations have been approved by the Board of Education. Please review and reference pertinent policies as applicable.
2nd Reading
2510.1 Use of Movies and/or Videos for Classroom Instruction
R2510.1 Use of Movies and/or Videos for Classroom Instruction
R8500.1 Serv Safe
Policies/Regulations (Exhibit #2) (These items are available on the website.) 1st Reading
3431.1 Family Leave (Revised) 4431.1 Family Leave (Revised) R5111 Admissions (Revised: Rubric) 9150 School Visitors
7440 School Security
Policies/Regulations (Exhibit #1) (These items are available on the website.)
2nd Reading
3431.1 and 4431.1 Family Leave (Revised) R5111 Admissions (Revised: Rubric)
9150 School Visitors
7440 School Security
R8460 General Administrative Investigative Procedures (Revised) R7450.1 General Inventory (BCIT) (Revised)
1st Reading
8500.1 Offer Versus Serve (OVS)
R6660 Student Activity SOP
Discovery Night at BCIT! Westampton and Medford Campuses
BCIT Westampton performed for Discovery Night
February is CTE Month! BCIT welcomes Burlington County Middle Schoolers!
BCIT Medford welcomed Burlington County Middle Schoolers in celebration of Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month. Students visited our Architecture & Design Technology, Welding Technology, Electronic & Computer Engineering Academy, Sports Medicine, Entertainment Technologies, and Allied Health Occupations classrooms.
Medford Campus Tours!
Westampton Campus Tours!
Applying to BCIT is now a snap with InfoSnap!
Dr. Erin Conti
Coordinator of Admissions & Recruiting
Congratulations to BCIT January Students of the Month!
Grade 9 – Molly Gruberg
Grade 10 – Moniquia Brown
Grade 11 – Steven Newhouse
Grade 12 – Katie Baitinger
BCIT Westampton Campus
Grade 9- Vitoria Ribeiro
Grade 10- Guilherme Oliveira
Grade 11- Patrick Campbell
Grade 12- Benjamin Wenger
Student Athlete- Christopher Neidermayer
Most Improved- Imani Hall
Register NOW for 2016 BCIT Summer Camps! They fill up quickly!
BCIT 2016 Summer Camp
BCIT 2016 Summer Camp Registration is now open
We are offering 24 Summer Camps this summer on our BCIT Westampton and Medford campuses! Ms. Monique Jenkins is our Summer Camp Coordinator. Please email Ms. Jenkins at mjenkins@bcit.cc with any camp questions.
Camp dates for Summer 2016:
July 11-15
July 18-22
July 25-29
Click here for the BCIT 2016 Summer Camp Brochure and Registration Form. Please note: no cash payments will be accepted this year. Please mail your camp registration form(s) along with a check or money order to:
BCIT 2016 Summer Camp
Attn. Ms. Nereida Mack
695 Woodlane Road
Westampton, NJ 08060
24 BCIT Summer Camps offered this Summer!
CTE Spotlight: Auto Collision Repair Technology, by Danielle Hartman
“Jaws? He’s the best teacher in the school,” said student Cody Tuck, a senior in Auto Collision Repair Technology at BCIT in Medford. Jaws, or Mr. Jaworski as the rest of the school knows him, has earned this affectionate nickname through his work ethic and dedication to students. The moniker hardly fits the congenial, charismatic man I meet one morning as I visit his shop. Mr. Jaworski introduces me to two of his students, Cody Tuck and junior Chris Scassero, who agree to sit down with me and discuss the details of their experience in Auto Collision.
Cody’s enthusiasm for his career is evident. With pride, he describes the '81 El Camino, dark blue, which he just finished restoring with his father, a mechanic by trade. Cody did a full paint job, including some interior work. His father assisted with mechanical repairs. Cody also restored a '55 Pontiac Chieftain, green with a white top, for a teacher at BCIT. The end product, and seeing what can be accomplished with time and hard work, is what keeps Cody captivated with the process of restoring classic cars.
“We can make a paint job look better than factory,” Cody explains, “We learn how to do everything from mixing and applying paint to welding, door panels, and window mechanisms.” The multifaceted skills students learn in this career major will assist them in gaining employment in a number of areas, including auto body, refinishing, custom airbrush graphic design, and auto body materials representative. Students can also earn a number of ASE certifications before graduating, such as structural, non-structural, painting, and refinishing. These certifications will provide students with leverage when seeking employment.
Chris chimes in that he loves the hands-on nature of his career. While it is interesting to read about auto collision, it is much more fun to actually do body work, and he revels in the time spent on practical applications. Cody adds that Jaws focuses on the whole student, not just skills, but also on vocabulary, literacy, math, and any other needs the students have.
Students in Auto Collision at BCIT know they play a valuable role in the school and community. The shop regularly services township and teacher vehicles. This year, they fixed the school snowplow. Even classmates take advantage of the skills these students have to offer, bringing them cars to paint and polish, knowing that when they get them back, they’ll be better than new.
BCPDI Workshop Series
Click HERE for the Burlington County Professional Development Institute (BCPDI) online Workshop Series Brochure
BCIT Westampton Junior, Rebecca DeLuccia, performed at Carnegie Hall in NYC!
Student Spotlight: BCIT Westampton Junior
Rebecca DeLuccia performed on one of New York City's biggest stages! Rebecca is a BCIT Westampton Junior from Riverside. Rebecca began singing when she was 10 years old, has sang in choir throughout middle school, and has been studying privately for five years. Rebecca is classically trained and most enjoys singing in her church choir (since 8th grade). Rebecca travelled with her choir, the First Presbyterian in Morristown, to Denmark and Sweden at the age of 16. She was able to tour the country, visit castles and perform in churches while abroad!
Rebecca was nominated to perform at Carnegie Hall by her Church Choir’s conductor, Mr. Krott. The performance was given by an international choir, comprised of high school-aged students from all over the world. 80,000 individuals auditioned, and 750 were invited to perform! 200 high school students were asked to perform, with the remaining 550 individuals performing in the women’s choir and orchestra.
Rebecca performed to a packed house on Sunday, February 7, 2016. “The experience was amazing! Fantastic! More than I expected, because I’ve been dreaming about performing in New York since Middle School, and my dreams came true!” exclaimed Rebecca.
Rebecca enjoys all aspects of theater, however she wants to pursue Disney animation as a career. Rebecca plans to attend University of Arts in Philadelphia. Disney, DreamWorks, and Pixar collaborate with U of Art’s Animation program.
Rebecca's older sister Megan is a graduate of BCIT Westampton's Health Occupations program. Megan inspired Rebecca to attend BCIT. Rebecca chose Entertainment Technologies to learn more about background of movies and even though she initially wanted Ad Art, she is so happy with her choice. She really loves her teacher, Mrs. Sprague. Rebecca recalls Mrs. Sprague saying "your videos are a representation of your true personality and show off your creative side.” Rebecca tends to be shy, but not when she is most creative behind the camera.
Rebecca would recommend BCIT mostly because of the fantastic students here. BCIT helps their students prepare for college and are very supportive. Rebecca enjoys the creative experience and challenges her CTE program offer. “This program inspires me to be the best I can be.”
-Laura Geltch
Congratulations BCIT Westampton Senior, Amir Harper for scoring your 100th Wrestling win!
BCIT Boy's Basketball: Medford vs. Westampton! Go Jaguars! Go Panthers!
Congratulations BCIT Medford Senior Shaklee Vincent for scoring your 1000th point!
BCIT Academy for the Performing Arts presents their Spring Musical:
Dates: April 22, 23, 29 & 30, 7 p.m.
BCIT Medford Performing Arts Center
Academy for Performing Arts welcomed new instruments and technology on our Medford campus.
Painting With Polizzi - BCIT Westampton Campus
Congratulations to the BCIT Medford National Honor Society, TVDMP and Mr. Parker on winning the NASSP School Principal Video Contest!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_KSrGnvUeY&feature=youtu.be
Congratulations to our BCIT Westampton DECA Students!
Our students qualified to compete in Nationals in Nashville, TN. Congratulations to Austin Dasher for winning First Place in Personal Selling and Charles Walker for winning Third Place in Sports Marketing Promotion Planning.
The following individuals did not qualify to attend states (except Min Dye), but received awards for the Virtual Business Challenge Charter Association Top Performer for the state of New Jersey (highest ranking - First place). These individuals demonstrated excellence in managing marketing concepts and making strategic marketing decisions.
- Jordan Turner (team leader)
- Lawrence Anderson
- Ryan Woodrow
- Min Dye
Congratulations to Marguerite Hodges and her students!
Congratulations BCIT Medford Robotics students!
BCIT Medford Campus hosts Robotics Competition!
NJ’S MADE GREAT STRIDES IN EXPANDING HIGH SCHOOL CAREER-READINESS OFFERINGS
Designer Bag Bingo: Save the Date: March 3, 2016
BCIT Foundation will host Designer Bag Bingo on Thursday, March 3, 2016 at the Westampton campus. Its fourth sell-out event in October was one of the best yet! Game and door prizes came from Coach and Michael Kors, with a few VISA gift cards mixed in for fun. In addition to 16 games that offered full-size purse prizes, the 50-50 game left the winner with nearly $1,200 in her pocket!
Reserve your seats now! Details are online, or contact (609) 267-4226, ext. 8335 or foundation@bcit.cc.
See you there!
Renee Janowicz
Director, BCIT Foundation
TRIBUTE BRICKS make great Birthday, Holiday and Graduation gifts!
Engraved bricks can mark a memory, honor a loved one, or commemorate a special occasion. They are placed within existing walkways near the front entrances of either Medford or Westampton campus, reflecting the legacy of BCIT.
Bricks can be ordered in two sizes, plus a mini replica to keep at home. Details and the order form are on the web pages of the BCIT Foundation.
Let us know if you'd like a personalized certificate to present for an occasion! Call the BCIT Foundation at (609) 267-4226, ext. 8335.
Thank you for your support,
Director, BCIT Foundation
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Do you have a story to share?
Our students and staff are unique and truly outstanding Burlington County community members. It would be my pleasure to share student, family, and parent stories with our school's community.
Please contact me if you would like to share your story.
Thank you,
Program & Community Coordinator
BCIT
Parent/Student Tips:
How to create a home for homework:
2ndFloor.org Youth Helpline
In NJ, youth have an anonymous and confidential helpline to call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call 1-888-222-2228 to speak with someone who will listen attentively and compassionately to any issues you are facing.
ANY CALL, ANY TIME - we are always here and ready to help.
Emergency Closing/Delayed Opening Procedures:
In the event of a campus emergency or inclement weather, staff members will be contacted via email, phone message, and text message. In addition, we will post a Special Alert Message on our website.
Staff Members, Help us Contact You.
Have you moved? Have you changed your phone number or email address? Please make sure to update your information with BCIT Personnel.
Students will be contacted using information stored in Genesis, our electronic student database. Parents should be reminded to ensure their contact information is up-to-date. Any changes should be reported to the main office of the student's school.