District Newsletter
New Castle County Vocational-Technical School District
Joseph M. Jones, Superintendent
Michele Marra, Administrative Assistant
Message from the Superintendent
February 2019
What follows are some highlights from the district and our schools. Enjoy!
- Across all four of our high schools, the Class of 2018 had 871 students who were employed in cooperative education representing 76% of the graduating class. Currently, with the Class of 2019, we have more than 70% of our seniors employed with more placements every week.
- For the Class of 2018, our graduation rate was 94%. The average graduation rate for the state is 86%. NCCVT has one of the highest graduation rates in the state.
- MDavis & Sons, a Wilmington-based industrial construction company, employs 158 Vo-Tech graduates, which represents 30% of its workforce.
- Last year, more than 200 students in the Class of 2018 took dual enrollment courses at Delaware Technical Community College and earned three or more college credits.
Admissions Decision Letters to be Mailed on February 22, 2019
NCC Vo-Tech Admissions decision letters will be mailed on Friday, February 22. Approximately 2,100 8th grade students from 64 different middle schools in New Castle County submitted applications for the 1,250 openings the district will have for incoming 9th graders next year. Completed registration documents are due on Monday, March 18. Freshmen Welcome events will be held for parents and students on Saturday, March 23 at Hodgson, Howard, and St. Georges, and on Saturday, April 6 at Delcastle.
NCC Vo-Tech Students Compete in Statewide Career & Technical Student Organization Events
Often referred to as the Olympics for Career and Technical Education students, a total of 834 NCC Vo-Tech students have performed their skills, competing in 212 statewide contests for SkillsUSA, Future Health Professionals (formerly known as Health Occupations Students of America), Business Professionals of America, and Educator's Rising competitions in recent weeks. For SkillsUSA competitions, Delcastle had 201 students competing in 41 different contests; Hodgson had 99 students competing in 30 contests; Howard had 91 students competing in 26 contests; and St. Georges had 70 students competing in 25 contests. For Future Health Professionals (HOSA) competitions, Delcastle had 105 students competing in 19 contests; Hodgson had 55 students competing in 14 contests; Howard had 6 students competing in 4 contests; and St. Georges had 162 students competing in 32 contests. In Business Professionals of America (BPA) competitions, Delcastle had 12 students compete in 12 contests, and Howard had 2 students compete in one contest. Hodgson had 22 students compete in 2 Educator's Rising contests, and St. Georges had 9 students compete in 6 contests. The district is most proud of our students and their willingness to demonstrate their competency in skills they have acquired in their chosen career program of study.
Medal winners in all contests will be announced at the student organizations' statewide conferences this spring.
Delcastle's Culinary Arts Program
The Culinary Arts program held its annual Bake the Night Away service project on December 21. Students created gingerbread houses and baked 12,000 chocolate chip cookies. We would like to thank all of those who assisted with and/or participated in the Bake the Night Away Event. This was a record-breaking year in regards to time and number of cookies made. Below is the section of the Bake the Night Away Press Release mentioning our Culinary Arts Program:
12,000 cookies baked, boxed, and delivered in 15 hours is quite a feat for the most seasoned baker, but for Delcastle Culinary students, this is old hat.
For the past 11 years students from Delcastle High School Culinary have joined forces with area businesses and organizations to "Bake the Night Away." This Christmas outreach was created as a way to show support and appreciation for first responders across the state. “Children from surrounding elementary schools are going to attend to decorate cookie boxes along with Alumni Culinary Arts and students from other career areas within our building. This will make a unique and exciting experience for everybody involved. We look forward to seeing you," said Gary James, Delcastle Culinary Arts Instructor.
Hodgson Wrestling Team
The Hodgson wrestling team is a success on the mat and in the community. In December they participated in Wreaths Across America at the Delaware Veterans Cemetery. Team members cleaned the graves of our service men and women and placed holiday wreaths on all sites under the supervision of their coaches and family. On Sunday, January 27, 2019, they concluded their service projects by working with Endless Line outside of the Sunday Breakfast Mission serving hot pasta, hot dogs, sandwiches, fruit, snacks, hot chocolate, and water to 150 homeless men, women, and children. The team then took the initiative to clean up around the Mission, leaving it in better shape than it was when they arrived. The wrestlers collected the money to provide the meals to the homeless and were able to donate $150 to help provide future meals to the less fortunate. Their service to others not only improves team spirit and cultivates leadership, but hopefully also instills a lifelong habit of helping others.
Career & Technical Education Advisory Meeting
On Wednesday, February 6, 2019, Career & Technical Education (CTE) instructors from across the district in the areas of Medical Assisting, Dental Assisting, Engine Technology, Legal Support Services, and Legal Administrative Assisting welcomed advisory members for their annual meeting, followed by tours of the career areas. Student representatives in each area were on hand to serve as ambassadors of their programs. The groups met in various sites in the Senior Conference Center and reviewed curriculum, employment trends, potential for co-op placements, certification, and program highlights.
Early Childhood Education: Child Development Associate Credential
Two of St. Georges' Early Childhood Education students, KeAnna Williams and Lauren Peterson, are leading the state by being the first high school Early Childhood Education students in Delaware to earn their Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. The CDA credential is a national birth-preschool certification, which also includes a Delaware Department of Education certificate. Along with the credential and certificate, students will obtain 6 - 18 college credits, depending on the higher education institution of their choice. The St. Georges' Early Childhood program has 18 additional students completing the CDA credentialing process and will receive notification on their status in the next few months.
Early Childhood Education instructor Mrs. Nicole Bowe is commended for her leadership. Mrs. Bowe passionately seeks out rigorous and relevant professional learning opportunities for her students. By completing this credentialing process, her students are empowered to become creators and not just consumers of Early Childhood content knowledge and skills. The students at St. Georges' Early Childhood programs are state pacesetters in their efforts to become world-class educators! Good luck to the other Early Childhood students completing the process.
The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence Automotive Program is Running Like a "Fine-tuned Engine"
The Apprenticeship and Technical Training section of the Adult Education Division has created a unique blend of The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Certifications and On-the-Job-Training (OJT). This two-year, 4000-hour OJT program allows a student to earn credentials in the following ASE Certifications: Brakes, Suspension & Steering, Engine Repair, and Electrical/Electronic Systems. Upon completion of the 4000 hours of OJT, the State of Delaware also awards the successful completers with Journey-Persons Papers. Journey Papers are the capstone event in the apprenticeship program.
Dealerships throughout the state are hiring entry-level candidates to fill the many openings they have in their busy shops. Next year, we will be adding another class to lead the second wave of future Automotive Journey-Persons in New Castle County. The program is held at Delcastle Technical High School. Come and join this exciting new Apprenticeship program and "earn while you learn." For more information please contact our office (302) 683-3652.
Groves Adult High School Now Offering ESL Classes
In addition to offering courses to help adult students age 16 and older obtain a High School Diploma or GED credential, we are now offering FREE English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. We are also offering training in the construction trades for non-native English speakers. We offer both day and evening classes. To find out more about the Adult Education Division's course offerings, please visit our website at http://nccvtadulteducation.com/ or give us a call (302) 683-6342.
Delaware Skills Center
The Delaware Skills Center is an integral part of the NCCVT School District's Adult Education Division and has been successfully providing training to the residents of Delaware for many years. We offer short training programs with job placement assistance. The employment rate for programs offered at the Delaware Skills Center is very high.
We are currently recruiting for our 12-week, 420-hour Electrical and HVAC programs. These classes are held 5 days per week, 7 hours per day for 12 weeks. There are currently free slots available. Visit the Delaware Skills Center website at http://www.deskillscenter.org/ or stop in for more information. The Delaware Skills Center is located on Route 9 outside the City of New Castle in the Twin Spans Industrial park. Classes start on March 8, 2019.
Stay up-to-date on all NCC Vo-Tech news by visiting the following websites:
Delcastle Technical High School
http://delcastle.nccvt.k12.de.us/
Paul M. Hodgson Vocational Technical High School
http://hodgson.nccvt.k12.de.us/
Howard High School of Technology
http://howard.nccvt.k12.de.us/
St. Georges Technical High School
http://stgeorges.nccvt.k12.de.us/
NCCVT Adult Education Division
http://nccvtadulteducation.com/
Delaware Skills Center
http://www.deskillscenter.org/
NCCVT Construction Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlX2r3xWTzs
NCCVT Past Newsletters