Mustang Message
October 4, 2015
Discovery Ed Top Users Honored Last Week
Message from the Principal
The message this week is from Darlene Crete who brought to my attention a student in need. The student's story remind us of the obstacles that our students face and what they do to survive. Thank you to Darlene Crete, Donna Lang and Sabrina Medal for following up when they noticed that she had been absent for several days.
"A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles"-Christopher Reeve. This past week it came to our attention that one of our 12th grade students and her family of six have been living in four different hotels in Naples since school ended in early June. They were renting a single family house prior to that and the landlord failed to inform them that the house was in foreclosure so they were forced to vacate with very little warning. We all know that rents are high in this community and coupled with first, last and security deposit requirements they have not been able to move to a permanent place. Remarkably, the student has been working full-time at a convenience store in addition to attending school full-time to help provide for her family and to ensure they have food and can pay the hotel bill each day. She logs into Priceline.com or other hotel websites every morning to find the cheapest rates possible for the upcoming night. At one point, the student stopped coming to school and considered dropping out as it seemed like the only feasible alternative to keep her mother and siblings sheltered and fed. She has been walking almost four miles each way from the hotel to work and back sometimes as late as 11:00 PM because the family car, which is 19 years old, broke down and will require money they don't have to make it drivable.
The student loves school and is passionate about her marine mechanics tech area. When speaking to her the other day, she shared that she wants to graduate from LWTHS/LWTC and make her mother and family proud. She is a strong young lady and the epitome of perseverance under the most difficult of obstacles; without a doubt, she is a hero to her mother, brothers and her sister, who suffers from cerebral palsy and needs a lot of care. Without the perseverance and drive to keep on going when things in her life got tough, she could not manage this incredible feat.
As you know, one of the things I like best about being part of this school are the incredible relationships that all of you develop with our students and their families and your generous spirits. When a few staff members heard the news about the student and her family, they began donating food, money, and toiletries. All of the items were welcomed with appreciation, gratitude and tears of happiness by the family, but they are still in need so some of the burden can be lifted off the student, a true hero in every sense of the word. If any of you would like to make a donation of any kind (i.e. money, food, gift cards, etc.) or you have any leads on a 2-3 bedroom condo, house or apartment, please see Darlene Crete or Donna Lang.
I'm so honored to work with such an amazing staff. Have a great week!
Tech Corner
For some reason the following was omitted from last week’s Mustang Message re: tools from the Integrating Technology session:
PollEverywhere is a free online polling service for quick ‘check for understanding’. If you use the web version you have a variety of ways for students to input their opinion/answer but there’s also an App available. You can easily include within a PowerPoint presentation as well.
There are a number of benefits to becoming active in the Discovery Education Network (DEN) - check out the “Top 10 Ways to Discover Your DEN”. You will find #2 to be the Virtual Conferences! If you are looking for MIPs and/or want to learn more about digital literacies, join us for the Fall VirtCon Viewing Party!
News from our Wellness Champions - Pam and Khris
On Thursday, Oct. 8th Pam Wilkins will be taking her first 'step' towards getting in shape. She is going to WALK in the Moe's Run/Walk. If anyone would like to join her, Rick Ponton or Khris on the walk, email Pam or Khris Betten-Jutasi by Monday afternoon. They will need your name, date of birth, gender and shirt size to register you for the run. You can check out the walk details by going to the Gulf Coast Runners website - gcrunner.org.
The 2015 "Staying Alive" Benefits and Wellness fair is being held October 10th, 8:00 a.m.-noon at the MLK Administration Center. The LWTC massage, cosmetology and practical nursing students will be providing free massages, manicures, and taking blood pressure readings.
- SHAPE UP ! Experience a Taste of Naples Fitness will be held on Saturday, October 17, 8:00 a.m. –noon at Lowdermilk Park and Beach. You will have an opportunity to participate in free fitness activities including yoga, paddle boarding, fitness classes and a 2 mile fun run/walk.
Happenings
On 10/1 Tiffany Hall gave birth to Jackson C. Hall who weighed 8 lbs 2 oz. Mother and baby are both doing well.
On Monday October 5th the Philanthropic Education Organization (PEO) will be coming for lunch and a tour. They will begin touring the campus around 12:30. They are very enthusiastic about Lorenzo Walker and have potential scholarships for adults and HS students!
Reminders
The Computer System and Network Support classes are happy to fix your personal computer when they have the time. If you would like students in the program to work on your computer, please have a work order issued by the book store. This does not mean you will be charged and often times the deposit can be waived if you qualify. There are no exceptions to having a work order issued by the book store prior to work being done.
- PLT Reflection forms due October 30th.
- Make sure to follow the schools on Twitter. The handle for LWTC is @LWTechCollege and the handle for LWTHS is @LWTHSMustangs.
We will be announcing the Staff Members and students of the month on Tuesday. Don't forget to nominate a staff member for the month of October by clicking on the Padlet link . Type the name of the nominated staff member in the "Title" portion of the Padlet post and your reasoning in the body of the post. Also you can nominate by grade level a student for the month for October by clicking the link appropriate link below. Follow the same protocol of putting the student name as the title and reason for nominating in the body of the post.
Spotlight on LWTHS Staff Member
Anne Genovese, Computing for College & Careers' teacher, absolutely feels as though she is fortunate to be working here at Lorenzo Walker Technical High School. She grew up in a large family with nine brothers and sisters, so she easily felt at home in the tight-knit family atmosphere this school offers. Originally, she felt miserable at her desk job as a banker, but she knew her heart belonged in helping and educating others. Anne went on to pursue a degree in social sciences and become a teacher. She enjoys spending her time doing outdoor activities, such as open water swimming, spending time with her Tibetan terrier, and traveling the country. Anne always makes the most of every moment; whether it be hiking with her dog or biking across Iowa, as she does every summer. She grew up and moved to very diverse places before she settled in Naples. The beauty of living on the Gulf of Mexico intrigued her and drew her to move here. She would describe herself as strong, kind, and beautiful; mentally and emotionally. Anne believes it is rewarding to build unique relationships with her students and she is wholeheartedly delighted to educate and inspire them.
Spotlight on LWTC Staff Member
Deb Young is a huge hockey fan and loves animals. She got involved in education by moving from Chicago to Naples to become part of her children’s education. She has a yellow Labrador name Mollie. She is a very passionate, adventurous strong and independent woman. If she was not involved in the field of education, Deb would join the Horticulture National Park service where she would replant our forests. We are so lucky to have such a strong student advocate on our team.
Kudos
- Donna Lang for conducting a family visit for our student in need and bringing a cooler to keep their food from spoiling
- Pat Metcalf, Margo Dagher and Jeff Rexford for their generous donations to the family
- Marie Coleman and Lindsey Simmons for presenting at the 5th Annual STEM Conference at GGHS on Saturday, 10/3.
- Chef Geri, Chef Abdo and the students for preparing food for Leadership Collier, the STEM reception and the Automotive Event this week
- Joann Cassio and the National Honor Society for hosting the Blood Mobile
- To all for hosting Leadership Collier on 10/1
Happy Birthday
08- Lynn Bedrava
Upcoming Staff Meetings and Trainings
- See the lwcampus.wikispaces.com for the LWTC/LWTHS meeting calendar.
Upcoming Student Events
- 10/5, Powderpuff T-Shirt sales, courtyard, 10:41-11:15am, -Lindsey Simmons
- 10/4-10/16, Breast Cancer Awareness, sell pink shoelaces & socks, courtyard, lunchtime- Joann Cassio
- 10/8, Car Wash, LWTHS parking lot, 2:35-4:00pm,- Khris Betten-Jutasi
- 10/8/, Moe's Run, Moe's Southwest Grill, Immokalee Rd, 4:45-8:00pm,- Khris Betten-Jutasi