BOCES Students Contribute to Ronald McDonald House

Early in the 2010-2011 school year, OCM BOCES students from Janet Clark's laboratory technology classes, and Robin Willey's health occupations classes at the Irvin E. Henry Campus, began a recycling project to support the Central New York Ronald McDonald house. The students were learning about recycling and reducing as part of their science curriculum and decided to do some recycling of their own for a good cause. In October of 2010, the students began collecting pop tops to support the charity. Their efforts caught on and were supported throughout their school, becoming somewhat of a contest between classrooms. In all, the students and staff collected more than 70 pounds of pop tops, which were donated to the Ronald McDonald house on June 7, 2011.

The students involved in the collection efforts brought the donations to the Ronald McDonald house on the 7th and performed a variety of community service projects while they were there. Some of the tasks that the students completed at the home included assembling toys for the residents, cleaning out a shed, weeding gardens, sweeping the parking lot, picking up trash and thoroughly cleaning the inside of the house. The students were also given a tour of the facility and had the opportunity to see how their efforts would benefit others. The trip provided a very rewarding experience for the students!

OCM BOCES STARS High School Student Places in Competitive Art Exhibition

Congratulations to Zack Davis, an OCM BOCES STARS Alternative High School junior from the Jamesville DeWitt Central School District, for recently having placed third in the 39th Annual Teenage Competitive Art Exhibition! Six students from the STARS Alternative High School, and hundreds from school districts across Central New York, entered various works of art in the exhibition, and Zack's work placed third in the 3-dimensional division. On June 4, Zack was presented with an award during a ceremony honoring all winners at Syracuse's Community Folk Art Center on East Genesee Street.

OCM BOCES Deaf Program Students Attend Naturalization Ceremony

Earlier this year, students and teachers from the OCM BOCES Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program at Solvay High School attended a naturalization ceremony at Syracuse's Federal Court House. They were able to witness a former OCM BOCES student and classmate, Tamla Too, as she became an American citizen. While 28 other candidates spoke their oaths of citizenship, Tamla used American Sign Language to take her oath. The experience was very moving for the students, staff and Tamla's family.

Five OCM BOCES Students Recognized by Syracuse Auto Dealers Association

Each year, the Syracuse Automotive Dealers Association (SADA) presents seven awards for excellence to local Career and Technical Education students exploring the fields of automotive technology and automotive collision technology. The students, from OCM BOCES, Central Tech Vocational Center and the Johnson Center, are selected by their classroom teachers on criteria such as classroom attendance, participation, technology, math and science skills, attitude, capacity to diagnose issues and ability to work with others.

The association has been presenting the awards for 16 years, with the concept developed by Lew Goodman, the now deceased, president of a Chrysler dealership in Syracuse. Barbara Rothschild, Executive Vice-President of the SADA said of the awards “With an ever increasing need for skilled technicians, we believe that this is an opportunity for the auto dealers to meet prospective auto body and auto technicians. Over the years, many [of the students] have become employees of our dealerships.”

This year’s SADA awards were presented at a luncheon ceremony at OCM BOCES on Wednesday, June 1, 2011. The awards were presented by SADA President, Bruce Rapp, along with Jim Barr of Crest Cadillac/Acura and Mark Weaver of Drivers Village. Referring to the field of automotive technology, President Rapp said, “It is one of the most important aspects of our business. [It is the good work of] the service and body shops [that] brings customers back. I am thrilled to honor these young men today.”

The 2011 SADA award winners from OCM BOCES were:
Joseph Bugacki, an auto technology senior from the Jamesville-Dewitt CSD
Max Ford, an auto technology senior from the North Syracuse CSD
Chase Lee, and auto collision technology senior from the Cortland City SD
Derrick Mitchell, an auto collision technology senior from the Fayetteville-Manlius CSD
Justin Rowley, an auto technology senior from the McGraw CSD (pictured above receiving his award from SADA President Bruce Rapp)

For more information about the OCM BOCES Automotive Technology, Automotive Collision Technology or other Career and Technical Education Programs, contact Robert Leslie, Director of Career, Technical and Adult Education at 315/431-8407.

OCM BOCES Student Shares His Inspirational Story at Adult Literacy Celebration

Maynard Bland was among the 150 students receiving diplomas from OCM BOCES at their Syracuse-area Adult Literacy Programs celebration on May 25 at the Palace Theater in Syracuse.
The students were graduates of the OCM BOCES GED, External Diploma and other literacy programs. Bland was one of three students to give testimonials illustrating their personal and educational struggles prior to coming to OCM BOCES. Other student speakers were Kathleen Maser and Shamika Surrey.

Sam H. Stedman Sr., owner and landlord of the Children’s Consortium, was recognized as the OCM BOCES 2011 “Partner in Literacy” for his donation of space for the OCM BOCES Even Start program.

For more information on Adult Literacy Programs at OCM BOCES, contact the Adult and Continuing Education Program Offices at 315/453-4466 in the Syracuse area or 607/ 758-5111 in the Cortland area.

Click here to read the Syracuse Post Standard story on Maynard Bland and the graduation.

Photo (Mike Greenlar/Post Standard) and caption courtesy of the Post Standard - Pictured above: Maynard Bland (left) stands with his former GED class teacher Celia Volbrecht in the lobby of the Palace Theatre, site of the OCM BOCES graduation. Bland was named Student of the Year and gave the commencement speech.

OCM BOCES Career Academy Holding 4th Annual Festival for the Cure - Saturday, June 4

On Saturday, June 4th, the OCM BOCES Career Academy will be holding their 4th Annual “Family Festival for the Cure” from 1:00 – 4:00 PM on the campus of the Lee G. Peters Career Training Center (4500 Crown Road) in Liverpool. The festival will include food, beverages, games, raffles, a bounce house, crafts and displays. Students, families, friends and the community are encouraged to come to this fun, family event, which benefits the Carol Baldwin Breast Cancer Research fund. Admission and parking for the event are free, with tickets being sold for food, games and raffles. Prize raffles will include gift certificates to several local restaurants and shops.

The OCM BOCES Career Academy students and staff became actively involved in the fight against breast cancer in 2008 when an attendee of the school was diagnosed with cancer. Since that time, the school has raised hundreds of dollars to fight breast cancer and has made several donations to the Carol Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund.

About the Career Academy:
The Career Academy, located at the Lee G. Peters Career Training Center in Liverpool, began in September of 2006, with input from OCM BOCES’ component districts. The Academy currently serves approximately 150 students from several of our component school districts including North Syracuse, Liverpool, Fayetteville-Manlius, Marcellus, West Genesee, Westhill, Tully, LaFayette and Baldwinsville. The mission of the Career Academy is to provide students an opportunity to explore different career paths while completing their academic course work to graduate from high school. Career themes are woven into the academic courses to make them more meaningful and engaging for students. The program inspires leadership and confidence in students as they become motivated to take ownership of their learning.

About Carol M. Baldwin:
Breast cancer survivor Carol M. Baldwin has dedicated her life to finding a cure for breast cancer. A Syracuse native and graduate of Syracuse University, she and her husband Alexander raised their family in Massapequa, Long Island. In 1983, after 29 years of marriage, her husband died of lung cancer and, in 1990, Carol was diagnosed with breast cancer. These experiences led to her taking a leadership role in the formation of the Central NY Chapter of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation in Syracuse. Carol is joined in her efforts against breast cancer by her children: daughters Jane and Elizabeth, and sons, actors Alec, Stephen, Billy and Daniel. Asking others to join her crusade for a cure, Carol Baldwin is, she says, positive that, "together, we can and will find a cure."

For more information, or to get involved, contact OCM BOCES Career Academy Instructor, Leah LaChausse at 453-4473 or by email at llachausse@ocmboces.org.

12 OCM BOCES Students Awarded with Tools for Success

Congratulations to the 12 OCM BOCES Automotive Technology and Automotive Collision Technology students recently recognized for their outstanding achievements through Snap-On Tools for Success awards program. The students, selected by their OCM BOCES classroom instructors for their excellent automotive technology, math and science skills, as well as outstanding classroom participation, attendance and attitude, each received a certificate of excellence and a Snap-On Tools screwdriver, valued at over $50. Of the four from each classroom, one student was chosen to receive a black-handled screwdriver award, representing the “best of the best” in their field.

The following OCM BOCES students were recognized with Tools for Success awards. Those marked with an * were selected for the black-handled screwdriver award:

Automotive Collision Technology (Instructor, Matthew McGiveny):
Robert Hansen (North Syracuse Central School District)
Brett Megerell (Chittenango Central School District)
*Shelby Nodine (Baldwinsville Central School District)
Sean O’Brien (North Syracuse Central School District)


Automotive Technology (Instructor, Samuel Azria):
Joseph DeMaria (Chittenango Central School District)
Clifford Jackson (Chittenango Central School District)

*James Kellogg (Baldwinsville Central School District)

Joseph Lehner (Chittenango Central School District)

Automotive Technology (Instructor, Erick Dodge):
Stephanie Tucker (Marcellus Central School District)

Jacob Wilcox (North Syracuse Central School District)

*Jacob Worden (Baldwinsville Central School District)

Maxim Zhuravlev (Liverpool Central School District)

For more information about the OCM BOCES Automotive Technology, Automotive Collision Technology or other Career and Technical Education Programs, contact Robert Leslie, Director of Career, Technical and Adult Education at 315/431-8407.






Pictured: OCM BOCES Automotive Collision Technology instructor Matt McGivney shakes the hand of Shelby Nodine, a student from his class that he selected to receive the Snap-On Tools for Success black-handled screwdriver award.