Career Center Newsletter

Dear PAHCC Community,

As we step into March, we're excited to present the latest edition of our school newsletter!

This month marks a pivotal time as we transition into a time of year filled with ongoing growth, teamwork, and achievement. March brings the promise of blooming opportunities. We have revitalized energy to pursue our educational goals with renewed zeal.

In this edition, we're thrilled to highlight the remarkable endeavors and successes of our students, faculty, and staff. From creative projects to upcoming events, and more, we encourage you to delve into the diverse fabric of our school community! As we embrace the spirit of spring, let us forge ahead with enthusiasm and determination.

Early release day for students - PM classes

Early release for students and staff for the Solar Eclipse - PM classes

April break

Student progress reports will be sent home

Let's give a warm welcome to Melissa Sullivan, our new registrar!

With 25 years of experience in database management and communications at Middlebury College, along with her degree in Management Information Systems and a certificate in Business Management from Champlain College, Melissa brings a wealth of knowledge to our team.

Melissa is an 8th-generation Vermonter with a 25-year-old son, who also took classes at PAHCC and who is now a successful welder for a local metalworks shop. We're excited to have her onboard and look forward to her contributions!

Kicking off our new Adult Ed Soldering program is our newest adult ed instructor, Jason Swift.

Jason is a Senior Quality Instructor at Collins Aerospace, and a certified soldering trainer with IPC International, the organization providing the J-STD-001 Certified IPC Specialist (CIS) industry-recognized credential. Welcome, Jason!

In a groundbreaking achievement, PAHCC's Makery Coordinator, Shannon Bryant, made history by becoming the first woman ever elected to the Sudbury select board this month! It was a great way to celebrate International Women's Day!

We're thrilled to share some exciting news from our very own Dr. Nicole MacTavish!

Dr. MacTavish has been appointed to two prestigious boards within our community. Firstly, she has been elected to the Board of the Addison County Chamber of Commerce. Dr. MacTavish expressed her enthusiasm, stating, "I am excited to announce that I have been elected to the Board of the Addison County Chamber of Commerce! I look forward to contributing to this hard-working group, and to gaining insight from the work, which will help guide our course development and offerings here at PAHCC."

Additionally, Dr. MacTavish has been appointed to the Board of Trustees for the Addison County Economic Development Corporation. She shared her excitement about this appointment, saying, "This term is for seven (7) years, with my first meeting being April 18th. I am very excited to join this board, as economic development is both an important part of the work we do here at PAHCC and also a personal interest of mine. I hope to serve our community well and bring value to this board."

We congratulate Dr. MacTavish on these significant appointments and look forward to the positive impact she will undoubtedly make in both roles!

As part of being appointment to the Board of Directors, Dr. MacTavish was featured in the Chamber’s monthly digest. You can read it here. Check out the features on pages 9 and 12, where she talked about PAHCC and did some community education about CTE.

PAHCC A.R.T. graduate Jake Lacy is featured in the Wall Street Journal this week! He talks about growing up in Vermont and how his childhood home ended up being painted pink. Read the article here!

Thank you, Jake for your kind words about PAHCC and the amazing teachers here!

PAHCC Medical Professions graduate, Walker Whittemore, an RN at Porter Medical Center Emergency Department was awarded the Porter DAISY Award, highlighting him as a leader at the hospital. Congratulations Walker!

Read more in his feature in the Porter Pipeline, and the highlight on The Daisy Foundation website!

Vermont Public is teaming up with the Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium to

provide live coverage of the total solar eclipse, along with educational resources and

experiences to help Vermont families and students prepare for this once-in-a-lifetime event on April 8, 2024.

All schools, including PAHCC, across the region, will have a half day on April 8 so that everyone has the opportunity to witness the event, which will occur in the northern half of Vermont between 3:20 and 3:30 PM.

Vermont Public will also livestream views of the eclipse from the Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium in St. Johnsbury on April 8. Tune in starting at 3 PM.

We are incredibly grateful to the voters of Addison county who approved our budget this month! This has been a difficult climate for voters across the state as they contemplate tax rates that have very real impacts on families.

The strong support we have experienced is a testament to the value our community places on the learning that happens here.

We have worked very hard to show our community that your support for PAHCC pays dividends through the cutting-edge technical skills students develop while here, and the careers students go on to after they graduate. We have also greatly expanded our adult education offerings this year.

We have a hugely supportive alumni group, a community that values the trades, and a strong Board, who ensure we keep growing and expanding our programming toward future industry needs.

The Addison Independent did a nice article about our budget passing. View it here!

The 2024 annual report is live on our website. You can also pick up a copy in our main office.

In compliance with our Perkins funding requirements, we're administering the parent/guardian survey, a pivotal component in our assessment framework. The invaluable input serves as a cornerstone for our continuous improvement efforts and long-term program planning. Please take a moment to share the survey link with student families: Survey Link.

We are happy to share a link to our scholarship application. The application is for students to apply for all scholarships that are granted internally by the PAHCC scholarship committee. Any senior who has completed 2 semesters of a technical program at PAHCC is eligible to apply. Most scholarships are for post-secondary training. A few are also available to cover tools or equipment for students going directly into the workforce.

Dr. VerPlanck and Dr. MacTavish had the opportunity to tour Aqua Vitea, and learn about the production of their signature organic kombucha and kombucha-infused seltzers. Their 9,000 square foot plant was incredibly impressive, as they both brew and bottle there. They also partner with other companies who co-use the space. Their work is a prime example of manufacturing in the food product space, and their team of civic-minded professionals is a great resource for our center.

This week was a major milestone for the $100k advanced manufacturing grant. In partnership with Addison County Economic Development Corporation (ACEDC) and Collins Aerospace, the grant will create a soldering certification program and a pipeline of skilled solderers for manufacturers in Vermont. Funds have now been released by the US DOL and we are full steam ahead!

We'll start by adding electrical drops to the room across from the human services classroom and ordering 7 rollaway soldering stations. The program will start with adult ed. By fall, the course will become an embedded part of the advanced manufacturing program. This equipment will also be available for other day programs where soldering skills are useful.

Our upcoming adult education Soldering course is set to commence in May, proudly making PAHCC the only IPC training center in Vermont. Learners get ready to embark on a journey of skill acquisition and professional development, as we equip students with essential soldering techniques and industry-standard certifications.

It's not too late to enroll at Patricia A Hannaford Career Center for the 2024-2025 school year!

Acceptance letters are starting to be sent out. Some programs are filling up, so don't wait to apply!

The application process is quick and easy – simply visit our website at https://forms.gle/uGq9AHeDYfdgkLvG8 to submit your application online.

Don't miss this opportunity to embark on a rewarding educational journey at PAHCC and take the first step toward a bright and successful future!

The last week of March, Vergennes Middle School 8th graders visited PAHCC. The students went through program rotations while here, doing hands-on activities in the labs, led by current PAHCC students and instructors.

We highlighted our pre-tech programs (Visual Communications, Intro to STEM, Intro to Agricultural Sciences, and Mechanical Sciences) as these are the programs the 8th-grade students will have the opportunity to participate in next year.

Adult education classes now accepting enrollments:

🗜️ Intro to CNC Wood Router: April 1

⚕️ Licensed Nursing Assistant: April 9

🚜 Tractor Safety Training: April 18

🦺 Forklift Operator Safety Training: April 21

⛑️ Basic CPR: April TBD

🥽 Soldering Certification: May TBD

🩺 Clinical Medical Assistant: Spring TBD

🩸 Phlebotomy Technician: Spring TBD

💥 Intro to Welding: Spring TBD

Head over to the website for course details on these and other future classes. Register now as seats are limited and fill up fast!

Students in our Intro to Welding class completed some great projects! The first picture (with a necklace) is of Wyatt Allenson. The second picture is Caleb Foster, who is also a student in the Natural Resources Management day program.

A.R.T. students delivered highly successful performances of The Tempest over the first week of March!

For many students, it was their first experience with a classical text. Actors and technicians alike worked to produce Shakespeare's last play, a story of the nature of revenge and love.

The students performed five shows over three days, including two in-school performances for Mt. Abraham classes. Bravo!

The Addison Independent ran a nice article about A.R.T. student, Mirabelle Markowski’s costuming work. Mirabelle, an MUHS junior and first-year A.R.T. student, is creating almost all the costume pieces for The Tempest.

A.R.T. students met with visiting playwright Shoshanna Boray again this week as they wrapped up the Vermont Young Playwrights writing project.

Each student created an original ten-minute one-act. Four of the scripts were selected to represent A.R.T. at the state VYP festival in late May; eight scripts will be produced as part of Never Before Scene: Original One Acts, our annual short play festival. This year, Never Before Scene will take place May 16 and 17, with desserts provided by The Glass Onion during intermission.

At the Heritage Auto competition on March 13, 2024, Gerrit Beenen and Owen Collins wowed the judges. They tied for first place with Green Mountain Technical Center, scoring 303 out of a possible 350 points!

Each of our students took home a large assortment of tools and our Auto program received a rolling tool cart and Snap-on tool assortment. We are extremely proud of how Gerrit and Owen conducted themselves, and the excellent job they did! Check out a quick video Heritage made here.

We have a shed roof! Students spent one week learning about principles of water management and properly lapping to make a roof watertight. We started shingling and will finish up soon.

Being able to focus on a specific, repetitive task like laying shingles allowed the students to work as a team, developing a workflow and synergy. The enthusiasm poured over as we had students come in early and stay late to help each shed stay on track.

The Tiny House has a shower...well almost. After doing our plumbing rough-in, we checked the supply lines for leaks and passed! Being leak-free, we were able to close in the floor system and moved in our shower stall unit to get rough dimensions as we built the alcove.

Pictured below is the plumbing puzzle as we had to locate and notch out various drains and supply lines in our subfloor. Also, students have started their spring co-op placements including S & J Stearns, Silver Maple Construction, New England Woodcraft, and Wind Ridge Builders and Design.

Building Trades programs from around the state gathered at VTSU-Randolph this week for the annual "Bright Futures" event, hosted by the Vermont Retail Lumber Dealers Association.

This event brings together industry partners from all around the state to showcase the amazing opportunities that our students have in front of them. We learned about kitchen and bath design software, lumber yard trucks and machines, DeWalt tools, and Huber Engineered Woods products just to name a few. It was valuable for our class to meet and see other students from around the state who are interested in the construction trades.

This is a busy time of year for co-op with roughly 45 students on job sites every week! Here, Avery Carl is working on the concrete formwork for the new addition to the Town Hall Theater in Middlebury. His coworkers report being very impressed with his work ethic!

This month, our culinary students have been immersed in processing a whole goat carcass sourced from PAHCC's Deep Root Farm.

Guided by Chef Jill, they tackled knife sharpening techniques on Monday. They then learned how to break down the goat into various meat cuts on Tuesday. On Wednesday, they ventured into sausage making. They experimented with two delectable recipes: a spicy Chorizo mix and a milder fresh herb blend. Both recipes received high praise for their flavors.

Witnessing Chef Jill's expertise in the initial carcass breakdown was impressive. The students demonstrated their own skills admirably throughout the week! This was a truly memorable and educational experience in our Culinary Arts program.

Over the February break, PAHCC facilities team members did some maintenance work around our campuses. One such project was installing new lights in The Glass Onion!

Culinary Arts students did their part to support A.R.T.’s performance of The Tempest by preparing a delicious lunch for the actors and stage crew, who were busy making theatrical magic in a daytime performance for Mt. Abe students, and an evening performance that same night for the community.

The meal wrapped in a third PAHCC program, as it featured goat curry, made from a goat raised by the Sustainable Agriculture students. This was some spectacular cross-departmental teamwork!

Culinary students Carly and Skylee show off berry stuffed crepes! They were the centerpiece of the “healthy heart” themed meal they created for the Medical Professions class. This was another fun cross-departmental showcase!

Culinary Arts students were busy preparing for an Age Well lunch by mastering the art of pasta making. Students are honing their skills in dough preparation, pasta shaping, and sauce creation.

The last week of March, our Culinary Arts students engaged in a delightful hands-on activity by mastering the art of doughnut making. Through this practical experience, students honed their culinary skills while exploring the intricacies of pastry craftsmanship.

Last month, students had two D & I alumni visits.

The first was Max Hurley, who talked about his career as a social media specialist and his work in the gaming world. When Max graduated, he went straight into the world of work. He credits PAHCC and told students that he regularly uses the skills that he learned here. We are pleased that Max will be joining the D & I Advisory Committee this spring!

Students also heard from Shayna Block, who is a senior at Pratt Institute majoring in Fashion Design with a minor in Textile Design. Shayna showed students knitwear samples from the power knitter that she is using to complete her thesis, which includes a complete line of garments focusing on knitwear. She also showed students an example of the coding that she used on the power knitter to produce the results.

Diesel 1 students have been busy meeting with customers to go over customer concerns and receiving a tractor for repairs, rebuilding transmissions, updating snow the snow plow, and patiently continuing work on a Kubota garden tractor fuel pump.

This week, Spencer Bates, a PAHCC Diesel alumnus showed his service truck to the Diesel 1 students. He spoke of his PAHCC classes, going to UVM, and eventually ending up at United Ag & Turf training and gaining valuable experiences. He now owns his own mechanic business and repairs tractors in Addison County.

National FFA Week was February 17-24 this year. Over the February break, our FFA Chapter students gathered to bake and decorate cookies. Then, they delivered them to the Middlebury Police Department, Addison County Sheriff's Office, and Middlebury Regional EMS, and the extra cookies were given to employees at the local ag stores. To celebrate National FFA Week our chapter wanted to thank those who support, help, and protect the Middlebury community.

Look for paper FFA jackets around Addison County! Each year, members make their mark by placing these in county agricultural businesses in honor of National FFA Week. A special thank you to those businesses!

Human Services students have been helping preschoolers at the Addison County Parent Child Center learn to read! The Human Services students practiced hand motions that support young children as they develop phonological awareness in kindergarten. PAHCC students also spent time teaching the preschoolers to connect letters and sounds while using Wikki Stix ®. Check out the excitement that comes with success!

Later in the month, students in the morning class designed sound-letter mapping mats. The goal was to create an attractive multisensory tool that would help young learners connect individual sounds (phonemes) to letters (graphemes) and then read the word created.

This month, Human Services students continue working with young children. They have been thinking about the advantages of process-focused and product-focused art tasks.

Young children tend to prefer process-focused activities, which allow them to freely explore materials in a creative way. An example of this is the coffee-filter project shown below.

Product-focused art lets children work toward an end goal. An example goal is showing their comprehension of a story. Here, the young students did this by coloring both clean and dirty versions of the main canine character, Harry.

Human Services student, Sophia Lawton designed and implemented a lesson on the water cycle for a group of 2nd graders. She first read a story with the children, and then guided student research and writing on water's role in the life of animals. Sophia chose a 'hamburger' tool to assist students as they wrote a piece that included a hook, three facts, and a concluding sentence.

Students continue to explore their Spring is Coming! theme with Addison County Parent-Child Center preschoolers in their lab space. Poor Betty the Farmer has had some real challenges this past week! One day, her farm animals became covered with mud and needed a thorough bath. On another day, her animals were running away from the farm. Thankfully these young problem-solvers figured out some creative ways to help Betty!

Early this month, students worked in Fusion, a CAD program for design and manufacturing, creating designs to run on our CNC plasma table. Pictured is Remington Cousino with a piece of wall art he created in Fusion and running on the plasma table.

Towards the end of the month, students have been finishing up personal projects of their choosing in CAD/CAM. They imported photos, which they outlined, and created 2d designs that they ran on the CNC plasma table. Students then cleaned up their pieces in the shop, with an angle grinder, to remove slag/burrs along the part.

Some students were able to take home a piece of wall art. One student chose to make a roof sign for his demo derby cars. Another student is working on reproducing a push rod for a small diesel engine that Mechanical Science program needs to reassemble an engine.

The Makery recently received a generous $1500 donation from Neat Repeats, a thrift store in Middlebury. This donation will be used to buy sewing supplies for The Makery, helping people to create wonderful crafts and projects. Thanks to Neat Repeats' support, The Makery can continue to inspire creativity in our community!

As part of the FFA middle school outreach committee, the Mechanical Science students prepped bird house build kits for a 30-minute activity at Middlebury Union Middle School (MUMS). This is an opportunity for the programs involved in FFA to highlight their programs with prospective students.

Agriculture, Diesel, and NRM are soon to come! FFA officers stepped up to guide students through the build process. It was a fast 30 minutes, but many finished and all students got to take them home to finish up!

FFA Officers who helped with the activity were Hailey Chase, Hailee Allen, Brailey Livingston, and Mackenzie Chase, as well as FFA Advisor Jacqueline Chase.

Mechanical Science students have been working on a wide variety of projects. These range from framing to fine woodworking in the construction realm, wheel bearings, small engine retrofits, and customer small engine work in the mechanical realm, and customer welding work, personal welding projects, and fusion/plasma work in the welding realm.

Photographed are just a few of the projects. Sawyer Malzac brought a lamp design to reality. Several students are working on a chicken coop build. Candace Bloom finished a Fusion designed, plasma cut, and welded coat rack with a wooden back. Eben Smith is mounting pillow block bearings on a sap-line tubing unwinder we are building.

This year in Mechanical Science we are adding a sheetrock segment to the finish carpentry/tile unit. Each student is building a micro wall, which they will sheetrock around a corner and tile the back side to gain experience with the tools of these trades. We started the unit this week revisiting our framing skills to create our micro walls with the added challenge of nails instead of screws and toenailing.

Medical Professions student, Zoe Reid-St. John was featured this week in the Addison Independent as a student of the week. Zoe will be attending UVM in the fall for nursing. Congratulations, Zoe! Read the article here!

Medical Professions students attended the Spring Leadership Conference for HOSA at the University of Vermont on March 11th. Students participated in workshops and networking sessions with other schools. State officer, Emma Deering is pictured here with the other state officers.

Four PAHCC students secured medals this year:

• Subia Khan won a Silver Medal in Medical Terminology.

• Piper Farnsworth received a Bronze Medal in Medical Terminology.

• Ruby Hellier and Sydney Wetore received Bronze Medals in CPR/First Aid.

In Medical Professions 2, students had an engaging lesson dissecting pig hearts as part of their study on the cardiovascular system. They learned that pig hearts closely resemble human hearts and discovered interesting facts, such as the use of pig heart valve grafts in humans. This hands-on experience deepened their understanding of anatomy!

In another model of human anatomy, Medical Professions 2 students simulated the mechanics of the human respiratory system by using everyday materials to craft model lungs. These models demonstrated how the lungs inflate and deflate.

Later, Emma Deering, a senior in Medical Professions 2, took charge by quizzing her classmates on respiratory questions they had written. By doing this, Emma helped her classmates practice and reinforce their understanding of respiratory topics.

Med Pro 2 and Sustainable Ag classes joined forces to watch Dr. Stephanie Bandoski from Valleywide Veterinary Services perform an autopsy on a calf that was not born alive. The students were able to observe and discover differences and similarities between bovine and humans. A huge thank you to Stephanie for the valuable opportunity she gave these two classes!

Med Pro 2 students had another crossover with Sustainable Ag when they went downstairs to the greenhouse to plant flowers. Students will care for them and watch them grow to observe the benefits that plants and flowers have on patients/people.

It’s sugaring season and operations at the Sugar Shack are in full swing!

The maple sugaring season at PAHCC offers a uniquely Vermont learning experience for students. They participate in every step of the process, from tapping maple trees, to collecting sap, to running the wood-fired boilers, to bottling maple syrup. This allows students to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world scenarios, fostering a deep understanding of sustainable forestry practices and ecosystem dynamics.

New England Jersey Breeders Association proudly presents Brailey Livingston, of New Haven, as the 2024 New England Jersey Princess! Brailey, a fourth-generation farmer at Rail View Dairy, manages a show herd with her sister Karissa, overseeing nearly 40 cattle of 7 different breeds.

As the current president of the New Haven Dairy Club and an active member of her community, Brailey is dedicated to promoting the Jersey breed and encouraging youth involvement in agricultural associations. She is pursuing studies in Sustainable Agriculture and aspires to become a State Officer while also planning to continue her education at SUNY Cobleskill.

Join us in congratulating Brailey on her new role, and don't miss the chance to meet her at upcoming events, including the Northeast Spring Show and the National Jersey Convention!

It smells like spring in The Garden Patch greenhouse! Students prepared potting mix, filled pots, and planted 200 hanging baskets, along with potted herb gardens and geraniums.

Plants will be available for sale at the greenhouse from May 1 - 17, from 9 AM - 2 PM. Products will include veggie starts, flowering hanging baskets, flowering bedding plants, perennials, and herbs. Products will also be available at Aubuchon Hardware, Route 7 South, Middlebury.

Sustainable Ag students visited two beef farms this month. They were able to compare and contrast the operations to get a better understanding of the northeast beef cattle industry.

The first picture shows Brian Kemp, Manager at Mountain Meadows Farm in Sudbury. He explained how they breed, raise, and finish organic Charolais/Angus crosses for the wholesale market to regional Whole Foods Markets. Several students will join Brian at Mountain Meadows Farm for 16-hour paid internships through the Champlain Valley Farmer Coalition.

The second photo shows students meeting Jamie Hamilton, owner of Hamilton Cattle Company in Pittsford. He breeds, raises, and finishes grass-fed beef cattle for retail markets under the Hamilton Cattle Company label and wholesale markets in New England. His foundation breed is the red Devon, which has a smaller frame, but thrives in grazing conditions. He crosses the Devons with black and red Angus, and occasionally polled Herefords.

Students are pictured here during one of Deep Roots Farm's pedicure days! Residents need their hooves trimmed every six to eight weeks to ensure their health.

Emma Derringer began her Cooperative Education experience/Champlain Valley Farmer Coalition internship at Tup’s Crossing Goat Dairy in Orwell. Like cow dairies, kids are taken from their mothers after receiving essential colostrum and bottle-fed until weaning.

There are always projects to do around the farm. Hailey Bartlett is shown drilling a hole for a heated bucket cord. Hopefully, this helps keep our farm residents from unplugging their water source, preventing it from freezing.

The Vermont Farm to School & Early Childhood Network invites you to gather and build connections with fellow farm-to-school practitioners, find support for your efforts, share best practices, and access resources. This will be an evening of peer-to-peer learning and digging into opportunities to strengthen the farm-to-school movement in Addison County.

Hear from local students as they share their food systems-inspired projects, learn about upcoming opportunities to deepen your farm-to-school connections, and take a tour of the Middlebury Union High School cafeteria and the PAHCC greenhouse.

Sustainable Agriculture students will make presentations on behalf of the local food connection to the Sustainable Agriculture program along with samples of our Deep Roots Farm raised goat meat prepared by Culinary Arts. Several of our students will also present on behalf of the Champlain Valley Farmer Coalition Internship Program.

All are welcome — details and RSVP are here!

Students have been busy the last few weeks supporting two of our area elementary schools: Robinson Elementary School in Starksboro and Bingham Memorial Elementary School in Cornwall.

Robinson Elementary (home of the 'Robins') needed a logo for their program Project READ. Design & Illustration students gave the committee 13 designs to choose from! See the Project READ slideshow and check out our display of these logos and logo parodies in our hallway.

Students also worked on designing a cookbook for a Bingham Elementary School fundraiser. Creating a layout for such a big project took lots of collaboration and patience from students. Look for the cookbook this spring at The Vermont Book Shop here in Middlebury. The second picture shows a peek at how the 56-page book looked in the software program students used (Adobe InDesign).

STATEMENT OF NONDISCRIMINATION

Patricia A. Hannaford Career Center is open to students from 9th grade through adult and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, or age in its programs or activities.

The following personnel have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies:

Mike Adaman, Special Needs Coordinator

(802) 382-1027

madaman@pahcc.org

Email: info@pahcc.org
Website: hannafordcareercenter.org
Location: 51 Charles Avenue, Middlebury, VT, USA
Phone: 802-382-1012
Facebook: facebook.com/CareerCenterVT

Instagram: instagram.com/careertechvt

LinkedIn: inkedin.com/school/pahcc