Would you like to host a teacher for a day?

• A key aspect of an effective, robust CTE program is using industry standards to ensure that the curriculum is relevant and current . One of the best ways to make this happen is for our teachers to have the opportunity to be in the field, learning directly from the professionals. This information can be taken back to the classroom to better prepare our students for the workplace. If you would be interested in hosting a teacher for a day this spring, please contact Lottie Wilson (contact information below).

CTE Teacher Highlight of the Month

• We would like to extend a welcome to our new Horticulture teacher, Heather Crabtree. Heather is a graduate of Purdue University. Horticulture and education are in her blood; both her parents are AG teachers and her grandfather ran an agriculture company. Most recently, she was an agricultural event planner in Louisville, KY. We are excited to have her as a part of the WHS CTE team and know that she will do amazing things for our students!

Announcing the WHS Spring Student Hiring Fair

• Westminster High School will be hosting its first hiring fair the morning of April 21st. The WHS Future Center, along with UC Denver, are already working with students to help prepare them for the this event! Please watch your email for details about how you can be a part of the event.

Congratulations to WHS Marketing Students

• Several teams of marketing students from across the U.S. competed in the BizInnovator Pitch Competition, and one WHS team brought home 2nd Place! The competition is sponsored by the University of Iowa’s Institute for Youth Entrepreneurship, in which teams of students create a new business or expand upon an existing one, then pitch the idea to a panel of judges. The WHS team that won 2nd place submitted a business plan for a solar-powered phone charger made from upcycled plastic bottles. There were 191 entries; Cole Lewton, Ashton Rasmussen, Victor Cedillo, and Cody Wells received a $1,000 prize for their idea.
  • More Details about the actual competition can be found at https://www.bizinnovator.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=app.competition.

DECA Competition 2016

• Thirty-four Westy Marketing students competed in the DECA District Competition held at Johnson & Wales University. There were close to 500 students from 7 local schools who competed! Students could compete in many different events, including Sports & Entertainment, Fashion Merchandising, Entrepreneurship, Automotive Marketing, and many more. Mr. Ferguson was extremely proud of all who competed, saying “our students represented Westminster High School as well as any group I have ever taught.”

Cluster Computing Happening at WHS!

• The PC Maintenance class of 2016 17 is learning about cluster computing by building, programming, and running real-world simulations in order to solve problems we face or can relate to today.
  • Team Alpha is building a Multimedia cluster to use the added power to create grass-roots online news content as in a “war-zone” environment with limited resources.
  • Team Bravo is building a Weather Mapping cluster to predict storm weather patterns and potential damage levels for farmlands and plains in the US.
  • Team Charlie is helping the fight against cancer by creating a cluster to perform cancer research modeling and simulation.
  • Team Delta’s cluster computer will help with structural design by creating models and simulations for structural strength during earthquakes

Other Technology News

• Mr. Figueroa’s technology classes are giving students experiences where their learned skillset comes to life. WHS PC Maintenance and Video Game Design are now able to start printing parts and their creations with our recently built 3D printer! Students collaboratively built their own 3D and now it is time to get to work!

PLTW Biomedical students host Tennyson Knolls Elementary Students

• The 12th grade Project the Lead Way (PLTA) Biomedical Innovations classes hosted 40 elementary school students on December 14th from Tennyson Knolls Elementary School. The “big kids” helped the little kids put together a semi-functional model of the human torso and they were able to learn about how the digestive system works and have a little fun at the same time. A great time was had by all, and the elementary school students were introduced to a part of the STEM pathway here at WHS. They also got a little candy to take home!

Other PLTW Biomedical News

• On Tuesday, November 15, the PLTW Biomedical Innovation class was hosted by Dr. Cliff Barnes of Regis University for a special “hands-on” experience in the Regis cadaver lab. This lab, which contains 12 human cadavers donated for science research and to be used by the physical therapy students at Regis for dissections, is one of the most advanced and heavily-used cadaver labs in the Denver Metro area. WHS students were matched with Regis students and were able to tour the lab, interact with Regis faculty, and learn about the ins and outs of the human body by observing and exploring human cadavers.

WHS Dinner Theater Proves to be a Huge Success!

• Mirroring truly integrated teamwork and demonstrating the ultimate in customer service, the WHS Theater Department partnered with our new ProStart program to host our first dinner theater. People are still buzzing about it! WHS theater students performed a cabaret show that featured monologues, student-made movies, and song. Guests were treated to a specially created, jungle themed menu to promote the March 15th - 18th production of “Tarzan.” The meal was conceived, prepared and served by first year ProStart culinary students. This is certain to be an annual event!

WHS Video Cinema Arts film, “MEDIC!,” honored by the Library of Congress

• The Westminster Video Cinema Arts program was honored to be invited to present their film, MEDIC!, to the Library of Congress this past November 16th. The head of the VCA program, Chris Williams, and IB (International Baccalaureate) History teacher Colin Lee were in Washington DC to personally deliver the film and complete veteran interviews to the head of the Veterans History Project. The project was a cooperative effort between Mr. Lee's IB History students, who acted as the research and interview team, Mr. Williams' VCA (Video Cinema Arts) students, who handled shooting and editing the documentary, and Laura Seward's GDIM (Graphic Design and Interactive Media) program, who designed the logo and built all titles and graphics for the project. 130 students were involved in the production and each was awarded a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for their efforts. Mr. Lee, Mr. Williams, and Ms. Seward were personally presented with Congressional Records to honor their achievements by Congressman Ed Perlmutter at the premiere of the film, held in the Joanna Ramsey Theatre at Westminster High School last April. The film features the first hand accounts of life as an active duty medic during combat as told by five veterans. Their personal stories describe how they came to join the service, why they chose to be a medic, their experiences in Basic Training, what it was like during their deployment and during combat, and what it was like to return home, and the struggles they faced returning to normal life.
• You can watch the full movie at the following link: https://youtu.be/uYjQ1fcGAg0

HOSA students partner with Have a Heart to Help Bring Hope to Those in Need

• HOSA, Health Occupations Students of America, is the CTE student organization (CTSO) that helps prepare future health professionals. Community service is an important aspect of a CTSO. The WHS HOSA chapter’s community service project in December partnered with Have a Heart. Students held a clothing and food drive during the holiday season to help those in need. The generosity of the students and staff at Westy made this project a huge success.

Business Management Students Preparing for FBLA Competition

• Fifty students from the Business Management Program are preparing to compete in the District 2 competition for Future Business Leaders of America on February 2nd . They are competing in the categories of Sports Entertainment and Management, Emerging Business Issues, Electronic Career Portfolio, Entrepreneurship, Publication Design, Website Design, Public Service Announcement, Digital Video Production, Hospitality Management, Business Ethics and Public Speaking. Five students qualified for State last year and we are planning on increasing that number quite a bit. If you would like to help this year’s participants prepare, contact Fran Groff Gonzales.

Tiny House Project Update

• The tiny house started construction in midOctober. The Construction 2 classes were able to get the tiny house roughed in with PEX for hot and cold water, two inch PVC for drains, and corrugated stainless steel tubing (CSST) for heat. All flashing and flashing tape as been installed and the closed cell insulation. We anticipate getting the subfloor installed and walls erected in the coming weeks. So far this project has proven to be a robust learning opportunity for the Construction 2 students and the future owner is thrilled to see the progress!

ProStart and Culinary Arts Students Visit Boulder Brands

• ProStart and Culinary Arts students visited Boulder Brands last month. Matt Williams, Director of Research and Development, is an advisory board member and invited the group to their headquarters in Boulder. Students met with members of the Research and Development team, Marketing, Procurement, and Manufacturing departments, and toured their offices and the R&D kitchen. They also enjoyed pizza made by the Head Chef!

Metalworks Program Receives Grant to Help Send Students to Skills USA!

• Gene Haas is the founder and owner of Haas Automation Inc., a billion dollar company and America’s leading builder of CNC machine tools. Gene’s commitment to the importance of US manufacturing has incited him to grow his personal foundation and direct his foundation board to focus on manufacturing education in the form of scholarships for CNC machinist training, and other skilled trades. $3,000 will be awarded to Westminster High School seniors enrolling in post-secondary technical training and/or engineering programs, while the remaining funds will cover student entry fees into the Skills USA competition.