Nov 16, 2015 | Article
On November 5, the Seacoast School of Technology (SST) in Exeter held its seventh Chef’s Table, which invites guest chefs from area restaurants to demonstrate how to make some of the dishes for which they are best known. For Principal Margaret Callahan, though, the real story of this particular evening was that their guest chef, Ben Chesley, Executive Chef at the Epoch Restaurant at the Exeter Inn, is a SST Culinary Arts graduate.
“For me and Culinary Arts teacher Jim Collins, it was pretty emotional to tell you the truth,” said Callahan, who noted she saw Ben graduate from SST in 2006. “I can’t tell you how proud we are…To see him when he was a student here and to have him return as a colleague, it was so profound.”
According to Ben, the experience was just as profound for him.
“It was really cool to see how far the school and program has come since my time there,” he said. “The program was just starting out, but they have renovated the kitchen and dining room since I left and created such a great environment for the kids.”
In commenting on his experience at SST and the impact it had on his career, Ben said it gave him a huge leg up on the field. “I was able to focus more on learning more about cooking itself rather than the basics,” he added.
He cited the opportunity to work in a restaurant while at SST as another critical factor to his success. “I had real world experience—that meant a lot,” he said.
What meant a lot to Morgan Leet, a current SST Culinary Arts student, was the opportunity to work alongside as well as speak with Ben at the Chef’s Table.
“Being Ben’s assistant was so incredible,” she said. “It was inspiring to me to see a former student come back and do a demo. It was also a great experience for me to be able to talk with him about his education, knowledge and techniques.”
Fellow Culinary Arts student Marquel Ocasio was also excited to meet Ben, although he acknowledged he was not sure who he exactly was at first.
“Afterwards, I found out he was part of our culinary arts class awhile back and I thought that was pretty cool,” he said. “He really nailed the table and he was very humble about it too. He said he would like to come back anytime to help out or do something like this again and I really hope he does.”
As for what he feels he has learned from his time at SST’s Culinary Arts program, Ocasio cited lessons that go well beyond the kitchen.
“I’m really learning some social elements from class actually—like leadership skills and social skills,” he said. “I’m vice president of my class and I have been put on manager for a few times now, including this event, and it’s quite fun.”
Leet said she also has learned substantially more than just how to cook, as she said she has developed her time management skills, leadership qualities and how to act under pressure. “There is also a great deal of culinary math and science,” she added.
In looking ahead, Ben said he has every intention of returning to SST whenever the need arises and already has worked with Callahan to set some specific dates. He said he will also continue to look for SST Culinart Arts graduates when in need of new hires in his kitchen.
“I have had two graduates from the program become two of my best people,” he said. “I’d compare them with people with 5 years’ experience.”
As for those who may not necessarily be familiar with what happens at Career and Technical Centers in general, Ben said he discovered something at STT that motivated him to learn. To a great extent, he said he found his passion.
“If your kids are struggling, I’d suggest to any parent to have them check out a Career and Technical Center,” he said. “Every kid has potential…career and technical programs help kids test things out.”
One of the biggest things is traditional high school is boring—an they not fnding things to get secited— get people interested to motivate to learn—in didn’t li kth traditional hs experience—I found something I was passonate about—alllowedme to excel—looking at it—check it out—mightfind it is beneficial—if you r kids are struggling—check it out—every kid has great potential—if you not interested—they wont shine like they could—that is what work is al about—these programs give things to test out–great
Also work in a restaurant throygh mr colins—I had schoolinside and real world experience—and nw working in a professional kitchen—2 kids—both gradutes for program—2 of my best people—compare them with people with 5 years experience—had 3 or more people that went through that program— Accoringo
I love having cooperative students and friends as fellow kitchen brigadiers. I also learned the packets that we do are similar to any other restaurants. As i applied one down in Hampton, The Savory Square Bistro. They had me study a packet and read the recipes for their rotating menus, every 6 months. I am happy i have the chance to take such a great class. Thanks for interviewing me hope this helps
Marquel Ocasio Afterwards I found out he was part of our culinary arts class awhile back and i thought that was pretty cool. He really nailed the table and he was very humble about it too. He said he would like to come back anytime to help out or do something like this again and I really hope he does.
as another important compoCollins as anotheras he noted he was able to focus on learning about cooking in school as opposed to the
It was really cool—how far that that school nd program has come—program was just starting—Collins was there—since I left—renovated the kithen and dining room—everything is brand new—amazing to see how much good he has done there—giving kids opportunity to learn in a great environment—it was great to have help from the kids, too
Been back a few times—defintiely neat to have that experience there and help educate kids
First off—give you a huge leg up on the field—professinalism—working in the kitchen—learn basic things—I did go to culinary—hadd a huge advantage there ove rth ekids—focus more on leanring more about cooking—preculinry school
Also work in a restaurant throygh mr colins—I had schoolinside and real world experience—and nw working in a professional kitchen—2 kids—both gradutes for program—2 of my best people—compare them with people with 5 years experience—had 3 or more people that went through that program— when through that program –I value them—people that start off in school have a deep understanding of how it works and a deeper passion—light years
Gotten lot of help from the program—im always looking—for future talent One of the biggest things is traditional high school is boring—an they not fnding things to get secited— get people interested to motivate to learn—in didn’t li kth traditional hs experience—I found something I was passonate about—alllowedme to excel—looking at it—check it out—mightfind it is beneficial—if you r kids are struggling—check it out—every kid has great potential—if you not interested—they wont shine like they could—that is what work is al about—these programs give things to test out–great from Newmarket. .
he or she is best known
for. Culinary Arts Program
Margaret
For me and the culinary arts teacher jim Collins—pretty emtiotonal to tell you the truth—he got choked up—it was so moving—I cant tell you how proud we are—we were here when ben was a student—ben was back as a colleague—it was so profound
Ben graduated in 2006—so young to be an executive chef—he has done so much—started when he was here at SST—he was working at Dominoes Pizza—he was already creative then—got him a job at the green monkey in Portsmouth—in high school on the line
Went to the culinary institute—he became executive
Chef’s table—all programs have an advisory committee—friends of SST Culinary Arts—either work in the culiary world or just love it—and they are great fundraisers
Ben was our 7th guest chef—we do two a year—75 people came to our dinner—works on SS table— made by our welding technology tables—they built it—-he is at center of the room—-2 screens came down from the ceiling—like the food network—look at what going on here
I see in Ben—he has become a very humble person—he was so genuine and sincere and humble—Ben is obviously a great chef and really good standing in fron of people and talking about his craft—he left his kitchen on the first night of restaurant week to be with us
Cousnelor Information Day—he is helping with that—come over on a Tuesday morning—he is a very generous man—even for our students to see someone that young in that position—makes it seem attainable—can I see myself in that person—Ben is right there—and he also came on anumber of occasion to share recipes and check on us along the way
Pretty big sacrifice
Winnecunnet—Mark
Morgan—
It was really cool—how far that that school nd program has come—program was just starting—Collins was there—since I left—renovated the kithen and dining room—everything is brand new—amazing to see how much good he has done there—giving kids opportunity to learn in a great environment—it was great to have help from the kids, too
Been back a few times—defintiely neat to have that experience there and help educate kids
First off—give you a huge leg up on the field—professinalism—working in the kitchen—learn basic things—I did go to culinary—hadd a huge advantage there ove rth ekids—focus more on leanring more about cooking—preculinry school
Also work in a restaurant throygh mr colins—I had schoolinside and real world experience—and nw working in a professional kitchen—2 kids—both gradutes for program—2 of my best people—compare them with people with 5 years experience—had 3 or more people that went through that program— when through that program –I value them—people that start off in school have a deep understanding of how it works and a deeper passion—light years
Gotten lot of help from the program—im always looking—for future talent
One of the biggest things is traditional high school is boring—an they not fnding things to get secited— get people interested to motivate to learn—in didn’t li kth traditional hs experience—I found something I was passonate about—alllowedme to excel—looking at it—check it out—mightfind it is beneficial—if you r kids are struggling—check it out—every kid has great potential—if you not interested—they wont shine like they could—that is what work is al about—these programs give things to test out–great
Oct 15, 2015 | Article
In the fall of 2006, Holy Rosary Credit Union in Rochester opened a branch within the Richard W. Creteau Tech Center at Spaulding High School, which provides juniors and seniors with a unique opportunity found nowhere else in the state.
“Students run the branch 4 days a week with Wednesday a chance for them to complete one of 27 online modules,” said Branch Manager Leah Esslinger-Sprowl, who is also a certified teacher. “These modules to help complete their Student Teller Certificate that they can use on a resume when applying for jobs in the future.”
Formally known as Banking and Financial Support Services, the program measures the progress made by students based on NH Department of Education Competencies. The first competency for which students are assessed is that they understand “concepts, process, principles, systems, and strategies of banking services and functions in order to process customer transactions and provide other customer services as requested.”
“On average, students will process between 5 and 8 teller transactions during their 90-minute class time every day,” added Esslinger-Sprowl.
In addition to how to process transactions, she said they work very intentionally to help students develop their business communication skills as well as develop their ability to cross-promote products. “They also must design a business presentation and do some additional research, such as comparing fees at other institutions while learning Microsoft Office products like Excel and Power Point,” she added.
Another core competency in the program includes understanding concepts, process, principles, systems, and strategies related to investment planning which is completed in the second level of the program. Other areas of focus include the development of Career Ready Practice and personal leadership skills and general Career Ready Practice skills is also specifically addressed in the program.
“The students go through every policy—ethics and compliance, for instance—that a regular employee would upon getting hired,” said Esslinger-Sprowl, who noted the program has also resulted in careers for many former students. “We currently have a few still working for us and have moved into other departments such as IT and accounting…it’s been wonderful to see that growth.”
In looking ahead at the program, she said she hopes to increase enrollment, which currently stands at 9 students. In addition to the program Esslinger-Sprowl runs a budget simulation fair called CU 4 Reality within Spaulding, which is a curriculum developed in partnership with credit unions and educators. “The program provides hands-on budget instruction for students of any age,” she added.
After completing the curriculum, students participate in a CU 4 Reality Fair, which she describes as “a fun but meaningful event” related to spending and budgeting based on career choices and lifestyle decisions.”
The 2015-2016 school year marks the 10th year of the program within the Tech Center. “It is a very strong program and provides students with a unique opportunity to work closely with an industry partner right in the school,” she said. “We hope to eventually be able to offer college credits with the program. For now, though, we are just very excited to quite literally train tomorrow’s workforce within the school—I am proud of what the students have accomplished here.”
Oct 15, 2015 | Article
Professional development of both returning and incoming teachers is critical to the strategic direction of Career and Technical Education (CTE) centers across New Hampshire.
“We are developing clusters of teachers where what we are looking to teach is not content, but instructionally-based,” said Kirsten Soroko, who has been tasked with the responsibility to provide trainings statewide. “We want CTE teachers to get to know one another, talk pedagogy, and education within and outside their centers.”
Noting there are 16 such clusters in the state, she has trained teachers in workshops and offered a Summer CTE Boot Camp with Concord’s Val Koch for those exclusively new to the field of teaching.
“There are many new teachers in CTE centers across the state—we had 23 or 24 at our Summer Boot Camp and half were missing because they were at work,” she added. “These new teachers know their industry, but they require guidance in trying to instruct students in that knowledge.”
Reflecting the latest trends in instructional pedagogy, Soroko said it is her job to help both seasoned and new CTE teachers understand the importance in cultivating Depth of Knowledge (DOK) in students. According to her, DOK may be broken down into 4 levels and refers to levels of complexity regarding knowledge as opposed to something quantitative in nature.
While DOK 1 refers to knowledge on a subject that is purely descriptive, DOK 2 through DOK 4 represent an understanding that correspondingly relies on the respective ability to compare and contrast, synthesize and postulate theories. To achieve these successfully deeper levels of knowledge, however, she said it is important CTE teachers recognize that not all students learn in the same way.
“Some learn visually, some are kinesthetic, while others are auditory learners,” she said.
Within these CTE professional development training initiatives, Soroko said she has keyed in on the idea of differentiated instruction in which teachers concurrently address the diverse needs of these students at the same time. According to incoming CTE teachers, the initiative is working.
“We looked at the Rigor Matrix at The Boot Camp and I understood it, but didn’t know yet how to apply it,” said Rob Clark of the Mount Washington CTE Center. “After today, I do understand it and can see where some of my lessons have landed on the Matrix and also realized some need to go further.”
Another area of focus is the need to develop curriculum maps, which one teacher from SAU 57 said he felt the training offered within his cluster will help him achieve.
“It complements the work we’re doing with project based learning to develop authentic projects,” said teacher Jeff Bratz. “That I could work-shop a current project in development with a different angle is beneficial.”
Regardless of the specific discipline within CTE, Soroko said the idea is to continue to provide opportunities to bring teachers together.
“Teachers tend to work on islands,” she said. “We need to talk standards and deconstruct our current assessments…The future of CTE education is very much in the hands today’s incoming current teachers.”
It is an exciting challenge many CTE teachers are ready to face, according to Robin Bartnicki of the Manchester School of Technology, who said she was very pleased at what she took away from workshops earlier this year. In particular, she said she now understood how to help students move diagonally down toward DOK 4.
“It’s more important to have the kids think through complex ideas versus difficult ideas,” she said. “I’m going to go back to my class and tell them what I’ve learned today, show them the materials and tell them that they need to be part of the process.”
Jul 22, 2015 | Article
This fall, NHTI, Concord’s Community College, will launch an innovative 3-semester program that will lead to a Building Inspector and Plans Examiner (BIPE) Certificate. According to Liaquat Khan, Department Head of NHTI’s Architectural Engineering Technology department, the program results from an extensive collaborative effort with BIPE industry personnel and other NHTO departments.
“The representatives of Building Inspectors’ industry approached us due to a looming shortage of skilled workers in their industry,” he said.
Tedd P. Evans, MCP, Chief Building Inspector for the City of Concord and one of the driving forces behind the program’s development, added, “We’re finding it difficult to attract younger people to the profession to replace them.”
In working to develop the program, which is unique in the state, Khan said they wanted to create something eminently practical. “The courses in the certificate program are aimed at developing students’ skills specific to the BIPE industry, which will prepare them to successfully enter the workforce,” he said.
As for its specific learning objectives, the 18-credit, six course program will prepare students to critically examine permit applications and plans for residential, commercial, and other building types. “This will subsequently ensure that the construction of building with permits is conducted in accordance and within the provisions of the relevant building codes,” Khan added. “Building inspectors and plans examiners play a critical role, as they review and inspect various building types from permit applications through construction phases to ensure they are healthy, safe, and structurally sound.”
According to Evans, who is also a board member of the NH Building Officials Association – the state chapter of the International Code Council (ICC), the program will assist a wide variety of people. “Many people now working as inspectors got into it mid-career like I did after working in the construction world,” he noted. “We had to learn on-the-job, though, because there was no place to get training, especially for things like construction law.”
He said the program will also benefit high school graduates without any construction experience. “It will place them at the top of the list for an inspector’s position,” he added, “because they would already have the theoretical knowledge required.”
For Khan, the program underscores the fundamental mission of NHTI as a whole. “NHTI works to ensure a pertinently educated workforce to serve New Hampshire needs,” he said. “Like all programs at NHTI, these courses will engage learners in a relatively rigorous way with attention to details, professionalism, and obligations.”
For anyone interested in learning more about the program, NHTI will hold an Information Session on Wednesday, June 10 at 6:00 pm. To RSVP, call (603) 230-4022, or email nhtibtc@ccsnh.edu.
Jan 19, 2015 | Article
Pre-Engineering students at Milford High School & Applied Technology Center recently designed and built more than 20 cribbage boards for nursing homes in the Milford community.
According to pre-engineering teacher Frank Xydias, the boards were designed using the latest 3D parametric modeling software and CAM program. The students ran the program on a CNC router at which time the boards received detail with a laser engraving at Manchester Community College. The boards were then stained, assembled, and hand delivered by students, some of whom played cribbage with residents at one of the nursing homes.
“We were glad to give back to a community which already does so much for us,” said student Josh LaLancette. Noting he learned a lot in the project, fellow student Jackson Whitehouse said they worked through many problems from start to finish. “It was hard but worth it,” he said.
Student Jacob Girouard agreed, as he added, “Building the cribbage boards was an interesting experience. We had many hurdles we had to figure out and how to overcome them in order to create the finished product.”
Acknowledging the project was originally to be done in-house, Xydias said it was the students themselves who suggested making the boards for local nursing homes. “I followed their lead and supported their efforts,” he explained. “Having an opportunity to interact with the residents was a wonderful and unique experience.”
