pnw boces

Talk
VOLUME 2, ISSUE 4
Artists Shine During
Senior Show
Y
orktown High School senior
Christopher Schinkel really paid
homage to the title of his senior
exit art show —The World of Pure
Imagination— with his sculpture,
“Dorn.”
“I wanted him to be sort of
Conan-esque,” Christopher said
of “Dorn,” a figure resembling an
ancient idol, which he created out of
foam insulation, acrylic and — clearly
— his imagination.
The World of Imagination was
the culminating event for The Tech
Center’s Advertising Art and Digital
Christopher Schinkel, Yorktown, with “Dorn.”
Design class in May, though other
Tech students could submit work to the show as well.To prepare for the event,
teacher Sandra Garofalo had students form a committee to come up with the
name for the show, write a research paper and press releases, design and produce
postcards and posters to market the show and even price printing costs to meet
with their budget.
Bridget Pavalow, a John Jay
High School student who will
attend FIT for illustration in the
fall, showed a drawing of her sister
sleeping at the kitchen table. “We
had an assignment to do a picture
of something with a story behind
it,” she said, “and this was about
getting ready in the morning.”
“The students worked
extremely hard to produce this
show,” Ms. Garofalo said. “It was
months in the works, and their
Budding artists, front row, from left: Sabina Flagg, Horace
Greeley; Natasha Francis, Lakeland and Bridget Pavalow, John hard work paid off. We had the
Jay. Back row, from left: Chris Schinkel,Yorktown; Erik Alvarado, best turnout ever this year.”
Yorktown and Christopher DiCecco, Putnam Valley.
IN THIS
ISSUE
SUMMER 2011
Students Rock
the House at
Engineering Expo
T
ech teachers Carlo Vidrini, Gerry Markel
and Michael Rattner took along engineering
students James Boettinghaimer and David Stavans
to the Engineering Expo at White Plains High School,
where they put together their display, which was one
of 200, back in April. “There was so much passion
and energy that went into our display,” Mr.Vidrini
said. “We had parents from all over wanting to have
their kids come to our Tech Center! And we should be
proud of James and David, who spent the day there
interacting with parents and students.”
Tech students’ display during Engineering Expo drew a crowd.
NEW VISIONS PLACE IN ENVIROTHON  C ULINARY STUDENT WINS SCHOLARSHIP  HOSPITALITY ACADEMY CELEBRATES ITS SENIORS 
CULINARY STUDENTS COMPETE IN PROSTART  DRUG AWARENESS WORKSHOP  OUR STUDENTS ARE ACES  IBM ENGINEERS SHARE WITH STUDENTS  HEALTH FAIR AT TECH  TOP SENIORS HONORED  SKILLSUSA COMPETITORS  FORMER STUDENT OWNS
KATHLEEN’S TEA ROOM  OUR OWN ROYAL WEDDING  WHAT IT TAKES TO BE NUMBER ONE  COLLEGE ACCEPTANCE LIST 
CIGARETTE COMPANIES WANT YOU  STUDENTS LEARN CAREER OPPORTUNITIES  KUDOS TO DISTINGUISHED STUDENTS
New Visions Competitors Place in Envirothon
N
ew Visions Environmental Science students placed third
out of 13 teams in the regional Envirothon competition
this year. The New Visions students chose to study wildlife, soils,
forestry, aquatics and current issues for the competition. Teams
of five students were challenged to demonstrate their knowledge
of each of these five areas to compete to be the best from the
region and the best in the county, with the winners going on to
state competition.Thirty-three teams competed in our region, with
the New Visions team coming in sixth place. “We did very well
and enjoyed meeting students from other schools who were also
Envirothon competitors, from left: Sam West, Brewster; Alec Lalone, John Jay; Kim
Snyder, Ossining; Cat Ludwiczak, Briarcliff and Marli Milano, Croton.
interested in the environment,” said teacher Debbie Ashley.
Culinary Student Wins Paul Smith
Scholarship
T
he Tech Center has its own “Cake Boss” now. Christina Lopez, a Mahopac resident and
Culinary Arts and Hospitality student, won a scholarship recently after showcasing her
baking skills in a rigorous competition.
“She’s hardworking, dedicated and — most important of all — she is passionate about
what she does,” said Tech Center teacher Christina Holic of Christina, who won a $7,000
scholarship to attend Paul Smith College.
Christina was one of only 11 students who qualified to compete in the bake-off held at
the Paul Smith College in Saranac Lake. During the competition, she wasn’t allowed to use
recipes.
“Everything had to be memorized. Once in the bake shop, I had two and a half hours
to complete four tasks,” Christina said. “I had to poach a pear, caramelize apples, decorate a
cake, roll out and bake cookies and show basic decorating/piping skills.”
It was all worth it, though, said Christina, who will attend Paul Smith in the fall. “I was
incredibly surprised, but happy and honored to receive this award,” she said.
Christina Lopez, a
Culinary Arts and
Hospitality student,
received a $7,000
scholarship to Paul
Smith College for her
baking expertise.
2
Hospitality Academy
Celebrates Its
Seniors
T
he Hospitality Academy held
its senior luncheon in May to
celebrate its 40 graduating students
and their guests — mentors that the
students hand-picked for the impact
they’ve had in their lives. Guests from
the students’ home school districts
included principals, assistant principals,
teachers, guidance counselors, and
support staff from 15 districts. Also
in attendance, of course, were our
own BOCES superintendent James
Langlois; assistant superintendents
Tom Higgins and John McCarthy; Cathy
Balestrieri, Director of Career &
Technical Education; and James Bellucci
and Stephen Lowry, principals at The
Tech Center. Chef Jenn Guiffre, pastry
instructor, offered words of wisdom,
and students Bryan Chavez and
Haley Ruotolo spoke about what the
Culinary program has meant to them.
Bryan will be going on to Johnson &
Wales University, and Haley will be
attending The Culinary Institute of
America in the fall.
Culinary Students Compete — and Place — In
ProStart Competition
Drug Awareness
Workshop
Captivates Audience
F
The culinary team, led by Chef Mike Tomaseski, excelled at ProStart. From left: Jordan Joseph, Ossining; Michael
Williamson, Putnam Valley; Jennifer Ojito, Ossining; Bryan Chavez, Mahopac; and Nick Pidala, Haldane.
T
he Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park was home to this year’s ProStart competition,
and Tech Center Culinary students placed second in the management competition, with
each of the six team members winning scholarship money in addition to a scholarship award for
their school.
ProStart, a two-year career-building program for high school students who are interested
in culinary arts and restaurant and food-service management, enables students to study in the
classroom, participate in mentored work experiences and test their skills in local and national
competitions.
Over the past several months,Tech teachers Chef Jenn Guiffre and Chef Mike Tomaseski
helped students in the Culinary Academy prepare for the ProStart competition, sometimes
working well into the evening. Chef Guiffre worked with the management team, and Chef
Tomaseski headed up the culinary team.
“Both teams did a fantastic job,” said Tech Center administrator Cathy Balestrieri. “There
was an amazing sense of excitement and anticipation as our teams readied themselves to
compete.”
or Tim Rader, a former high
school quarterback who was
forced to give up his dreams
of playing in college after being
diagnosed with cancer, prescription
painkillers were the gateway to
addiction.
“Addiction most often starts
in the teenage years and destroys
everything it touches,” said Mr.
Rader, who went from being a star
quarterback and cancer survivor
to being a homeless drug addict.
Rader shared the story with about
630 Tech students at a recent Drug
Awareness Workshop.
“You could hear a pin
drop when the speakers were
presenting,” said The Tech Center’s
Magaly Almonte of the presenters
at the workshop. “The students
were enthralled.”
Our Students
Are ACES
C
Tech’s management team won 2nd place in the ProStart competition. From left: Chef Jennifer Guiffre; Haley Ruotolo,
Briarcliff; Gabriella Muscariello, Walter Panas; Christina Rose, Lakeland; Patrice Lovell, Somers; Amy Sposato, Carmel;
and Krista Cirillo, Lakeland.
3
ongratulations to Rachel
Zuker, a Fashion Design
& Merchandising student from
Somers; Cosmetology student
Nicole Donofrio from Mahopac;
and New Visions Education
student Kim Cunningham,
also from Mahopac, who were
recognized as Outstanding ACE
(Advanced College Careers)
Scholars by Westchester
Community College. All of the
ACE Scholars were honored at a
reception in May.
IBM Engineers Share Ingenuity — and Job Advice
“
This is a global economy, and you’re going to be in competition
Students learned about chemical engineers, who can work on
with people from all over the world,” IBM engineer Bruno Bagala
things as diverse as creating new soda flavors to working on cancer
told students from the Business
cures, and environmental engineers, who
Information Technology Academy at
work on reclaiming materials and finding
The Tech Center during his annual
completely different uses for them.
visit to the campus this spring. He
In the end, though, the most fun part
brought two colleagues from IBM
of the day for the students was when the
with him to meet with students.
IBM executives presented them with a
Mr. Bagala also shared with the
hands-on engineering challenge. Students
students on the Tech campus some of
were asked to build a structure at least
the history of IBM, which celebrates
two inches tall that could hold one or
its centennial this year.
more books using the least amount of
“A career in engineering can
supplies, so it could be cost-effective.
take so many different forms,”
While he said it’s important to be
Mr. Bagala said. “Look around this
good in math and science, Mr. Bagala
room….Is there anything that didn’t
insisted that students need not be
involve an engineer? There are so
geniuses to succeed in technology
IBM’s Bruno Bagala talks engineering with students.
many opportunities in engineering, no
careers. “The main thing is that you go
matter what your interests.”
into an area of the field you’re passionate about,” he said.
Health Fair at Tech Is No Amateur Affair
Y
ou could dance, check your blood pressure, learn about sun
safety or get tips on how to stop smoking all at the third annual
Health Fair at the Tech Center this spring.
Sponsored by the Health Academy students, the fair also
featured a station by Law Enforcement students on what it feels like
to have had too much to drink.
“When you put these glasses on, you see the way a person would
see if they were over the legal limit for alcohol consumption,” says Law
Enforcement teacher Tom Houlahan. Students who tried to walk the
straight line at the station while wearing the glasses were well off the
mark every time.
“The students really put all this together themselves,” says
Health Academy teacher Sue Collins. The Tech programs that
organized the event included Medical Assistant, New Visions
Health, Certified Nurse Aide, Law Enforcement, Nursing and
Home Health Aide.
Jenna Braban, Mahopac, and Amanda Havrilla, Yorktown, tell students about the perils
of sun overexposure.
At the Sun Safety station, New Visions Health students Jenna
Braban from Mahopac and Amanda Havrilla from Yorktown showed
the importance of sun protection with a life-size dummy donning a
beach hat under an umbrella. “I’m telling people that sunscreen and
sun protection are essential because the UV rays can cause cancer,”
Jenna says.
Abigail Armstrong and Isabel Mendoza, both from Mahopac, ran
The Physical Activity center, which featured a video of “Zumba,” the
dance/exercise craze that’s sweeping the nation. “Not enough high
school students are getting the right amount of physical activity,”
Abigail says, “We’re telling everyone that they need 60 minutes
a day, which can be done throughout the day, walking, biking or
Zumba!”
New Visions Health Academy students Abigail Armstrong, left, and Isabel Mendoza,
both from Mahopac, show students the “Zumba” video as part of fitness awareness.
4
Top Seniors Honored at
Superintendents’ Dinner
Tech Center SkillsUSA
Competitors Place in Syracuse
First-Place Winners Head to Kansas City
C
ulinary Academy student Haley Ruotolo and New Visions
Environmental Science student Kim Snyder were honored at
the Superintendents’ Scholastic Dinner on May 25, at the Doubletree
Hotel in Tarrytown.The dinner honored the top two students from
public, private and parochial schools throughout Dutchess, Putnam,
Rockland and Westchester counties.
Haley, who attends Briarcliff High School, has been coming to
Tech since sophomore year and credits the Culinary program for
helping her follow her dreams. “It’s been the best thing I possibly
could have done,” says Haley, who will attend the Culinary Institute
of America in the fall to study Baking Pastry Arts and Food Service
Management. “It made me discover my passion. I had incredible
support from Chef Jenn (Guiffre) and my other teachers.”
Kim, an Ossining High School student who will attend Cornell
as an Environmental Science major in the fall, says that the focus of
the New Visions Environmental Science program was something she
appreciated. “I liked being in a smaller class at Tech that focuses on
Environmental Sciences,” she said.
Kim Synder
Former
Student
Owns
Kathleen’s
Tea Room
Our Skills USA competitors at Syracuse competition.
T
hirty-three Tech Center student members of SkillsUSA
competed at the state level in Syracuse recently, with some
members coming in first place, making them eligible to move on to
the national competition in Kansas City this summer.
SkillsUSA, a partnership of students, teachers and industry
leaders working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce
and world-class leaders, holds competitions for students throughout
the country to help them excel in their chosen area of interest.
Tech Center students traveled with their teachers to Syracuse
for the statewide competition.
For Video Product Development, the first place winners are
Ryan Daly, Mahopac; and Matt Seger,Yorktown; first place for
Extemporaneous speaking is Jasmine Alfonso, Mahopac; second
place for Promotional Bulletin Board: Kristen Derry, Haldane and
Sara Oakes, Lakeland; third place for Basic Health Care: Kimberly
Valkenberg Horace Greeley; and third place for Job Skills: Sara
Lingg, Ossining.
Haley Ruotolo
“Vivian was a terrific student
with a wonderful personality,
excellent skills and plenty
of passion when it came to
cooking. I am so happy for her,”
says Chef Stanley Rupinski
of Adult Education Culinary
student Vivian McKenzie.
Ms. McKenzie purchased
Kathleen’s Tea Room in
Peekskill recently. “The Tech
Center really helped me carve
out my skills,” says Vivian.
Kathleen’s Tea Room in Peekskill is now owned by former Tech student Vivian McKenzie.
5
Our Own Royal Wedding
T
he gown was one-ofa-kind…video crews
jockeyed for the best
position…the flowers
arrangements were
magnificent…and the wedding
cakes were as beautiful as they
were delicious. No, we’re not
talking about Kate and William;
we’re talking about the annual
Tech Center wedding.
For Floriculture, Pastry,
TV and Film, Cosmetology and
Fashion students, the mock
wedding was a chance for
seniors to show their skills —
and they were impressive.The
students also had a chance to
choose the wedding party —
bride, groom, parents of each
and the officiating minister.
MEMBERS OF THE WEDDING: “ Bride” Debra LaPadula with her “parents,” Nurse
Here, as “bride” Debra
Caithy and Steve Lowery, earn applause from Assistant Superintendent Tom Higgins.
LaPadula put it, is “the long and
the short of that:” Debra (5
feet tall), senior office assistant,
was the bride; Mark Endres (6
feet 4), school counselor, was
the groom.The bride’s “parents”
were Tech nurse Caithy Zikorus
and Career Academy Principal
Stephen Lowery; the groom’s
“parents,” Christina Egan,
teacher, and Anthony Chianese,
teaching assistant.The “minister”
was Steven DeFino, teaching
assistant.
Fashion students designed
Debra’s wedding dress;
Floriculture students created
the bouquets and Culinary
students made more than a
dozen wedding cakes. O&M staff
helped out with the essential
setup and cleanup.
What It Takes To Be Number One Series Pegs
Future Leaders
“T
wo people can have the same level of ability, but it is their
attitude that makes one of them number one,” Dr. Tom
Higgins, assistant superintendent for administration, told a group
of “future leaders,” or Tech students, assembled for
one of three talks given on leadership this year.
The assembly was part of a series titled What
It Takes to Be Number One, where, in addition to
hearing from BOCES leaders, students were handpicked by their teachers to receive leadership
awards for some aspect of their school work.
The first talk in the series was given by BOCES
Superintendent Dr. Jim Langlois earlier in the
school year.
“The challenge we present to you,” said Tech Center
principal Steve Lowery, “is to inspire someone else. That is what
leadership is about.”
The students honored as “future leaders,” are: Matt AbramsMercado, Sophie Adelman, Fabian Alomoto, Erik Alvarado, Jasmine
Basora, Dan Bobolia, Forrest Brigman, Sarai Camero, Jose
Campos, Bryan Chavez, Christian Chinkhan, Krista Cirillo, Major
Clark, Amy Cobb, Austin Conklin, Paige Covelli, Regina Creaney,
Kimberly Cunningham, Khaniel Dabbs, Morgan Dahlke, Jamie
Danton, Richard Esposito, Jerry Galindo, Sara Gannon, Jose
Garcia Ramirez, Leo Giraldo, Jose Gomez, Sasha Granda,
Dustin Hannigan, Ashley Harrison,
Luz Hernandez, Nina Hernandez, Bianca Iamiceli,
Jenny Jarama, Karina Jimenez, Jordan Joseph,
David King, Patrice Lovell, Martha Lua, Jonathan
Lubrano, Cat Ludwiczak, Taylor Lyman, Kelsey
Malone, Mike Manzi, Dana Martin, Paola
Matute, Peter McAllister, George McCann,
Charles McGrath, Samantha Medina,
Andres Mejia, Nick Mendoza, Marli
Milano, Gabby Muscariello, Jennifer Ojito,
Kate Petrucelli, Nick Pidala, Joe Pignatelli,
Christina Rose, Haley Ruotolo, Eduardo
Saaveddra, Samaiya Salih, Brian Schwenk,
Ryan Semenetz, Tolliver Smart, Claudia Soto,
Amy Sposato, Jaime Tello, Jackie Trauring, Timothy
Troiano, Scott Tucker, Erika Tuquinagui, Kristina Vallo,
Kymberleigh Vigliotti, Nicole Villegas, Omar Vivar,
Kaitlyn Wachter, Bernard Walker, Peter Williams,
Morgani Williams, Michael Williamson.
6
The following is a list of colleges our students
have been accepted to for the fall:
Albany College of Pharmacy
Alfred State
Art Institute of Boston
Aveda Institute
Berkeley College
Bloomfield College
BOCES LPN Program
Bryant College
Buffalo State College
Champlain College
Coastal Carolina University
College of St. Rose
The College of Westchester
Cornell University
Culinary Institute of America
Daytona State University
Drexel University
Duquesne University
Dutchess Community College
Empire Beauty School
Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandise
Fashion Institute of Technology
Five Towns
Florida State University
Fordham University
Full Sail University
Fulton Montgomery Community College
George Washington Medical School
Hawaii Pacifica University
Herkimer Community College
Hofstra University
Howard University
Iona College
John Jay College
Johnson & Wales University
Keuka College
Kent State
Laboratory Institute of Merchandising
Lincoln Culinary Institute
Lincoln Tech Institute
Manhattan College
Manhattanville College
Marist College
Mercy College
Monroe College
Montclair State University
Mt. Saint Mary
Mt. Saint Vincent
New York Institute of Technology
New York University
Ohio State
Ohio Technical College
Onondaga Community College
Paul Mitchell Academy
Paul Smith College
Penn Foster
Philadelphia University
Purchase College
Quinnipiac University
Rice University
Sage College
Savana College
School of Visual Arts
St. Bonaventure
St. John’s University
St.Thomas Aquinas
Sullivan Community College
SUNY Albany
SUNY Alfred
SUNY Brockport
SUNY Buffalo
SUNY Canton
SUNY Cobleskill
SUNY Delhi
SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry
SUNY Fredonia
SUNY Morrisville
SUNY Old Westbury
SUNY Oneonta
SUNY Purchase
Syracuse University
Tompkins Cortland Community College
Universal Technical Institute
University of Advancing Technology
University of Bridgeport
University of Hartford
University of Hartford Art School
University of Maine
University of New Haven
University of Scranton
University of Tampa
Virginia Tech
Wentworth Institute of Technology
West Palm Beach
West Virginia University
Westchester Community College
Western Connecticut
Western State College of Colorado
Wyo Tech
7
DOCTOR TELLS TECH
STUDENTS:
Cigarette Companies
Want YOU!
Dr. George Pazos of ENT and Allergy Associates in
Yorktown addressed a group of Tech Center students
about the perils of smoking.
“C
igarette companies are targeting
teens,” said Dr. George Pazos of
ENT and Allergy Associates in Yorktown, to
a group of Tech Center students recently.
“They know that if you get hooked,
you could be a lifelong customer.” The
presentation, given as part of the school’s
mission to raise student awareness about
smoking, sparked lively discussion as some
students admitted to smoking and talked
about why they smoke and how important it
is for them to quit.
Hendrick Hudson
Students Learn
About Career
Opportunities
F
orty tenth graders from Hendrick Hudson
High School came to The Tech Center
on April 27th for a career exploration day,
rotating through four professional categories.
Speakers included Marie Galante, director
of nursing education, and Anna Curley, a
pharmacist from Hudson Valley Hospital.
In the Business and Entertainment field,
Steven Cohen from Sirius Radio and Linda
Jackson, from CitiBank, spoke to students.
In the Communications field,Tech Center
instructors Sandra Garofalo, who teaches
Advertising Art and Digital Design, and
Liz Marques, who teaches TV Production
and Digital Film Production spoke. Aaron
Armisto, who teaches Computer Graphics,
and Michael Klein, who teaches Animation
and Motion Graphics, also spoke with
students, and Joanne Sondey, director
of Career Services at the College of
Westchester, presented on Career Planning.
THE TECH CENTER
AT YORKTOWN
200 BOCES DRIVE
YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, NY 10598
914.248.2400
NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
Permit No. 21
Yorktown Heights
New York 10598
James Langlois
Superintendent
Cathy Balestrieri
Career and Tech Director
PUBLISHED BY PUTNAM/NORTHERN
WESTCHESTER BOARD OF COOPERATIVE
EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
Editor: Karen Thornton
Contributors: Cathy Balestrieri, Alyson Kistinger,
Steve Lowery, Jim Bellucci, Josephine Scala,
Meredith Markolovic, Christian Brunelli, Mary Jo Kramer, Debbie Ashley, Aaron Armisto,
Sandi Garofalo
Designer: Valerie Laudato
WWW.PNWBOCES.ORG
Teachers Give Kudos to Distinguished Students
“I
n health care, it’s
not enough just to
be good academically,”
Tech teacher Maria
Pontbriand said of her
Health Academy student
Christina Barbella, from
Mahopac. “You also have
to be compassionate.
Christina is so unique
because she reaches out
to people without ever
wanting recognition. That
is something we can’t
teach!”
Chef Jenn Guiffre, who
teaches in the Hospitality
Career Academy at Tech,
said of her student Haley
Rotolo, “She is by far one
of the best students ever—
she always volunteers,
always stays late to help,
she is honest, and has
the most amazing work
ethic.” Haley, from Briarcliff,
will attend the Culinary
Students of distinction, from left: Haley Ruotolo, Briarcliff; Amanda Gaudinier, Hendrick Hudson; Lenny
Santucci, from Peekskill; Viviana Sanchez,Yorktown; Christina Barbella, Mahopac; Christina Rose, Lakeland;
Marina Castiglione, Somers; and Esteffany Juca, Ossining. Not pictured: Marli Milano, Croton; Jacqueline
Trauring,Yorktown; and Arber Molliqaj, Walter Panas.
Institute of America next
year.
“This boy will no
doubt be rich some day!”
Construction teacher
Erik Cantamessa said
of his student Lenny
Santucci, from Peekskill.
“He’s always coming
up with ideas to make
things better. People will
remember him like they
do Ben Franklin.”
These are the types
of accolades Tech Center
students received from
their teachers at the
third quarter Students of
Distinction ceremony held
in April.
The students, who
invited family, friends and
teachers to the ceremony,
were treated afterward to
a breakfast prepared just
for them by Hospitality
Academy students.