submitted by Brian Bushner
Presenters from a range of career fields came to speak to preschool through sixth grade students over the course of the school year.[private]
The goal of the Career Series is to empower graduates to succeed in life, and career success begins at an early age. Currently, less than 40 percent of HFCS graduates complete college. By exposing children to the concept of careers at a young age, the District aims to reverse this trend.
Students have learned about careers as diverse as farming and computer science to manufacturing and communication. Mrs. Bundrick, School Social Worker, organizes the career day series and said, “I love doing this – talking about college at an early age is not always one of the first conversations to come to mind.”
In addition to organizing the series, Bundrick gives a lesson to some grade levels on college and another on careers. She also created a bulletin board in the hallway which highlights her lessons. She said, “The children love learning about college and careers, which was surprising that the interest level was so high at a young age.”
The preschool students learned about dairy farming from local farmers Stuart and Jessica Ziehm, who explained how the farm works, the business side of selling milk, and how milk gets to the children’s homes.
The kindergarten classes learned about law and public safety when Officer Wessels and the K9 officer, Mickey, from the Hoosick Falls Police Department, visited. Officer Wagner also paid a visit to the school to talk about how the police are here to help.
The first-grade classes learned about media and communication when a news anchor Jessica Layton, visited from WNYT News Channel 13. She explained how the news gets selected and broadcast, and what a journalist does to make sure it is accurate.
Second-grade classes were visited by Rachael Boisvert, a teacher of the deaf. Boisvert explained the different types of teachers that the world needs, and how she specializes with a particular group of children.
The second grade also learned about healthcare careers with a visit from Barbara Richardson, a registered nurse at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center, and Tanya Cowder, a member of the Perioperative Services Department at the same hospital.
Third grade learned about both human services and hospitality. Nancy Dano, a counselor and Andrew Beaty, a Rensselaer County employee, explained how their jobs help people lead better lives. They also talked about when people need help that there are others in the world ready to offer it. Representing the hospitality industry, the children heard from Richard and Elizabeth Ferrannini, owners of the local restaurant ‘Weeb’s Fish Fry.’ They learned what goes into running a business, especially a food service establishment.
Fourth graders learned about careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) when John Helft and Zack Helft visited their classroom. John worked in a STEM field and Zach is currently a student in the STEM field.
They also learned about manufacturing from Greg Laurin and Bridget Foster. Laurin brought in an automobile steering column from his career at NSK to explain the manufacturing process. Foster, who works for JBM Sherman Carmel, Inc., a company that does laser cutting and metal forming, brought in a metal panther. They donated it to the school, and it is hanging on the wall inside the elementary school entrance.
It was all about information technology and government for the fifth grade. Two district employees, David Breese, and Pamela Hatfield presented. Breese oversees IT at the school and explained the sort of duties he is required to perform including keeping the district’s technology up-to-date and operational. Hatfield is the Business Administrator for the district. She told the kids about how budgets work.
Matthew Harrington ’04 and James Martinez visited sixth grade to talk to them about marketing and finance. Harrington is an author and the Executive Director of the Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce. He explained how marketing helps businesses and organizations thrive. Martinez is the president of the Hoosick Federal Credit Union, and he explained what kind of careers exist in banking and finance.
Ms. Dobert in the High School College and Careers Center organizes college visits for students in second through sixth grade. Bundrick said, “We are letting them know there are many different careers out there. Some may not choose college, but instead a trade school or the military. It’s important to let them know about all options that life offers.”[/private]