October truly was field trip month as two Business classes visited the The Boston Federal Reserve Bank where students from Ms. G. Borges’ and Mr. Tudino’s class learned about the role of the Fed as the Central Bank of the US and how it sets the monetary policy for the nation. They also participated in an interactive (game-oriented) Economic Adventure and reviewed the history and development of technology and its influence on the economy over time.

In early November, Ms. S. Borges’ Stock Market Class visited the Boston Stock Exchange and also toured the Federal Reserve Bank. The students learned how the BSE plays a key role in the securities marketplace with its diverse range of floor-based and electronic trading solutions, offering more opportunities and many ways to do business.

Ms. Bernardino’s Hotel and Lodging Management II class enjoyed a walking tour of Providence in mid-October. The rain stopped for a few days and the students were able to see first-hand some of the job opportunities that they are learning about in their classroom instruction. They began their day at the Providence-Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau where they learned about the area hotels, restaurants and attractions. Then they proceeded to a comprehensive walk-thru of the Westin Hotel followed by a hop on the RIPTA trolley to Federal Hill’s La Dolce Villa. There they met owner Gian Maracco who spoke of how he started as a dishwasher and through hard work and staying in school he has been able to maintain several successful hotel and restaurant businesses in the Federal Hill area.

Other field trips included taking two of Ms. Idone’s Portfolio classes to Johnson & Wales University to explore careers in Business Technology and tour the campus while meeting some key professors who informed them about academic opportunities at the college. Several classes including Mr. Angell’s Electronics class also attended New England Institute of Technology’s Automotive Career Day, which included a tour of the new Automotive Facility and guest speakers from a variety of industry-related areas.

Many students attended the Aviation Education Expo including students from Mr. Gil’s, Mr. Blais’ and Mr. Marchand’s classes, and several students referred by Ms. Withrow who expressed an interest in the field of aviation. This was the first year that T.F. Green State Airport hosted the expo where representatives from government and private industry including Fed Ex, RI Airport Corporation, RI Air National Guard, US Coast Guard, Independence Air, Southwest Airlines, and Horizon Aviation Inc., were on hand to conduct tours of their displayed aircraft and explained their career paths and the education required to succeed in this industry. Students received a variety of career-related materials and truly enjoyed this educational experience! To top it off, Mr. Gil entered a raffle and won a trip for 2 via Independence Air to Washington D.C. for four days which includes several area attractions as well! Congratulations Mr. Gil!!!

Mrs. Bernardino’s Hotel & Lodging Academy students continue to engage in work-based learning experiences as Mr. Horacio Lertora, Banquet Operations Manager for the Kirkbrae Country Club in Lincoln, came to Central Falls HS and interviewed and hired 12 students for part-time work experience at this prestigious club. Mr. Lertora’s professional experience as Personal Butler to Calvin Klein for 10 years, among others, is teaching our students how to incorporate a bit of European flair into the traditional banquet atmosphere, and they are truly enjoying this experience while earning a nice hourly wage. Both Hotel I and Hotel II students attended a Hospitality Career Day hosted by the Johnson & Wales Radisson Hotel during November. During this event they received a guided tour of the hotel including a behind-the-scenes look at hotel operations, followed by a delicious lunch and guest speaker presentation.

Upcoming events include another trip to New England Tech for Building Technology Days on November 18 where 73 students are expected to learn about career opportunities in this area and tour the campus. We also look forward to a return visit from August Rojas of Pawtucket Credit Union, as he begins a six-week Financial Literacy presentation with Ms. G. Borges’ Money & Finance class on November 22.

This is the second in a series of quarterly newsletters that will be sent out to inform the faculty and staff at Central Falls High School about school-to-career related activities, field trips, guest speakers and class presentations throughout the school year. Please see Sue Cranston in the Teacher Resource Room if you wish to engage in any career-oriented activities for your classes!!

On December 15 we welcomed Jeanne Thomason from the Barbizon School to come and speak with our students on Time Management and Organizational Skills. She was very informative and well received by the students. Ms. Thomason will return this spring to address Job Interview Techniques for anyone who is interested.

Ms. Sandra Borges’ Microsoft Office class visited Fidelity Investment Corporation on January 11. Students were participating in the Providence Journal’s Stock Market Game at the time of this visit. They toured the facility and met with several executives who explained their areas of responsibilities and the career options that exist at this prominent financial corporation.

On January 11, we were fortunate once again to have Joann Fielding, Department Chair of NE Tech’s Allied Health Program, address some of our Health and Science classes to present career opportunities in this field. Ms. Fielding utilized volunteers from our student audience to demonstrate surgical attire and equipment used in a true surgical environment. The job outlook is very favorable in the health industry and programs and training such as NE Tech’s Surgical Program is certainly worth looking into for our students interested in pursuing this area.

Pawtucket Credit Union’s Augusto (Cookie) Rojas presented a 5-part Financial Literacy program to Ms.Gina Borges’ Money & Finance class during the months of December and January. Mr. Rojas is from Central Falls and enjoys relating to our students and offering assistance as they reviewed materials related to goal setting, budgeting, auto insurance, and saving and investing. We look forward to working with Mr. Rojas again this spring as he brings the PCU Prep program to our school for those business students interested in a career in banking.

On January 31, Mr. McLaughlin, Mr. Volpe and myself along with several guidance counselors from Shea High School took a group of students from both schools to visit the Exeter Job Corps facility. We were given an extensive tour and provided with information for those students who might be seeking an alternative to our high school setting. This program allows students to get either their diploma or GED while also providing technical training in specialized programs to prepare them for the workforce.

February 2 marked our second year of participation in a nationwide program called National Groundhog Job Shadow Day. Central Falls HS sent 32 students to the following job sites to shadow for half a day: 17 to the Providence Marriott (from the Hotel & Lodging Academy), 9 to AAA, 4 to Pawtucket Credit Union, and 2 to New England Construction. Collectively they had a great experience and were able to establish some very good networking opportunities. In addition we had some great press, as both the Providence Journal and the Pawtucket Times were on hand to interview and photograph our students in action. We also received coverage on local TV networks.