NewsPage 2The Owl

Warren CentralSeptember 25, 2009

Photo/Emily Abrams

Health careers classes open possibilities to students looking for future in medical field

In the year 2025, the American Association of Medical Careers predicts having 259,000 less doctors than what is needed in the United States. Warren Central has the solution to this by having four classes to help students who have an interest in the medical field. These classes include introduction into health careers, certified nursing assisting, dental assisting, and biomedical studies. “Through the recession, health career jobs will always be there, babies will always need to be born, and that is where the jobs are at,” Ms. Leigh-Ann Byrd said. Byrd teaches Introduction into Health Careers, a class the Walker Career Center. In Introduction to Health Careers, students learn the history of health care, and study in depth about 250 different health careers. This is the first year of a two-year program. The second year is Certified Nursing Assisting. “One thing I want students to know about this program is the first year is all books, learning about body systems, and how to interact with people,” Byrd said. “The second year is when students get to do the hands-on clinical stuff.” In certified nursing assisting, students learn the fundamentals of nursing, basic nursing skills, and learn 48 state-required skills for certified nursing assisting certification. At the end of this program, students take an exam to earn three credited hours with Ivy Tech Community College. “It is beneficial for students to take this class in high school instead of in college because it puts you ahead of the game,” Ms. Deborah Yates said. “You know what you are getting yourself into, and you have a job to fall back on.” Yates teaches the certified nursing assistant program, a class in the Walker Career Center. In the dental assisting program, students learn how to assist the doctor at chair side, hands-on fundaments

of radiology, and all aspects of dentistry. Students will participate in a six week externship with a doctor. This program is also in the process of getting dual credit with IUPUI. “If you are interested in going into dentistry, and you have a dental assisting program at your school, colleges will look at whether or not you took the opportunity to take this class in high school,” Ms. Candy Ryan said. Ryan teaches the dental assisting program, a class in the Walker Career Center.

Project Lead the Way, a program that partners with middle and high schools around the nation, started a four-year program at Warren Central called Biomedical Studies. These classes are different because it is a student-centered curriculum and has many hands-on projects. The first year of the program, called principles of biomedical studies, goes into depth about common disorders like diabetes and heart attack. The second year, called human body systems, students learn about all the different body systems. In the third year, called medical interventions, goes in-depth of different medical

technology. “This program is student based which expects students to do higher level college labs,” Mr. A.J. McAdams said. McAdams teaches the first and third year of the program in the Freshman Academy. Currently only the first three years are offered as a class. Next year will be the first year they offer all four years at Warren, because as they will be offering the first year to incoming freshman. “There is an increase in health careers because medicine is evolving, more people need treatment, and job categories are increasing,” McAdams said. “There will always be a end for a doctor.”

By Rachel Baxter News Editor

Hands On experienCes: Sophomore Haley Baughman works on dissecting a sheep heart in Principles of Biomedical Science. This helps students get a better understanding of what they are learning in class.

nOT like any OTHer sCHOOl: (from left to right) Principal Talbert, Superintendent Peggy Hinkley, Sen. Richard Lugar praising Hawthorne Elementary for their achievement.

By Beth DixonNews Writer

Two elementary schools share prestigious honorPhoto/Riley Haab

Photo/Hawthorne Elementary

Sunny Heights Elementary school was chosen by The National Association of State Title I Director’s Title I Distinguished Schools Recognition Program to have a chance to represent the state of Indiana as the number one school, an honor Hawthorne Elementary won last year. There is one school from each state that will receive a memorandum for excelling in Closing the Achievement Gap. The memorandum is given to a school that succeeds in having almost all ethnicities, boys, girls, low income students, special education, and English as a second language score similar on their ISTEP tests. The Program selected eight schools this year in the state of Indiana. Warren Township’s Sunny Heights Elementary School was one of the eight selected this year. The Program awards one school $50,000 in each state. Last year, Hawthorne Elementary was chosen and was represented in San Antonio. Hawthorne won the money and was ranked the number one Title I school in the state of Indiana.

“The program uses federal dollars that support schools with low income students that continue improving on the ISTEP scores,” Hawthorne Principal Phil Talbert said. Hawthorne was one of 60 selected for the Distinguished Schools in Title I. Hawthorne was chosen because it succeeded in achieving the Adequate Yearly Process or AYP. The school is ranked as a title one school which means that the staff is meeting all the criteria and many students are learning to the best of their abilities. Sunny Heights elementary is one of the five finalists in the running for the state of Indiana. They will be represented in Washington, D.C., and the award will be given to the school that wins.

“Through the recession, health career jobs will always be there, babies will always need to be born, and that is where the jobs are at.” -Leigh-Ann Byrd

NewsPage 3The Owl

Warren CentralSeptember 25, 2009

Photo/Emily Abrams

dual Credit continued from page 1

painTing iT up: Senior Brandon McKinney works on painting a part in auto collision repair. This is a part of many that will go on the repaired car.

Photo/Daryl Hollonquest

pressing iT OuT: Senior Tiffany Foreman works on pressing a shirt out to make a design in graphic imaging. In this class, students get to design shirts with their own ideas.

WOrking TOgeTHer: Junior Scott St. Laurent (right) and sophomore Brittany Pierson (left) work on constructing a bridge in principles of engineering. Building the object helps see textbook problems come to life.

HOlding iT TOgeTHer: Senior Wade Johnson works on welding two pieces of metal. Students weld on many different types of metal through the program.

Photo/Daryl Hollonquest

Photo/Rachel Baxter

Photo/Emily Abrams

Most students do not know what kind of field they should study before applying for college. This program helps students find out if the welding industry is for them or not. “If you are not sure what you are going to do when you grow up, go into the welding program,” senior Taylor McGlaughlin said. “It changed my life completely.” Another real-world problem is working with other people in a work atmosphere. Sitting in a classroom with a book in front of students does not teach this. Working hands-on with other students helps students develop a professional level with each other. “What I like about the welding program is that I get to meet new people from different schools, interact with people like a real job, and a chance to use my hands,” McGlaughlin said. Also, the pre-engineering program h e l p s s t u d e n t s understand the ”why” question behind school work. After doing the math problem, it helps to apply this by building what it creates. “The pre-engineering program approaches the math problem from a real world side,” Mr. Steve Rogers said. “It shows the math problem in real life.” With these classes there is more than just getting a feel for what the field is about, and to get knowledge about the subject. There is also dual credit offered for these courses. In the culinary arts program, students learn knife skills, basic cooking methods, sanitation and safety practices, and restaurant service management. “I want students to know that this program is not all about eating, and it is a lot of hard work, theory and dishwashing,” Ms. Amanda Riggen said. “It is worth it if you love to cook.” After completing nutrition, culinary arts foundations, and the two year culinary program students receive dual credit with Ivy Tech Community College. This program is in the process of seeking dual credit with Johnson and Whales, Vincennes University, and the Chefs Academy. Last year, two students received dual credit with Ivy Tech Community College through the culinary arts program. In the welding program, students learn a good foundation on all welding processes, learn how to build parts from a blueprint, and weld on all different types of metals. “Not only do we learn through a book, but we learn from hands-on experiences,” Mr. Rick Ferguson said. ”Words from the textbook come to life.” Throughout the program, students receive dual credit with Ivy Tech Community

College. Last year, 157 students in different years of the program received dual credit. Project Lead the Way ‘s pre-engineering program prepares students for a two or four year college degree in engineering. Students learn how to build and design on the computer. Some projects they build are playgrounds, bridges, and cell phones. “If you are a freshman or sophomore and you are interested in this program, we can make it work,” Rogers said. “We have had students come in their senior year and do at least the first three years of the program.” At the end of the program, students

receive dual credit with Ivy Tech Community College. Last year, 36 students received dual credit through the program. “What I like most about the pre-engineering program is that it helps you get started in the engineering field, and you get a jump start in the introductory college classes,” junior Jessica Newman said. “It builds a strong foundation for college.”

Another way of receiving college credit is taking an Advanced Placement class. At the end of the year, students take an exam to determine if they receive the college credit. Even Advanced Placement classes are looking into dual credit. “This year our AP calculus students had the opportunity to take an admissions test to qualify for dual credit with Vincennes University,” math department chairman Mr. Kip Gorball said. “We are looking to get dual credit algebra in the future.” Also, the English department is looking into dual credit next semester. “Next Semester students who have qualified through the SAT will be offered a dual credit composition class through Vincennes University,” English department chairman Mr. Rick Reed said.

Dual Credit Classes 2009-2010Academy of FinanceComputer Integrated Manufacturing Culinary ArtsWeldingEarly Childhood EducationEducation ProfessionsDigital ElectronicsIntroduction to Engineering DesignWeb DesignSmall EnginesPrecision MachiningPrinciples of EngineeringDesign Processes CADHealth CareersElectronics TechnologyAutomotive ServiceGraphic Imagining *Calculus*Composition

“Go into the welding program. It changed my life completely.”-Taylor McGlaughlin

Offered next semester*