ACJVS is blooming with spring activities

Star Beacon

April 29, 2009 04:36 pm

— JEFFERSON — It must be spring because the Ashtabula County Joint Vocational School annual softball competition between technical labs is underway, and the National Honor Society has just inducted its new members. The school year is wrapping up, and many students are still busy trying to complete community service hours required by both the ACJVS and their home schools. Additionally, the horticulture program is very busy preparing for its yearly spring plant sale.
Last week National Honor Society inducted seven new members. Parents, lab teachers, home school principals and counselors were all invited to attend the formal event. It was a grand day for the new inductees: Ryan DiGiacomo, Danielle Gay, Hazel Kurpyl, Kristie Organiscak, Kayla Rettinger, Michael Rusnak, and Nicole Nagle. Old members (Rebecca Cortright, Patience Lewis, Mike Jones, Mike Powell and LeeAnn Swift) conducted the induction ceremony, during which they read the four National Honor Society virtues and lighted the candles that represent them. Robin Gifford, financial adviser from Kent State University Ashtabula Campus, was guest speaker at the ceremony. Afterward, new inductees lighted their candles and pledged to follow the society’s four virtues. Following the ceremony the new inductees, along with their families, were invited to a luncheon provided by ACJVS culinary students in the Harbor Room.
ACJVS requires each of its students to do 10 hours of community service, and many opportunities for earning these hours are available right at the school.
“The holiday dinner, spaghetti dinner and two blood drives are just some of the many events that students could participate in to get community service hours,” said Gilda McQuoid, instructional coordinator.
While lots of students have taken advantage of these activities, students have also participated in many events outside of school. Some examples are: church youth groups using their skills to build and repair in their communities, Lake Shore Park Lights-on-the-Lake and Rib Burn Off, volunteer fire fighting and much more. The ACJVS has an extraordinary number of community service hours so far, with a total of 3,200 compiled by the end of March. There are around 25 students that have excelled in the number of hours they have acquired.
McQuoid said most of the students like to do it for fun.
One student has 300 hours at this point. All of the hard work and effort pays off in the end, as all seniors that have good attendance and have completed their community service hours have the chance to go on a field trip to see “The Comedy of Errors” at Play House Square in Cleveland at the end of the month.
ACJVS horticulture students are busy all year, but during this time of year the pace really picks up. The annual spring plant sale will begin on May 4, so students are busy watering, fertilizing and otherwise monitoring their flowers. A wide variety of annuals and some perennials and houseplants will be available for sale to the public at the horticulture facility on the ACJVS campus.
“All of the greenhouses are bursting with flowers,” said junior horticulture student Boyd Miller.
Now, that’s a nice spring image.

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