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Gibson Technical Center Newsletter
September 2022
Note from the Director's Desk
There are several new and exciting things happening at GTC this year. We first want to welcome Crane as our new sending school. Crane High School is sending 31 students this year which brings our enrollment close to 400 students! This is the first time in GTC history we have had this many students in our building.
GTC programs have been busy finishing up their safety units and the students are eager to get started in the lab and shop areas. The new Career and Technical Center design is almost complete and we will be breaking ground very soon. This will be a great year to watch so many GTC students become college and career ready!
Nick Thieman
Director- Gibson Tech
EMT Students Attend HOSA International Conference
Students from GTC's EMT program participated in HOSA’s 45th Annual International Leadership Conference on June 24-27, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee. The following GTC students finished in the top 20 in the following international competitions: Ally Whorton (Hollister) and Aurora Leininger (Blue Eye) competed in the Emergency Medical Technician category. Hailey Cogdill (Hollister), Ross Chapman (Branson) Kylee Kyle (Galena), and Preston Blubaugh (Reeds Spring) competed in the CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) competition.
HOSA is an international student organization with a membership of over 10,000 health science students. HOSA’s two-fold mission is to promote career opportunities in the health care industry and to enhance the delivery of quality health care to all people. Congratulations to Mrs. Lacey Williams and her students who did a great job of representing Gibson Technical Center.
Spotlight on Printing & Graphic Design
Our Printing & Graphic Design program has experienced tremendous growth this year. Students are excited about working in a collaborative environment where they are able to work to meet the printing needs of many local organizations. One may not know this, but evidence of their creations can be viewed all over the area. Mr. Bruffett leads his students on projects from an idea or concept to design, and then to the completion of the final product. Every step of the way the process provides students the opportunity to work on many of the 21st century skills needed in our workforce today. Students upon completion of this two year program gain valuable experience using the following software: Photo Shop, Indy Design, and the tools in Adobe Creative Suite to produce banners, T-Shirts, Business Cards, and many other promotional items.
GTC Welcomes Stephen Stewart
We are so excited to add Stephen Stewart to our para-professional staff. Mr. Stewart will be working with students in the Auto Collision and Marine Technology programs. In addition to his new role at GTC, Mr. Stewart is an assistant football coach at Reeds Spring High School. He is excited for the opportunity to work with students who are focused on learning skills designed to prepare all students for the life after high school.
Auto Technology adds a New Instructor
GTC Welcomes Robby Parrish
Robby Parrish is one of our new para-professionals joining our dedicated staff of educators. He brings over 35 years of experience from the HVAC industry. In addition to his role at GTC, Mr. Parrish is a bus driver for the Reeds Spring School District. He joins his entire family in the fraternity of educators. His wife Tammy is the Health Technology Instructor at GTC, their daughter Samee is a teacher at the Reeds Spring Elementary School, and their son Josh and wife Amanda are educators in the Blue Eye School District.
GEER II Parent Reimbursement Program
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has a great program to assist families with
costs associated with the CTE programs their students are enrolled in at GTC. The "Parent Reimbursement Grant" funded through the "Governor Parson's Emergency Education Relief Fund" has allocated a set amount of funds to every school district in the state to reimburse families who purchased industry specific items for their child. These items may include, but are not limited to: Program specific special dress, tools, personal protective, or other specialized equipment.
To seek reimbursement, parents need to contact their sending high school administration team. When doing so, please request reimbursement through the "GEER II Parent Reimbursement Program." In the meantime, make sure and keep all itemized receipts for any purchases that are potentially eligible for reimbursement. If you have any questions, please give the office a call.
GTC September Morning Professional of the Month
GTC September Afternoon Professional of the Month
Alumni Spotlight: Jamie Gomez (Hollister High School)
We are featuring 2021 Hollister High School graduate, Jamie Gomez. Jamie completed the two-year Collision Repair program. In his first two years at Hollister High School he struggled with the motivation to go to school every day. As Jamie, put it, “School was not my thing.” When he enrolled at GTC in the fall of 2019, the Collision Repair program was not his first choice, but his instructor, Chris Stober’s passion for the collision industry was contagious and he quickly got hooked on painting and all other types of collision repairs. This passion for pursuing a possible career in the collision industry became the reason for his excitement for going to school. Not only did he excel as a student at GTC, he began to experience great success at Hollister High School.
In his time at GTC, he took advantage of the Internship program offered to senior students during his/her second semester. The summer before his senior year he began working in the wash bay at Crash Champions Collision Repair, formally Branson Collision Center. Working in this position gave him a head start when he was pursuing internship possibilities. When he began his internship he went from working in the wash bay to working in the finish department. Now, he is an apprentice in the paint shop where he has earned many certifications since he began his tenure at Crash Champions.
GTC played a huge role in preparing Jamie for his career of choice. “GTC provided a career option that allowed me to succeed at a young age.” Jamie highly encourages students who are struggling trying to find a career path, to explore all of the possibilities GTC has to offer. “High schools offer many paths for career exploration, but GTC does a great job of lighting the path.”
GTC Enrollment Hits All-Time High!
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GTC also serves the following other area high schools: Blue Eye, Bradleyville, Branson, Chadwick, Crane, Forsyth, Hurley, and Reeds Spring.
GTC Welcomes Mike Burke to the Custodial Staff
EMT Students Gain Valuable Experience at the Missouri State Fair
GTC Community Education Night Classes
Gibson Technical Center is proud to announce our Fall 2022 Community Night Class Schedule. Course offerings include the following: Water & Boat Safety, Fishing, Microsoft Office, Welding, Light Marine Repair, Fitness, and Photography. To complete the enrollment form go to the following website: https://www.rs-wolves.com/o/gtc/article/816177 or call (417) 272-3271 for more information.
Spotlight on EMT
GTC is proud to showcase the Emergency Medical Technician program. EMTs are one of the first medical professionals to arrive on the scene of a crisis. They must evaluate the severity of wounds or illnesses and provide medical treatment and emotional support. They must know human anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, and medical terminology in order to save lives.
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Students in this program learn from industry professionals to gain the experience they will need to be successful EMTs upon completion of the program,. Throughout the year students have an opportunity to obtain the following credentials: American Heart Association Basic Life Support for the Healthcare Provider and the OSHA 10 Hour General Healthcare Industry Safety Certifications. In the spring students will also have the opportunity to gain important field experience through surrounding ambulance services as part of their clinical training needed for final EMT certification.
Did You Know?
- High school students who were CTE concentrators were employed full-time at higher rates eight years after their expected high school graduation compared to non-concentrators.
Eight years after their expected graduation date, students who focused on career and technical education (CTE) courses while in high school had higher median annual earnings than students who did not focus on CTE.
Source: United States Department of Education
Gibson Technical Center
Reeds Spring, Missouri 65737
Email: nthieman@rswolves.com
Website: https://www.rs-wolves.com/o/gtc
Phone: (417) 272-3271
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gibsontechnicalcenter
Twitter: @gibson_tech