Gibson Technical Center Newsletter

This is the busiest time of the year at Gibson Tech. Students are finishing class projects and many of our second year students are testing for their industry certifications. We will award over one hundred individual certifications that will be used for a lifetime. To celebrate all of our student accomplishments, we will have our annual Awards Ceremony on April 28th at 9:00 AM (morning students) and 1:00 PM (afternoon students). Family and friends are invited to this ceremony that is located in the auditorium of the building next to Gibson Tech.

After 32 years in education, I will be retiring at the end of this year. Looking back at those 32 years where I taught students from kindergarten to 12th grade. I will say that Career Technical Education has been the most rewarding part of my career. I truly believe what students learn and experience at GTC positively impacts them for an entire lifetime. I would like to thank everyone at GTC for everything that they do to make this a great place for students to prepare for life after high school.

Nick Thieman

Co-Director- Gibson Tech

The Skaggs Foundation recently awarded Gibson Technical Center a $111,000 grant to purchase a new bus for GTC's Health Technology Program. This program provides students with the training to become Certified Nursing Assistants.

The purchase of the new bus was made possible through the generosity of the Skaggs Foundation. The bus that Ms. Parrish had been using was originally purchased in the mid 80s and we were struggling to maintain reliable transportation, making it difficult for our students to get their practicum hours in. With all of the building projects the school district has going on right now, there simply were no funds available to address the transportation issue.

The Skaggs Foundation awarded a grant to our EMT program earlier this year, and had told us to keep them in mind if we ever had any other needs. We reached out to them to explain our dilemma. We originally were looking to see if there may be an old shuttle bus they may know about, or any other ideas they might have to help us with our transportation issue. Ms. Melinda Honey was the contact person for the Foundation and she relayed our situation to the board of directors. Upon hearing our need, the Skaggs Foundation Board made the decision to purchase a new shuttle bus for our Health Technology program. We are so grateful to the Skaggs Foundation for their very generous donation that will benefit our Health Tech students for years to come.

After 32 years in education Mr. Nick Thieman is retiring. In his career in education he has taught and coached in Marshfield, Marceline, Seymour and Miller. He began serving as an administrator in the Reeds Spring R-IV School District in 2005 and has been the director of GTC since 2011. Thanks for your years of dedicated service.

Cody Hirschi, Reeds Spring Superintendent

Mr. Thieman’s leadership has been felt all across the region as he has expanded and enhanced student experiences at GTC over the years. He has worked with his team to bring an increased rigor and quality to each program. Enrollment is at an all time high and the excitement around career education continues to build. There’s no doubt that over his 32 years he has created a lasting legacy. Mr. Thieman has been a valuable leader and will be missed!

Jack Harris, Branson High School Principal

Mr. Thieman has done an excellent job as Gibson Tech director. Our students have been provided a great number of opportunities by attending, and he takes an active interest in providing those opportunities for all students.

Candy Boyd, GTC Administrative Assistant

Mr. Thieman is one of the most approachable people I have had the pleasure to work for. He always empowers others to do their job and provides support when needed. He has always been a person who not only communicates the idea of GTC being a kids first organization, he has modeled it.

Jason Steele, Branson High School Assistant Principal

I have had the opportunity to work with Mr. Thieman for the last nine years through two different school districts. Mr. Thieman strives for excellence daily with the programs, staff and students at Gibson Tech. My students that go through the programs there always come back to me with appreciation for the skills and opportunities that they have had while at Gibson Technical Center. Mr. Thieman demonstrates flexibility daily as he is always wanting to provide opportunities for the students to succeed even if there are obstacles in the way.

Travis Kite, Reeds Spring Assistant Superintendent

Serving as an administrator with Nick over the past 16 years I recognize the impact he has had on our district and on so many students. Nick has the ability to relate to everyone he meets, building positive relationships with students, teachers, and parents. The change he has made at the GTC since being named director has been influential in their growth and development. He truly cares about the students and staff in his building and demonstrates this not only with his positive interactions, but also by being their biggest advocate. This is evident from the growth the GTC has shown in student enrollment and success through his years as the director. Thank you for your dedication and love for our district for so many years!

Christ Stober, GTC Collision Repair Instructor

I want to thank Mr. Thieman for his support in my first years in education. Without his great leadership, I would have likely gone back to working in the collision industry.

Brian Moler, GTC Director

Mr. Thieman, aka "The Godfather" has been a great friend and mentor in helping me transition into the Director's role here at GTC. We have known each other for nearly 16 years now, and I so appreciate all the wisdom and advice he has been willing to share over the years. Enjoy your retirement and I look forward to seeing you on the lake and golf course.

John Giebler, GTC Instructional Coach

Under Mr. Thieman’s leadership GTC was one of the first area career centers to offer embedded English and Math credits in the programs of study. By doing this, GTC removed possible roadblocks for students who wanted to enroll, but Math and English scheduling at his/her sending school may not have made this possible.

Logan Vahle, GTC Guidance Counselor

I appreciate how Mr. Thieman always puts an emphasis on Career and Technical Education in advocating for GTC. As a result of his dedication and leadership, enrollment is at an all-time high and we have added two programs of study.

The Gibson Tech EMT students attended the annual HOSA – Future Health Professionals State Leadership Conference held on March 27-28, 2023 at Rolla High School and Rolla Technical Center. There were 952 students and chapter advisors in attendance. Nearly 1,650 competitors participated in the State Leadership Conference Qualifier through a virtual platform, and the top competitors advanced to the onsite competition. The top three medalists in each of the 68 competitive events have an opportunity to attend the upcoming HOSA International Leadership Conference held in Dallas, Texas.

This year’s state theme, “Beyond All Limits” guided the focus of the State Leadership Conference around professional opportunities through educational symposiums and the HOSA Zone Exhibition, which included a variety of presentations and vendors. Keynote speaker, Morris Morrison, shared his message of overcoming life’s obstacles to go beyond all limits. The students and advisors contributed back to the community by helping with a local blood drive.

HOSA is an international student organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. HOSA's two-fold mission is to promote career opportunities in the healthcare industry and enhance quality healthcare delivery to all people. Missouri HOSA currently has 3,728 student and professional members. There are 106 active HOSA chapters across the state. To learn more about Missouri HOSA, please visit https://missourihosa.org/.

The following students will be representing GTC at the HOSA International Leadership Conference in Dallas, Texas June 21-24, 2023

Top row left to right:

Community Emergency Response Team Competition.

1st Place-Tristan Maxwell (Branson) and Andrew Cavaness (Forsyth)

2nd Place-Medal-Kialey Vallance (Crane) and Rachel Quintana (Crane)

CPR/ First Aid Competition

2nd Place-Hailey Tharp (Reeds Spring) and Bri Hirschi (Reeds Spring)

Bottom row left to right

Emergency Medical Technician Competition

1st Place-Preston Blubaugh (Reeds Spring) and Angel Dowdy (Reeds Spring)

2nd Place-Dylan Schmitt (Branson) and Jack Jackson (Hollister)

Culinary Arts is a two-year program for juniors and seniors. Over the course of the two years students will explore different cooking techniques. Students gain experience in both savory (cooking) and baking. Students spend time in the classroom learning the science and art behind cooking and then go into the kitchen to gain hands-on experience. In addition to all of the work in the kitchen, students learn how to price out items and how to calculate costs and menu prices. There is also an emphasis on learning life skills like interviewing, employability skills and communication skills. All students leave the program with a professional resume they can build on throughout his/her careers. Students learn the importance of kitchen safety and sanitation. This year many students received a ServSafe Manager industry recognized credential. Students who plan on continuing their education can use these certifications to test out of college classes.

Most recently students have been busy baking cookies, cakes, pastries and breads. Students made and sold King Cakes for Mardi Gras. Students will finish this unit of study with a Nailed It competition. Students have a great time during the spring because they are able to use the skills they learned to do competitions in class. We will do a Chopped and a food truck war before the year ends.

The students that are in SkillsUSA have stayed busy practicing for the baking and culinary state competitions. Their hard work paid off and the students took third and first place in baking and first in the culinary district competition.

Gibson Technical Center is proud to spotlight our New Horizons Alternative School Teacher, Casey Rader. Mrs. Rader has been preparing her students for career and life in an individualized academic setting since 2017. Mrs. Rader is a graduate of Hannibal-LaGrange University with a degree in Business Administration and communications. After working in sales and for the State of Missouri, Mrs. Rader began her career at GTC working with students in the EMT, Computer Technology and Culinary Arts Programs. When the opportunity to become a teacher at the New Horizons Alternative School she jumped at it because she has a passion for students who may not get his/her diploma without the opportunity to learn in an environment designed for students who are considered at risk of not graduating from high school.

The mission for the New Horizons Alternative School is, “To provide a school where everything is designed to ensure that all students can realize their full potential, where the teacher, curriculum, textbooks, technology, administration, parents, and community are working together to help students learn. A partnership in which organizations at every level, national, state, and local work together to create and support students as they become responsible citizens.” Mrs. Rader helps students realize this mission by knowing each students individual story and fostering positive relationships with all of the students who enter her classroom. Every student has a voice in regards to the plan that is put in place for them to graduate from high school. For some of these students it is the first time in their educational career that they had a positive relationship with a teacher. Because of this, many of the students who earn a diploma through this incredible program still keep in touch with Mrs. Rader sharing their success stories.

The GTC Collision Repair program has experienced tremendous growth during the 2022-2023 school year. Students in this two year program of study have an opportunity to earn two student ASE Certifications and 20 articulated credit hours through Ozarks Technical College. This school year the students have been working very hard on customizing golf carts for various customers in the community.

First year students have been learning the basics of metal repair, body filler, and simple dent repair. The classroom focus for the academic year has been refinishing. With this focus, the students have been practicing their craft on a donated bed of a Dodge pickup.

This program has a record number of students currently in internships in the area. Hollister senior Michael Collins is interning at Kivett’s Body Shop in Hollister. Blue Eye senior Joshua Cave is gaining internship experience at Mac Craft Automotive in Reeds Spring. Crash Champions in Branson has provided an internship opportunity for Branson senior Christopher Lair. Reeds Spring senior Hardy White is interning at Specialty Buggy Supply 2 in Branson West. Mr. Stober takes great pride in the number of students who have completed his program of study and have been successful in the auto collision industry.

We are featuring 2020 Hollister High School graduate Danny Parkinson. Danny is currently a student at Sullivan University in Louisville, Kentucky studying baking. He just finished working as an intern at Thalasso & Spa les Corallines in La Grande-Motte, France. This luxury resort is located in Southern France off the Mediterranean coast. He worked as an associate to the Sous Chef where he was able to do what he loves…Baking. He worked in a collaborative environment where he had the autonomy to choose what type of pastries to prepare for the hotel guests. He loves sharing with his French team members the intricacies of American baking and culinary. He truly appreciates learning how to prepare many different French entrees and deserts.

This once in a lifetime internship has provided Danny the opportunity to travel throughout Europe. He was required to work 350 hours during this four month internship and while he traveled in his free time he enjoyed experiencing European culture, history, and architecture. During his travels he realized the United States is such a young country compared to western Europe.

Danny was a member of SkillsUSA during his time in the Culinary Arts Program at Gibson Technical Center. During the state and district SkillsUSA competitions he met representatives from Sullivan University and virtually received a scholarship on the spot. Danny is grateful to have learned from Jennifer Noriega (GTC Culinary Arts Instructor). She taught him what the culinary industry was all about in terms of what people need to do to be successful in this in-demand industry.

Danny will earn his Associates in Baking/Pastry in October. He plans to continue his education at Sullivan University and pursue a Bachelor's degree in Hospitality. He plans on using both degrees to pursue opportunities in luxury resorts in either California, Las Vegas, or New York.

Spring is here and that means one huge thing for the Health Technology students. They are working hard to get their 100 hours of on-the-job training at Shepherd of the Hills Living Center in Branson as they prepare for their state licensing test in May. They all work well to meet the needs of all residents. These students have grown and learned so much since we began the practicum in January. It is exciting to see how the students in this wonderful program of study are preparing for a career in the healthcare field.

Health Technology is a one-year exploratory program for students interested in learning about the healthcare industry as a possible career path. During the year students explore and research many different healthcare careers and health systems in order to develop a broad understanding of the various career opportunities students will have after completion of this program. The students complete the following units of study: Infection control, safety, medical terminology, and legal, ethical, and cultural awareness.

During the first semester, most of the Certified Nurse Assistant skills are introduced and practice on lab mannequins or on classmates as they prepare to begin on-the-job training at Shepherd of the Hills Living Center the second semester.

The students, during their time at Shepherd of the Hills Living Center, are comfortable caring for the elderly and building positive relationships with residents and staff. While in their practicum they provide hands-on care such as bathing, checking vital signs, assisting and transferring residents from chair to chair.

The students will continue on-the-job training until mid-April. The students will spend the last month of school preparing for the state CNA written and the hands-on practical exam. For those who pass the exam, they will graduate high school with a diploma and a CNA certification.

Research shows; if students see the relevance and meaning in school, it results in improved interest and academic performance. Students become more motivated, self-directed learners when they understand the relationship between academics, career and education planning and achieving their own career goals.

• CTE programs allow individuals to discover who they are, what they like to do and what they do best.
• Many students are frustrated in school because they do not see the link between their coursework and goals for the future. Students who understand how coursework and activities can enhance their strengths and move them toward their desired future.
• Students often have limited exposure to the full range of possible jobs that are available. Without exploration, students may simply resort to selecting careers they see in their immediate surroundings or on television and in the media rather than selecting options that align with their own interest, skills or work values.
• Nearly all careers require education beyond high school. Knowledge of certifications or degree opportunities, college options, entrance requirements, application process and financial aid is vital for students and families to learn.

Source: Nebraska Department of Education

Reeds Spring, Missouri 65737

Email: nthieman@wolves.k12.mo.us
Website: https://gt.rs-wolves.com/
Phone: (417) 272-3271
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gibsontechnicalcenter
Twitter: @gibson_tech