Career & Technical Education

 Did you know that Newport High School is a great place for students to become career and college ready and learn to serve their community? The common two threads for CTE programs is having a career & college component 

and having a way for students to give back to their community. In addition, students involved in CTE programs have opportunities to test their skills against other students in the state and in the Nation by becoming a part of Career and Technical Student Organization.

One of our long standing programs is the Grizzly Fab Lab with Instructor Travis Stott. The grizzly Fab Lab continues to work with local businesses and individuals to create art pieces and utility projects. At the present time students are working on individual projects to submit to the art display in conjunction with the talent show this Friday night. Also we are working on awards for retiring faculty and staff, building a headache rack for an individual, building plant hangers and benches for sale at the plant sale this week‐ end, and working on student’s individual projects. Please take time to look up as you drive down Washington Street and check out our piece de resistance, the signs at the Cork and Barrel restaurant. Students in this program are also involved in SkillsUSA and qualified four for regional completion in Pullman. Each year students that graduate from this program find jobs in the local and regional areas with employers that we work closely with.

Fire Science, taught by Randy Wyrobek, has been involved in such activities as helping with Halloween in downtown Newport by keeping our younger students safe while visiting each of the businesses, Fire Prevention including working with the all the students in the Elementary with such activities as Stop, Drop and Roll, Christmas lighting, recycling of printer cartridges, making of Christmas wreaths and delivery of wreaths to help cover the cost of Regional, State and National Competitions, cutting firewood, helping at the Stratton Craft Fair, and that was just the first half of the school year.

In January we really start to focus on our skills needed to prepare for state competition for Skills USA. Students graduating from high school in this program are continuing their education in the fire or medical field whether they are serving in the military or working in the private sector (DNR, Forrest Service, hospital, ambulance, and fire departments). Students in the Fire Science program also serve in their local Fire Districts giving them the opportunity to serve their local community for life. We have many students go through this program and bring high honors to the High School by winning several State Titles in SkillsUSA. Randy has coached several students to pursue college studies in various health occupations as well as work with students to pursue employment in various firefighting careers, including smoke jumpers.

Randy Wyrobek is also the Horticulture Instructor. Students are learning about plants, growth, harvesting and management. We have made connections with local business's, florists, WSU Master Gardeners organizations, Spokane Community Colleges and local farmers. The students have a greater appreciation for our need to be good stewards of the land for future generations. We have focused on areas such as Business Management, Financial Operations, fruits and vegetables, landscapes, and pest management. Our annual plant sale has been well received by our students and community members. All monies received go back into our programs for more education and opportunities for our students. We are currently designing and implementing a beautification program for the school campus.

Newport also has a strong Business and Marketing program with students taking classes in Business Communications, Accounting, Broadcasting and Digital Design.

The accounting class with Instructor Karen Behrend has finished the bookwork associated with the class and is now focusing on personal finance. We’ve been learning about credit card debt, how to finance a car and house and how to research new and used cars on the internet.  We soon will be covering how to save for any long‐term goal, including retirement. We’re also  gearing up to have a Quickbooks expert in to teach the class how to enter transactions into an accounting program rather than do it by hand. It’s a busy spring but the hope is that the students will be wiser consumers as a result of what they learn in this course.

In Business Communications Instructor Rhonda Burnham gave our students something that most high schools and colleges don’t offer and yet is a primary skills we all need; On the after‐ noon of March 27th every Newport High School senior participated in a mock interview.  The students were able to pick one of four jobs to apply for; the choices ranged from a yard laborer for a construction company, a customer service associate, a certified nursing assistant, and a data analyst. Each student was interviewed by professionals who offered to interview students based off of the field in which they either currently work or have hired for in the past, in total there were 15 interviewers from the community that volunteered to give our students an experience of a lifetime. Prior to the day of interviews, students listened to several guest speakers that prepped them on what employers are looking for in workplace skills and abilities. Also, each senior student, preceding interviewing for the job of choice, was taught to write a properly formatted cover letter and resume, used newly taught skills in immaculate completion of an application, was required to write a written letter of inquiry to request and obtain two letters of recommendations, and finally practiced answering and asking common inter‐ view questions.    For many of the students this was a vital lesson in career readiness and an invaluable preparation prior to entering into the world of work.

Our newest program is Biomedical Sciences with Instructor Marie Hughes. As we look at our Project Lead the Way (PLTW)‐Biomedical Sciences Program (Nationally Certified) at Newport High School, it is exciting to see the successes that are coming from it. Our students are continuing to be engaged in the lessons; working in groups, problem solving, and integrating technology. Our 9th grade students can be seen completing a calorimetry lab, measuring the amount of energy found in foods.  Our PLTW students are finding success both as they head to college and as they continue their studies, earning scholarships and top academic honors.

It goes without saying that we have the best students and the best Instructors in the nation. This truly is a great place for students to get started on their post‐secondary education and on their careers.