Jeff Tech team wins a national award

A team from the Digital Media Arts Program at Jeff Tech attended the Jeff tech Operating Committee meeting on May 23 to present their national award-winning video to the committee.

Jaxton Freedline from the Punxsutawney School District, and Emma Orris, from the Brookville School District, along with help from other students and their teacher, Mr. Steve Sensebaugh, put together a 1:22 video that won first place at the National Occupational Career Testing Institute (NOCTI) Video Contest.

The theme for this year’s NOCTI video was “Employable: A CTE Story.” Freedline told the committee, “What we wanted to represent was our main character’s journey throughout high school and where he might have struggled in academic schools but came to Jeff Tech and found something he wanted to do with his future…”

Freedline, Orris, and their team worked for several weeks to get the video completed and in by the April 15 deadline. It was titled “The Right Path.” They were informed of their success last week. (To watch the video, click here.)

Enrollment

The Committee was informed by Jeff Tech Principal Melissa Mowery that 510 students have registered for classes for the 2022-2023 school year. With additional applications already in, there could be 521 students coming to Jeff Tech next year., but that number could go even higher.

“We have the summer to go,” she said. More mailings with applications will be sent out this summer to students who have shown an interest in the past.

Other actions

The Committee moved through a routine agenda at a rapid pace. Some of the highlights included retaining the law firm of Ferraro, Kruk, and Ferraro as the school solicitor for the 2022-2023 school year and the hiring of a special education instructor.

When asked after the meeting, School Director Dr. Barry Fillman said no progress has been made on a teacher’s contract. That contract expires June 30.

Graduation will be held June 1. Principal Mowrey said that as of right now, the weather forecast indicates it can be held outside as planned.