YOUTH ON THE GO
Woodstock Elementary School celebrated National Fire Prevention Week on Oct. 8, with hands-on safety lessons from members of the Woodstock Fire Department.
Teachers for the day included firefighters, a paramedic and an emergency medical technician
The students were reminded about the importance of observing various safety measures, such as using seat belts, wearing bicycle helmets, and making sure their homes are equipped with functioning smoke detectors. The youngsters also had the opportunity to explore some of the lifesaving tools used by the fire department, including oxygen tanks, breathing masks, “Jaws of Life” and an automated cardiopulmonary resuscitation machine.
••• Giovanni Schovel, an Ulster BOCES Cisco and Cybersecurity student from the Kingston school district, and Ulster BOCES Cisco and Cybersecurity instructor and advisor Kathy Landers attended a fourday SkillsUSA Washington Leadership Training Institute conference in late Sep
tember.
Schovel is vice president for SkillsUSA Area IV vice president.
Schovel and Landers met with elected officials, including U.S. Rep. Antonio Delgado, D-Rhinebeck, and other SkillsUSA representatives to discuss funding for career and technical education programs. In addition, all of the SkillsUSA attendees gathered to share their thoughts on the programs, their value, and how they have prepared them to be college- and career-ready.
SkillsUSA is a nonprofit partnership of education and industry founded in 1965 to strengthen the nation’s skilled workforce. Driven by employer demand, SkillsUSA helps students develop necessary personal and workplace skills, along with technical
skills grounded in academics. This SkillsUSA Framework empowers every student to succeed at work and in life, while helping to close the “skills gap” in which millions of positions go unfilled. For more information, visit www.skillsusa. org.
••• New Paltz High School senior Joseph Ayala was named a 2019-20 National Hispanic Scholar by the College Board’s National Hispanic Recognition Program. Ayala qualified to apply for the honor by scoring in the top 2.5 percent among the Hispanic and Latino testtakers in the region who took the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/
NMSQT). To be designated as a Hispanic Scholar, Ayala also had to achieve a cumulative grade-point average of 3.5 or higher.
Ayala is a member of the school’s varsity cross country team, as well as the winter and spring track teams. In college, he plans to major in math, sports and fitness, or sports management.
He is the son of Jennifer and Jose Ayala of Highland.
••• Typical fast-food tacos and hamburgers can be loaded with fats and calories, but Ulster BOCES Culinary Arts students mastered a tantalizing version of the dish that combines the two favorites.
Students prepared black bean taco burgers with sides of red cabbage slaw and baked sweet potato fries. Rather than trans fat-laden burgers on rolls devoid of nutrients, they learned how to make vegetarian burgers using black beans, rice and oats. Even the buns were made with olive oil and sunflower seeds to ramp up the bread’s nutritional value.
Instead of deep-fried french fries and mayonnaise-drenched coleslaw, the class made sweet potato fries and a lightly dressed, flavorful and nourishing slaw.
Culinary Arts student Faith Lockley, of the Kingston school district, said in a press release the lesson taught her about positive food choices. “I learned that healthy food can be good food and I had fun doing it,” she said.
Ellenville Central School District student Jonelle Christian said she focused on the presentation of her
meal. “One of the key concepts in culinary arts is knowing that presentation is a very important thing,” she said. “You want everything to look pretty so that the customer will dive into it.”
The two-year culinary arts program is based on the National Restaurant Association’s Educational Foundation and Hospitality Business Alliance ProStart curriculum. The program teaches students the management and practical skills required in the restaurant and food service industry. Students gain experience cooking gourmet soups, sauces, salads, meat, poultry, seafood, meatless entrees and desserts. The art of buffet preparation, garnishing and plate composition is also an important aspect of the program. Many students go on to study at the Culinary Institute of America, Johnson & Wales University, and other colleges.