July 2020

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A newly completed “Safety Bus” will allow TST BOCES Transportation Services to provide a unique and valuable training opportunity for students in the region.

The Safety Bus is a school bus that has been modified so that the back section of its interior is rotated onto its side, allowing for evacuation exercises that aren’t possible on a standard bus. Students can see what it feels like to be in a bus that has

tipped on its side and practice using the rooftop evacuation hatch.

The construction was handled primarily by Randy Murray, who donated his time and skill to the project, with additional work provided by the TST BOCES Career & Technical Education welding students. Murray previously undertook a similar project for Owego-Apalachin Central School District. The Safety Bus is still a functional vehicle that can drive to visit school districts throughout the region for safety trainings.

“The Safety Bus is the result of a three-year project to convert a standard school bus into this unique bus safety training tool,” said TST BOCES Director of Facilities David

Pitcher. “We expect that the Safety Bus will be used by school districts in our region and from around the state for years to come to provide specialized emergency evacuation training for bus drivers and students.”

The bus being used was a TST BOCES school bus that was no longer going to be used, so instead of being sold or discarded it has been repurposed to provide a new service. Frank Slawiak, Transportation Supervisor at Oneida-Madison BOCES, and his team also helped by providing body work and painting the bus. Additional thanks goes to Matthews Buses Inc. for donating a new fuel tank.

Lowe’s and SkillsUSA have awarded $1,000 worth of SkillsUSA educational materials to the SkillsUSA chapter at the TST BOCES Career and Tech Education Center (CTE).

Grants are designed to provide teachers with more resources to support student-led learning through the SkillsUSA framework. Each grant school will receive 25 unique education products designed to guide teachers on SkillsUSA integration, ranging from activity guides to meeting resources, classroom posters and more. The materials are centered around student-led development of personal skills, workplace skills and technical skills grounded in academics, so every member has an opportunity for career success.

“It is thrilling to see new SkillsUSA programs receive these chapter resources,” said SkillsUSA executive director Chelle Travis. “These grants from Lowe’s remove financial barriers to excellence and ensure that new chapters start off on the right foot, armed with quality classroom resources for the betterment of our teachers and students.”

SkillsUSA has partnered with Lowe’s for more than 14 years on a variety of education programs within career and technical education.

“The TST BOCES Career and Tech Center SkillsUSA Chapter was re-established in the Fall of 2019 after a decade-long hiatus,” said co-advisor Christine Boles. “Our school recognized the important leadership skills, values and confidence that are instilled in young people who are involved in SkillsUSA, and we knew that our Career and Tech students could truly benefit from participating in this organization.”

“The initial chapter members at the TST BOCES Career and Tech Center competed in the Area 2 Regional SkillsUSA Competition at SUNY Morrisville in February 2020, and many of our students earned recognition for their achievements,” said co-advisor Nancy Fish. “The TST BOCES Career and Tech Center is hopeful that the Lowe’s Resource Grant will help us to continue to broaden our involvement in SkillsUSA for years to come.”

For a complete list of SkillsUSA chapters receiving the grant and a list of the educational resources each school will receive, go to:

https://www.skillsusa.org/lowes-provides-resources-to-skillsusa-chapters/

TST BOCES Career and Tech Center Receives SkillsUSA Grant From Lowe’s

Safety Bus

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Regional Alternative School Graduation

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Smith School Class of 2020

Dr. Jeffrey Matteson District Superintendent

BOARD OF EDUCATION

Linda Competillo President

Missy Rynone Vice President

Danielle ChaseMary ChurchPatricia PryorLinda Padgett

AnnMarie StreeterDianne Lynn

Vacant

555 Warren Road, Ithaca, NY 14850 607-257-1551 | tstboces.org

Tompkins Seneca Tioga BOCES shall continue its policy of providing educational opportunities for all

students who wish to enroll in any course without regard to race, color, creed, national origin, political

affiliation, sex, age, marital or veteran status, disability, religious practice, ethnic group, gender expression and identity, weight, or genetic predisposition. TST BOCES

provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups.

For information regarding the nondiscrimination policy, contact:

David J. Parsons, Assistant Superintendent for Administrative Services

555 Warren Road, Ithaca, NY 14850

He may also be reached by phone: 607-257-1551.

A publication of Tompkins-Seneca-Tioga BOCES.

Bridges and Steps