Carbon Career & Technical Institute senior class President Jeremy Salvaggio addressed the CCTI Joint Operating Committee to give a class update on Jan. 19.

Salvaggio, a carpentry student from Palmerton, started by thanking CCTI for the senior shirts that all seniors received. A class photo was taken by yearbook adviser JamiLynn McFarland-Johannsen of the seniors, all wearing the shirts. Nate Rinda, Director of Technology, also took a photo using a drone. Both photos will be published in the yearbook.

Cap and gown orders have been distributed. A few seniors ordered after the first deadline and are waiting for delivery.

Senior class officers were voted on and are as follows:

• Salvaggio, president

• James Mills, vice president, Jim Thorpe, drafting and design technology)

• Ella Burns, secretary, Panther Valley, cosmetology

• Alex Blasko, treasurer, Panther Valley, computer/electronics engineering technology.

“We had a Krispy Kreme fundraiser for the classes to raise money for prom decorations, the DJ and the photo booth,” Salvaggio said. “We sold over 580 boxes. We’re doing another one of those fundraisers in the spring.”

CCTI’s prom will be at Penn’s Peak on May 12

“We also donated money to a CCTI senior student, Xavier Boston, whose family recently suffered a tragedy,” Salvaggio said. “We class officers voted to use some of our profit money to donate to this cause.”

The senior class voted to go to Knoebels on May 25, for the senior trip.

CCTI plans CTE Month activities

February is Career Technical Education Month, and CCTI has a host of activities planned for the month. The school will kick off the celebration with a Valentine’s Dance on Feb. 2.

“The students were very excited with the Halloween Dance and they asked for another one,” said Principal Michelle Allen. “We thought Valentine’s Day would be a great time. We’re allowing them to bring in guests to our school for this dance.”

Some of the other events planned include karaoke and CTE trivia to be held during lunch at the school.

One of the bigger events during February will be the CTE Olympics. Each tech area will have two or three of their students compete by doing tasks that are normally a part of another program of study.

“For example,” Allen said, “we’ll have students from the welding program come in and start rolling perm rods for the cosmetology department. Cosmetology students may try to do a pencil drawing from graphic design.”

They will be scored by staff and volunteers.

Allen and Eugene Colosimo, guidance counselor, visited area middle and junior high schools, distributing course catalogs and speaking with the eighth grade students and offering them applications.

“We are going to be bringing eighth graders to the school for tours during one of the weeks in February during CTE Month,” Allen said. “Not only will they be able to visit some of the technical areas, but, they will be able to see the pride that we have in our school.”

Allen expressed her eagerness at the monthlong celebration.

“This will be my first CTE Month here at CCTI. I’ve heard so much about the celebrations here and I can’t wait to be a part of them,” she said.