News
DREAM Project
Sign Up Underway for Nursing Careers
A survey at WHS revealed students there are interested in pursuing nursing-related fields, Wolf said, while today’s job market bears out the need for health care workers. The Department of Labor projects a 30 percent increase in the number of health care jobs between now and 2014. 
Next year's juniors and seniors can begin signing up for the
Students can earn three credits in the tech prep program that offers a foundation for nursing and nursing-related careers, said Tim Wolf, career tech director at WHS. The program will provide the foundation for post-high school study for jobs such as registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, state tested nurses aide, medical assistant, phlebotomist, emergency medical technician, physical therapist, registered dietitian and other health-related occupations.
The new program joins the first
Click here for a brochure about the DREAM Health Academy nursing careers program.
DREAM Continues to Unfold at WHS
The Stark County Tech Prep Consortium unanimously approved the addition. The tech prep program will offer a foundation for nursing and nursing-related careers, said Tim Wolf, career tech director at WHS, providing the foundation for post-high school study for jobs such as registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, state tested nurses aide, medical assistant, phlebotomist, emergency medical technician, physical therapist, registered dietitian and other health-related occupations. A survey at WHS revealed students there are interested in pursuing nursing-related fields, Wolf said, while today’s job market bears out the need for health care workers. The Department of Labor projects a 30 percent increase in the number of health care jobs between now and 2014. Washington High’s administrative team will meet with health and college partners, academic instructors and curriculum-writing members to work out the details of the new program. They’ll collect input on facility needs, equipment and curriculum materials, staffing, scheduling and other challenges of implementing the new tech prep program. Nursing exploration career paths will be offered to 20 juniors and 20 seniors during spring scheduling. The new program joins the first 
The
DREAM Deemed Success
Developing Resources for Education and Athletics in Massillon
The E has always come before the A in the DREAM project; education, that is, before athletics. Those priorities are continuing this year as the project’s curriculum goes forward. In fact, it’s the work that’s unseen that already has begun moving Massillon students toward college and career success.
“I never thought I’d be able to do something like college,” said junior Chelsea Berg. “I thought it would be too difficult.” The DREAM program, though, is highlighting her strengths and giving her confidence about her future. “It’s a very good learning experience,” she said.
his mom, Kathleen, but the DREAM program helped him sharpen that focus and prepare him to transition to post-secondary success. “It’s not an opportunity every kid gets,” she said. “We’ll take all the help we can get.”
“It was very beneficial to me,” said Tasha Rivera, now at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh majoring in advertising. Being part of the DREAM initiative gave her a leg-up on college skills and confidence, she said. “It knocked out my fears.” And the dual credit she received on campus via the Walsh partnership? “You have nothing to lose and free credits to gain,” she said. “It’s definitely a good addition to the Massillon schools and I’m really happy I did it.”
Acknowledging David Foundation President Jeff David for forging the unique partnership, along
with the unwavering support of Aultman and Walsh, Miller said the district “couldn’t be any more pleased with the success of the project.”
2008 WHS graduate Blake Seidler also gives DREAM two thumbs up. The program gave him a jump start on college credit and a taste of what post-secondary education will require of him. It’s both hard work and fun, he said, “and I saved myself almost $1,000 (for six credit hours) and can now start my major earlier in school. I learned how to get ready for college and I feel more confident about doing college-level work.”
DREAM Sophomores Learn to Think Like Leaders
DREAM, Developing Resources for Education and Athletics in Massillon, is a multi-faceted program for Massillon students that includes college readiness,preparation for in-demand careers and state-of-the-art facilities.
Dialogue helps get things done. So Washington High sophomores in the DREAM program learned this week during part two of a dicussion about leadership and problem-solving. With sessions spearheaded by Janet Howard, director of the Walsh University Leadership Institute, students learned to tackle perceived problems via a three-step process for change. After identifying and sharing issues, they proposed changes at WHS to Principal Mike Babics. The discussion opened the lines of communication between students and administration as they covered topics from school lunches to start times. The back-and-forth is part of "stepping up to leadership," Howard said. "It's being part of the solution." Babics described for students some tenets of successful leadership:
* Be fair but firm
* Give credit and take blame
* Be willing to help others learn from their mistakes
* Be aware of your own strengths and weaknesses and surround yourself with people who complement those traits
* Facilitate, not dictate
* Lead by example
DREAM Sophomores Learn to be Leaders
Sophomores in the DREAM program are discovering that leaders go beyond just pointing out problems. Identify, share, propose. That's the three-step process for change they're learning under the tutelage of Janet Howard, director of the WHS sophomore leadership 
Recently, the class brainstormed both the strengths and issues they perceive at Washington High. They produced a "sticky wall" covered with their collective thoughts, distilled and grouped by category.
"This is the world according to you," Howard told the students. "Include the obvious to the insightful."
WHS can boast, the group agreed, of positives such as the DREAM project, school spirit, well-handled student discipline, a caring staff, varied vocational classes, nice facilities and a good education. Along the way, however, students encounter things they see as obstacles: too much homework, peer pressure, early start times, stereotypes and other student-to-student issues.
The next step, Howard, said, is accountability. They'll hear Principal Mike Babics outline his leadership plan for WHS, then present their discussion points, including proposed solutions.
The sophomores also made use of the new mobile computer lab, a rolling cart filled with 24 laptops funded by a grant from the Timken Foundation. They went online at www.kuder.com to tap into the Kuder Online Career Portfolio, a lifelong career planning system. Available 24 hours day from any Internet connection, the program allows students to store personal and academic information, search and save educational and occupational data, build resumes and access assessment progress and results.
The DREAM freshmen were introduced to the Kuder system at
DREAM, Developing Resources for Education and Athletics in
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First DREAM Facility in the Home Stretch
On the construction side of the DREAM project, the 80,000-square-foot Paul L. David Indoor Training Facility is nearing completion. Now completely under roof, the lighting is nearly finished, the masonry is three-quarters of the way there and the walls are heading into the second half, according to Dave Pape, MCS construction manager.
“We anticipate the entire building will be enclosed and have temporary heat within five weeks,” Pape said. Once that happens, he added, interior painting can begin and the turf can be installed.
Meanwhile, ground will be broken for the Alumni Sports Medicine Complex early this year. The 18,000-square-foot building will house locker rooms, classrooms and labs for hands-on career training, academic and wellness programming and rehabilitation and physical therapy.
To make way for the complex, Paul Brown Tiger Stadium’s south stands are being relocated. The move still leaves plenty of room for Tiger fans: The new stadium seating capacity of about 15,500 will easily handle the 7,000-10,000 average attendance of most games, according to Tim Ridgley, athletic director. In recent years the average Massillon-McKinley attendance here has been 16,700, with roughly 80 percent (13,340) of those actual seat holders, said Michelle Wolf, ticket office supervisor. Portable bleachers also could be used when necessary, Ridgley said, which would add another 900 or so seats.
The south end zone stands will see a new life at other venues. Part of them will have a new home at
Renovations at Ducky Shroeder Field – phase III of the DREAM facility projects being funded by the Paul & Carol David Foundation – are ongoing. A new outfield fence was installed last week, Pape said, along with a warning track. The infield has been replaced and the backstop is being upgraded to a low brick wall with netting above, giving it, he said, a “Wrigley Field look.”
DREAM: New Exercise Science Curriculum Written
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Education will be the key to unlocking 21st century success.
There’s no doubt state and national economies will need more highly-skilled technical workers. These important, well-paying jobs will, however, require more than a high school education. The goal of college tech prep is preparing our young people for the growing number of high-tech jobs that will unfold in the future. Thanks to the DREAM project (Developing Resources for Education and Athletics in
WHS tech prep teacher Brian Sifferlin and Jim Harris,
During high school, college tech prep students:
♦ Learn college preparatory academics in applied, real-world contexts that make content meaningful and accessible
♦ Develop technological literacy, including the “new basics” of computer usage
♦ Immerse themselves in the foundational occupational skills needed to enter and succeed in an associate’s degree program and beyond
♦ Have the opportunity to earn college credit while still in high school
By graduation, these students are ready to choose a technical major and enter an advanced skills associate’s degree or baccalaureate program. They’ve learned collaboration, teamwork, and communication; have the ability to transfer knowledge and skills into other areas; and are equipped to transition to new and emerging careers throughout their working lifetime
The Stark County College Tech Prep consortium, one of 28 in the state, is comprised of representatives of all public school districts, local business and industry as well as Stark State College of Technology. The consortium also has articulation agreements with 13 other colleges and universities.
Walsh Athletes Give Straight Scoop on College
While Joe Phinisee was racking up yardage on the gridiron, he also was stockpiling life experience to pass along to his younger peers. The Warren Harding and
In fact, start now, he urged: Take college admission exams early and often. Stay in the top half of your class academically. Get your transcripts and applications in order.
Phinisee joined other Walsh student-athletes in sharing “What I Wish Someone Had Told Me” about the transition from high school to college sports.
The WHS athletes, from basketball players to bowlers, also heard from Dr. Michael Dunphy, Walsh’s chairman of math and science. Using advanced martial arts skills and the inspiring messages he also delivers to Fortune 500 companies, Big Ten universities and others, Dunphy encouraged the students to choose to live like champions rather than victims. At school and in the workplace, he said, small habits have large impact. Left unattended, he said, all things spontaneously proceed to chaos. “That’s why we need leaders,” he said. “That’s why it’s hard to be excellent – it takes effort.”
The messages about goals, hard work, and winning with honor that Dunphy and the Walsh student-athletes delivered are the same ones the 100 students in the
Through the College Readiness program, one aspect of DREAM (Developing Resources for Education and Athletics in Massillon), WHS students have a unique opportunity to enhance their goal-setting, work ethic, organization and decision-making, WHS Principal Mike Babics said, skills that will serve them well throughout life. “It starts with being a leader,” Athletic Director Tim Ridgely said.
Howard pointed to the partnership of
DREAM: Three Components, One Goal
Click here for a synopsis of the three areas that comprise this one-of-a-kind effort. Click on the DREAM tab to the left for more on the DREAM project..jpg)
DREAM - Developing Resources for Education and Athletics in Massillon - continues to unfold as a unique community collaboration to offer opportunities for students.
DREAM Project is Multi-Faceted
DREAM Webcam Link
The aim of all phases is to increase opportunities for Click here to view ongoing construction of the 80,000-square-foot indoor training facility: www.massillontigers.com/webcam/webcam.htm DREAM – Developing Resources for Education and Athletics in
· College readiness and leadership training in cooperation with
· Health sciences tech prep curriculum and hands-on healthcare experiences, supported by the Aultman Health Foundation
· State-of-the-art facilities funded by the Paul & Carol David Foundation
DREAM Steel Rises into the Sky
The first steel beams have been set for the Paul David Athletic Complex, an indoor training facility which will house part of the DREAM program. DREAM stands for Developing Resources for Education and Athletics in Massillon and includes a college readiness component as well as an expanded health sciences tech prep curriculum. The recent run of sunny days have helped move the construction along on the 80,000-square-foot building, according to Dave Pape, district construction manager.
Developing Resources for Education and Athletics in Massillon
WHAT IF ... Watch for more DREAM updates coming soon
... your child had a chance to take career-related classes while still in high school?
... your child could get hands-on experience in state-of-the-art facilities that are unlike any other in the country?
... your child could learn from some of the most progressive minds in the area?
... your child earned college credit while taking classes in high school, all at no cost to you?
... your child could graduate knowing they have been accepted into at least three colleges?
...your child could enter an internship program at one of the largest employers in the country right out of high school?
... your child could be exposed to multiple career opportunites during their high school career?
... your child majored in some of the fastest-growing and better-paying careers in the United States as a result of their experiences in high school?
... your child was the first person in your family to go on to college?
... your child could
Education = Earning Power
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics
Walsh University Center for College Readiness at Massillon
Walsh College Readiness Walsh University Center for College Readiness at Massillon Activities Senior Year: Students take dual credit classes in science and English, earning both high school credit and six college credit hours. They visit area colleges, take the ACT college test, apply and are accepted into three colleges and participate in a simulation of their freshman year in college. Junior Year: Students learn how to choose a college, visit area colleges, tour the Walsh campus and admissions office, learn financial aid strategies, hear guest speakers and prepare to take the ACT. Sophomore Year: Focusing on developing leadership skills, students “visualize, verbalize and vitalize” their goals for the future. They create a personal mission statement of goals, beliefs, values, interests and skills and learn to listen actively. Sophomores will brainstorm issues that affect Washington High students and ways to build on the strengths of WHS. They’ll learn teamwork, develop an action plan and shadow Walsh student leaders. Freshman Year: Students explore career interests, begin college readiness and study skills and begin setting goals and envisioning their future.
Raise your hand if you want a million bucks.
One hundred Washington High students are on their way to collecting those dollars, beginning the day they commit to the new
The
… college readiness and leadership training in cooperation with
… state-of-the-art facilities funded by the Paul & Carol David Foundation
The aim of all phases is to increase opportunities for
“People will say DREAM is about the facilities,” Board of Education member Gary Miller said, “but although they play an important part in housing these activities, the truth is, DREAM is about improved academic opportunity for
For its first year, 25 members of each grade level at WHS have been invited into the college readiness program which focuses on preparing students for post-secondary success, enhancing personal leadership abilities and providing information and support to help students navigate college.
Students must fill out an application, including personal references and an essay about why they should be chosen for admission. Students are required to make a commitment to learning, honesty, attendance and respect while parents or other advocates are asked to commit to supporting and encouraging their student. Parental involvement and communication are vital throughout the program, said Janet Howard, director of the
Many people have come on board to help Massillon students succeed through DREAM, Miller said, citing “enthusiasm, vision and foresight” from Massillon City Schools’ Board of Education, superintendent and staff; the Paul & Carol David Foundation; Walsh University; Aultman Health Foundation; the Stark Education Partnership and the Timken Foundation.
The collaboration includes people such as Walsh tutors and guidance counselors who will work with
Just over 12 percent of
The DREAM project is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, he said, that will help
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DREAM Foundation Set
A firm foundation has been set at the DREAM project site.
Footers are being completed this week, and the site will be cleared of extra dirt in preparation for the steel girders that will support the 80,000-square-foot field house. The relocation of sanitary sewer lines has been completed and workers are beginning to move storm sewers as well. Bricklayers have been on the job, setting block in preparation for back fill. Electricians are moving on to the site this week as well, laying underground electrical connections. Steel beams will be moved from their temporary storage spot in the upper high school parking lot, freeing up that space before the start of school and football games, according to Dave Pape, the district’s construction manager.
The framework of the DREAM building, he said, should begin arching into the sky within the next week or two.
DREAM, or “Developing Resources for Education and Athletics in Massillon,” encompasses many facets. Construction will begin soon on the 15,000-square-foot Alumni Locker Room Complex, an enhanced training facility that will include technical classrooms and sports medicine laboratories.
WHS sports medicine will become part of its career and technical curriculum, a rigorous program of study that starts in high school and continues through the associate degree-level and beyond. The program will be a launch pad from which students can enter a number of health-related career fields.
Another aspect of the DREAM project, the Center for College Readiness directed by Walsh University, will be up and running this fall, said WHS Principal Mike Babics. The goal, he said, is to make students aware of the many opportunities that await them, and to increase the percentage of Massillon students who go on to higher education.
Details of a collaboration with the Aultman Health Foundation also are being finalized.
DREAM is about much more than facilities, said Jeff David, president of the Paul and Carol David Foundation, which is funding the project: “The true value and the true potential of this initiative lies in the curriculum offerings, the experiential learning and the career exploration opportunities that will be the foundation of this collaborative effort for years to come.”
Massillon Superintendent Fred Blosser predicted that DREAM will be “the centerpiece that will explode this district into achievement.”
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Click here for a full-color brochure
about the DREAM project.
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Developing Resources for Education and Athletics in Massillon.
The arrival of snow and ice hasn't hampered progress of the DREAM project (Developing Resources for Education and Athletics in Massillon).
Click here for news about one of the latest developments:
www.massillon.sparcc.org/uploads/File/PDF/DREAM update 12_10_07.pdf
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UPDATE
On the first day freshmen could apply the college readiness portion of the DREAM program, by 7 a.m. WHS Principal Mike Babics had 18 applications on his desk. By the end of the day 22 of the 25 available spots had been filled. Soon after, the class was booked with a waiting list.
The students eligible for the program apparently are heeding Babics' advice: Take advantage of this opportunity. The freshmen join sophomore, junior and senior classes in the Walsh University Center for College Readiness at Massillon. Each student must have good behavior and attendance, grade point average, and a class rank of 80-120. Janet Howard, director of Walsh's Center for College Readiness in Massillon, along with Walsh University President Richard Jusseaume, recently outlined the program for the selected students and their parents.
If you don't yet know what your business card will read when you're 30, well, perfect, Howard said, because exploring careers is part of this unique program, along with preparing for college, study skills and goal-setting. As part of the College Readiness program, students also will benefit from multiple one-on-one meetings with counselors and participate in numerous college visits. By the time they graduate, they'll have at least six hours of transferable credits that count toward both high school and college requirements, a bonus worth thousands of dollars.
With all its benefits, the program will require one thing from students and their families: commitment. "People will tell you cannot go to college. They're wrong," Jusseaume said. "They'll tell you can't afford it. They're wrong. They'll say you're not ready. They will be wrong. They'll say you can't succeed in college. They're wrong. People will say there's no difference if you go or don't go to college. They're wrong."
Half the students in the Class of 2011 will graduate and have no where to go except minimum wage jobs because they won't have alternatives, Jusseaume said. "You're a special group of people who will be prepared to get into college and succeed when you get there," he told the College Readiness candidates. "If you stay with this program, I am guaranteeing you at the end of your senior year you'll be ready to go on to post-secondary education."
The difference in earning power between a high school degree and a bachelor's degree is $1 million over the life of a career, he added. Being chosen for the College Readiness program is like "having a million dollar lottery ticket in your hand."
The Walsh University Center for College Readiness at Massillon is one of the three aspects of the DREAM project (Developing Resources for Education and Athletics in Massillon). The other branches of the unique community collaboration include facilities in the form of the Paul L. David Indoor Training Facility, the Alumni Sports Medicine Complex and upgrades to Ducky Shroeder baseball field; along with the addition of a college tech prep curriculum in sports medicine, a foundation for expansion into other health career curriculums.
Massillon City Schools are partnering with the Paul & Carol David Foundation,
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UPDATE
While Joe Phinisee was racking up yardage on the gridiron, he also was stockpiling life experience to pass along to his younger peers.
The Warren Harding and
In fact, start now, he urged: Take college admission exams early and often. Stay in the top half of your class academically. Get your transcripts and applications in order.
Phinisee joined other Walsh student-athletes in sharing “What I Wish Someone Had Told Me” about the transition from high school to college sports.
The WHS athletes, from basketball players to bowlers, also heard from Dr. Michael Dunphy, Walsh’s chairman of math and science. Using advanced martial arts skills and the inspiring messages he also delivers to Fortune 500 companies, Big Ten universities and others, Dunphy encouraged the students to choose to live like champions rather than victims. At school and in the workplace, he said, small habits have large impact. Left unattended, he said, all things spontaneously proceed to chaos. “That’s why we need leaders,” he said. “That’s why it’s hard to be excellent – it takes effort.”
The messages about goals, hard work, and winning with honor that Dunphy and the Walsh student-athletes delivered are the same ones the 100 students in the
Through the College Readiness program, one aspect of DREAM (Developing Resources for Education and Athletics in Massillon), WHS students have a unique opportunity to enhance their goal-setting, work ethic, organization and decision-making, WHS Principal Mike Babics said, skills that will serve them well throughout life. “It starts with being a leader,” Athletic Director Tim Ridgely said.
Howard pointed to the partnership of
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Washington High Approved for New Tech Prep Curriculum
10/10/2007
Thanks to Washington High’s newly-approved College Tech Prep curriculum, Massillon students will be well on their way to realizing their dreams of careers in health care.
The district Wednesday got the green light from the Stark County Tech Prep Consortium to convert its athletic fitness training program to a sports medicine/exercise science curriculum.
That means WHS students can leave high school prepared to pursue associate’s and bachelor’s degrees to become personal trainers, athletic trainers, medical assistants, EMTs, paramedics, nurse aides, physical therapy assistants, licensed practical nurses, physicians assistants, dietetic assistants, registered nurses, physical therapists, registered dietitians and other health-related occupations.
The new curriculum also creates a foundation for future expansion in many directions, said Tim Wolf, Massillon’s career and technical director. "The whole vision of a Health Academy tied with facilities and college readiness is a great opportunity for our students and this community," he said, noting the opportunities are being made possible by the unique partnership of the Massillon City Schools with the Paul & Carol David Foundation, Aultman Health Foundation, Walsh University and other area health providers.
Labor market research indicates the need for trained, highly-qualified workers in health career fields, Wolf said. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, many health care fields will be among the fastest growing occupations between now and 2014.
The new tech prep curriculum is part of DREAM – Developing Resources for Education and Athletics in Massillon – a unique multi-faceted effort that includes:
*Health sciences tech prep curriculum and hands-on healthcare experiences
*College readiness and leadership training
*State-of-the-art facilities
The aim of all phases is to increase opportunities for Massillon students and raise the percentage who go on to higher education, said WHS Principal Mike Babics.
"People will say DREAM is about the facilities," Board of Education member Gary Miller said, "but although they play an important part in housing these activities, the truth is, DREAM is about improved academic opportunity for Massillon’s students.
Construction Progress Updated Every 60 Seconds on Webcam
DREAM – Developing Resources for Education and Athletics in Massillon – is a unique multi-faceted effort that includes:
· College readiness and leadership training in cooperation with Walsh University
· Health sciences tech prep curriculum and hands-on healthcare experiences, supported by the Aultman Health Foundation·State-of-the-art facilities funded by the Paul & Carol David Foundation.
The aim of all phases is to increase opportunities for Massillon
Construction Progress Updated Every 60 Seconds on Webcam
· College readiness and leadership training in cooperation with
· Health sciences tech prep curriculum and hands-on healthcare experiences, supported by the Aultman Health Foundation
The aim of all phases is to increase opportunities for
Click here to view ongoing construction of the 80,000-square-foot indoor training facility:
www.massillontigers.com/webcam/webcam.htm
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Conceptual Drawing and Aerial View of Finished Paul L. David Training Center 
“The true value and the true potential of this initiative lies in the curriculum offerings, the experiential learning and the career exploration opportunities that will be the foundation of this collaborative effort for years to come," said Jeff David, head of the Paul & Carol David Foundation.
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