OCR Text |
Show •N I W S- Spanish Fork Band and Orchestra WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2007 • B5 . Covering what matters most Namon Bills / Spanish Fork News j ! DE-BUGGING: Colton Stewart gets under the hood of a VW Beetle. Assisting him, left to right, are Cody Carrigan, Jordan Rekow and Jase Stewart. i Auto-motives Trieste Bills / Spanish Fork News CAROL OF THE FLUTES: The bands and orchestras from Spanish Fork High School celebrated Christmas through music on Dec. 12. Pictured are Katy Dallon, Sarah Johnson, Timothy Langlois, Sharisa Nay Stephanie Nelson and Kayla Snell as they perform a rendition of Carol of the Bells and We Three Kings. ! at Spanish Fork High Lindsay B. Wolsey STAFF WRITER Spanish Fork students interested in cars are fortunate, because Spanish Fork High School is the only high school in Utah County that has an automotive technology program. In fact, few high schools in the entire state of Utah even offer an automotive technology program. Zac Taylor, who teaches the auto body program at Spanish Fork High School said, "Sometimes you have students that kind of struggle with math and chemistry in the regular classroom, but when they get into the automotive program, and they see how math and chemistry actually apply in a real life situation, then it clicks for them. I take what other teachers are teaching and apply it in new ways." In Taylor's class, students learn collision repair, fixing dents, painting, estimating and frame-straightening techniques. The students also prepare for the Skilled USA competition. Each year, several automotive students go to the statewide competition, where they compete against other students in welding and other automotive skills. The student that takes first place in the state goes to the national competition. "We kind of have a tradition of sending students to the national competition," Taylor said. Taylor speaks from experience, as he is a graduate of the Spanish Fork automotive program, and competed in the national competition. "Students that reach the national level have great opportunities for additional training. They get offered scholarships, and receive tools," he said. "My students can receive concurrent enrollment credits through UVSC, which is helpful when they go on to receive additional training in the automotive field. I don't think people realize just how much money there is to be made in the automotive industry," Taylor said. "A good mechanic can earn quite a bit of money." That sentiment is shared by Monica Kelly, guidance counselor for Mountainland Applied Technical College (MATC). "Jobs are plentiful in the automotive industry right now," said Kelly. "If a student wants a job in this field, they can find one. Entry-level techs start around $10.68 an hour, although our average is $14.66 and up. And no degree is required — just vocational training." The MATC campus at Spanish Fork High School has a brand new automotive shop, full of new equipment where students can receive hands-on training. "Students work on actual cars — they bring in their cars, take them apart and put them back together," Kelly said. "It is set up like an actual repair shop. We have students estimate how long a job should take, and try to get it done in that timeframe." Kelly said, "As with all of our high school enrollment, students only pay fees — they don't pay tuition. With the automotive programs, the fees are a little higher, because students buy their own tools and coveralls. But these tools are theirs to keep, and they'll need them when they start working in the field." "There are two sections to our program," Kelly said. "If students take both years of the program, when they come out of high school they will be prepared to take the test to become ASE : certified." Mark Middlebrook, marketing director for MATC, said that most of the students enrolled in the automotive program are male, but there is a steady rise in female students. "One of our recent female graduates opened up her own shop in St. George," Middlebrook said. Students wishing to signup for automotive programs through MATC should talk to their school counselor. Classes start each fall. Namon Bills / Spanish Fork News HEAVENLY CHOIRS? Members of Ambassadors perform at the annual Holiday Diner. Choirs perform at Holiday Dinner Shala Richards SFHS The seats filled up fast at the showing for the Holiday Dinner that the Choir members put on every year. "Everyone did a fantastic job and the audience seemed to enjoy it just as much as the performers did," said Lacy Cornaby. "The dancing and the singing were astonishing and the lighting was also terrific. It set everyone off in the Christmas spirit and everyone left happy. Every year the show gets better and better and we have an awesome team of help working with us. Teachers, students, and family all help out to put on the best show possible and it was a huge success. This is the show that all the choir members look forward to each year, not only because it is "rockin", but also because the food is great." Courtesy photo STORY TIME: SFHS students have been writing to pen pals in second grade at Canyon Elementary. Courtesy photo FROHE WEIHNACHTEN: German club members Kim Harding, Rachel Shively, and Sharisa Nay make gingerbread houses for a club activity. German club celebrates Christmas Shala Richards SFHS To celebrate Christmas, the German Club made gingerbread houses to spread the holiday cheer. The club members gathered and each made their own house while they chatted amongst themselves. "I had an awesome time being with my friends, laughing and getting ready for this wonderful season," said Racel Shively. "You get to fool around and be yourself with people you love and care for and at the same time you are having the time of your life. The gingerbread houses turned out great and it was an awesome way to start out the holidays/' SFHS students write to pen pals Christine Choate SFHS their pen pal's personalities, they wrote a Christmas story for them. Each story An English class at was personalized according Spanish Fork High School to their personalities. has been writing to their "It was easier than I second grade pen pals thought it would be. I wrote at Canyon Elementary, a story about Rudolph, and I looking to gain a greater just changed it a little bit. My understanding of their pen pal really liked it," said individual personalities and Riley Seamons, an English to encourage literacy. When student in the class. the students felt that they Not only did they write had a good understanding of stories for their pen pals, they created a Christmas word search for them, and together they made a reindeer by tracing their hands for the reindeer's antlers. The point of the project was to help second graders with their literacy skills. Mrs. Hillier, the English teacher, said, "The project was very successful, the students were so clever, and they came up with such creative stories. I was amazed." |