Welcome to a new year at Region Ten! Maine Vocational Region Ten is the place for career and technical education for Brunswick, Freeport and Mt. Ararat high schools. We teach technical skills and work to enhance positive attitudes needed by students entering the competitive job market or post-secondary education. Our graduates include numerous leaders in business and industry.
Region Ten had a strong opening this year with over 300 students enrolling. We offering the following programs at Region Ten: automotive technology, auto collision repair, building trades, commercial art, early childhood development, food trades, general trades, health occupations, marketing, metal fabrication/welding, outdoor power equipment, pre-apprenticeship and new this year – firefighting I & II. Please speak with a guidance counselor if interested in enrolling.
Director Barry Lohnes and Assistant Director John Fossum extend an invitation for parents and guardians to visit our school at any time and communicate frequently with administration and instructors through phone and email. Please visit our website at
www.mvr10.org.
Please note that Parent Conferences are scheduled for October 8th 2:00-7:00 PM. Parents and guardians are encouraged to meet instructors and staff and explore our building. Students will be bringing home yellow slips with information on scheduling conferences.
News from our programs:
Food Trades students are official with new personalized chef coats, and are ready to begin some food production. The Region 10 Café will be opening on Tuesday, October 6 and will run through mid December. The Café will be serving lunch on Tuesdays and Thursdays from Noon to 1:00 PM. Reservations are encouraged for these three course meals, and can be made by calling the school at 729-6622. The Café will not be serving the week of Columbus Day. We are handicap accessible and change the menu every two weeks.
Food Trades is also beginning to think about Thanksgiving Pie Production. Students will be selling apple, pumpkin and blueberry pies all made by the class, even the all butter crusts. Pies will be offered at $9.00 and available to order from any Food Trades student. Pick up is Monday, November 23.
Commercial Art students are hard at work toward becoming Adobe Certified Associates. Students are currently learning the fundamentals of digital photography and collage effects with Adobe Photoshop. In addition, students have begun to work with digital illustrating techniques in Photoshop, Illustrator and Flash.
Building Trades students are currently working at Brunswick High School, laying bricks to mend a dugout on the baseball diamond. The program completed a project begun last spring with the help of the Metal Fabrication/Welding program of steel gates and brick piers for the new entrance of the soccer field.
Early Childhood Development students opened their Community Pre-school on September 23. The work the high school students put forth to ready the classroom was a big success. Morning pre-school is filled but the afternoon session is still accepting enrollments. If you know of anyone who would be interested in enrolling their pre-schooler in the program, please contact Mrs. Perry at 729-6622.
Outdoor Power first year students are finishing small engine theory. When they complete this section, students will begin work on individual projects. The next unit of study for first year students will be fasteners. Second year students have already begun working on solo projects. The program has numerous projects and donations to begin working on: 4 snowmobiles, 4 four-wheelers, 3 motorcycles and other miscellaneous small engines.
Auto Collision Repair students are in the process of certifying the program to NATEF standards in the refinishing area. For the second year, Auto Body students will be representing Region Ten at the Wind Blade Challenge at the University of Maine, Orono.
Firefighting I & II is a new program this year at Region Ten. The students and staff are pleased to have David Lewis as instructor. The program has received many generous donations from area firehouses that have helped students get off to a great start. When the firefighters-in-training were asked to describe the program, they stated “hard work and dedication is needed”, and “responsibility and accountability are a must.”
General Trades students have opened the White Owl Café for both the morning and afternoon sessions. The vast menu includes such items as pizza, cheeseburgers, whole wheat bagels, popcorn and a salad bar. Teachers, parents and guardians are invited to drop in for a snack.
Marketing/DECA students participated in Walk for Wishes for the Maine Make A Wish Foundation. Students from the program, with help from the whole school, raised $422.76 toward the over $7000 raised by the community. The amount raised is enough to grant one wish to a child with a life threatening disease, plus extra money toward a second wish. Ashley Abbot (BHS), Brandon Johanson (MTA) and Julie Mockler (MTA) strapped on their walking shoes and joined other community members on the Brunswick Bike Path as part of the fund raiser.
Skills USA is one of Region Ten’s four nationally recognized Student Leadership Organizations. Skills USA has had a great start to the year with over 40 students in attendance at the first meeting. The organization is in the process of electing AM and PM officers who will attend the Leadership Conference on November 2. The group has two fundraisers already in progress: Home-made ice cream sandwiches provided by the Food Trades program which are available during break and Wilbur’s Chocolate Gift Bags which are available through Mrs. Taylor. Need a quick gift for a birthday, cheer up a friend or just because? See Mrs. Taylor for you quick gift needs. Skills USA Advisors for 2009-10 are Mr. Belanger, Mrs. Turcotte and Mrs. Taylor.
