Open House at the Western Center Tonight

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by the Western Montgomery Career and Technology Center.

Just a reminder that tonight, the Western Montgomery Career and Technology Center will be hosting its annual Open House from 5 to 8 p.m.

From 5 to 6 p.m., the center is open for prospective students and parents only, providing them with an opportunity to come learn about all of the opportunities available to them at the center.

From 6 to 8 p.m., the center is open to all for a Community Open House. 

Meet all of the program instructors and learn about everything the center has to offer.

The recently constructed Tiny House will even be on display.

A Boost for the Youngest Pottsgrove Students

The media landscape of the day can be very distracting.

And I would like to tell you that I was late to the Pottsgrove School Board meeting Tuesday night because I was working on an important story.

And that does happen.

I swear.

But not this time. This time I had burrowed into a Facebook hole on an issue which was neither immediate, nor important, but which indeed did make me late.

As a result, I missed what a helpful source later told me was the news that some financial software the district uses will expire within the year and that Business Manager Dave Nester said it will require a purchase of $200,000 to $300,000 of unbudgeted funds to buy a new one.

I don't have the particulars so you will have to keep up with The Mercury for news of that development.

However, given that unpexpected expense, one wonders at why some members of the school board -- Robert Lindgren and Bill Parker -- would raise a warning note about a free Pre-K Counts class being offered to 20 students at West Pottsgrove Elementary School.

Well, you don't have to wonder, you can see their reasons in the Tweets below.

Pottsgrove Dollars and a Senior Shows Her Grit

Photo by Evan Brandt

Pottsgrove High School senior Sarah Pennington with her service dog Daisy at Tuesday night's Pottsgrove School Board meeting.

Some important things happened at the Pottsgrove School Board meeting last night.

The board voted unanimously and enthusiastically to spend more than $700,000 on a new curriculum.

The facilities committee which met before the full board did and reviewed a study calling for $3.3 million worth of repairs needed at Pottsgrove Middle School, including a new roof.

There was a presentation about what the middle school is doing to prevent suicide, addiction and other behavior problems that seem to afflict people at a younger and younger age these days.

There was even discussion about the more than 9 percent increase in funding being sought for the Western Montgomery Career and Technical Center.

But mostly, I just want to tell you about Sarah Pennington and her service dog Daisy.

Some of you may remember the name from this story I wrote about the Pottsgrove senior in January, when she bravely presented a program to her peers about mental illness and talked about her disease -- trichotillomania, the compulsive pulling out of hair -- and her struggles with it and the accompanying mental strains.

Tuesday night, she introduced the school board to Daisy, her service dog which now accompanies her to school and will be accompanying her to college.

A rescue from Georgia, Sarah trained her through a program called "What a Good Dog." Daisy was certified a few weeks ago by Jeri Wagner at Bark Busters.

"Since I got Daisy, I got my driver's license, a car and a job," said Sarah.

She also got something else. A full scholarship to McDaniel College in Maryland.

"I was among about 20 students interviewed for their academics and I was in Canada and I got a call that I was one of four to get a full scholarship," said Sarah. "I think it had a lot to do with all my volunteer activity."

That was no doubt a factor. So congratulations to a young woman who has overcome, and continues to overcome, some daunting obstacles.

You can read about the rest of it in the Tweets below.

Getting Ready to Take That Big Step to High School

Pottsgrove Middle School students consider their options as they prepare for high school.

Pottsgrove Middle School and High School counselors met together with the district's eighth graders recently to continue preparing them for the transition to high school.

Since the completion of the assembly, school counselors have been meeting with classes of students. 

The course catalog and program of study was distributed to each student in digital form so they keep a copy on their iPad. 

After the initial course selections are completed by students and parents the counselors will meet with each eighth grader to individually review their schedule for next year.

Before the high school course assembly, interested eighth graders also traveled with Cristina Kleinfelter and Brian Haupt to visit the Western Montgomery Career and Technical Center. 

The WMCTC program has been available for selected ninth graders for several years. 

A Taste of New Orleans at Western Center

Technically, It's a Turkey Dinner at Western Center

The Western Montgomery Career and Technology Center wants to show off the skills of its culinary students.

And they're doing it with a turkey dinner.

Held Monday evening, from 4:39 to 7 p.m. at the school, 77 Graterford Road in Limerick, the cost is only $12 for adults and $8 for children younger than 12.

As you can see, the menu is the kind that would make a Pilgrim proud.

Call 610-489-7272 Ext. 106 to make reservations.

The students who will be making the food hail from Pottsgrove, Spring-Ford and Upper Perkiomen school districts.

In Automotive Memory

Photos courtesy of Christopher Moritzen

Detail of the memorial bench dedicated earlier this month at the Western Montgomery Career and Technology Center in honor of automotive teacher Steve Bruno. 

A car show earlier this month at the Western Montgomery Career and Technology Center was the occasion to dedicate a very special bench fashioned in honor Steve Bruno, an automotive teacher who died last year.

Bruno's widow Margie, woman in red shirt, at the dedication.

Last year, the Joint Operating Committee that oversees the school that educates students from Pottsgrove, Spring-Ford and Upper Perkiomen approved funds for the memorial.

It was created using a 1956 Ford Station wagon, that Mr. Bruno had brought in to fabricate into another project before he passed away.

After his passing the staff and students thought it was fitting that an automotive teacher have a memorial that is based around the automotive world.

"Over the last 12 months teachers and students in Collision, Environmental Design, Carpentry, Metal Technologies, and Auto Tech have been working to create this wonderful memorial, "Mortizen wrote in an e-mail to The Digital Notebook.

"It is located just outside the employee entrance/ administrative offices. it was chosen because it sees the most foot traffic for staff and visitors."

All of the pin striping was done by hand

Over 600 dollars was raised for the Steve Bruno memorial fund which is a scholarship fund to provide students with tools of the trade or scholarship money for a post secondary institution.