The first of the year will herald changes for the Eastland-Fairfield Career and Technical School District when a long-time administrator steps down after more than three decades in education.
Adult Workforce Development Director Jane Hines, who began her career at age 21 at the elementary school level, is retiring Dec. 31 with 35 years in education. The Eastland-Fairfield school board accepted her resignation during its Nov. 19 meeting.
"It’s been great and it’s been fun," said Hines, whose mother was one of the first women on a board of education in Ross County. "I knew at age six I wanted to be a teacher. When I came here, I thought I’d finish up at 30 years and retire, but I spent 35 years.
"Dawn (Lemley, Eastland-Fairfield’s treasurer) was a student at Pickaway-Ross (Joint Vocational Schools) when I was there. I know our paths will cross again. I think I’ll be working with little kids again."
Advanced chemistry classes
Chemistry instructor Jacob Short updated board members on the district’s dual-credit advanced chemistry classes, which offers both high school and college credit to qualified students. Post-secondary credit is awarded through Ohio University-Lancaster and there are 10 enrolled in the class.
The advanced class provides a more in-depth analysis of chemical phenomenon through math and theoretical representations than available through the regular high school curriculum. Students also gain further exposure to lab experiments designed by Ohio University and learn physical and chemical properties of matter, atomic structure, the structure and organization of the periodic table, and quantitative/qualitative analysis of chemical reactions.
"At the advanced level, it’s nice because we can delve deeper," said Short, who has a master’s degree in biotechnology from Columbia University.
Other Eastland-Fairfield news
•Students at both campuses are gearing up for fundraising and community service projects. SkillsUSA is sponsoring a craft show at the Eastland center on Dec. 6, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. and members of the Fairfield Student Leadership Team raised $514 in support of Breast Cancer Awareness month and donated the proceeds to a needy patient and their family to help with expenses.
•On Oct. 16, Eastland Career Center Dental Assisting students were invited to be a part of "Doctors with a Heart Day" where patients were offered free dental work by dentists and their staff. Brittany Husch and Paige Brown (Groveport) and Tara Briscoe (Reynoldsburg) participated in the program.
•Twenty-one Criminal Justice juniors and seniors and their instructor, Eric Wallace, assisted Groveport with Halloween festivities. Students wrapped hot dogs, rode in cruisers with police officers, and patrolled neighborhoods during trick or treat.
•Educational Service Center students in Jean Knowske’s and Susan Burnett’s classroom collected more than 300 cans and boxes of non-perishable food in support of the Eastview Food Pantry in Whitehall as part of the Halloween for Hunger program.
