Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School

Infobox Private School
background =
border = #ccd2d9 (standard color)
name = Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School


motto = "Raising The Bar"
established = 1973
type = Public
religion = None
head_name = Principal
head = Mary Jo Nawrocki
streetaddress = 215 Fitchburg Street
city = Marlborough
state = MA
country = USA
zipcode = 01752
campus = Suburban
enrollment = 925
faculty = 107
athletics = 14 Interscholastic sports teams
colors = Blue, Gold
mascot = Aztec
conference = Colonial Athletic League
homepage = [http://www.assabettech.com/ www.assabettech.com] |

Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School (AVRTHS) is a vocational school located in the city of Marlborough, Massachusetts.

chool Name

About 4 years ago, Assabet Valley voted to change the name of the school to its current name, Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School. The former, and original name, Assabet Valley Regional Vocational High School was thought to be by the administration an implement of only vocational education. Assabet wanted to pride on its academics and not just its vocational skills, therefore the name was changed. Contrary to belief, the schools name is not Assabet Valley Regional Technical Vocational High School. (AVRTVHS) The name of the school district was also changed, to Assabet Valley Regional Vocational School District. In a nutshell, the word Technical is used in the schools individual name. The word Vocational is used in the districts name. Neither of them are used together in any one name of the school or school district.

chool District

There are 11 towns in the Assabet Valley Regional Vocational School District and they are Marlborough, Hudson, Maynard, Berlin, Boylston, West Boylston, Clinton, Shrewsbury, Westborough, Northborough, and Southborough. It is located in an urban and rural area with the largest city being Marlborough, with a population of over 37,000 people. Since the district operates only one school, all administrative office are located within the high school.

Vocational Education

Assabet Valley offers 19 different vocational shops. Each shop is required to be compatible for both males and females. The 20 shops offered are:

*Automotive Collision Technology (Auto Body)
*Automotive Technology (Auto Tech)
*Business Technology
*Biotechnology¹
*Computers Programing and Web Development (CIT)
*Cosmetology (Cosmo)
*Culinary Arts & Chef Training (Food Trades/Culinary)
*Design & Visual Communication (Digital Media)
*Drafting & Design Technology (Drafting)
*Electrical Wiring (EW)
*Electronic Technology² (Electronics)
*Facilities Management (Facilities)
*Graphic Communications (Print Shop/Graphics)
*Health Technologies (Health Tech)
*House Carpentry & Mill Work (Carpentry)
*HVAC & Appliance Repair (HVAC/Appliance Repair)
*Metal Fabrication (Metal Fab)
*Painting and Design Technologies (P&D)
*Plumbing
*Precision Machining (Machine Shop/Machining)

¹New shop as of 2009

²As of 2008, Electronic Technology will start a 3 year phase out.

Starting in 2009, Biotechnology will be a new shop available to incoming freshman. Also starting in 2009, Electronic Technology will be phased out in 3 school years. In addition to Biotechnology, a possible new shop will replace Electronics.

Nicknames

Due to Assabet's and the Massachusetts Department of Education's decision to change the sames of shops regularly, nicknames usually are derived from old names of the shop, or initials of the shop. For example, CIT is an initial of an old name.

Freshman Exploratory and Permanent Placement

During the freshman year, students explore nine of Assabet's nineteen technical areas. Following the completion of the freshmen exploratory, students choose the three technical programs they would most desire for permanent technical program placement. Based on grades and attendance, students are placed in their permanent technical programs. Each student is notified of his or her placement in mid-February and will remain in that technical area for the remaining 3½ school years of technical program training.

enior Project

Senior project is a graduation requirement at Assabet. Students must select a topic related to their particular technical program, create a research paper, create an actual presentation, and then present it to a panel of judges that includes teachers and professionals in their selected trade. There have been talks that senior project would be removed from the curriculum, but if this did happen it most likely would not happen until 2009 or 2010.

killsUSA

Assabet Valley has been involved with the SkillsUSA program (formerly known as VICA) for many years under the guidance of Steven Yurek, who also heads the Math Department. Assabet is in the Central District when competing on the district level, has hosted the State Competition on several occasions, and often send students to the National Competition The school year of 2006-2007 introduced Kathryn Diaz, the first State Officer ever from Assabet. Assabet is typically a fierce competitor at the SkillsUSA competitions. Students from Electrical Wiring, Health Technologies, and HVAC & Appliance Repair have a good record of winning medals at all levels of SkillsUSA competition.

Academics

Assabet Valley provides a comprehensive set of courses that are both challenging and supportive. The newest additions to curriculum include Advanced Placement courses in English Literature and Composition, U.S. Government and Politics, and several nationally recognized Pre-Engineering courses in conjunction with Project Lead the Way.

Classes Offered

English 9

College English 9

Honors English 9

English 10

College English 10

Honors English 10

English 11

College English 11

Honors English 11

Advanced Placement English 11¹

English 12

College English 12

Honors English 12

Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition

MCAS English Preparation

Electives:

Reading A

Reading B,C

Drama

Novel and Film (Grades 10, 12)

Journalism (Grade 11)

Publication (Grades 10, 12)

Sports Literature (Grade 12)

Creative Writing

Psychology (Grade 11)

Virtual High School¹

SAT Preparation¹

Art (Grade 11, 12)

Art and Film Appreciation (Grade 11, 12)

Spanish I

Spanish II

Spanish III

Portuguese I

Portuguese II

Portuguese III

_{1 - *Classes offered as of 2009}

Physical Education/Health

Students in grades 9 and 10 are required to take P.E. and health classes as one of their periods. Passing these classes with a 65 or higher average is a graduation requirement. Once students enter the 11th grade, P.E. becomes an elective, and no health classes are required to be taken with it. When in grades 9 and 10, students take P.E. 2 out of 3 trimesters, and the other trimester is dedicated to health.

Bell Schedule

The academic day at Assabet consists of 6 periods, with each period lasting 58 minutes. Students have 4 minutes to get to their next class, a change from 3 minutes used in previous school years.
*(#) = Reverse week periods
*7:50 - 7:55: Homeroom
*7:58 - 8:56: Period 1 (6)
*9:00 - 9:58: Period 2 (5)
*10:02 - 11:00: Period 3 (4)
*11:00 - 11:34: Lunch for all academic students
*11:38 - 12:36: Period 4 (3)
*11:58 - 12:34: Lunch for all shop students
*12:40 - 1:38: Period 5 (2)
*1:42 - 2:40: Period 6 (1)
*2:45 PM: Buses depart
*2:45 - 3:45: Help sessions/Detentions
*4:00 PM: Late Buses depart
*5:30 - 6:00: Sports buses depart

Attendance

Because of its vocational certification process and limited academic hours, attendance at Assabet is of the utmost importance. Students must not exceed the following number of absences or they will receive an automatic failing grade for the term.

*A student may not exceed two(2) undocumented absences in a term.
*A student may not exceed two(2) documented absences in a term. (See below)

Although the handbook states that a student is only entitled to 2 undocumented absences and 2 documented ones, there is much confusion over the issue. It should be noted that students technically receive 4 undocumented absences per term and 4 documented ones. You may receive 2 of each in academics and 2 of each in shop per term.

Documented Absences

Although it is written in the student handbook, the number of documented absences is not counted against a student on the final report card, although students must have, a required, 500 vocational hours per year. If a student has good cause, as defined in the handbook as doctors visits, RMV appointments, religious holidays, or death in the family, the number of documented days is not a determining factor in receiving a Q grade.

Grading Scale

The grading scale at Assabet is different from most other schools in the sense that the passing grade at Assabet is a 65, rather than the usual 60. Here is the official grading scale:

*97-100 - A+
*93-96 - A
*90-92 - A-
*87-89 - B+
*83-86 - B
*80-82 - B-
*77-79 - C+
*73-76 - C
*70-72 - C-
*67-69 - D+
*65-66 - D
*0-64 - F
*64 - Q (See below)

Grade "Q"

Students with a passing grade who exceed 3 undocumented absences in a term will receive a grade of "Q" which will be considered a failing grade for that term. Suspension from school is also considered an undocumented absence. Students who failed a course, and exceeded the limit of absences still receive the grade they earned. For example, if a student was absent for 3 days, 1 day over the limit, but maintained an average of 60, he/she would receive the 60 and not the Q grade of 64.

tudent Body

The student-body has nearly 1,000 students, (936 to be exact). It is broken down as follows:

By Grade

*Grade 9 - 237 students
*Grade 10 - 242 students
*Grade 11 - 228 students
*Grade 12 - 218 students

By Ethnicity

*African American - 0.8%
*Asian - 0.4%
*Hispanic - 13.9%
*Native American - 0.3%
*White - 82.5%
*Native Hawaiian - 0.0%
*Multi-Race, Non Hispanic - 2.1%

Office of Inspector General Investigation

After a WBZ (CBS) probe into Assabets spending habits the Massachusetts Office of Inspector General audited the schools finances. Highlights include 6 million in funds owed to member communities and excessive spending on education trips to Las Vegas, including a dinner tab for over one thousand dollars for 8 people. The superintendent was also investigated for being reimbursed twice for auto expenses.

The OIG findings and the schools response can be found on the schools website. [http://www.assabettech.com/aboutAV/investigation.php]

Other Information

*Superintendent/Director: Eugene Carlo (Retiring in December 2008, succeeded by Mary Jo Nawrocki)
*Assistant Superintendent: Patrick Collins
*Principal: Mary Jo Nawrocki (Mark Hollick as of December 2008)
*Dean of Students: Gerald Gahagan
*Vocational Director: Russell Mangsen
*Academic Director: Shirley Lundberg
*Curriculum Director: Mark Hollick (Unknown as of December 2008)
*School Motto: "Raising the bar"
*Mascot: Aztec
*Colors: Blue and gold
*Teams: Aztecs, Lady Aztecs*
*Age of school: 35 Years
*Teacher to student ratio: 1 to 8.6
*Address::215 Fitchburg Street:Marlborough, MA 01752:Middlesex County:Phone: [phone]

References

[http://www.assabettech.com] Assabet Valley