WOHS Career Education Post

Welcome to the Winter 2023 edition of the WOHS Career Education Post! We hope you enjoy learning about our specialized programs.

WOHS offers several Career and Technical Education (CTE) Programs of Study in specific career pathways as well as valuable elective courses. Click on the RED headings below to learn more about the scope and sequence of our programs.

CTE courses allow you to experience a potential career pathway, ensuring a chosen profession meets your needs and expectations before you commit to pursuing it. We work closely with businesses in each industry and collaborate with colleges to deliver skills and knowledge essential to future success. Our partnerships empower students to far exceed expectations the moment they step into jobs and postsecondary classrooms.

Better still, our courses provide opportunities for you to earn stackable credentials. These industry certifications and hands-on experiences make you an extremely desirable candidate for both colleges and prospective employers. Best of all, students in many programs have the opportunity to earn dual-credit from institutions including Hudson Community College, Rider University, Rutgers University, Berkeley College, Fairleigh Dickinson University, and other top schools.

I must not forget to mention our clubs! Extracurricular organizations like the FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America) and FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) provide our students with opportunities to present at state and national conferences, win scholarships and awards, and network with peers, employers, and educational institutions, among many other benefits. But I will let you read on to hear directly from our incredible CTE staff.

I hope you enjoy learning more about what’s happening in our classes. Best wishes for a happy and healthy holiday season!

‒Ms. Mullin

Culinary Arts students spent the past few months fine-tuning knife skills, baking scrumptious treats, and preparing delicious recipes. Don’t believe us? Just take a stroll down our hallway to enjoy the wonderful scents wafting from our room!

Our student chefs spent an amazing first semester learning to create a variety of dishes. As they’ve tasted new recipes, their palates have opened to new flavors and seasonings.

Our Introduction to the Culinary Arts Level 1 students learned proper knife skills while slicing and dicing ingredients for soups and sauces. They’ve made Broccoli Cheddar Soup, Chili for Chili Cheese Fries, and delicious Pumpkin Cheesecakes.

Global Cuisine 1 students traveled virtually to France and made Quiche Lorraine, deliciously sweet Basil and Strawberry Crepes, and homemade Baguettes to accompany Ratatouille!

Creativity and Innovation in the Culinary Arts students made Chicken Pot Pies and tasty Butternut Squash Soup in homemade Bread Bowls. (Watch out, Panera!)

Our students continue to explore new techniques as they round out 2023 baking cookies. We hope they share these recipes with family and friends at home during the holidays!

We can’t wait to see what 2024 brings to our kitchens. Let’s get cooking! Contact your counselor and register for a culinary class today.

Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram to see what the chefs stew up next!

West Orange High School applied for and was awarded an Expand Pre-Apprenticeship Grant in Culinary Arts for a total of $200,000 over the last 2 years. The grant allowed us to create the WOHS Pre-Apprenticeship ACF Culinary Arts Program for students age 16 and older.

If you’re interested in pursuing the Culinary Arts profession, you can jump-start your career through a pre-apprenticeship opportunity courtesy of WOHS, the American Culinary Federation (ACF), and our employer partner, Maschio’s. The ACF Fundamentals Cook Program provides students with introductory culinary skills alongside valuable industry exposure. Trainees gain the knowledge and skill sets necessary to achieve the Certified Fundamental Cook® (CFC®) certification. That’s right: you can learn specific culinary arts skills and techniques that lead to the ACF Fundamental Cook certification while still in high school. What a remarkable opportunity!

Are you the next top chef? Click here to read about and apply to our American Culinary Federation Pre-Apprenticeship Arts Program. Contact Ms. Mullin if you have any questions.

Do you dream of becoming an educator, doctor, or social worker? Are you considering a career working with children? Our unique Childhood and Family Studies Program offers WOHS students the opportunity to earn six credits per class towards graduation and hands-on experience working in a functioning preschool! Additionally, we are a postsecondary dual-credit affiliated program with Fairleigh Dickinson University. That means you can earn college credits while in high school!

Over the past semester, our high school students developed creative lesson plans and delivered engaging instruction to preschool classes. After learning about the stages of child development and strategies for holding toddlers’ attention, our classes designed educational experiences that integrated a variety of skills from all subject areas.

Early Childhood and Family Studies 1 classes have begun their Nutrition Unit, spent planning and preparing meals such as parfaits, strawberry muffins, french toast, and granola bars for preschool students. Now, ECFS1 students are fostering good nutritional habits in the preschool by inventing games that make healthy eating fun!

Early Childhood and Family Studies 2 classes are busy executing thematically coherent, cross-curricular preschool units that address every area of child development. ECFS2 students are also prepared to pursue their ambitions after graduating, having researched careers and colleges, developed resumes, and created portfolio websites showcasing their skills and qualifications.

Early Childhood and Family Studies 3 classes continue to imagine engaging activities for our preschool students as they research different learning styles. Many of our ECFS3 students continue in the program by enrolling in Tomorrow's Teacher as seniors.

Interested in joining us? Students, including 8th graders, must click here to apply if they wish to enroll in our program. You can learn more about our preschool by clicking here. Please contact Ms. Mullin for additional information!

Tomorrow's Teacher offers juniors and seniors who are considering careers in education an opportunity to solidify their decision. This high-level class even includes an extremely rewarding practicum experience which pairs learners with actual classroom teachers for several weeks of hands-on instruction late in the year. Enrolled students can also earn dual-credit from Rider University. The Tomorrow’s Teacher application is available here. Please contact Ms. Mullin for additional information!

Walk into our Fashion and Interior Design studios and you’ll see WOHS student designers hard at work sewing totes, designing clothing, and creating floor plans to meet the needs of future clients!

Our Fashion program prepares students for a variety of careers in the fashion industry. From our sewing lab, where students call upon color principles, color schemes, and fashion trends to bring sartorial schemes to life, to our interior design studio, where problem-solving is always in style, our program is bursting with student creativity!

Students in Fashion Merchandising learn about all aspects of the fashion industry, exploring potential careers by studying the product cycle from design idea to consumer commodity. Through roleplay as merchandisers and buyers, they learn the basics of textile and product development and develop a full understanding of marketing in retail. Guest speakers and field experiences further enhance this comprehensive course. Fashion Merchandising students continue their journey by registering for Apparel Design Production the following year.

Apparel Design Production students further their talents and skills while creating portfolios to pursue college and career options. Through skill-building exercises, creative experimentation, and research-based projects in fashion drawing and garment construction, students develop a personal vision and explore the role of fashion in society. After exploring potential careers, the history of fashion, and popular garment styles and fabrics, students complete the NOCTI exam in Apparel and Textiles. This credential meets industry standards and requirements and creates opportunities in industries and institutions beyond the high school classroom!

Interior Design students run the gamut of design elements and principles, examining essential topics including color scheme, floor plans, lighting, and furniture in Interior Design A before taking on architectural styles, kitchen design, technological advancements in design materials, and environmental concerns in Interior Design B. These courses provide students with information that ensures they make intelligent choices in the housing market and present a panorama of potential careers.

Many past students have earned college credits through our dual enrollment partnership with the Fashion Merchandising and Management Programs at Berkeley College. Be sure to explore your options as you register for fashion courses!

Likewise, be sure to check out FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America), the Fashion program’s extracurricular organization. FCCLA members have represented West Orange High School at both state and national levels, flaunting their facility with food, fashion, and child development.

Contact Ms. Mullin for additional information!

Students in our Accounting Program emerge prepared for several careers in the field. Accounting students also reap the benefits of repeated scholarship opportunities and earn dual credit from Fairleigh Dickinson University through their studies.

Students begin the accounting sequence by enrolling in Accounting 1A and Accounting 1B during their first year and Honors College Accounting the next. After successfully completing these courses, motivated learners enroll in our capstone, Honors Virtual Enterprise. See Ms. Hanson for more information about the program!

Each November, the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants (NJCPA) presents their Career Awareness Program at West Orange High School. Every year since 2014, WOHS graduate Dave Katz visits our accounting classes to speak to our students about careers in accounting and the pathway to becoming a CPA. This school year, we’ll also be visited by another WOHS alum, Stephanie Marte, who will speak with our students about her professional journey.

The NJCPA offers two scholarship opportunities for seniors interested in majoring in accounting. As part of the NJCPA Career Awareness Program, West Orange High School accounting students attended a Career Day hosted by WilkinGuttenplan, a top firm of CPAs and advisors based in East Brunswick, NJ. Our students toured the facility and participated in an interactive presentation where current employees discussed their paths to accountancy. Two of our students, Brett Davner and Matthew Orabona, were awarded American Express gift certificates for their knowledge of accounting.

Last school year, two of our Honors Accounting students were awarded the Deloitte Foundation High School Minority Scholarship. Justin Aska and Jacob Castillo attended the awards ceremony held in April 2023 at the Pines Manor in Edison, NJ. Along with their financial awards, these students will enjoy relationships with mentors throughout their college careers, offering additional opportunities for internships and employment.

Contact Ms. Mullin for additional information about the Accounting Program!

Pictured above are West Orange High School 2023 graduates Justin Aska and Jacob Castillo.

Since much of modern life happens online, hackers can cause serious damage to individuals, businesses, and governments. Cybersecurity failures have become a major global concern: when a system goes down, chaos ensues, and ordinary life instantly turns nightmarish. It’s a scary reality! If you want to protect yourself and others from cyberattacks, consider taking WOHS Cybersecurity courses!

In cybersecurity classes, you’ll learn to design, implement, and secure network systems. Our curriculum centers on ethical hacking, which means using the same tools and techniques that hackers do to test and improve the security of your own network. Delve in and you’ll discover powerful technologies including password crackers; wireless hacking tools; packet sniffers; rootkit detectors; fuzzers; and forensic tools. You’ll also learn how to identify and exploit vulnerabilities in web applications using tools like Skipfish, Wapiti, and W3af.

Cybersecurity courses are not only fun and engaging, but also prepare you for a rewarding career in the industry. Market demand for cybersecurity professionals continues to increase, and many universities now offer degrees in the field. If you take Honors level courses, you can also earn college credits through our dual-credit agreement with Fairleigh Dickinson’s Middle College Program. Don't miss this opportunity to become a Cyber Defender and make a difference in the digital world!

Contact Ms. Mullin with any questions.

Business Organization and Management is the first level of the courses offered in our program. Current students are learning how the business world operates and how to successfully manage an enterprise in a global marketplace. This semester’s topics include forms of ownership, leadership and management strategies, hard and soft skills, and the hiring process, including resumes and interview preparedness.

Next semester, we will move onto topics such as finance, payroll, marketing, ethics in business, and more! We strive to enhance our students' critical thinking skills and creativity with particular emphasis on communication and collaboration.

This year-long course prepares students to transform their ideas into products. Students are currently learning about patents and trademarks and researching customer needs and wants. Soon, they’ll synthesize their knowledge about effective and ethical product development and the logistics of a product cycle to craft a compelling business pitch. Our project-based environment familiarizes students with all manner of common business problems. They examine avenues for navigating negative press; consider expansion options in light of market research; and expand their understanding of how economic factors impact small business growth. Guest speakers include WOHS alum and entrepreneur Lucas Maher, owner of The Connect Clothing Store in Montclair, NJ, who took this class in high school.

Why does Target stock candy bars in the self-checkout area? Why is Abercrombie & Fitch so strongly scented?

Our marketing course zooms in on the world of visual merchandising and uncovers the secrets of how colors, tunes, store layouts, and design principles influence a customer’s shopping experience. Check out our most recent projects‒a student-created Retail Store Plan & Visual Merchandising Moodboard‒below.

Marketing students delve into the fundamental concepts and strategies that drive successful marketing campaigns. By the end of the semester, students are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively segment markets, develop product branding, determine pricing strategies, and create compelling promotional campaigns.

Virtual Enterprise, our dual-credit, honors, capstone course, offers all students meaningful skills-based career experiences. Through our hands-on, task-based curriculum, students test drive potential careers and develop in-demand skills and competencies sought by post-secondary institutions and employers. By managing the day-to-day operations of a company, students not only develop business skills and an entrepreneurial mindset; they also identify career pathways that align with their interests, talents, and aspirations. Watch this video to learn more about the Honors Virtual Enterprise program at WOHS.

This class counts towards the Financial Literacy graduation requirement!

This year's Virtual Enterprise class created Coziez LLC, which sells weighted/heated stuffed animals and weighted blankets. The company aspires to help people relieve stress and anxiety in a comforting way. See their Website here.

Contact Ms. Mullin if you have any questions.

Would you like to design amazing graphics and documents? Sure, Canva’s nice, but what if you could level up your skills (and, perhaps, make a bit of money along the way)? In our project-based Digital Design courses, students gain hands-on experience with industry-standard software products, mainly the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite, by creating high-impact professional desktop publishing designs and documents.

In our Digital Design classes, we use programs including Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop to create designs, photos, and illustrations guaranteed to impress any audience. Our digital design students are truly enjoying themselves this semester. They’ve already mastered the basics of Adobe InDesign and are moving onto intermediate and advanced features. Armed with this foundational design knowledge, we’re starting to practice logo design, create web- and print-based advertisements, develop brochures, publish newsletters, and much, much, more.

You’ll leave our courses having developed advanced skills you can immediately put to use in college or the workplace. Join us and unleash your creativity in Digital Design!

Contact Ms. Mullin if you have any questions.

Would you like to explore one of the most in-demand and rewarding career fields in the world? Welcome to Supply Chain Management, the course sequence that teaches you to design, manage, and optimize the flow of goods and services from producer to consumer.

In Supply Chain Management classes, you’ll work on real-world projects that challenge your creativity and problem-solving skills. While you learn to plan, source, make, and deliver products that meet customer needs and expectations, you’ll also discover the many educational and professional opportunities that await you in this fast-growing field. This three-course sequence doesn’t just prepare you for college and career success‒it actually offers an opportunity to earn 3 college credits from Rutgers University and industry certifications from the New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program (NJMEP)!

Don't miss your chance to join one of the most exciting career pathways in the WOHS CTE Program!

Contact Mr. Jackson if you have any questions.

Seniors interested in our Cooperative Education program, which requires students to attend school in the morning and work in the afternoon, should speak to Mr. Cowins for more information. Students must complete this application and meet certain requirements in order to participate.

This class fulfills the financial literacy requirement for high school graduation.

The global economy changes constantly, creating countless financial opportunities and challenges. This course prepares students to understand and manage their finances personally and professionally, examining their roles as citizens, family members, consumers, and participants in the business world both today and into the future. Students will learn how to plan and track their income and expenses; how to use different financial products and services including bank accounts, credit cards, loans, and investments; and how to make smart financial decisions for their short-term and long-term goals. This course also covers topics such as the stock market, the bond market, mutual funds, and other ways to grow and protect money. All personal finance students take the nationally recognized W!SE Financial Literacy Online Test, earning a credential that demonstrates financial savvy to colleges and employer. The test also offers a chance to be recognized with a W!se Financial Literacy Ambassador Award, a nationwide contest that offers $1,000 to four test takers who score at least 95%. Remember: a course in Personal Finance is a graduation requirement!

Contact Ms. Mullin if you have any questions.

If you are interested in learning more about any of our programs, please reach out to Ms. Nancy Mullin. You can also read more about our programs by visiting our department website.

Email: nmullin@westorangeschools.org
Website: https://www.woboe.org/domain/233