The latest episode of the Joust About Careers podcast features Thomas Haase, a 2012 Van Buren graduate who is a Lighting Artist for Retro Studios, a Nintendo Game Development Partner. In the interview, Thomas shares how a typical day looks in his position, the importance of a person’s portfolio when trying to enter the video game industry, the importance of constructive criticism, and much more.
To watch on YouTube, visit bit.ly/JoustAboutCareers or bit.ly/VBLearnMore. To listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or other podcast platforms, search Joust About Careers.
Have a great week!
Come and show your support for the Junior and Senior Powderpuff participants! The game will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 17th starting at 7:00 pm.
Happy Football Friday! Let's Go Black Knights!
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Volunteer Opportunity of the Week - Challenged Champions Assistants
Congratulations to the Van Buren High School 2024 Homecoming Court! Please join us for the coronation ceremony on Friday, Sept. 20th at 6:00 pm.
Congrats to Emerson, Kinsley, and Scarlett for their Positive Behavior Referrals!
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Congrats to Noah on his Positive Behavior Referral!
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Congrats to Colton for his Positive Behavior Referral!
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This week's Joust About Careers episode features the 10-minute highlights of the interview with Nick DeVore, a 2016 Van Buren graduate who is an electrician and project foreman for Bodie Mechanical Services, Inc. The highlights focus on how a typical day looks for a project foreman, how Nick's apprenticeship provided him with his education and career flexibility, and more. If you want to learn more about Nick's career journey, you can check out his full interview on YouTube at bit.ly/JoustAboutCareers or listen to full interviews on your favorite podcast platform by searching Joust About Careers. Have a great week!
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY OF THE WEEK!
Congrats to Dalilah for our 1st Positive Behavior Referral of the school year!
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The first episode of the Joust About Careers podcast for the 24-25 school year features Nick DeVore, a 2016 Van Buren graduate who is an electrician and project foreman for Bodie Mechanical Services. In the interview, Nick shares how a typical day looks in his position, how he decided to pursue this career through an apprenticeship, the importance of math in his career, and much more.
To watch on YouTube, visit bit.ly/JoustAboutCareers or bit.ly/VBLearnMore. To listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or other podcast platforms, search Joust About Careers.
Have a great week!
CAREER EXPLORATION OPPORTUNITY!
Marathon Petroleum's IT Explorers group will be holding an open house this Wednesday, September 4, from 6:00-7:30 P.M., allowing students interested in IT careers to see what the careers entail and what they could expect to learn if they choose to join the group.
Participation is open to students aged 14+. Topics will include cyber security, artificial intelligence, computer hardware, and coding , along with opportunities to network with like-minded peers and industry professionals.
Please email ITExplorers@marathonpetroleum.com to RSVP if you are planning to attend.
Student Volunteer Opportunities of the Week! Visit bit.ly/VBLearnMore and click Volunteer Opportunities for more information and to get involved.
Student Volunteer Opportunity of the Week! Visit bit.ly/VBLearnMore and click Volunteer Opportunities for more information and to complete the registration form.
The Van Buren Local Schools Strategic Plan Advisory Team met on Wednesday, August 7, to review the annual report from the 23-24 school year and plan for the 24-25 school year.
Dr. Jason Inkrott, Van Buren Superintendent, and Cassie Schaffer, Director of Teaching and Learning, reported on progress made on each of the strategies (Learning, Finances, Stakeholder Engagement, Facilities) identified as essential to achieving the district’s mission: Building Thinkers, Building Connections, Building Experiences.
Casey Morman, Director of Operations, also presented an update on the improvements made in the district in the last year, including the completion of the new parking lot on the north side of the middle/high school building, purchase of the property at 209 South Main St., and repair and improvement of the HVAC systems, along with many other completed projects.
Following the reports, team members met in strategy groups to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats facing the district in each of the strategy areas and reported their findings to Dr. Inkrott so he can take them back to the board of education, strategic plan subcommittees, and district employees to act on the feedback.
Subcommittees will meet frequently throughout the 24-25 school year to continue working on the strategic plan, and the Strategic Plan Advisory Team will meet again on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, for the next annual review.
Advisory team members attending the meeting included Anna Anderson, Jenn Barrett, Brian Beining, Laura Ebright, Bill Griffith, Arian Keeran, Mike Leifheit, Ed May, Gene Meyer, Michael Newcomer, Cassie Ohlrich, Tammy Routson, Holli Sattler, Cathy Schuller, and Phoxay Sumney.
If community members are interested in learning more about the Strategic Plan Advisory Team or would like to join the team for future meetings, please contact Dr. Inkrott at jinkrott@vbschools.net or 419-299-3384 x101 for more information.
K-5 Mini Cheer Clinic Sign-up Opportunity!
Join our team as the Director of Technology/Network Administrator. Learn more at https://bit.ly/VBemployment #BeABlackKnight
