BMS Senior c/o 2025 Activities
On Thursday, the seniors traveled to the University of Mississippi to tour their beautiful campus. Before engaging in the walking tour, the students watched a video and the speaker presented a PowerPoint presentation about the various requirements, programs, and financial assistance that Ole Miss has to offer. The students ate lunch in the Rebel Market and then finished their visit by going to Kennan Observatory and looking at Venus through a 132 year old telescope. We are thankful to Career Coach Deana Reno for organizing this visit.
Blue Mountain School senior Eli Hopkins is planning on attending Ole Miss and majoring in Astronomy. On Thursday, he got the opportunity to not only tour the campus but also go to Kennan Observatory and view Venus through a 132 year telescope. Career Coach Deana Reno and CCR teacher Kara Green were happy to aid him in his future endeavors.
On Wednesday, Ms. Green’s College & Career Readiness class toured the Mississippi Truck Driving School in Hickory Flat during 1st block. They offer a twenty day program to get your CDL and there is a 90% passing rate. There are grants available to those that qualify. They are willing to work with individuals who are serious about getting their license. The students got to see the student drivers backing up and parallel parking. They really enjoyed the driving simulations! Special thanks to Career Coach Deana Reno for organizing this trip.
On Monday and Tuesday, Ms. Green’s College and Career Readiness students rotated groups in an effort to learn a variety of Life Skills. Special thank you to our presenters. Mrs. Amberly Glover discussed etiquette; Nurse Whitney went over basic first aid; Mrs. Sarah Taylor taught the students the correct procedure for doing laundry, care of fabrics, and how often things need to be washed; Mr. Bob Glover presented a personal finance lesson which included the importance of banks and maintaining good credit; Mr. Kelly Gates taught the students how to tie a tie; Mr. Steve Bass taught them how to read a map. Thanks to BMS’s Career Coach Deana Reno for always trying to prepare our students for the future.
Ms. Green’s College & Career Readiness class toured Albany Industries in New Albany. Mr. Tony Barkley, VP of Engineering, walked us through the facility pointing out how the furniture was made from beginning to end. Some of the jobs hire at 16 years old but the majority are 18+, the hours are Monday-Friday 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and start around $14 dollars and go up to around $18. Career Coach Deana Reno is always giving our students the chance to explore future job opportunities. Thanks for her assistance in organizing this trip.
Blue Mountain Senior Laken Dickey was able to shadow Elizabeth Taylor, Instructor of Biology at Blue Mountain Christian University today. Laken is planning on a career in Marine Biology and she said that she would also consider being a teacher. Thank you Elizabeth for allowing Laken this opportunity.
Blue Mountain HS senior, Averi Chills, began her EPIC Work experience internship last week at Ripley’s Boys and Girls Club. She will receive up to 100 hours of paid work experience. Averi will gain valuable knowledge of technology, social media, marketing, communications. public relations skills and simple graphic design as she plans to major in Marketing. A big thanks to Evie Storey, Director of Marketing, Special Events and Resource Development at Boys and Girls Club of North Mississippi for allowing Averi this great opportunity.
Congratulations to Shaddai Galvez for representing the Northeast Mississippi Youth Foundation Philanthropists at the Tippah County Community of Excellence meeting! She spoke about her personal experiences and leadership opportunities within the NEMYF. We are so incredibly proud of her hard work and commitment to making a difference!
#BMHS #LetsGoBlue #CreateFoundation #NEMYF
#BMHS #LetsGoBlue #CreateFoundation #NEMYF
Ms. Green’s College & Career Readiness class (consisting of 13 seniors and 2 juniors) toured Ashley Furniture at Ripley on Thursday. Speakers from various departments spoke briefly to the students. There are professional office jobs as well as floor positions (manufacturing) available. Many of the workers were promoted from within the company and some of the salaries are $30+ an hour. Mr. Wayne Byrd led the students throughout the facility to view the assembly line construction of the various furniture pieces that Ashley produces. Special thanks to Ashley for the tour and for providing snacks to the students and to Career Coach Deana Reno for organizing this tour.
BMS seniors toured Blue Mountain Christian University on Wednesday. They were given a lot of information about the college from a few department heads as well as current students. Led by the Blue Crew (current student workers), the seniors walked around to the different buildings to see what the campus has to offer and they even took a bus out to the sports plex. The seniors ended their visit by enjoying a delicious lunch in the dining hall. BMCU may be small but great things are happening there every day. We are fortunate to have this institution in our small town. Thanks to BMCU for hosting this Fall Preview Day and to chaperones Deana Reno, Sarah Taylor, and Kara Green.
Zach and Kirksey, HR Coordinators from Oil-Dri Corporation, came and spoke to Ms. Green’s CCR class on Thursday morning. They went over all of the products that they make and the various jobs available within the company. They are located in four countries and four states. The presenters also discussed their company’s values (work/life balance, ethics, accountability, respect, and excellence). They ended by explaining the things needed to have a great interview and also the correct way to leave a job if needed. Our Career Coach Deana Reno is looking at job shadowing/internship opportunities at Oil-Dri for our seniors. Thanks so much to Zach and Kirksey for their time.
Seniors starting to paint their Cougar Paws.
Blue Mountain HS Career Coach Deana Reno started meeting one on one with seniors this week to discuss their plans after graduation. Today she met with Colin Caviness and he was all smiles as he discussed his future. We also discussed job shadowing, and internships.
Blue Mountain HS Career Coach Deana Reno started meeting one on one with seniors this week to discuss their plans after graduation. Today she met with Colin Caviness and he was allo smiles as he discussed his future. We also discussed job shadowing, and internships.
Circuit Clerk Phil Koon came and spoke to the seniors in Ms. Green’s CCR class. He discussed the duties of the circuit clerk and stressed the importance of voting. The seniors that are already 18 years old filled out their paperwork to register to vote.
SSG Byard, a National Guard recruiter, came to speak to the seniors in Ms. Green’s College & Career Readiness class today. He gave a brief history of the Guard and the various duties that it provides to the nation. He promoted the idea that the seniors could join now, get paid while still attending school, and the breakdown of the pay that each would receive. He went over requirements to join, stressed the importance of having a good ASVAB score, discussed basic training, emphasized that there are over 130 careers to choose from in the NG, and lastly the millions of dollars in scholarships awarded to seniors who join each year. Thanks so much to SSG Byard for taking the time to visit BMS seniors and to Career Coach Deana Reno for organizing this presentation.
Blue Mountain Career Coach, Deana Reno, welcomed back SSG Byard, National Guard Recruiter, to speak to seniors Colin Caviness and Leighton Rowland about making a decision to join the military.
Mrs. Julia Kelly from the Blue Mountain Civic Association came and spoke to the seniors in Ms. Green’s CCR class. Career Coach Deana Reno and At Risk Liaison Angie Gossett were present as well.
Mrs. Kelly discussed the goal of the BMCA which is to fill a need within the community by pulling people and resources together. This organization seeks to aid and unite all of the citizens of Blue Mountain and promote a spirit of giving. She talked about their meetings monthly in the park and gave each student a list of events that they could help with in order to earn community service hours. Each senior at BMS has to complete at least 30 hours of community service by next May in order to receive a white cord to wear at graduation.
October 5th (Octoberfest) will be the next opportunity for students to volunteer. Octoberfest will be from noon to 7:00 p.m. in the BM park. There will be a concert, raffle, auction, vendors, and voter registration on that day. Please make plans to attend. BMS thanks Mrs. Kelly and the Blue Mountain Civic Association for their time and efforts.
The seniors in Ms. Green’s College & Career Readiness class received visitors from Blue Mountain Christian University on Monday morning. Mr. Brett Butler, Dean of Students and three college students Caleb White, Jonathan Reno, and Isaac Harting introduced themselves to the seniors and discussed goals for the upcoming weekly meetings that they will conduct. Mr. Butler particularly focused on students’ ‘brand’ by giving them a Brand Evaluation worksheet to complete. He explained that they all have a brand and can change it if needed. Thank you to Mr. Butler and his students for their time and to BMCU president, Dr. McMillin, for arranging this mentoring program.
Blue Mountain Senior Colin Caviness is participating in the Epic Work Experience paid internship at Shark 102.3. He plans to attend the University of Mississippi and major in Business/Sales. Career Coach Deana Reno assisted Colin with the paperwork and placement.
Ms. Green’s College & Career Readiness class welcomed Ms. Ashlea Ayers, a HR Generalist at Albany Industries. She discussed the specifics of her company, various job benefits provided, and encouraged the students to come and apply for a part-time job now while in school and to also consider them after graduation. Ms. Ayers provided students with mock interview questions to help prepare them. She went over several do’s and don’ts involved in job interviews. Personal appearance and attitude are always important. The seniors will be participating in mock interviews in a few months and Ms. Ayers will return to help us. BMS thanks her for her time and a special thanks to Career Coach Deana Reno for organizing this presentation.
Ms. Green’s CCR class welcomed Wayne Byrd and two other representatives from Ashley Furniture. Mr. Byrd provided a slide show, which introduced the founder and told the origins of the company in Wisconsin. It started very small and today it has almost 40,000 employees worldwide. Mr. Byrd stressed three things for the students to focus on no matter the job—-having a good attitude, attendance, and performance. Ashley is now hiring people 18 years and older. They offer an excellent hourly wage and a person can grow with the company if they show up and work hard.
Mr. Steve Bennett facilitated a fun hands-on activity with the students by breaking them up into a few small groups. They built an airplane out of legos. They could not speak to each other and they had five minutes to complete it. This activity represented teamwork, time management, and ingenuity. We look forward to visiting the Ripley facility on October 24th. Thank you to Career Coach Deana Reno for organizing this presentation and to our speakers for their time.
SSGT Bryan McGee, a Public Affairs Officer, came and spoke to Ms. Green’s CCR class as well as Coach Cook’s Drug Education/Driver’s Education class. He went over the basic duties of a trooper and specialized division units. You must be 21 years or older, have a diploma/GED, be a U.S. citizen, and have a valid driver’s license in order to join. The starting salary is $54,000 and you must keep up with your physical fitness to fulfill your job requirements. He ended his presentation by stressing the importance of being mindful of the speed limit, wearing a seatbelt at all times, abstaining from drug and alcohol usage, and having vehicle insurance. He stated that Mississippi leads in teenage driver fatalities and he doesn’t want them to be a statistic. Thanks to Officer McGee for his time and to Career Coach Deana Reno for organizing this presentation. #drivesafe
