Sulphur Springs High School has six career and technical organizations that students can join. As part of their Career and Technical Education Month celebration, representatives of each group this week updated the Sulphur Springs Independent School District Board of Trustees on recent activities.
BPA
The SSHS Business Professionals of America Chapter has been involved in competitions. Eleven qualified for state and three more were named state alternates.
The chapter’s local service project this year involved soliciting professional clothing donations for students who compete in BPA or other school organizations to wear to events. The clothing is made available provided they can find the appropriate size at no cost to the student.
“We just had people in the community donate business clothes so any organization throughout the school was able have access to these clothes and find something that would fit them for their competition. Because the clothes do get pretty expensive after a while,” SSHS BPA Chapter Vice president Emily Atkinson explained.
FCCLA
The SSHS Family, Career and Community Leaders of America will have 30 participating in regional conferences this year.
They participated in the Back to School Bash to recruit more members. Students provided candy at lunch to promote loving kindness and in November gave cards of thanks to teachers.
Debbie Stribling and her homemaking teacher will be inducted into the Texas FCCLA 75th Hall of Fame.
FFA
The SSHS FFA Chapter has 255 members this year, who have competed in a number of leadership development events.
Students will compete in other CDE events in April. Students will participate in the State FFA Convention in July.
The seven beef heifer show team members have traveled to many events across the state, including the Four States Fair in Texarkana, Texas State Fair in Tyler and the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.
Two agriculture mechanics projects earned blue ribbons and one finished third in class in San Angelo.
Fifty FFA members will be competing in the NETLA show later this month.
SSHS FFA will be hosting the Area 6 FFA convention, which is expected to have an attendance of more than 900, on Feb. 24, in the Civic Center.
Students will take beef heifers, ag mechanics projects, market lamb and hogs to the Houston Livestock Show in March.
The school’s annual BBQ Build Off will be held May 9, with the FFA banquet following on May 12.
The ag students in conjunction with the construction and culinary students have built a greenhouse with vegetables and herbs, and built window herb gardens for classroom use.
HOSA
Health Occupations Students of America chapter focus on volunteer work and social excellence, and build a basis for health career work.
Thirty-two of the 100 HOSA members compete in events. Two girls advanced to the second round, but did not advance to state, based on their “Stop the Bleed” PSA. They received over 2,000 hits on the video.
Worked pediatric pancake breakfast, an event on the square for a little girl who has leukemia, worked the Hopkins County Stew Contest and chapter officers entered a stew in the contest.
One HOSA member has has received over $94,000 in scholarships to attend Texas A&M University and the club president has received a $70,000 scholarship to Baylor University, according to the HOSA officer.
Skills USA
Both culinary arts and robotics students are involved in Skills USA competitions.
At the regional contest last weekend, four culinary teams competed well, three in commercial baking and one in job demonstration. Two teams are advancing to the state competition with their first place projects. One team had top scores, but a technicality in the paperwork did not allow them to advance.
Culinary students had the opportunity to donate foods to families in need over the holidays. They also have had the opportunity to staff and provide food for many events, the Skills USA culinary arts representative reported.
SSHS also was well represented at the robotics competition, with two teams advancing to state in automation technology, where you advanced programming to manufacture products, other team very close. Two teams also participated in urban search and rescue competition.
NTHS
The National Technical Honor Society recognized 19 returning members and inducted 17 new members this spring.
