Framingham State Alumni Magazine features Keefe grad!
Framingham State University student and Keefe Tech alumnus, Andressa Fernandes is featured in the Spring 2013 issue of Framingham State. This publication is a magazine for alumni and friends of the university. We're proud to see one of our Business Tech graduates doing well, and look forward to hearing more about Andressa in the future!
(Thank you to Framingham State for allowing us to use the article above!)
BPA Conference
KEEFE TECH BPA STATE CONFERENCE RESULTS
Twenty-eight Keefe Tech students competed at the Business Professionals of America State Leadership Conference in Framingham from March 2-4, 2013. Students attended workshops and competed in judged and computer individual and team events. The following students placed in the top five in their competitive events and are eligible to move on to the National Leadership Conference in Orlando, Florida, in May 2013.
Congratulations to all participants of the MA State BPA Conference this past weekend. The following students earned awards: Beatriz Alves was elected state officer.
1st Place
Administrative Support Research Project: Raffaela Fitzpatrick
Presentation Management Individual--Iracely Sanchez
2nd Place
Network Design Team: Delson DaSilva, John Curtin, Matt Stacey
Administrative Support Team: Waleska Figueora, Lucas Lemos, Paola Reynoso, Arielys Rosario
Interview Skills--Taylor Simpson
Computer Network Technology--John Curtin
PC Servicing and Troubleshooting--Kelley Rivers
Keyboarding Production--Patrick Stearns
3rd Place
Administrative Support Research Project—Maxine Colon
Computer Network Technology—Nick Castagnino
Computer Security--John Curtin
Keyboarding Production--Cheyanne Brown
Database Applications--Paola Reynoso
Fundamental Spreadsheet Applications--Natalia Torres
Global Marketing Team--Taynara DeOliveiria, Iara Lacerda, and Jefferson Santana
4th Place
Computer Securty--Nikita Simkhovich
Computer Network Technology--Matt Stacey
5th Place
Interview Skills--Kelley Rivers
Integrated Office Applications--Arielys Rosario
A school all about choices
Joseph P Keefe Regional Technical High School, A School All About Choices
From the Framingham Patch website
Submitted by By Serena Keating
Last year, my son was thinking of attending Keefe Tech instead of Holliston High School. I give him a lot of credit, since he did end up at Keefe Tech despite a boat load of grief from his friends. He kept telling his friends that he was going to have choices when he graduated that he wouldn’t have at HHS. Yes, sometimes our kids do listen… I can’t be prouder of my son for making that decision!
Established in 1972, Joseph P. Keefe Technical School is a coeducational, four-year high school, accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Keefe Tech serves students from Ashland, Framingham, Holliston, Hopkinton, and Natick. There is no tuition cost to students from these communities; no bus or athletic fees either.
The major purpose of Keefe Technical High School is to educate and prepare students for both employment and continuing academic and occupational preparation. Their programs integrate academic and career/technical education and include higher order reasoning, problem solving skills, work attitudes, general employability skills, modern technology applications, and the occupational specific skills necessary for economic independence as a productive and contributing member of society. Over 50% of the students go on to pursue two or four year college.
Keefe Tech programs foster student self-esteem, self-respect, and social awareness. Students undertake school projects that benefit our member communities and their residents. The school reflects the diversity of 5 towns, which enriches the school community. There is a restaurant and beauty salon open to the public. A video showcasing the Automotive, Cosmetology and Culinary Arts programs can be seen in the “Keefe in the News” section of the school website.
In addition, the Business Technology students were recently featured on “Totally Patriots” on TV 38. Keefe Tech’s Career and Technical Education programs continue be well represented within our community and beyond. The carpentry program recently built a shed for the Holliston Senior Center. The Metal Fabrication program was asked by the town of Framingham to create a replacement replica of an 1807 cemetery vault door. The list could go on for pages of projects that demonstrate how the students learn and give back to the community while simultaneously getting an excellent education and learning a trade.
Keefe Tech has a rolling enrollment for 8th graders, so it’s not too late to apply. Check out their website www.keefetech.org or contact the Keefe Tech Guidance Office (508-416-2270). There is a parent information night Feb 27 from 6pm to 8pm at the school.
Don’t overlook Keefe Tech. It could be a wonderful opportunity for your child!
Romeo & Harriet
Romeo & Harriet readies for performance!
The Keefe Technical High School Drama Club will presentRomeo and Harriet: A Musical Tragical Comedy in Two and a Half Acts, book by Charlie Lovett and music and lyrics by Bill Francoeur, on Friday, February 15th at 7:00 pm and on Saturday, February 16th at 2:00 pm in the Keefe auditorium at 750 Winter Street in Framingham. This year’s show is produced by special arrangement with Pioneer Drama Service, Inc., Englewood, Colorado.
The play is a modern parody of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, only here, the Capulets and Montagues are owners of rival department stores in New York City.
The performance is open to the public and tickets will be available at the door for $5.00 for adults and $2.00 for senior citizens and children under 12.
“This is the first time we’ve attempted to perform a musical, so drama club members are being challenged not only with line memorization, but also with singing, dancing, and choreography. Most importantly, they’re learning to build a sense of community, to collaborate, to think creatively, and to work as an ensemble – skills they will use and rely upon throughout their lives,” noted Melanie LoBue, Drama Club Co-Advisor.
Members of the cast and crew include the following Keefe Tech freshmen through senior students: Siobhon Cox, Michelle Esmay, Rachel LaFrance, Eric Lundberg, Sarah Lundberg, Alicia Maradiaga, Olivia Morrison, Kiernan Roche and Patrick Stearns of Ashland, Bridget Belcher, Karla Cassemiro, Erin Dowdy, Jonah Feintuck, Brianna Medina, Jonathan Montanez, Rey Pineda, Kelley Rivers and Natalia Torres of Framingham, Bonnie Davidson and Derick Valovcin of Holliston, Laney Mayo of Hopkinton, Mariah Brown, Linda Bursch, Molly Dee, Joey Figueroa, Casey Laing, Nick Morris, and Sophia Zabarsky of Natick.
“Our audience can expect an upbeat and high energy comedy musical. Romeo and Harriet is the story of Romeo and Juliet, but without the tragedy, and (spoiler alert) with a different ending,” Ms. LoBue added.
Visual Design Holiday Painting
Visual Design shares the holiday spirit!
Students Caroleea Robbins, Shymia Singleton, and Bianca Xavier with the help of Mr. Schneider recently participated in the Downtown Framingham Holiday festivities. The students painted holiday artwork on the windows of MEGA Realty, as part of the celebration, which kicks off the evening of Friday, December 7 with a tree lighting. Other Visual Design students participated in the tree lighting ceremony by providing face painting to children attending.
Fernandes a two-time MASCAC Volleyball Player of the Year
Framingham’s Fernandes a two-time
MASCAC Volleyball Player of the Year
By Marvin Pave - Globe Correspondent / November 17, 2012
Andressa Fernandes developed a passion for volleyball as a youngster in Minas Gerais, Brazil, and rekindled her interest in the game several years later at Keefe Technical School in Framingham, where she was a two-time captain and team MVP.
Now a junior captain at Framingham State University, Fernandes has taken her game, and the program, to another level while repeating as the Player of the Year in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference.
The Rams, 24-9 under the direction of Richard Casali, captured the MASCAC regular-season title, then established program firsts with a conference tournament championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Division 3 tournament. Fernan-des reached 1,000 career kills in the league championship match against Bridgewater State.
The Rams lost in the NCAA’s opening round to New England Small College Athletic Conference power Connecticut College.
“My first coach in Brazil, Christian Rosa, taught me how to push myself and not be afraid of challenges. He also had me play against theolder girls,” recalled the 5-foot-9 Fernandes, a six-time MASCAC Player of the Week who led the conference with 438 kills (442 overall) and added 314 digs, 47 aces, and 17 blocks while recording a superb .328 hitting percentage.
“We stay in touch through Facebook, and when our team does well or I receive an award, he tells me how proud he is. It’s great to have that kind of support.’’
Casali, a Framingham State graduate who was voted the MASCAC’s Coach of the Year this season, said Fernan-des has a remarkable arm swing.
“I’ve never coached a woman who gets on top of the ball so well when she serves and hits,’’ said Casali, whose assistant, Medfield native Chelle Manganello, played on his first Rams team nine years ago. “Andressa dominated her league in high school. She wasn’t quite ready for the college game early in her freshman year. But once she got rolling, there was no stopping her.’’
The Fernandes family moved to Framingham when she was 13.
Her father, Andre, and older brother, Raphael, were accomplished soccer players in Brazil. Her younger brother, Andre, was a volleyball captain at Framingham High and is now a sophomore at Framingham State, where he is trying to organize a men’s club volleyball team.
“And my late grandfather was also named Andre, so you can see how I got my first name,’’ said Fernandes, who played on Keefe Tech’s inaugural girls’ varsity volleyball team her junior year, then led it to the MIAA tournament as a senior.
“We lost in the first round but it was a great accomplishment for a new team. I was by far the tallest player on our team so I hit from all over the court,’’ said Fernandes, who has a dream of working at the United Nations.
“But I still had so much to learn about the college game,” she said. “Conditioning was my biggest problem at first, then it was consistency, and this season I got more comfortable in knowing my teammates’ moves and with positioning. Given a choice, I’d rather be a champion than Player of the Year, but both motivate me to be better each year. So seeing my teams succeed at Keefe Tech and now in college have made me super happy.’’
Marvin Pave can be reached at marvin.pave@rcn.com.
"Totally Patriots" features Keefe Tech students
Our Business Technology students were filmed as the audience for the Totally Patriots show that will be aired the next two Saturdays on TV38 at 10 a.m. It is a 30-minute show. This Saturday, October 13, the juniors will be featured asking questions of rookie Nate Ebner. The school is introduced and individual students ask Nate questions about football and his background. Then one of the students plays a trivia game with him.
Next Saturday, October 20, the sophomores and seniors will be featured interviewing Sterling Moore.
Students also participated in presenting marketing plans to Patriots art director (Michele Muise - a Keefe Tech graduate!) who talked to the students about their career choices.
Keefe Graduate Awarded National SkillsUSA Bronze Medal
Class of 2012 Keefe Regional Technical School graduate Daniel De Oliveira of Framingham was honored with a special award ceremony, where he received his national SkillsUSA bronze medal in welding sculpture at Keefe Tech last month.
SkillsUSA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preparing high school and college students for careers in technical, trade, and skilled service occupations through local, state, and national programs and competitions. The Welding Sculpture contest is designed to assess the ability of the competitor to design and produce a sculpture of that design, as well as give a presentation regarding all aspects of his or her creation of the design.
Unlike other national SkillsUSA medal winners, De Oliveira didn’t receive his bronze medal during the awards ceremony at the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference, held from June 23-28 in Kansas City.
In fact, when the final scores were announced De Oliveira had taken sixth place for his eagle sculpture, which he handcrafted entirely of metal over more than 100 hours of work.
According to Keefe Career and Technical Coordinator, John Brochu, also a member of the SkillsUSA Massachusetts State Board of Directors, De Oliveira soon discovered that his score reflected a penalty for improper attire.
“The judges thought that he was wearing blue dress pants, but Daniel was actually wearing black dress pants, which is a requirement of official SkillsUSA attire,” Brochu said.
De Oliveira decided to contest his score and contacted the National Office himself, going so far as to send officials photographs of the black dress pants in question.
Within one week of the competition’s end, national SkillsUSA officials had removed the penalty from his score and announced him as the national bronze medalist in the Welding Sculpture category.
“I’m proud of myself, not only for winning the bronze medal, but also for proving that I was right,” said De Oliveira.
“It was his persistence and perseverance that paid off. He spent countless hours designing and crafting his sculpture and then he stood up for himself when he deserved to win,” added Brochu.
The special award presentation held at Keefe Tech allowed state SkillsUSA
officials to finally present De Oliveira with his national bronze medal, a tool kit, and $150 in gift cards to purchase additional tools.
The award ceremony was attended by SkillsUSA state officials and officers including Massachusetts SkillsUSA Executive Director, Karen Ward, CSD, Massachusetts Director of Membership & Program Development, Thomas
Paquette, State President, Brittany Velez of Montachusett RTHS, National Region I Vice President, Kaila O’Farrell of Plymouth South High, State Vice President, Austin Cyganiewicz of Montachusett Regional High, and State Parliamentarian, Jared Berman of Weymouth High.
“We are here to celebrate Daniel’s success as a national champion. While at Keefe Tech, he developed the skills he needed to excel at SkillsUSA. He was one of 61 students from Massachusetts to win a medal at the national level, which means the education that Keefe Tech offers is among the finest in the state,” said SkillsUSA Massachusetts Executive Director Karen Ward in a release.
“The goal of SkillsUSA is to prepare career and technical students to be quality workers and to drive them to develop high quality skills. Daniel’s win is a huge accomplishment. We are very proud of him, his talent, his school, and the fact that he stood up for himself, which also means that he is a leader,” she added.
Keefe Tech Principal Jon Evans explained De Oliveira’s representation of the school on a national level made his award special for everyone.
“We talk about the education and opportunities that our students receive here at Keefe Tech, and when we have a student like Daniel go to SkillsUSA at the national level and win a medal, it says a lot about his talent and the skill of our teachers,” Evans said in a release.
Evans also recognized the hard work of Keefe’s metal fabrication instructors, James Carey, Richard Costa, and Patrick Fogarty.
“I’m extremely proud of Daniel. He put tons of hours into creating his sculpture; after school, before school, during vacations. He never complained, he just kept on working,” said Fogarty, one of De Oliveira’s former instructors.
According to SkillsUSA State President Brittany Velez, De Oliveira embodies SkillsUSA’s goals. “As we can see from Daniel’s success, SkillsUSA helps students to become world class workers and responsible citizens,” she said.
In April 2012 while De Oliveira was a still a senior at Keefe Tech, he won the gold medal in welding sculpture at the SkillsUSA State Leadership and Skills Conference. This win qualified him to represent his state and his school at the National Leadership and Skills Conference over the summer.
Business Tech - Gillette Stadium visit
The Business Technology CTE program were invited to Patriots Stadium for a field trip on Tuesday, October 2, 2012. Working in teams of six, students prepared marketing presentations in advance for the Patriots Art Director. Topics included: increasing memberships to Patriots Hall and increasing the appeal of Patriot Place for teenagers.
After their presentations, the students were invited to participate in the Totally Patriots show being filmed that day with two players, Sterling Moore and Nate Ebner. Be sure to watch for our Keefe Tech students on an upcoming Totally Patriots.