Columbia City High School

It's National School Lunch Week! 🍔🍎 This week, our cafeterias are serving up some delicious and nutritious meals that students love: Today was a student favorite- breakfast for lunch! Pictured is a pan of warm cinnamon rolls served at Mary Raber. Tomorrow we will be trying a new recipe at the middle and high schools- a cajun chicken pasta! And Friday will be another student favorite- it's pizza day! We're committed to providing balanced, tasty lunches that fuel our students for learning. Celebrate #NationalSchoolLunchWeek with us this week!

The junior class at Columbia City High School was formally introduced to the array of Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways available to them for their senior year! With more than 24 different CTE programs to offer, CCHS students have the opportunity to dive deep into their own interests and passions, gaining valuable hands-on experience and industry-relevant skills that will set them up for success beyond high school. From agriculture, fire and EMT, engineering and computer science to culinary arts and advanced manufacturing, the CTE options at CCHS provide students with a glimpse into potential future careers, empowering them to make informed decisions about their post-graduation plans. During a class meeting introducing the CTE programs, juniors had the chance to learn about the various pathways from Jennifer Reiff, WCCS CTE Director, and Lori Heuer, WCCS Talent Development Director. Applications for the CTE programs will be available soon, and CCHS school counselors will guide students through their applications during their junior class meetings. Whether a student is interested in pursuing a four-year degree, a skilled trade, or immediate employment, the CTE offerings at CCHS open the door to a world of opportunity. We can't wait to see the CCHS Class of 2024 embark on their CTE journeys and unlock their full potential. The future is bright for these talented eagles! #CTE #WCCSExperiences #WCCSRelationshipBuildes

Intern Spotlight | Our community entrepreneurs have been some of our longest partnerships! Schrader Real Estate and Auction is no exception. This semester Schrader's is hosting Austin who wants to be an entrepreneur himself. Did you know Scharader's makes all of their publication material in-house?! Cool, right? Austin gets to see all sides of business, marketing, and real estate for a few hours during the school day to help prepare him for his future! Thank you, Schrader's! #ExperienceWCCS #WCCSRelationshipBuilders #CTE

Intern Spotlight | Unique experiences for individual students make sure internships are the most impactful in guiding future decisions. Meet Abby! Abby was a student who wasn't too sure she wanted to go to college and has since fallen in love with radiology. During her internship with Parkview Whitley, Abby has applied and been accepted to a radiology program in Indiana! Abby's Career and Technical Education (CTE) course Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) with Mr. Bock was a great foundation for Abby to find her passion! Abby is a Columbia City High School senior in the Service Adacemy with a Health and Human Services Career Focus! The service academy is one of three at Columbia City High School. Thank you, Parkview Whitley Radiology team for hosting and for supporting student success! #ExperienceWCCS #WCCSRelationshipBuilders #CTE

Intern Spotlight | Nearly 100 businesses partner with CCHS and WCCS CTE Programs to host our student interns! Our spotlight today includes Alivia, who applies classroom principles from her marketing classes at Coldwell Banker. This experience helped Alivia decide to continue her business education in the future! Thank you, Rachel and Coldwell Banker for hosting Alivia! #ExperienceWCCS #WCCSRelationshipBuilders #CTE

Thank you to Parkview Health for hosting several CCHS' current and former Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) students for Launch Day. It was a great opportunity to learn about careers with Parkview, resume and interview tips, career planning and potential college options for different programs. Selected students were then invited to stay for a career-specific job shadow. To learn more about CCMA or the Health and Human Services Career Focus visit: https://www.wccsonline.com/o/cchs/page/overview-certification-programs-hhs #CTE #ExperienceWCCS #WCCSRelationshipBuilders

CTE Spotlight | Last week students from the Fire and EMS Academy at Columbia City High School completed their extrication training as part of their fire and rescue education. The training involved practical, hands-on exercises simulating vehicle accidents, where students learned to safely remove victims using specialized tools and techniques. This essential component of their curriculum enhances their skills in emergency response, preparing them for real-world situations in the field. A special thank you to AllPro Towing of Columbia City for the use of their facility and providing cars!

All WCCS Skyward SMS 2.0 systems will be down beginning Friday, October 11th at 6:00 p.m. and continuing until 7:00 p.m. Saturday, October 12th, while our host is installing the latest updates. Please refrain from making eFunds payments during this time, as well, because they may not be properly recorded.

Today the Manufacturing, Engineering and Technology (MET) Career Focus students attended Ivy Tech Community College Skilled Trades Career Exploration Fair in Fort Wayne. The students had opportunities to visit leading companies in various MET careers and even practiced some simulated welding and ran a cobot! While they were at the event, students had to complete a worksheet that asked them to engage with numerous companies of their interest and gain career insights before reflecting on the trip when they arrived back to school this afternoon. Mr. Keener and Mr. Rusher were the leading teachers with several CCHS teachers/staff members chaperoning. Thank you! #WCCSExperience #WCCSRealtionshipBuilders

Seniors – Do you have questions about how to pay for college? Get the answers you need during our Financial Aid Presentation and FSA ID Workshop this evening. Experts from @INvestEdIndiana will share an overview of funding options and assist families with creating FSA IDs. Join us tonight at 6 p.m. Enter Door 1.

Construction Trades | Experiences are valued in partnership with our curriculum so the Construction Trades have applied their classroom learning and skills. If they're at the shop, hosting visits from Reith-Riley, or even visiting local construction projects, there are invaluable learning opportunities at CCHS. Thank you, Emily from Reith-Riley, Mission 25, MKS, Farm Credit, and City of Columbia City Beyond the Kitchen for your time, expertise, and commitment to Career and Technical Education. As instructor Krill says, "you have to learn it to earn it!" This program is well on its way. #WCCSrelationshipbuilders #ExperienceWCCS

Today, the Columbia City High School Fire and EMS Academies, and Mrs Robert’s Education Professionals completed QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) training, equipping students with essential skills to identify and support individuals struggling with mental health challenges or suicidal thoughts. This program focuses on teaching students how to ask the right questions, provide hope, and refer people to appropriate resources. By incorporating QPR into their curriculum, the academy enhances the preparedness of future first responders to handle not only physical emergencies but also mental health crises, contributing to a more comprehensive approach to public safety. A special thanks to Mikaela Conley Bixler, Ciara Bolling and the Warsaw - Wayne Fire Territory for this opportunity! Shared from Zach Rumsyre, Fire Instructor #wccsrelationshipbuilders #ExperienceWCCS

Happening this week! Financial Aid Night and College Planning for our Class of 2025. October 2, 2024, at 6 p.m. #ExperienceWCCS #WCCSRelationshipBuilders

Columbia City High School Fine Arts presents Beauty and the Beast! Tickets are on sale now. Friday, November 8, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, November 9 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Purchase Tickets here: https://cur8.com/18800/project/125271?fbclid=IwY2xjawFfj71leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHRA8Vp6eWFon14dczXek4GJvNMEVxA-ScR4D_vAheyFuisQtZdTOPbx35Q_aem_1gLvr9Yb0eFEqAaL2tMnZw Tickets are $10 each and a show you won't want to miss. Bring your princess and beasts to a Tea Party with Mrs. Potts following the 2 p.m. show on Saturday! #ExperienceWCCS #BeautyandtheBeast

Intern Spotlight | Did you know this semester nearly 150 CCHS seniors are experiencing career opportunities with local partnerships? Our spotlight today includes Aydin who is with Shambaugh and Sons. After completing the Welding Pathway at CCHS, Aydin continues his education in the field and the MET Career Focus. Thank you, Shambaugh and Sons. #ExperienceWCCS #WCCSRelationshipBuilders #CTE

Intern Spotlight | Aleighya is at Mary Raber Childcare. This student has plans to continue her education in education. CCHS has three academies, Eagle Tech Academy. Service Academy and Innovation Academy, within those three academies are career focus areas. Aleighya falls into the Health and Human Services Career Focus since she interns in education. Thank you WCCS teachers and staff for hosting our students for their experiences. #WCCSRelationshipBuilders #ExperienceWCCS #CTE

Automotive CTE | Our brand new automotive trades program has been successful at CCHS. The program is possible, in large part, because to our friends at City Auto Mall, City Chevy & City Ford who graciously donated the space and created the shop for our students. They also donate vehicles for our students to learn with. The automotive program certifies students in Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). The CTE Automotive instructor is Mr. Chris Cuney! This is what building relationships are all about! #CTE #ExperienceWCCS #WCCSRelationshipBuilders

We’ll host a Financial Aid Presentation and FSA ID Workshop for seniors and families on October 2, 2024, at CCHS beginning at 6 p.m.. Our friends at @INvestEdIndiana will provide an overview of the financial aid process and then help families create their FSA IDs. Mark your calendars now as you don’t want to miss this event.

Following yesterday's threat, Whitley County Consolidated Schools wants to thank our Whitley County Sheriff Department and Columbia City Police Department, along with the Indiana State Police, for their organized response and communication with our WCCS administration in resolving this incident. Our relationship with the police department stood up to the test of a threat, thank you. Secondly, we know communication to our families can seem vague. Student and staff safety is our highest priority. We want to assure you we take all threats about our school and students very seriously and we act on them quickly. We share the details as soon as we can. Due to the nature of the threat, confidentiality has been upheld. WCCS is taking necessary disciplinary action for the student(s) involved. Parents, please speak with your child(ren) about their role in school safety. It is crucial that if a student sees something, or hears something, they need to say something. From the police, the investigation would have gone smoother if the initial social media post hadn’t been shared and re-routed so many times. When students know something, they should report the incident to either a staff member, police, or other authoritative figure, instead of sharing the post with their peers. This way authorities can begin the investigation and determine the severity and legitimacy of the threat. Students can also use the anonymous tip line of STOPit via wccsonline.com/page/stopit or the mobile app. STOPit allows students and family members the power to help end harmful and inappropriate behavior they see online through social media, hear of incidents, and other means. STOPit can be used to report bullying, cyberbullying, discrimination, harassment, violence, threats, weapons, alcohol or drug-related issues, mental health struggles like suicidal ideations, or any other concerns. This is a community that cares deeply for our students and their safety. We want you to know that while this incident did cause fear and concern, our systems worked the way they were supposed to and we saw clear evidence of our ongoing training and preparedness for crisis response. As a reminder, official communication comes through the WCCS app (Whitley County Consolidated Schools in Google Play or App Store), Whitley County Consolidated Schools Facebook, WCCSonline.com, and email notifications, or as a phone call. Parents should verify their Skyward accounts are accurate. We know communication is a personal preference and continue to work to build transparent systems that work for all. Please know that we will continue to build on what we learned yesterday and today, what went well and what can be improved.

Friday, Sept. 13 | The Columbia City Police have identified the source of the initial post. There is no threat to student safety. There will be increased police presence today, however, we know the threat was not credible. Thank you CC Police Department for your investigation and support of our student and staff safety.