NBHS02/17/06 Friday, February 17, 2006 was a day dedicated to thinking about the future for North Brookfield High School students. The day was filled with activities designed to help students visualize the many possibilities for their lives and to enable them to better think about and plan for their own futures.
The day began with a morning assembly and opening remarks from Principal David Hackenson and Superintendent Erin Nosek. During the morning, students attended three panel session of their own choosing. Each panel has three community volunteers, a total of 48 presenters, who came to speak about their own experiences and how they came to do what it is they do. The presenters represented a wide variety of careers: Photographer, Disc Jockey; Psychiatric Nurse; Architect; Marketing Executive, Materials Management, Apparel Sales Representative, Department of Environmental Protection Officer, State Police Dive Team, Crime Scene Investigator, Petroleum Engineer, Safety Expert... and many more.
During the noon sessions, Juniors and Seniors met with college students who gave them the real scoop on college life and studies. Freshmen and Sophmores logged on to the internet to investigate career options on bridges.com, a comprehensive site designed for helping Junior High and High School students identify interests and skills and match them to future careers. Many presenters from the morning sessions were also able to join us for lunch which gave students a chance to talk further with them.
The day ended with a guest speaker, Bill Phillips, whose entertaining talk helped tie the choices you make with the future you create.
Thank you to all of the students, teachers, PTA members, and other volunteers who helped make the day such a great success! ... and thank you, especially, to all of our presenters for taking the time to talk with our students and to help them understand how they can go about making their own dreams come true. For a List of this year's Panel Presenters ... |
Bill Phillips Speaks at NBHS Career Day 2006
NBHS02/17/06 On Friday, February 17, 2006, the North Brookfield High School held a Career day packed with activities to enable students to better think about and plan for their own futures. Junior High Students joined the High School students at the end of the day to hear a guest speaker, Bill "Phipps" Phillips.
 Bill Phillips is the founder of New Beginnings, a program created in 1985 and dedicated to helping young people make informed and responsible decisions concerning the use of drugs and alcohol. " The emphasis is on helping young adults to make responsible decisions by providing them with current and accurate information regarding the effects and dangers of alcohol and drugs." *
In addition to giving a lively talk that was at times entertaining and at times heart-wrenching, he provided the students with a simulation of what "under the influence" feels like through the use of specially designed goggles. Volunteers who donned the goggles were asked to do some simple tasks, like standing on one foot or throwing or catching a ball. It was immediately clear to everyone that each volunteer's ability to function was greatly impaired.
His talk touched on not only the effects of drugs and alcohol on the body, but their effects on relationships and on a person's ability to do something with his or her life ... the ability to achieve and become what you want to be. One of the most interesting points was when he was able to get the entire room, students and staff alike, to join in "group mentality" and to follow his instructions about what to do ... even though the instructions he gave were wrong and made no sense. After the laughter, it was a wake-up to all of us that we should remember to engage our brains before making choices or just following along ...
The 90- minutes that Mr. Phillips spoke flew by and was a fitting end to a day dedicated to thinking about the future.
To contact Bill Phillips, or to find out more about his program, please visit his website at nbprograms.com.
*Quotation from nbprograms.com |
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