REEDY CREEK BUSINESS ALLIANCE

"local businesses making a difference in education"

**Community Business Alliance Members**

Neil Thomas Alliance Chair Sales Leader Nortel Networks	Tiffanee Gwaltney Vice President of Education & Finance Cary Chamber of Commerce	Dr. Paul Krasner Psychologist Family Counselling Private Cary Practice


Lynn Vogel Marketing John Deere	Dr. Mac Law Veterinary Medicine NC State	Jane Purtell Jane AllenPurtell and Associates Fonville Morrisey Real Estate


Phyllis Ovens Human Resources City of Cary	Rochelle Guilford Career Development Coordinator Reedy Creek Middle	Lawrence Jackson Principal Reedy Creek Middle


Debra Hopson Instructional Resource AVID Reedy Creek Middle	Ivy Bodkins Family & Consumer Science Reedy Creek Middle	Sunshine Evans-Salter 8th Grade Counsellor Reedy Creek Middle


Barry Squires Assistant Principal Reedy Creek Middle

Our Mission:

At Reedy Creek Middle School we are pleased to have an active "Business Alliance" (BA) leadership team. BA Teams consist of School Administrators and Educators collaborating with representatives from local businesses. Our team mission is to foster career awareness among our students and to help prepare them for the important life-career decisions ahead. We sponsor 3-4 major events a year incuding Career Fairs, Professiona Days, Career Awareness Seminars and Job Skills instruction. If you're interested in learning more about our Business Alliance, or possibly joining our team, please contact our RCMS Career Coordinator, Rochelle Guiford - 460-3515. Through local business leaders and educators teaming together, we can make a difference!

New for 2007-2008:

It is time to start planning for our Annual 8th Grade Career Fair on November 8th from 10 - 12. Please take a look at our invitation to businesses to kick start and motivate our 8th Graders' career planning and high school course selection. INVITATION. Students rate this event as memorable and very much appreciate the interest that the community shows!

Outline of 2006-2007 Major Activities:

Annual 8th Grade Career Fair held in November. - usually 35 different careers are represented. Students interview career representatives on an individual or small group basis to gather information that will help in making future educational and career decisions. 8th grade students plan a high school course of study and actually select high school courses in March. Students have rated this activity very highly, year after year.

Annual 7th Grade Career Day is a full-day of career exploration activities highlighted by student and staff presentations depicting the best and worst ways to get a job! Our dressed for success students will be judged by the Alliance and rewarded with gift certificates from our business partner, PLATO'S CLOSET, where the students can use their prizes to continue to dress for success!

2007 Grade 6 Vehicles in Motion was held on Friday, June 1, 10:00 to 12:30: READ ALL ABOUT IT!

2007 Grade 7 Career Day- was held on Monday, June 4th. READ ALL ABOUT IT!

General Alliance Activities:

Wake County School-to-Career Explorations - site has career explorations resources and tools

Current Career Activities:

Grade 8 Career Explorations - FUTURES FOR KIDS
Students login to f4k.org to take an interest inventory and explore careers related to their interests. The site is rich with current information and linked to CFNC (College Foundation of North Carolina) where they will be making their high school plan in February 2007.

Online Application - Youth Employment Certificate for Youth under 18 yrs.

Student must know the employer's name, address, business type (retail, restuarant...), and the job to be performed in order to fill-out the online form. The form is then printed and signed by the parent and employer.

Highlights of Past Alliance Activities:

8TH Grade Career Fair - a total of 35 participants from various business, agencies and colleges presented a broad spectrum of careers for the students to investigate. The event is held annually in November. Students have always given the fair a grand "thumbs-up. Iindividually or in small groups, the students interview the participants to learn about the skills and aptitudes necessary for various jobs.

This year the students also learned about the negative effects of poor decision making on future job possibilities. Using information provided by a local law firm, Manning and Crouch, for the Career and Technical Department of WCPSS, Ms. Megan Kirkpatrick challenged the students to consider the long term effects DWIs, misdemeanors, pranks, computer hacking on college acceptance and employment opportunities. Take the test in English or Spanish. Answers are here

Take a Child to Work Day - Last Tuesday of the month of April. This activity is for grade 8s only and is part of a national program to introduce students to career opportunities. Click the link to access permission and information forms in both English and Spanish

Careers in Motion 2006

Grade 6: Health Career Awareness- was held on June 2, 2006. Click the link to see the list of cooperating institutions and speakers from 2006.. They provided several hours of wonderful and enjoyable career information .