On Tuesday, September 20, and Wednesday, September 21, eighth grade students from Central Cambria Middle School, had the opportunity to visit the Cambria County Courthouse and Jail. Students who attended the field trip learned about the Criminal Justice system and had the chance to sit in and listen to Superior Court cases. Students were then taken on a tour of the Courthouse to visit different offices and given a brief explanation of each office’s role. Hailey Wagner found it to be a “very interesting and educational experience.”After visiting the courthouse, the students were then taken to the Cambria County Jail.
The Cambria County Jail workers gave the eighth graders a tour as well. Students learned how the process works when someone is brought into jail. They also saw a jail cell and even got to taste the jail food. The food received mixed reviews. Sean Snyder said “It wasn’t too bad”, while Hailey Wagner replied that “It looked like mystery meat.” Students ended their trip by visiting the Admiral Perry Vo-Tech to check out some of the courses that are offered. “It lets us know that we have options other than college,” remarked Hunter Fedora. “I thought about and have picked my future career,” said Emmily Michaels who wants to work in early childhood. Future Careers were also discussed when eighth graders were brought back to the school. Four speakers from different careers were brought in to talk to students. The speakers included Miss Joelle Reilly, Mr. Shawn Simmers, Mrs. Ayn Van Dyke, and Ms. Ribarich.
The first speaker was Miss Reilly, from Communities in Schools of the Laurel Highlands. Reilly spoke with students about setting goals and ways to achieve them. She also provided students with tips so that if those goals change, they can still be achieved. Goal setting was demonstrated through different group activities.
The second speaker was Mr. Simmers, from CoGen Ebensburg. Simmers talked to students about fluidized bed boilers. He explained to students the process of how a bed boiler works. The plant takes boney from the boney piles, mixes it with lime, and burns it to make clean electricity. “I think it is amazing what can be done with old coal to turn it into electricity and to help the environment,” said Hailey Wagner. Simmers plans to return later in the year to work with the eighth graders and make working models of a bed boiler. All of the students are looking forward to the experience.
The third speaker was Mrs. Van Dyke from Kritter Kamp. Van Dyke taught students about wildlife rescue. She talked about her career and her role at the Kritter Kamp. Van Dyke brought in live animals and introduced them to students. She told students what they should and should not do when they come across an animal that needs help.
The fourth speaker was Ms. Ribarich, our guidance counselor. She spoke to students about different careers and choosing the right one. Students got to visit careercruising.com which is a site that takes the students interests and matches them to a career. The students can develop a plan for high school and even college courses. The site also shows details about each career. Some of the details include: education needed, salary, and the work environment. This site is also used in the high school and can be accessed from home.
Overall, it was a very interesting and educational two days. Students had the opportunity to learn from the community and to start thinking and planning for their future.
