Bylaws, Policies & Administrative Guidelines
Vocational Agriculture Department
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Agriculture, Vocational (2/3/11)
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Athletics (2/3/11)
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Music (2/3/11)
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Caston Ag Students Earn Dual Credit From Purdue (Rochester Sentinel, 2/3/11)
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Caston FFA Top 20 In State
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Caston FFA Top 20 In
State
West Lafayette, Indiana - Purdue
University was host to the 81st Indiana FFA State Convention June 14th-16th,
2010. “Driven by the Blue, Guided by the Gold” served as the theme for the
annual convention of 9,600 Indiana FFA members.
This year’s State Convention was filled with exciting opportunities for the
3,500 Convention attendees. Caston
FFA Members include: Hali Berry, Maggie Daily, Blain Hizer, Bryant Liming, Sarah
McManus, Elizabeth Mettler, Katelyn Miller, Jacob Miller, Jada Powlen, Christen
Sailors, Olivia Thomas, and Paige Thomas.
On Monday FFA Members participated in
the State Leadership Career Development Events.
Jada Powlen participated in the Horticulture & Landscape Management
Demonstration Area. Elizabeth Mettler and Jada Powlen participated in the
Marketing Career Development Events and developed a marketing plan for a
Strawberry Farm. Hali Berry and
Katelyn Miller demonstrated there skills in Marketing Career Development Events
by making a marketing plan for Twigs, Berries, and Luminaries Soy Candles.
Kory Moudy was the State Winner in his
Swine Production Placement Proficiency Area.
He earned the opportunity to submit his application for the National
Proficiency Contest. Jada Powlen was the State Runner-up in Fruit Production
Entrepreneurship Placement Proficiency.
Megan Powell & Emily Sailors
received their Hoosier FFA Degree on Tuesday evening, the highest honor an
Indiana FFA member can receive.
Sarah McManus and Elizabeth Mettler
both ran for a District Office on Wednesday afternoon and Sarah was elected as
District 2 Sentinel. Paige Thomas
ran for State Officer Candidate which includes three days of interviewing, a
written test, current event and Ag Issue questions.
Project Impact is a community service
program. Caston’s community service program includes a backpack program where
we send food home to forty-eight different families once a week during the
school year. Caston FFA Members placed 4th in the State for this very
worth while project.
(Source: Cari Butcher, Caston Agriculture, Science & Business Teacher & FFA Advisor)
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| CERTIFIED Caston High School agriculture teacher Cari Butcher is certified by Purdue University to teach two dual-credit courses to her students. |
Caston
Ag Students Earn Dual Credit From
Purdue (Rochester Sentinel, 2/3/11)
(This article was originally published in "The
Rochester Sentinel's 2011 Annual Farm Edition" on January 31, 2011. Bold type and highlighting have been added by the
Webmaster.)
By Troy Pryor
Staff Writer, The Sentinel
Caston High School agriculture students are
able to take classes that give them not only high school, but college credits at
Purdue University.
The courses, advanced life science animals and
advanced life science plant and soil, have been offered since 2008. Taught by
Caston agriculture teacher Cari Butcher, they are dual credit courses.
Butcher also teaches an agriculture business class through Vincennes University, which she said she particularly enjoys. The curriculum teaches students to balance checkbooks, develop net worth statements and create balance sheets.
There are 46 Indiana high schools offering Purdue’s dual-credit agriculture courses.
Butcher, 29, said course standards are set by Purdue. The university creates and sends the final exams to Butcher. She sends the completed exams back to Purdue to be graded.
Purdue set other standards for Caston to be
able to offer the classes. The teacher must at least be working towards their
master’s degree. Butcher earned her bachelor of science in agriculture
education in 2002 from Purdue and her master of science in youth development and
agriculture education in 2006 from Purdue.
Students qualify for the courses by passing biology and chemistry I with at
least a C grade. They also must be at least in their junior year.
Currently 13 students are enrolled in Butcher’s plant class and eight in her animal class. Numbers are lower than Butcher would like, but with a possible 200 total students she’s satisfied. "The number depends on how well you recruit," Butcher said, adding the students also "need to want to take a college course."
These courses are equivalent to Purdue’s introduction to biology class or Botany 210. The advantages of dual credit are a smaller classroom setting, a familiar instructor and cheaper tuition. Caston students can take the courses for $98.15, which is one-third the cost it would be at Purdue.
Students who are not planning to pursue a degree in agriculture, or even attend Purdue, stand to gain as well, Butcher said. Nearly every major university requires introductory biology classes. By taking the animal and plant courses at Caston, students have one less class to take in college.
Butcher said that the courses also help prepare students for the rigors of college life. "It helps them understand, if they have the responsibility to study." she said.
Job preparation is another advantage to these courses. They are entry level for every agriculture major at Purdue and botany is entry level for almost every major at Purdue. Butcher said the curriculum can prepare students for a "plethora" of jobs ranging from sales and marketing, to economics and pre-veterinary work.