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Orange-Ulster BOCES honored its 50 graduating Practical Nurse (PN) students in a ceremony on Thursday, June 22, 2024, at the Emanuel Axelrod Education Center in Goshen. The ceremony celebrated the culmination of more than 1,100 hours in classroom, lab and clinical instruction.

On June 20, 2024, the Orange-Ulster BOCES Division of Career and Technical Education (CTE), held its 57th annual Student Recognition Ceremony at Eisenhower Hall Theatre in West Point, New York. More than 800 students were honored for completing their various CTE programs. During their two years attending CTE programs, some students earned as many as 20 college credits to jump-start their post-secondary education. More than $30,000 in scholarships for outstanding performance and community service was also awarded to students during the evening ceremonies.

A farewell reception was recently held for 29 retiring employees at Orange-Ulster BOCES. Deborah McBride Heppes, OU BOCES Chief Operating Officer, hosted the afternoon festivities that celebrated the exemplary service of these retirees. 

Orange-Ulster BOCES Career and Technical Education (CTE) hosted a reveal for Including Communities student, David Castellanos, from the Newburgh Enlarged City School District. The CTE Build Team worked diligently on a Magic Wheelchair for David throughout the course of the year. 

Magic Wheelchair is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating custom costumes for children in wheelchairs. Dani Masterson, a volunteer for Magic Wheelchair, shared: "Our mission is to provide children with disabilities the opportunity to experience magic in their lives, and events like this at Orange-Ulster BOCES demonstrate the incredible impact of community service and compassion."

The Orange-Ulster BOCES Career and Technical Education Center inducted 165 members into the National Technical Honor Society (NTHS) in a ceremony at the Emanuel Axelrod Education Center on June 6, 2024.  The OU BOCES chapter of the National Technical Honor Society distinguishes, honors and encourages students who excel at their career and technical education studies and who possess admirable character, attitude, and a strong intellect.

High school seniors who have distinguished themselves in the classroom and the athletic arena were honored on Thursday, June 6, at the annual Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association (OCIAA) Scholar Athlete Awards Breakfast held at the Country Club at Otterkill in Campbell Hall. About 275 people, including honorees, their families, school district personnel, members of the OCIAA Executive Committee and sponsors attended the event.

CTE connects and builds relationships with local businesses through our Advisory Board which meets throughout the course of the year.

Students from the Orange-Ulster BOCES Culinary Arts program were on hand to lend their culinary skills at Catskill Cuisine, an event hosted at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts on Saturday, May 11.

The regional event, in its second year, is designed to showcase the beauty, resurgence and popularity of the Catskills region and its distinct regional cuisine.  The event featured demonstrations from local farmers and restaurants as well as vendors from all over the Catskill region.  Students from the culinary program were on hand to assist with the preparation of many of the sample dishes that were served throughout the site. Culinary Arts Instructor, Casey Posadas said, “It was an amazing opportunity for our students and created a lasting impression on them.

Orange-Ulster BOCES Career and Technical Education students in the Carpentry Program have started construction of 10 tiny homes that will become part of the Rumshock Veterans Village Project in Port Jervis.

Veterans who participate in the program will be able to live in these units for a reduced cost, which will help address housing instability and reduce financial stress. The project’s goal is to provide veterans with a range of valuable skills and experiences that will help them reintegrate into civilian life and pursue meaningful careers.

Forty-seven Orange-Ulster BOCES Career and Technical Education (CTE) students traveled to Syracuse, N.Y., to participate in the New York State SkillsUSA competition held on April 25, 2024. The competition brought together the top CTE students from across the state to showcase their skills and compete in a variety of events.

Kathleen Helhoski won the 2024 John Roy Continuing Social Studies Service Award given by New York State Council for the Social Studies (NYSCSS).  This award recognizes a retired social studies educator who continues in retirement to make significant contributions to social studies education.

Nineteen Orange-Ulster BOCES Career and Technical Education (CTE) students earned medals at the Area IV SkillsUSA Regional Competition held at the Amy Bull Crist Campus in Goshen, N.Y., on Feb. 10, 2024.

Nearly 300 students from various high schools and BOCES facilities showcased the incredible skills they have developed in their CTE program. The annual event featured students from technical schools and BOCES programs throughout the Hudson Valley competing in 38 events ranging from Advertising Design to Welding.

A total of 68 teams from 15 school districts from Orange, Sullivan, Ulster, and Dutchess counties came together to compete in the Mid-Hudson Regional Odyssey of the Mind Competition (New York State Region 5) on Saturday, March 2, 2024. Orange-Ulster BOCES hosted the event at the Emanuel Axelrod Education Center on the Amy Bull Crist Campus in Goshen. 

The Junior Esthetics students recently took a class at "Repechage" which is a luxury spa product company. Students were greeted with smiles, cookies, tea and coffee.

Student clubs at Career and Technical Education have worked together to collect food donations for a local food pantry and Toys for Tots. Student Officers from each club collaborated on making advertisements, flyers, and announcements each day. During the multi-week event students collected a plethora of non-perishable goods that will help those in the community in need during this holiday season. Students also collect a variety of toys to donate to the Toys for Tots. We appreciate all those who donated.

Forrest Addor, Director of Information & Technology at Orange-Ulster BOCES, was honored recently with an Award for Excellence in Administration at the Mid-Hudson School Study Council's annual Awards for Excellence ceremony.

Orange-Ulster BOCES (OUB) Career and Technical Education students Angelina Vargas (S.S. Seward Institute)  and Kayla Flores (Warwick Valley High School), of the Education Academy, attended the SkillsUSA Washington DC Leadership Training Institute (WLTI) as New York State SkillsUSA Officers. Angelina holds the position of Treasurer and Kayla holds the position of Officer at Large. 

Six summer paraeducators earned college credits through the 2023 Orange-Ulster BOCES Supporting Diverse Learners Scholarship program. The courses, run in conjunction with Marist College, enabled recent high school graduates to complete course requirements while completing their responsibilities of supporting special education students’ learning in the extended school year program.

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Orange-Ulster BOCES honored its 28 graduating Practical Nurse (PN) students in a ceremony on Thursday, June 22, 2023, at the Emanuel Axelrod Education Center in Goshen. The ceremony celebrated the culmination of more than 1,100 hours in classroom, lab and clinical instruction.

The OU BOCES Practical Nurse Program is approved by the New York State Education Department Board of Regents. The objective of the program is to provide students with the opportunity to acquire nursing knowledge and skills and to meet the requirements necessary to sit for the New York State Board Examination in Practical Nursing.

The Orange-Ulster BOCES Career and Technical Education Center inducted 98 members into the National Technical Honor Society (NTHS) in a ceremony at the Emanuel Axelrod Education Center on June 8, 2023. The OU BOCES chapter of the National Technical Honor Society distinguishes, honors and encourages students who excel at their career and technical education studies and who possess admirable character, attitude, and a strong intellect.

Congratulations to the Orange-Ulster BOCES student-athletes who participated in the Orange County Elementary Special Olympics on June 3 at Presidential Park Elementary School in Middletown. 

The 17 BOCES students competed against teams from Chester, Marlboro, Middletown, Monroe-Woodbury, Valley Central, Warwick and Washingtonville. The athletes demonstrated their skills in soccer dribbling and shooting as well as passing, dribbling and shooting a basketball. 

Orange-Ulster BOCES Career and Technical Education (CTE)  welcomed Advisory Board members, businesses, community partners and dignitaries for the annual Partnership Breakfast on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, prepared by our Culinary students.

After Chief Operating Officer Deborah Mc Bride Heppes’ welcoming remarks, Orange County Executive, Steve Neuhaus shared the current and projected economic growth throughout the county, voicing the importance and value of CTE.

On Wednesday, April 19, 2023, the Transportation Academy at Orange-Ulster BOCES Career and Technical Education held the second annual Manufacturer’s Day. Representatives from the Orange County area including Healey Chevrolet, Healey Ford, Healey Lincoln, Healey Kia, Subaru Training, Johnstons Subaru, Johnstons Toyota, Sunshine Ford and Friendly Acura.

 During the day’s activities, students from the Automotive Technology and Collision Repair Programs visited each manufacturer and learned about career opportunities at the dealership and corporate levels within the transportation industry.

Running in the hallways is never allowed in schools. Running in place, though, along with jumping, spinning, and following all the other directions of the new sensory pathway in a hallway at Orange-Ulster BOCES Emanuel Axelrod Center in Goshen is encouraged. An outer space-themed sensory pathway was designed and installed by Orange-Ulster BOCES staff for use by students in the building’s special education programs.

This week thirty Orange-Ulster BOCES Career and Technical Education (CTE) students traveled to Syracuse, NY to participate in the New York State SkillsUSA competition held on April 28, 2023. The competition brought together the top CTE students from across the state to showcase their skills and compete in a variety of events.

On Thursday, April 13, 2023 Orange-Ulster BOCES hosted the 2023 Humanities Honoree Awards Ceremony and Breakfast. Thirty-four high school students who have distinguished themselves in the arts and humanities were recognized. This event celebrates seniors and juniors who have stood out amongst their peers by showing an impressive dedication, skill, and commitment to the arts and humanities.

CTE alum, Douglas Houck, visited the Transportation Careers Academy on March 16, 2023.  Douglas spoke to students about his career path after graduating from Orange-Ulster BOCES and Minisink Valley High School in 2004.

The Orange-Ulster BOCES’ Mock Trial Program continued on Saturday, March 25 at the OU BOCES campus with teams from eight school districts competing. The competing school districts were Chester, Goshen, Highland Falls, Middletown, Monroe-Woodbury, Port Jervis, Warwick, and Washingtonville. At the end of the day, two teams - Washingtonville and Goshen - came out as the winners of the semi-finals.

Amy Bull Crist is known for her historic ties to Orange County and for being a pioneer of educational and historical organizations and initiatives throughout the county. Amy was a seventh generation member of the very large Bull Family, whose ancestors were among Orange County’s earliest settlers. She was born on March 9, 1906 and died on May 20, 1995.

A total of 65 teams from 14 school districts from Orange, Sullivan, Ulster, and Dutchess counties came together to compete in the Mid-Hudson Regional Odyssey of the Mind Competition (New York State Region 5) on Saturday, March 4, 2023. Orange-Ulster BOCES hosted the event at the Emanuel Axelrod Education Center on the Amy Bull Crist Campus in Goshen.  

On February 15th and 16th, the students across the Special Ed. Division at Orange-Ulster BOCES celebrated the 100th day of school. Many dressed up as a person who is 100 years old, some counted to 100 and some wrote about things they wanted to do before they turned 100.

Deborah McBride Heppes has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer at Orange-Ulster BOCES. Mrs.Heppes was formerly Deputy Superintendent. She replaces William Hecht, who retired at the end of
December.
Mrs. Heppes has worked in education in Orange County for the past 32 years, including the last 21 at OU BOCES.

Orange-Ulster BOCES Chief Operating Officer William will be retiring at the end of 2022 after leading BOCES for 10 years. The 10 years at BOCES capped Hecht’s 40-year career in education.

Mr. Hecht said he is going to miss the people at BOCES, from the leadership team to the students.

Striving to make a difference ...

The STRIVE Student Government sponsored a Food Drive during the month of November as their first community service event this school year.

The student government officers, under the leadership of their advisor, Mrs. Kristen Smith, collected, organized and assisted in the delivery of over 850 items and gift card donations to the Goshen Food Pantry.

Thank you to all our students, families and staff for your support!

The Orange-Ulster BOCES hosted an Active Shooter Hostile Event training day on November 8, 2022, at their Amy Bull Crist Campus in Goshen.  This initiative represents a partnership between the BOCES, Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the New York State Police.

Sara Puccio, Orange-Ulster BOCES Assistant Director of Career and Technical Education, is one of 23 individuals who have been selected as 2022 Orange County Rising Stars. The Rising Stars either live, work or volunteer in Orange County and will be honored at an event to be held on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022 at The Barn at Villa Venezia in Middletown from 5:30-8:30pm.

Representatives from 13 mid-Hudson school districts and four law enforcement agencies recently attended a training session focused on school safety and security led by the Orange-Ulster BOCES Health & Safety/Risk Management Division.

On June 10-14, 2022, the Orange-Ulster BOCES Division of Career and Technical Education (CTE) held its 55th annual Student Recognition Ceremony at its Arden Hill and Gibson Road campuses in Goshen, N.Y.  Over eight hundred students were honored for completing their various CTE programs.

A farewell reception was recently held for 37 retiring employees at Orange-Ulster BOCES. William J. Hecht, OU BOCES Chief Operating Officer, hosted the afternoon festivities that celebrated the exemplary service of these retirees. 

All of the retirees were congratulated for their success as valuable BOCES staff members and for outstanding commitment to their profession.

OU-BOCES Career and Technical Education (CTE) student Autumn Renna (Cornwall HS) won a bronze medal in Pin Design at the SkillsUSA National Championships in Atlanta last month.
The annual SkillsUSA conference was a showcase of career and technical education where more than 5,200 outstanding career and technical education students - all state contest winners - competed hands-on in 108 different trade, technical and leadership fields.

Orange-Ulster BOCES honored its 47 graduating Practical Nurse (PN) students in a ceremony on Wednesday, June 22, 2022, at the Emanuel Axelrod Education Center in Goshen. The ceremony celebrated the culmination of more than 1,100 hours in classroom, lab, and clinical instruction.

The Orange-Ulster BOCES Career and Technical Education Center inducted 145 members into the National Technical Honor Society (NTHS) in a ceremony. The OU BOCES chapter of the National Technical Honor Society distinguishes, honors and encourages students who excel at their career and technical education studies and who possess admirable character, attitude, and a strong intellect.

On Monday, June 13, 2022, Orange-Ulster BOCES celebrated the accomplishments of outstanding students from our region at the 2022 awards ceremony and luncheon.  The welcome and congratulatory remarks were delivered by Mr. William J. Hecht, Chief Operating Officer of Orange-Ulster BOCES. The keynote speaker was Orange County Executive, Mr. Steven M. Neuhaus.

High school seniors who have distinguished themselves in the classroom and the athletic arena were honored on Thursday, June 2 at the annual Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association (OCIAA) Scholar Athlete Awards Breakfast held at Kuhl’s Highland House in Middletown. About 300 people, including honorees, their families, school district personnel, members of the OCIAA Executive Committee, sponsors and government officials, attended the event. 

Orange-Ulster BOCES recently sent 32 students to Syracuse, N.Y., to participate in the New York State SkillsUSA competition. OU-BOCES students Autumn Rena (Cornwall HS) took gold in Pin Design, and Makayla McKelvey (Pine Bush HS) took gold in Esthetics. Lianna Vargas (Chester Academy) was elected as  NYS treasurer for SkillsUSA. The OU-BOCES SkillsUSA Chapter earned the Chapter of Excellence Gold award.

On Wednesday, April 20, 2022, the Transportation Academy at Orange-Ulster BOCES Career and Technical Education held the first annual Manufacturer’s Day. Corporate representatives from Chevrolet, GMC, Ford, Kia, Mercedes Benz, Subaru, Snap-On Tools Industrial, and Toyota attended.

Orange-Ulster BOCES’ Amy Bull Crist Youth in Government Program students from six local school districts participated in Orange County Service Day on Friday, April 8th. The Amy Bull Crist Youth in Government Program for high school students strives for maximum understanding of and participation in county and state government by the future voters and office holders of America.

Orange-Ulster BOCES would like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of all of the New York State Mock Trial Region 4 Tournament students, advisors, attorney coaches, and local judges who participated in the 2022 New York State Mock Trial Region 4 Tournament.

Thirteen Orange-Ulster BOCES Career and Technical Education (CTE) students earned medals at the SkillsUSA Area IV Regional Conference at OU BOCES.

Watch the video of the 2022 SkillsUSA Area IV Regional Competition Awards Ceremony that was held at Orange-Ulster BOCES in Goshen on Sunday, March 13, 2022 from 3:00-3:45pm.

A total of 58 teams from 13 schools from Orange, Sullivan, Ulster, and Dutchess counties came together to compete in  the Mid-Hudson Regional Odyssey of the Mind Competition (New York State Region 5) on Saturday, March 5, 2022. Orange Ulster BOCES hosted the event at the Emanuel Axelrod Education Center on the Amy Bull Crist Campus in Goshen.

On November 2nd, Orange-Ulster BOCES held its annual Conference Day. This year’s theme was “Equity and Care for All,” which emphasized the importance of both staff and students feeling welcome, safe, and having fair and inclusive access to academic resources.

During this day of professional learning participants had the option of choosing from three keynote sessions, 17 live webinars, and 32 self-paced, asynchronous courses.

Two Orange-Ulster BOCES (OU BOCES) staff members and one board member were recently recognized with Mid-Hudson School Study Council’s annual Awards for Excellence.

Recently, the Goshen Chamber of Commerce hosted representatives from Orange-Ulster BOCES, including administration and three Career & Technical Education (CTE) students, as featured guest speakers at their September networking breakfast.

Dear Orange-Ulster BOCES Community,

I hope this letter finds you in good health and good spirits. I am writing to update you on the status of our plan to open our schools and programs to in-person instruction for all students, faculty and staff on September 1st. You may have already heard that the New York State Department of Health will not provide schools with any guidance for September and they have advised us to follow the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) for opening schools. On August 10th the New York State Education Commissioner Dr. Betty Rosa sent a letter to all Superintendents to inform us that the New York State Education Department is in the process of developing a summary guidance document to aid schools and districts as they prepare for the 2021-2022 school year. The document will be based on the CDC and AAP guidance.

July 28, 2021 - Letter from Mr. William J. Hecht regarding updated mask guidance.

On Wednesday, June 23, 2021, Orange-Ulster BOCES honored its 36 graduating Practical Nurse (PN) students in an outdoor ceremony at the Regional Education Center at Arden Hill in Goshen. The ceremony celebrated the culmination of more than 1,100 hours in classroom, lab, and clinical instruction.

OU BOCES partnered with Garnet Health Medical Center to vaccinate nearly 200 Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Special Education students in a clinic on Tuesday, April 27, at the Emanuel Axelrod Education Center.

There’s a new doctor in the house at Washingtonville Middle School.  Assistant Principal Melissa Pittman recently defended her doctoral dissertation at Manhattanville College and earned the title of Dr. Melissa Pittman.

Dr. Pittman enrolled in the Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership as part of the inaugural Orange-Ulster BOCES Signature Cohort 1 two years ago, but she actually started working on her doctorate about 10 years earlier. As she said, life got in the way - but just temporarily.