Southeastern’s Summer Academy Receives Great Reviews

Whether learning to apply a Mint Julep facial, or building a creative Tower of Terror, middle school students said they enjoyed the many creative activities at this year’s Summer Academy. The program took place in the mornings for two weeks for July 9th and 16th and it included children from ages 10 to 13, many of whom plan to attend or apply to Southeastern.

“I am going here next year, so I wanted to try it out. I wanted to gain some skills and see the school as well,” said Shearrion Tauzanaya, of Brockton.

Shearrion chose the “Glam Squad” classes, which taught introductory skills in cosmetology, including makeup, hairstyling, manicures, and facials, taught by two licensed cosmetologists, Corrine Pestana and Debbie Lapworth. Teachers at the high school or Southeastern Technical institute taught all classes, and they focused on applied learning and extra curricula activities.

“The goal is to help build our high school culture and encourage the students, as young as fifth grade, to think about the next step in their future,” said Derek Ferris, Admissions Counselor.

The students participated in a diverse range of classes including welding, building bicycles, creative painting, robotics, cosmetology, and ancient weaponry. Lucas Douglas of Brockton, who attended the “DaVinci Code” ancient weaponry classes, said he liked building a catapult out of Popsicle sticks and a Medieval war mask out of cardboard.

“I like how I got to be myself and try out all these creative things,” he said.

Classes also helped to build introductory skills in building and welding. In “Pedals for Southeastern,” students took apart and rebuilt used bicycles donated from the Easton Police Department. In the “World of Welding,” students created Patriots’ and Bruins’ Logos and dragons out of metal. Towards the end of the session, two of the students built a Tower of Terror out of scrap metal that included dragons and a skull mask that the students created.

Vocational Director Leslie Weckesser said the school plans to expand the program next year to include morning and afternoon sessions. She said students and parents gave excellent responses towards the program in a survey. The responses included outstanding ratings for the instructors, class content (both educational and enjoyment factors) and program affordability.

Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School is a public 9-12 vocational high school located in South Easton, Massachusetts, serving approximately 1,400 students. The Southeastern District serves students from the city of Brockton and the towns of East Bridgewater, Easton, Foxboro, Mansfield, Norton, Sharon, Stoughton, and West Bridgewater.