After over a YEAR of planning, CJPS and Staff Sergeant Brown of the CT National Guard were finally able to make the 3-DAY, 2-NIGHT, 1-SHOP FAMILY disaster deployment experience a reality. This EPIC camping trip was a chance to show students they could do things they didn't think they were capable of. For many, this was a first experience without power, running water, or quality sleep yet the whole group came together to solve problems and put others first.
We cannot tell you how proud we all are of the sophomores and juniors and the whole CJPS family. This was the best experience we have had as teachers since we started and we all became a closer shop family.

Thank you to everyone that made this happen; All the members of the CT National Guard that donated their time, Mr. Noonan driving the bus on his own time, the cafeteria staff at the school, the Westbrook Dunkin Donuts, and all the parents who supported us. We Could NOT have done this without you all.

A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO STAFF SERGEANT BROWN WHO WORKED FOR MONTHS MAKING THIS ENTIRE EXPERIENCE A REALITY!!!

A few months ago, our shop linked up with the Iwo Jima Memorial Historical Foundation to help clean up the National Memorial and help remember the veterans of the battle. The students were so moved by meeting the veterans and seeing the memorial that they decided they wanted to help several times a year going forward; quite a noble gesture for a group of teenagers. Today, the National Iwo Jima Memorial Historical Foundation, represented by President Raymond Carrier, presented the classes with a Certificate of Appreciation. It was an unexpected surprise and a special thanks to Ray's wife Elaine for her famous cookies :)

A good friend and an always-available resource for the shop, Officer Bloom and K9 Koda stopped by today for an introduction on tracking, recovery, safety, and some laughs. Although the students tried to sacrifice us for an attack demonstration, the questions were great and Koda enjoyed meeting the students. It was also a great opportunity for the students to learn about the Middletown Police Explorer program and other opportunities available to them outside of shop. Thank you Officer Bloom!!

CJPS Seniors had one of their most memorable classes thanks to Vinal Alum Aidan Neely. Aidan reached out to our program and invited the students in for a federally-sponsored Traffic Incident Management course for responders. Students learned all about highway and road safety and how responders can be doing better. The course was a springboard dive into a world that was just eye opening. The statistics on secondary crashes is staggering and the State's DOT Operations Center is specifically designed to make the roadways safer and help clear accidents quicker, reducing injuries/fatalities and improving commerce. Aidan and his team were amazing and the students were happy to see many of the things they have learned such as national incident management and even drones, had practical applications to making the roadways safer. The students were even able to control the traffic cameras around the state and watch the Vice Presidential motorcade live! Excellent few days that now seniors will be able to experience annually!

On Tuesday, 5/10/2022, a large brush fire began in Middletown and by Wednesday morning, the fire had grown to approximately 250 acres. CJPS Juniors grabbed the shop thermal imaging drone, contacted our shop partners, and left for some real-world learning. Students learned about the specialized equipment that wildland firefighters use, forest growth phases, controlled burn techniques, and even methods of division and containment. Students were able to see all of these in action and learn about many new careers available to them when they graduate.

Mr. L led quite a lively mock trial that included several unruly jurors, a witness that "flatlined" mid-testimony, and a ton of laughs. With the Honorable Judge Emma presiding, the case began with opening statements and evidence from a real case the students had to dissect prior while learning courtroom procedure. The prosecution and defense worked diligently and were very impressive. At one point, even the credibility of Mr. Cruickshank was called into question by the defense team (which led to everyone failing the assignment of course ha). Objections were made, witnesses and officers were interviewed; and even the accused took the stand. In the end, the accused was found guilty and a fair sentence was handed down. Without the students' knowledge, the real court came to a similar conclusion and a very similar sentence. Impressive work and lots of laughs!

It was a nice day and we felt like getting out of the classroom so we decided to put the book work on hold for a little bit and get outside. A special thank you to Troop F and our SRO for giving us some practice with speed lasers at the Troop F barracks on I-95. Gave us some practice on our motor vehicle law too!

We are very proud of our students for volunteering to help out at the Iwo Jima Memorial for the Spring clean up of the National Memorial. Students helped place 100 flags to honor those killed from Connecticut, picked up branches, raked leaves, picked up trash, and weeded. Excellent job. See them in action on NBC30, WTNH, & the Middletown Press.