Greenville High School provides a range of Career Technical Education (CTE) courses that blend the foundational knowledge gained in core classes with practical technical and occupational skills essential for students' post-high school pursuits. Among these elective courses, there's Jamie Pecylak's Child Development class, where students have the opportunity to earn college credit through SUNY Cobleskill. To achieve this credit, students engage in "observation" hours, which involve hands-on interaction with children. Under Mrs. Pecylak's guidance, students visit partnered elementary classrooms, supporting teachers with lessons, working in group settings, and serving as reading partners or one-on-one assistants. Some students in this class aspire to careers in teaching and human services. Elementary students eagerly anticipate these high school "friends" visiting their classes. Following these weekly visits, students reflect on their experiences in journal observations, linking developmental theories to what they witnessed.
Another popular class at Greenville this year is Matt Lacy's Sports Marketing class. This relatively recent addition to the curriculum aims to make learning about fundamental marketing and management principles enjoyable, with a focus on the sports and entertainment industry. The class emphasizes group activities, hands-on projects, field trips, and lively discussions on current events. Recently, students in this class have been involved in the marketing efforts for Greenville's athletic program. They've collaborated to redesign the Spartan Snapshot's athletic section and collect the necessary information for it each week. Moreover, students are the creative force behind the eye-catching athletic game day posters displayed on the digital sign in front of the middle and high school. In addition to the Spartan Snapshot, some of the class projects include creating their own sports franchise and producing marketing commercials.
An exciting aspect of the class is the annual field trip. Last year's class visited Syracuse for a tour of the athletic complex and attended a women's basketball game to witness the sports marketing team in action. This year, Mr. Lacy hopes to arrange a trip to Met Life Stadium for the sports business day hosted by the Jets and the Giants in the spring. Students have responded positively to the class, particularly appreciating the chance to influence how the community perceives athletics. Many students in this class are fall athletes, allowing them to bring their passion for sports from outside the classroom into their learning environment.