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59 OCM BOCES Students Heading to SkillsUSA State Championships: 59 OCM BOCES Students Heading to SkillsUSA State Championships March 3, 2026   Fifty-nine OCM BOCES Career & Technical Education students from Cortland and Onondaga counties will compete at the SkillsUSA New York State Leadership and Skills Championships in April, riding the momentum of a dominant performance at the SkillsUSA Area II Regional Conference Feb. 10 at SUNY Morrisville. Competing against nearly 900 students from across the region, OCM BOCES earned more top-three finishes than any other school, 19 in all, including 15 first or second-place finishes and four third-place showings. Those 19 students automatically qualified for the state championships, held each April at the New York State Fairgrounds. The other 40 students advanced through ... OCM BOCES Welding Students Craft New Terrain Park Features at Greek Peak: Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026   OCM BOCES Welding Students Craft New Terrain Park Features at Greek Peak Skiers and snowboarders hitting the slopes at Greek Peak Mountain Resort in Cortland have two fresh additions to the terrain park this season, thanks to hands-on work from students in the Welding Technology program at our Cortlandville Campus. Under the guidance of instructor Kevin Auyer, the Career & Technical Education students recently completed a tube rail and a 23-foot-long “waterfall”-style rail. The latter design features a series of short sections that drop slightly with each step, adding exciting flow for riders. Students were excited to do the project — and so was Auyer. The instructor says the opportunity to teach welding ... Legos, Learning & Lots of Cheers at FIRST LEGO League Competition: h3, h4 {margin-bottom:0;} p, ul {margin-top:0; font-size:1.2em;} .caption {color:#666;} .caps {color:#666; font-size:.8em;} .quote {font-style:italic; font-size:1.2em; color:#666; margin:0 20px 20px 20px;} .left {float:left; margin:5px 10px 5px 0;} .right {float:right; margin:5px 0 5px 10px;} .w10 {width:10%;} .w20 {width:20%;} .w30 {width:30%;} .w40 {width:40%;} .w50 {width:50%;} .w60 {width:60%;} .w70 {width:70%;} .w80 {width:80%;} .w100 {width:100%;} January 14, 2026     Legos, Learning & Lots of Cheers at FIRST LEGO League Competition ... OCM BOCES book vending machines reward kindness with literacy: Tues., December 30, 2025 OCM BOCES book vending machines reward kindness with literacy Imagine swapping the usual candy or sticker rewards at school for something far more lasting: a brand-new book of your very own. That's the twist we’ve brought to our Crown Road and Cortlandville Campuses at OCM BOCES. Since summer 2024, eye-catching book vending machines have been turning good deeds into fresh reading adventures for our elementary and middle school students. These machines, which resemble classic snack vendors from the outside, are stocked with an exciting variety of books chosen to match students' diverse interests. From thrilling adventures to funny graphic novels, there’s truly something for everyone. At our Crown Road Campus, ... From Social Worker to Storyteller: Sharswayla Bonilla's Debut Book Inspires Young Readers to Never Give Up: From Social Worker to Storyteller: Sharswayla Bonilla's Debut Book Inspires Young Readers to Never Give Up Sharswayla Bonilla spends her days as a social worker at our Thompson Road Campus, guiding CTE students through challenges big and small. Now she's reaching a whole new audience with her debut children's book—a simple yet powerful story that's already resonating with readers young and old. In "Renee's Big Bike Ride," a spunky little girl named Renee, who is modeled after Bonilla herself (right down to the leopard-print glasses), grows tired of being the last one to arrive at the park because of her training wheels. Falls and frustration follow, but Renee discovers that scraped knees are part of the journey to riding free. ... Innovation Tech high school students take a ‘Step in the Right Direction’: Innovation Tech high school students take a ‘Step in the Right Direction’   Innovation Tech began the school year with “A Step in the Right Direction”— a three-day orientation program designed to help students build confidence, set goals, and connect with peers and teachers. The program introduces students to the concept of project-based learning, reflection, and community-building activities that highlight the orientation themes of growth, belonging, purpose, leadership, and kindness. Principal Trista Brundage said the orientation sets a positive tone for the year and gives students a strong foundation for success. “Our student orientation has been a great way for us to kick off our 2025-26 school year,” ... OCM BOCES Heavy Equipment student in ‘disbelief’ after 2nd place win at national SkillsUSA competition: OCM BOCES Heavy Equipment student in ‘disbelief’ after 2nd place win at national SkillsUSA competition Tyler O’Connor grew up around heavy equipment, learning the ropes at his grandparents’ construction company, JBL Dirt Inc., in Canastota. This summer, that real-world experience helped the 2025 OCM BOCES and Chittenango High School graduate earn a silver medal in Heavy Equipment Operation at the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta, where more than 6,500 state champions from across the country competed in over 100 skills and leadership events. The SkillsUSA Championships are considered the nation’s premier showcase for Career and Technical Education (CTE). It tests students not just on technical ability ... OCM BOCES Students Advance to SkillsUSA National Championships: h3 {margin-bottom:0;} p {margin-top:0; font-size:1.2em;} .caption {color:#666;} .quote {font-style:italic; font-size:1.2em; color:#666; margin:0 20px 20px 20px;} .left {float:left; margin:5px 10px 5px 0;} .right {float:right; margin:5px 0 5px 10px;} .w10 {width:10%;} .w20 {width:20%;} .w30 {width:30%;} .w40 {width:40%;} .w50 {width:50%;} .w60 {width:60%;} .w70 {width:70%;} .w80 {width:80%;} .w100 {width:100%;} June 17, 2025 Two OCM BOCES Students Advance to National SkillsUSA Championships in Atlanta Two OCM BOCES students in the Heavy Equipment Repair, Operations and Diesel Technology program are headed to Atlanta, Ga., June 23-27 to compete in the prestigious SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference. The students earned their place at nationals after ... Outstanding CTE students honored with "Tools for Success": Outstanding CTE students honored at 'Tools for Success' ceremony May 13, 2025 The annual "Tools for Success" awards ceremony at the OCM BOCES Thompson Road Campus celebrated 10 outstanding students from various Career & Technical Education programs. What makes this ceremony special is the tangible support offered by partnering businesses, each providing a "tool" to help launch these students' careers. Automotive students, for instance, received a professional Snap-On screwdriver. Welding students were gifted helmets, and aspiring construction workers took home an Estwing framing hammer and tool belt. The ceremony also included the recognition of North Syracuse senior Mallory Wessles, the Culinary & Pastry ... OCM BOCES announces 2025 Battle of the Books winners: Friday, May 9, 2025 2025 Battle of the Books winners announced A record 1,694 students across Central New York put their reading skills to the test in the 2025 Battle of the Books, a literary quiz competition organized by the O²CM School Library System (SLS). “This is one of my favorite programs,” said SLS Librarian Heather Turner, who coordinated the event alongside the O²CM SLS team and OCM ISS staff. “It’s an incredible opportunity to engage directly with students and celebrate the power of reading.” What began as a local initiative has grown into a multi-BOCES collaboration that now includes student teams from: Broome-Tioga BOCES Cayuga-Onondaga ... 214 students present multilingual skills in pursuit of the New York State Seal of Biliteracy: Thursday, May 8, 2025 214 students present multilingual skills in pursuit of the New York State Seal of Biliteracy Zenat Sahak is a senior from Liverpool High School who recently gave presentations in two languages, Pashto and Dari, the two official languages of her native country, Afghanistan. Zenat and her family–her mother, father and five siblings–moved to the United States six years ago. Her dad is a senior inspector for the massive I-81 Viaduct Project in Syracuse. Sahak focused on those languages because, after being in the U.S. for six years and primarily speaking English, she’s worried about forgetting them. “I’m not that fluent now since I’ve been here,” she said. “I had to go back and teach myself ... Innovation Tech Wins Top Place in OCM BOCES’ Voices for Wellness Challenge: h3 {margin-bottom:0;} p {margin-top:0; font-size:1.2em; line-height:1.5em;} .caption {color:#666; margin-top:5px; font-size:1em;} .date {font-size:.8em;} .left {float:left; margin-right:10px;} .right {float:right; margin-left:10px;} .w10 {width:10%;} .w20 {width:20%;} .w30 {width:30%;} .w40 {width:40%;} .w50 {width:50%;} .w60 {width:60%;} .w70 {width:70%;} .w80 {width:80%;} .w100 {width:100%;} .vid {width: 600px; margin-top:5px; margin-bottom:5px;} @media only screen and (max-width: 768px) { .vid {width: 100%;} } Wednesday, May 7, 2025 Innovation Tech wins top place in OCM BOCES’ Voices for Wellness challenge