STUDENTS MEDAL — Seven students enrolled in the early childhood education program at the Jefferson County Joint Vocational School attended the Region II Family, Career and Community Leaders of America competition. The event was held in Coshocton County on March 9. Participants earned gold and silver medals in their respective categories. Four top-finishers will head to state competition in Columbus this April. Those competing at regionals included from left, Shyann Higgins, Kaley Beebe-Joynson, Hannah Sherbondy, Raeni Kerr, Alaina Ensminger, Paige Furbee and Claire Watkins. -- Contributed

BLOOMINGDALE — Seven students enrolled in the early childhood education program at the Jefferson County Joint Vocational School earned gold and silver medals during the Region II Family, Career and Community Leaders of America competition.

The program’s juniors and seniors competed in six individual and team categories at the Coshocton County Career Center on March 9.

Adviser Rebecca Kelley stated she was pleased with the results, as four students will be advancing to the Ohio FCCLA State Leadership Conference in Columbus in April.

“They did very well,” Kelley said of her students. She added at the recent regional competition, “There were about 20 schools in the region and several hundred students.”

Categories included, language and literacy, where contestants had to read a book and complete an extension activity; curriculum unit, where competitors completed six lesson plans with children and then gave a presentation; early childhood education, contestants created a portfolio, was given 20 minutes to prepare a lesson plan and then gave a presentation; and lesson presentation, where students chose a theme, prepared a lesson and made a presentation.

Medalists included senior Alaina Ensminger, gold, language and literacy; junior Claire Watkins, silver, language and literacy; junior Kaley Beebe-Joynson, gold, curriculum unit; senior Shyann Higgins, silver, curriculum unit; senior Paige Furbee, silver, early childhood education; and the junior team of Raeni Kerr and Hannah Sherbondy, gold, lesson presentation.

Kelley said the top 10 contestants in the state from each region will move on to the Ohio FCCLA Leadership Conference.

The event will be held April 25-26 in Kasich Hall at the Ohio Expo in Columbus.

JVS contenders include Ensminger, Furbee, and the team of Kerr and Sherbondy.

“I’m proud of them,” Kelley said. “They all worked hard and it was a successful time at the regionals.”