Gloucester County Institute of Technology

Infobox_School
name = Gloucester County Institute of Technology


imagesize =
motto =
established =
grades = 9 - 12
district = Gloucester County Vocational-Technical School District
type = Vocational Public high school
principal = Dr. Gina Mateka
enrollment = 745 (as of 2005-06)
faculty = 67.0 (on FTE basis)
ratio = 11.1
teamname = Cheetahs
conference = Tri-County Conference
colors = Blue and Silver
publication = Cheetah on the Spot
location = 1360 Tanyard Road
flagicon|New Jersey Sewell, NJ 08084
information = 856-468-1445
website = http://www.gcit.orgThe Gloucester County Institute of Technology (GCIT) is a four-year vocational public high school in Sewell, New Jersey, United States, as part of the Gloucester County Vocational-Technical School District. GCIT is in a transition period currently from a part-time high school to a full-time high school. GCIT currently offers eight full time academies, two part time academies and four academies geared for Special Education. Students must apply and get selected to go into GCIT. GCIT currently picks the top 26 in each academy based from grades in the 7th and 8th grade, state standardized test scores, and attendance.

As of the 2005-06 school year, the school had an enrollment of 745 students and 67.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student-teacher ratio of 11.1. [http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=3406040&ID=340604002570 Gloucester County Institute of Technology] , National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed November 14, 2007.]

Academic

Full Time Academies

There are several full time academies being offered in GCIT to incoming freshmen. GCIT has recently redone its list of offered Academies. The list of the academies offered before the 2007-2008 school year and academies offered for the 2007-2008 school year is listed below.

GCIT is the only school in Gloucester County that has an Olympic sized swimming pool. GCIT also has a fitness room with many equipment including free weights and treadmills. GCIT currently lets the public pay a membership fee and use the pool and fitness rooms at certain times.

GCIT currently offers many sports but however, it does not offer football. However, a football field is part of a considered expansion to the school in the future. Currently, students who want to play football or a sport GCIT does not offer is permitted to play in their home district's team. However, GCIT is adding new sports to their Athletics department as more students enroll into GCIT. For example, GCIT is preparing a Field Hockey team that start for the 2008-2009 school year.

Community Involvement & Services

GCIT is heavily involved into the community and provides services to the public.

Community

GCIT offers several services offered to the public. For example, the Cosmetology academy offers a salon while the Culinary Arts academy provides a bakery.

In addition, GCIT has the Bankbridge Career Center offered towards GCIT Students. Students in Bankbridge operate this center. However, the Bankbridge Career Center in reality is an actual Wawa. The Bankbridge Career Center offers just about everything found in a normal Wawa besides carbonated beverages since it is illegal to sell carbonated beverages in a school during school hours in the state of New Jersey.

GCIT is also involved in many community projects and charities. GCIT often participates in fundraising during Hurricane Katrina, the March of Dimes, Autism Speaks, etc. In addition, the HOSA club does an annual blood drive for the American Red Cross.

School Based Youth Services

School Based Youth Services (SBYS) offers free counseling for teenagers between the ages of 13-19 who lives in Gloucester County. They also provide counseling for their family members as well. SBYS is open from 8 AM to 8 PM on Mondays to Thursdays and 8 AM to 3 PM on Fridays

SBYS is trained to counsel over a wide variety of topics such as drugs, stress, depression, sexual orrientation, family problems, and more. SBYS also organizes recreational activities for the students of GCIT.

One Stop Youth Center

The One Stop Youth Center (OSYC) provides GED test preparation to out-of-school teens in Gloucester County. They work with teens between the ages of 16-21. They also allow students to go on recreational trips, community services, etc. The One Stop Youth Center is open from 8 AM to 4 PM Mondays to Thursdays. The One Stop Youth Center provides a monetary reward each week for meeting their educational and attendance objectives.

Administration

GCIT and Bankbridge (An school for the disabled) are both joined into the Gloucester County Special Services District. The GCSD is number 1 in the state for the lowest administrative costs per student. This permits each district to share the same administrative team to save money. The GCSD schools is now third out of 21 vocational schools in New Jersey in terms of cost per student.

Recent Changes

GCIT is an evolving school with many new events taking place. As the school grew in amount of incoming students, the school also grew physically and in services being provided.

Expansion

GCIT recently passed a $10 million dollar expansion project. This expansion calls for a 30,630 square foot connecting wing to connect 2 current separate wings. This would create about 2 science rooms, 13 classrooms, group instruction rooms, and 2 shops. (Auto/Diesel shop and Auto paint shop). This expansion project also involves the construction of 1 cosmetology lab and the movement of a marine lab to another location of the building.

On February 12, 2008 the groundbreaking ceremony for this expansion project was conducted. This expansion is due to for opening around 2009.

School Newspaper

For the first time since 2001, GCIT just started a school newspaper for the school year of 2006-2007. The title of the newspaper changed from The Big Picture to Cheetah on the Spot. Cheetah on the Spot is now also in color unlike The Big Picture.

Cheetah on the Spot is also different from The Big Picture in the sense that issues can be downloaded from the Internet. Cheetah on the Spot can be downloaded from the GCIT website at http://www.gcit.org

References

External links

*Citation
title = GCIT's Official Website
url=http://www.gcit.org
access-date = 2007-06-03
*Citation
title = Tech school awaits expansion
url=http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070523/NEWS01/705230355/-1/NEWS0301
access-date = 2007-06-03
*Citation
title = GCIT to begin Expansion with Tuesday Ceremony
url=http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080213/NEWS01/802130367/-1/towns88
access-date = 2008-02-26
*Citation
title = New Jersey Department of Education
url=http://education.state.nj.us/rc/nclb05/reports/15/1775/15-1775-010.html
access-date = 2007-06-03
*Citation
title = GCIT Aquatics and Fitness Center
url=http://www.gcitaquatics.org/
access-date = 2007-06-03
*Citation
title = Gloucester County Districts
url=http://www.co.gloucester.nj.us/Government/FreeholderPressRoom/pressdetail2.cfm?PressReleaseID=164
access-date = 2007-06-03