Members of the community toured the new Ag building facility, talked with FFA members and advisors and enjoyed lunch, Thursday, Feb. 26. Hot dogs, chips, beans and cookies were served from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. as part of FFA Week. The building dedication began at 12:30 p.m. with approximately 200 students, faculty, staff, school board members and community members in attendance.
FFA Advisor and Instructor Adam Bieri welcomed everyone and thanked them for the opportunities the 5,000-square-foot shop addition brings for the California High students. He shared the students have been assembling trailers, working on tractors and building fences in the space since the beginning of the year. He noted this year was a record breaking year with 205 FFA members in the California Chapter. He said "190 students are enrolled in High School Agricultural Education Courses and they are ranked 29th out of 334 chapters in the state.
FFA Advisor and Instructor Lee Longan shared his gratitude for the passing of the bond issue to complete the additional shop space to focus more on each class projects and less on packing up at the end of each class to make room for the next.
Instructor Dale Hodges said the most exciting part for him is the 14-booth, concrete welding room. The dedicated space will allow more students to work on projects in a safe environment without make-shift locations or uncertainty of whether equipment will be available.
Each booth is 54-inches square, with dividing walls to cut down on the flash from other projects. New Arc welders have been added to the existing equipment, which will allow each booth to have its own dedicated tools, workbench and ventilation.
Madelyn Jobe, President of California's FFA Chapter shared her gratitude for the opportunities the new building presents. Libby Martin, 1st Vice-President of the State FFA Association congratulated California's Chapter for the much improved building and the services it will now be able to represent.
Principal Mike Hight commented on the importance of how the bond issue touched so many. He shared the opportunities the building will allow for are endless.
The President of the California School Board, Jay VanDieren was very complimentary of the hard work the students and faculty had invested in the project and how proud he was to be part of the community that stands for education.
Superintendent Dwight Sanders shared with the large crowd present how the new shop will help advance the curriculum options especially in the agricultural mechanics path.
Following the acknowledgement of special guests and previous advisors School Board President Jay VanDieren and FFA President Madelyn Jobe used a welding torch to destroy the ribbon.