EAST SYRACUSE -- East Syracuse-Minoa’s students have the opportunity to be ahead of the game when it comes to entering college or their career field of choice, thanks to many unique and diverse programs.

Let’s start with the carpentry class instructed by Phil Kugler, a class that, as Kugler boasts, “We don’t pretend to build a house, we build a real house.” Such practical experience is learned in many classes at ES-M. From the Auto-Tech class where students are building three classic cars this year, including a 1933 Ford Hot Rod which will be raffled off at the end of the year to the Spartan Branch, which is an extension of the ES-M/NS Federal Credit Union. In giving students real-life experience in the world of finance, ES-M truly goes above and beyond.

But it doesn’t end there. The cosmetology department offers the best of both worlds, for students in the class, not only to they receive experience, but they can also earn their license, and non-students can get their hair or nails done during study hall! There’s also a culinary class that cooks gourmet meals during school hours and a television production class that produces the morning announcements as a full television broadcast, and the quality of the equipment and newscast rival those of some colleges.

All in all, it’s easy to see why ES-M wanted to feature all of these programs that are special and unique in their own way. These classes do as much as possible to prepare students for the future and help them to have fun in school all at the same time.

In the accompanying video, student reporters Andrew Troast and Allison Rossi introduce us to all the wonderful things ES-M has to offer and makes their school special.