Sondra began teaching at Grand River Technical School in August 2006. She is a graduate of Marceline R-V High School and received her Bachelor of Science Degree from CMSU (Warrensburg) in Accounting/Business Management. Sondra has 14 years experience in the industry. She chose to change careers by becoming an educator and has 15 years in teaching. In December 2005, Sondra received her Masters of Science Degree in Occupational Technology from CMSU.

Where Do I Begin?

The program is open to high school juniors and seniors as well as some sophomores. The students attend 1-hour classes of their choice.

Program Benefits

• Instructors who have national certification as Microsoft Office User Specialists
• State of the Art Equipment
• Hands-On Learning
• Great Career Opportunities
• Leadership Development in Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA)
• Opportunities to Compete in Business Events through FBLA

College Credit

Students completing Accounting I & II with a "B" or above and at least 90% attendance will receive three (3) free college credit hours transferable to Moberly Area Community College.

Students completing Accounting I & II, Entrepreneurship, and Microcomputer Applications with a "B" or above and at least 90% attendance will receive nine (9) free college credit hours transferable to Metropolitan Community Colleges in Kansas City (all four branches).

Microcomputer Applications BT160 ( 3 credits/year) is a dual enrollment course offered through North Central Missouri College in Trenton, Missouri. Students should check with their prospective college to see how the course will transfer.

Where Can You Go From Here?

The successful completion of the business technology program can lead to employment in entry-level positions such as office assistants, bookkeepers, receptionists, and bank tellers. Because technology is constantly changing, students will need to continue updating their skills. Some may wish to pursue either an Associate's Degree or a Bachelor's Degree in Business on a part-time basis while working. Others may choose to continue their education on a full-time basis, pursuing degrees in areas such as accounting, international business, business administration, business education, marketing, and finance.

A solid foundation in business can lead to unlimited career opportunities, as well as help individuals organize and manage their own financial records.

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ACCOUNTING I
This course is strongly recommended for anyone who is planning on a career in a business field or those who plan on owning their own business in the future. This course is designed to provide an understanding of the basic elements and concepts of double-entry accounting systems. Accounting I will provide students with a solid background for employment in office jobs and preparation for studying business courses in college. Topics covered include: accounting careers, transaction analysis into debit and credit parts, journalizing transactions, posting to ledgers, worksheet preparation, preparation and analysis of financial statements, and recording adjusting and closing entries. Students will complete work for businesses established as sole proprietorships, partnerships, and corporations. Open to sophomore students by teacher approval, junior, and senior level students.

ACCOUNTING II
This course is designed to help the student acquire a more thorough, in-depth knowledge of accounting procedures and financial decisions. This course is a good college preparatory course for any student interested in going into the business field in the areas of accounting, finance, business management, marketing, etc., or an entry-level office position such as an accounting clerk or bookkeeper. Students will develop skills in analyzing and interpreting information common to partnerships and corporate forms of organization, preparing financial statements and supporting schedules, and using inventory and budgetary control systems. Students also complete a corporate accounting simulation using Automated Accounting software. This is a junior or senior level course. Requisite: Accounting I.

GRAPHIC ARTS/DESKTOP PUBLISHING
This area of instruction provides content for employment in career areas, which includes desktop publishing skills. Demand in this area will continue to expand as businesses utilize advanced desktop publishing skills to increase their production efficiency and improve the creativity and quality of business documents and publications. This course is designed for students to gain knowledge and proficiency in the creation of various projects such as brochures, publications, posters, invoices, business cards, flyers, advertisements, and many other functional documents. Creativity and critical thinking will play a large part in this course. This course introduces the novice publisher to the features of Microsoft Publisher, Adobe Indesign and Illustrator, as well as Adobe Photoshop. Photoshop will be used throughout the class and incorporated into the activities completed throughout the year. The students will learn and overview of the software product's capabilities and functions. This course is open to junior or senior level students.

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