December 2025
Counselor's Corner
Early College Free Degree Opportunity - CCV and the McClure Foundation recently extended their free degree program to students in the classes of 2027 and 2028. This means that current juniors who enroll in CCV Early College next year as seniors are eligible to continue on at CCV for another year after graduation and complete an associate's degree for free. Unfortunately, students cannot participate in BTC and Early College at the same time, so students in two-year BTC programs would need to make a choice between the two programs. However, this is an excellent opportunity for juniors who are currently enrolled in our one-year Introduction to Healthcare program and hoping to continue towards a college degree. Check out this weblink to learn more about Vermont's Free Degree Promise: https://mcclurevt.org/freedegree/
Scholarship Opportunity for Juniors and Seniors - The Horatio Alger Association is one of the largest private providers of need-based scholarships in the nation. Their scholarships are intended for promising students who have critical financial need, demonstrate integrity and perseverance in overcoming adversity, and are determined to succeed. Juniors can compete for 105 national scholarships at $25,000 each that can be used at any accredited school. Juniors and seniors are also able to apply for a variety of other sizable scholarships that are specific for students planning to attend particular colleges around the country, such as Arizona State University, Nova Southeastern University, Long Island University, Santa Clara University, and many more. The application for juniors and seniors both open on December 1 and will run through March 1st for juniors and February 15th for seniors. Students are encouraged to check their website to learn more and search for opportunities: https://horatioalger.org/scholarships/
Student Support Services
Career Pathways
Stacy is currently on leave. We look forward to her return in February or March. Any questions about college or career pathways can be directed to Mr. Yepez or Ms. Bundy.
Multilingual & Academic Support Team
BTC Visitation Day is quickly approaching!
This time of year, outreach ramps up as we work with sending schools to help students learn about opportunities at the Burlington Technical Center. To support our multilingual learners, EL teachers Dan Capps, Yvonne Sonoda, and Emily Kayoi will begin presentations with sending schools at BHS on December 5th.
Update from Ms. Sonada:
First-year Automotive Technology students are taking apart combustion engines to learn about the workings, individual parts, hand tools, and how to locate, read and follow instructions.
Meanwhile, second-year Automotive Technology program students reviewed basic electrical concepts and learned how to use multimeters to trouble-shoot electrical circuits and components in preparation to become certified in use of Snap-on’s model 525F digital multimeter. Yvonne became certified two years ago (as part of the Aviation program) and this month created a slideshow and worked with groups of Auto students to review for the certification test.
First-year Design, Engineering and Fabrication students followed tried-and-true engineering processes to design practical holders for objects and create prototypes of their models using various materials and machines. Students document their process in engineering journals, describing in words, drawings and photographs their measurements, models, revised designs, finished product, mistakes made and lessons learned. Engineering students are simultaneously working toward OSHA-10 safety certification.
Update from Mrs. Kayoi:
First-year Digital Media Lab students are transitioning from Adobe Photoshop and photo editing to their new unit on podcasting. Everyone has a story, and it’s amazing to hear those stories come to life in their recordings.
Update from Mr. Capps:
This month in the Introduction to Healthcare program, students have continued to learn about the different systems of the human body, including the skeletal, muscular, and cardiovascular systems. Students have learned to identify the major bones and muscles, and through exercise, labs, and research, have experienced how they work together. Students have also started to identify the key parts of the heart, blood, and blood vessels. As you can imagine, this involves a significant amount of technical vocabulary, and students have shown determination to learn and apply these new terms. We encourage students to share what they learned with friends and family! (Can you find the gastrocnemius muscle? Or the zygomatic bone? Can you explain how blood travels through the heart?)
Registrar's Desk
As we roll along with the school year, I’d like to remind you all about our attendance policy. An excused absence can be any of the following:
Personal illness;
Appointments with health professionals that cannot be made outside of the regular school day;
Observance of recognized religious holidays when the observance is required during a regular school day;
Emergency family situations such as a death in the family;
Planned absences for personal or educational purposes which have been approved.
Absences due to suspension or expulsion.
We encourage students to remain engaged in the community & culture of their home high schools. If there are special events at students' high schools, we want to encourage their participation. Sending schools will notify us of events like winter carnivals, special programming at the end of the school year, and significant school assemblies.
Sending schools do not notify us of a student’s absence from their sending schools or subsequently BTC. This means that when you notify your student’s high school of their absence, you must also notify BTC. This can be done through reaching me either by email at clamothe@bsdvt.org, or at (802) 864.8426 ext. 12002.
Show Your BTC Pride with Official Gear!
Burlington Technical Center now has an online store where you can grab official BTC apparel and accessories! From hoodies and T-shirts to hats and more, you can rep your program and show off your school spirit in style.
Check out the full selection and place your order today: BTC Online Store.
Snow Days!
Potential snow day season is here! How do snow days work at BTC?
If your sending school calls a snow day, you’re not expected at BTC even if Burlington schools are in operation. The same is true for a late start. If a school has a delayed opening, those students will not be expected at BTC's morning classes. Those districts will resume transportation to BTC for the afternoon classes.
For students who drive to school, and their sending school has called a snow day, we certainly do not expect them to drive in inclement weather to Burlington. If the roads are bad enough to call off school, we don't want students in dangerous situations on snowy roads.
To check for snow day closings at BTC, listings on news media sites will indicate that all Burlington schools are closed. This includes BTC. BTC does not issue its own closure alert. On the morning of a snow day, I will publish a banner alert on our website, and push it out on social media.
CVU PreTech students will follow CVU’s snow day determinations.
McClure Foundation: Vermont Most Promising Jobs
Each year the J. Warren & Lois McClure Foundation publishes Vermont's Most Promising Jobs. This is a resource that BTC references when conducting labor market analysis as part of our requirements as a career and technical education center. For students who wish to stay in Vermont after high school, or transition back to Vermont after college or advanced training, this is a quick, but thorough publication providing a view of some of Vermont's careers over the next 10 years.
Green Mountain Work and Learn
The Green Mountain Work and Learn (GMWL) program is a curated gap year geared toward young adults interested in emerging technologies, but who have yet to decide on the appropriate educational paths to careers in these fields.
Adult & Continuing Ed
The King Air received a fresh set of tires this month! Students in the Aviation and Aerospace Technology program completed the tire change themselves, applying their skills directly on the aircraft. Routine maintenance projects like this build students’ technical expertise and confidence as they train for future careers in aviation.
Automotive Science & Technology
Automotive Science & Technology students are settling into their new space. First year students are halfway through disassembling a 2.4 liter GM Ecotec engine, learning components names and how they operate as well as practicing precision measuring. Second year students are continuing working with electricity and multimeters testing and troubleshooting circuits.
Aviation and Aerospace
After the senior aviation class finished up their weight and balance unit they transitioned to practicing writing maintenance write-ups. This is where aircraft mechanics document the work they did on an aircraft. The saying goes, “the work is not done until the paperwork is done”.
The juniors are currently in a math unit designed to refresh some rusty math skills. They continue to work on engine disassembly and reassembly in between math worksheet from Mr. Cooper.
The Juniors also had a chance to visit Heritage Aviation, a local FBO (Fixed Base Operator) and Part 145 repair station. Students saw aircraft maintenance, avionics installation, de-ice equipment, fuel trucks and they had the chance to talk to several aviation professionals.
Design, Engineering, & Fabrication
AM students are finishing up their laser boxes, and have begun milling pine bases for their custom design. In order to mill a custom base, students are using the table saw, surface planer, and miter saw. 1st year students have also begun their OSHA-10 safety training and just did a site visit to Blodgett in Essex.
PM students have begun designing and fabricating stainless steel spatulas with custom design work cut out of the blade, as well as a custom maker's mark that will be engraved on the heel. For this project, we partner with Blodgett, who cut the spatula blanks for us, and then we do all of the remaining work at our facility. Special thank you to the folks at Blodgett for helping us with this project. We hope to manufacture a few limited-edition spatulas to sell as a fundraiser for the program.
Design and Illustration
For the month of November year 1 students in Design & Illustration are working on their CCV: Introduction to Adobe Creative Cloud curriculum. In particular, students are learning Adobe Photoshop and have completed projects in selections, transformations, layer masks, clipping masks, and adjustment layer masks. This work will culminate in a final project in Photoshop, and we will then move into InDesign and Illustrator. Students are also beginning sketchbook assignments which are “mini-projects” to begin creating work for draft portfolios.
Year 2 students are working on AP 2D Art & Design projects or independent projects, as well as prints for their CCV: Printmaking I class. Quarter 2 is a busy one for sure! With a total of seven projects needing to be completed, and college applications and portfolios being submitted, seniors have a full plate.
Jason Raymond and I are also offering a Photography club, with a darkroom photography section occurring in partnership with Burlington City Arts (BCA) Studios. Following the darkroom section, the focus will be on fashion photography, occurring in the photo studio here at BTC.
Digital Media Lab
BTC DML Students will be performing at Higher Ground on 11/29 for the Based World Vermont Show, with alumni Caleb Lodish headlining a DJ set, and Year 1 students Harry Wells (SBHS), , Liam Wood (EHS), Quinn Ruhl (CVU), and Austin Fenton (EHS) performing. The event will feature a variety of talent from Vermont and is being produced by the Genesis Vermont Group.
BTC DML and D&I students produced photography for Femme Fest 5 at Foam Brewers in Burlington in late October. The event featured acts from NYC and Vermont. DML students Levi Olsen (CVU), Cora Lea (BHS), Lucas Sommerville (BHS), and D&I students Bella Listi (BHS) and Harper Drourr (BHS) documented the event and provided work to the Burly Girlies (producers of the event) and other acts. DML and D&I students have contributed photos to this event since Femme Fest 1.
Health Sciences Academy
HSA 2 seniors are learning from clinical observations every Wednesday out in the community with healthcare practitioners. Feedback from both students and healthcare providers has been positive.
HSA 1 students enjoyed finishing the integumentary (skin, hair, nails, unit) with a student made cake. Students enjoyed a multi-layered skin model with candied glands and accessory organs after the test.
Homeland Security/Criminal Justice
They explored:
- The responsibilities of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and USCIS.
- The factors that drive migration across borders.
- The labels and identities that shape immigrant experiences.
- The history of U.S. immigration policies and how they’ve evolved over time.
- A key theme was the challenge of balancing national security with humanitarian rights.
- Students also learned about the path to citizenship and what it means to become part of the American story.
Introduction to Healthcare
UVMMC hosted Introduction to Healthcare in our exploration of career pathways in medicine. Visits to Respiratory Therapy, the Lab, and four inpatient departments highlighting different aspects of patient care has broadened our understanding of future options. The incredible passion and compassion we see in the staff is inspiring. The first picture is Innocent Mupenzie intubating a patient, The second picture is Charlie Gilroy, UVMMC lab educator, introducing the cytogenetics lab.
