WHAT’S HAPPENING AT NCTC?

Hi NCTC community!

It's been an incredible couple of weeks at Northwest Career & Technical Center, and one of our busiest stretches of the school year! Students have been visiting colleges, exploring opportunities for future healthcare workers and teachers, and sharing their learning with our community. We also welcomed over 40 community members for advisory meetings across eight of our programs.

We've been busy getting the word out about NCTC, too. We've talked with nearly all of BFA's freshmen, and our middle school outreach season is getting underway. Next up is a chance for families to see it all for themselves at experienceNCTC!

Join us Thursday, November 12, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. This year, we're bringing the evening into our own classrooms, shops, and program spaces, and we can't wait to welcome you. RSVP for experienceNCTC.

Cheers,
-Liesl
Outreach Coordinator

• Thursday, November 12 | experienceNCTC | 5:30-7:30 p.m. | Northwest Career & Technical Center, 71 South Main Street, St. Albans. RSVP here.
  
  

• January 15, 2027: Priority application deadline for next school year. (Apply here)

You can access the full MRUSD calendar here.

On Wednesday, October 28, we welcomed over 40 community members for advisory meetings across eight of our programs. Holding the meetings during the school day gave advisers the chance to spend time alongside students, see their work, and hear directly about what they are learning.

The conversations connected classroom learning with workplace expectations, career preparation, and community involvement. Students had opportunities to ask questions and share their experiences, while advisers offered perspectives from their fields and ideas for future connections. Members also shared positive feedback about the safety and security they saw during their visits.

These relationships help us keep our programs connected to the communities and workplaces our students will enter. Thank you to everyone who made time to join us, ask thoughtful questions, and support our students!

Thursday, November 12 | 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Northwest Career & Technical Center | 71 South Main Street, St. Albans

Wondering what happens inside our classrooms and shops? Come find out! Middle school students, ninth- and tenth-graders, and families are invited to explore all 11 of our programs. Meet our instructors, talk with students, and try activities that give you a feel for learning at NCTC.

This year, we're hosting the evening right in our NCTC spaces, so you can see where students learn and work every day. Here's a taste of what you can explore:

• Automotive Technology: Step inside our automotive shop and see the space where students work on vehicles.

• Building Trades: Try a hands-on activity and explore our construction program.
• Cosmetology: Visit our salon and try a paraffin wax skin treatment.
• Culinary Arts: Watch our kitchen in action and meet the people behind the food.
• Digital Media: Try out a green screen and explore the possibilities of media production.
• Electrical Trades: Try a hands-on activity and see what students learn in the program.
• Engineering Technologies: Explore our engineering spaces and try your hand at an engineering activity.
• Human Services: Visit our preschool space and learn about the program.
• Medical Professions: Check out our Med Professions classroom and try out some of the gear they learn with.
• Outdoor Technology: Try a program activity and explore what students do in Outdoor Technology.
• Public Safety & Law Enforcement: Learn the basics of CPR and meet our Public Safety students.

Our student ambassadors will be there to welcome visitors, help families find their way, and share their experiences. Bring your questions and your curiosity!

Let us know you are coming to experienceNCTC.

A huge thank-you to Johnson Hardware and Milwaukee Tools, who together donated more than $12,000 in new tools to our Building Trades and Electrical Trades programs! We are grateful for community support that puts equipment directly into students' hands.

Building Trades I and Geometry in Construction students are practicing power-tool use and accurate saw cuts before beginning a shelf project that incorporates six different types of joins. Meanwhile, Building Trades II students will put their new tools to work on the house project as they install new windows and begin finishing work.

First-year students are wrapping up hairstyling and getting ready to begin manicuring. Second- and third-year students continue to build their skills through haircuts, color, and salon work. It's been busy in the salon, where six students can now take clients!

Students also visited the hair show in Nashua, where they talked with industry professionals and gathered ideas and insights. The trip was a chance to explore the profession together and strengthen their connections as a group.

The student salon is now open and taking clients! The salon gives students an opportunity to put their learning into practice and gain experience working with clients.

Salon Hours

Monday

12-3pm

12-5

Schedule an appointment:

(802)527-6408

aduncan@maplerun.org

Underage patron release form

Wednesday and Friday mornings are becoming a favorite part of the week around school! Culinary Arts students have opened the Hideaway Cafe for breakfast on both days, and more members of our school community are stopping in to enjoy what they've prepared.

Students have been balancing cafe service with their soups and stews unit. Recent dishes included butternut squash soup and chili, paired with breads they learned to make in their previous unit. Chicken stock is next on their list. They also prepared granola as a thank-you gift for our advisory members.

The Hideaway team is planning its Thanksgiving offerings, with pumpkin cheesecake among the possibilities! Students are also practicing daily for their ServSafe Manager exam on November 19.

And there's plenty of preparation underway for experienceNCTC, where visitors can look forward to a crepe station and mini cupcakes!

After submitting their horror film work to Northwest Nightmares, Digital Media students had the opportunity to share it with BFA students at a screening and question-and-answer session. Audience members asked thoughtful questions of the cast and production team, giving our students a chance to talk about the choices and work behind what appeared on screen. It was wonderful to see the school turn out to support their work!

Students are now developing short videos for their NEWS (New Entertaining Watchable Stuff) Student Work Showcase. They are also getting ready to begin music video and audio projects, working with multitrack audio and creating music videos that bring sound and visuals together.

When I visited this week, students' enthusiasm for their teacher and their work came through clearly. They also described a close-knit crew where classmates look out for one another. That sense of connection is bringing great energy to this new program!

Electrical students are working with a building mockup designed through a pre-tech collaboration involving Engineering Technologies, Building Trades, and Electrical Trades. The mockup gives students a space to practice wiring and develop their skills through hands-on work.

Engineering Technologies students have finished their foam-board cabin model competition, with guest judging from advisors, staff members, and teachers, and have been drafting their cabin designs in Revit. Moving between physical models and digital drawings gives students another way to examine how their designs fit together and communicate their ideas.

Students are also learning to use Autodesk Inventor, building their skills with lines, shapes, and objects as they work toward creating three-dimensional prototypes. Next, they will learn to use the classroom 3D printer to turn their designs into physical objects.

Fall Fest brought Human Services students together with our preschoolers and visiting families and teachers for a celebration of the season. The annual event gave students a fun way to connect with the children, share in their excitement, and enjoy a tradition they look forward to each year.

Second-year students also attended an EdRising event at Saint Michael's College, joining other students interested in careers in education. This student leadership organization supports future educators. The visit included workshops and a keynote from Vermont's Teacher of the Year, giving students opportunities to learn from educators and connect with peers who share their career interests.

It's a "jaw-dropping situation" in Medical Professions! Med 1 students are beginning the skeletal system and human growth and development, and things are getting humerus. Meanwhile, Med 2 students are exploring nutrition and breaking things down as they study the digestive system.*

*Puns courtesy of instructor Tim Hurteau, our resident pun enthusiast, who specifically asked that we keep them in!

Medical Professions students carved and delivered pumpkins to residents at several care facilities serving older adults. Along with sharing a little fall cheer, the visits gave students opportunities to practice introducing themselves, starting conversations, and connecting with people in a new setting. Those communication skills are an important part of the care they are learning to provide.

Students also attended the Vermont HOSA Fall Leadership Conference at Norwich University on October 29. They joined students from across Vermont to explore healthcare careers and participate in sessions on triage, Stop the Bleed, and surgical technology. The day offered a chance to learn on a college campus and meet other students with similar career interests.

Outdoor Technology students have been busy gleaning produce, removing invasive buckthorn from local trails, and cleaning up the gardens in front of NCTC ahead of our advisory meetings and experienceNCTC. Some students are also mapping the area where they will be working.

Students I spoke with this week about the program were excited about working with their hands, helping improve community spaces, and learning about Vermont's environment. They value being able to see the difference their work makes.

Students are working through their self-paced assignments, mastery checks, and dual-enrollment coursework while considering ethical questions connected to their studies. They are also learning to navigate FBI crime datasets and use statistics to inform discussions about crime and its causes.

A visit from a South Burlington detective gave students the opportunity to ask questions and hear directly from someone in the field, including how professionals respond when faced with frightening or difficult situations.

Our student ambassadors have been a tremendous help as we prepare for experienceNCTC. They've offered feedback on how to set up program activities, volunteered their time, and helped us think through how to make the evening welcoming for visiting families.

We're grateful for their ideas and their willingness to step up. Their perspective helps us create an event where prospective students can hear directly from people who are learning here every day.

Come meet our students and explore NCTC on November 12! RSVP for experienceNCTC.

A reminder that Mrs. Champagne and the Academic Skills Center are available to every NCTC student.

Whether a student needs help with an assignment, organizing their work, catching up, or figuring out where to start, support is available. Students don’t have to wait until they’re feeling overwhelmed to stop in!

Work-Based Learning helps students connect what they learn at NCTC with real workplaces, employers, and career opportunities.

Planning to apply to NCTC for next year? Our priority application deadline is January 15, 2027. Mrs. Bosland can help with applications, answer questions, and help students arrange program shadow visits.

Current NCTC students who are interested in a different program for next year should also meet with Mrs. Bosland. She can help you understand your options and the steps for applying to another program.

Contact School Counseling Coordinator Susan Bosland at sbosland@maplerun.org or 802-527-6512.

A note about fall planning, if you are applying to college or post-secondary programs, now is the time to start checking on key deadlines for the programs you are looking to attend.

Know someone who is?

The Adult Career Development Center at NCTC offers hands-on training in welding and medical fields right here on campus, along with access to a suite of online career courses.

If you, a family member, or someone in your network is looking to build skills, change careers, or explore a new opportunity, we’re here to help.

If your student comes home proud of something they made, practiced, or figured out, we would love to hear about it. Email our Outreach Coordinator at liesl.ulrichverderber@maplerun.org.