WHAT’S HAPPENING AT NCTC?

Hello NCTC families!

After a summer of renovations and renewals it’s so wonderful to have students and teachers back at NCTC. There is a unique energy to our campus at the start of the year, students aren’t just learning new names and routines, they are also jumping right into the career and professional experiences that drew them here.

They’re opening up toolboxes, stepping into kitchens and labs, getting outside, practicing with new equipment, and beginning to understand what it feels like to be part of a professional team. One of the best parts of this job is putting the Newsletter together and getting to walk into a program and ask, “What are you working on?” At NCTC, the answer is never the same.

This past few weeks alone we’ve witnessed…

• Cars being lifted in the air

• Practice hospital emergency evacuations

• Preschoolers getting their first school lunches

• A staff member a getting new hair cut

• Drafting skills underway

• Budding filmmakers exploring their craft

• Houses being built

• Knife cuts being mastered

• Emergency responses being unpacked

• The magic of Ohm's Law

• Trees getting ID's

• Pre-technical students exploring new careers

Every two weeks this newsletter will share updates, big wins, stories from the field and insights on what we have cooking (sometimes quite literally) at NCTC.

Welcome back, we're glad you’re here, and we’re excited to show you what’s happening at Northwest Career & Technical Center.

-Liesl
Marketing & Outreach Coordinator

• Monday, September 21: No School, Yom Kippur

• September 22-25: BFA Spirit week

• Friday, September 25: NCTC Fall Assemblies

• Our annual welcome to NCTC students in the PAC (Performing Arts Center) where students will be introduced to the resources available to them on our campus, the ways they can get involved in the NCTC community, and our entire staff.

You can access the full MRUSD calendar here.

Please, please, please, make sure that you have completed your beginning of year forms.

If you don’t know Mrs. Langlois yet, you will certainly get to meet her whenever you visit the NCTC office. She’s wonderful, and can help you out with these if needed, but please don’t disappoint her, and get your forms in!

One of the things we are proud of here at NCTC is our Culture of Respect. Every year Mrs. Wright, our Director, and Mrs. Bosland, our School Counseling Coordinator, are welcomed into every classroom to talk about the culture that we want to build at NCTC. This is a vital part of our work here, helping students learn what respect means, not just here at school, but what it looks like in the workplace.

Students work through real-world examples, and discuss their experiences of what makes a respectful workplace. Sometimes the conversations are heavy, but we believe that making sure every student is on the same page about the expected behavior, language, and culture is key to creating a culture at NCTC where every student is welcomed and given the best opportunity to learn and succeed.

Automotive Technology students are completing the annual S/P2 safety training required before shop work begins. The modules give students a strong grounding in safe practices around vehicles, tools, and equipment. Students are eager to finish the training and begin applying what they have learned in the shop.

Building Trades I and Geometry in Construction students are completing OSHA 10 safety training before entering the shop. Building Trades II students have returned to NCTC's house project, where they are framing interior walls on the second floor and preparing for electrical and plumbing rough-ins. First-year students are ready to get into the shop, while second-year students are excited to keep the house moving forward.

Cosmetology I students are building their foundation in safety, sanitation, and infection control. Cosmetology II students have started haircutting and are preparing for the student salon to open on October 6. Students are especially excited about their uniforms, beginning to cut hair, and moving into more advanced skills such as hair coloring.

Salon Hours (Starting October 6)

Monday

12-3pm

12-5

Schedule an appointment:

(802)527-6408

aduncan@maplerun.org

Culinary Arts students are starting the year with team-building, sanitation, and knife skills, including a recent knife-cut relay. After choosing their first unit together, they are preparing to make quick breads such as muffins and doughnuts. They are also looking forward to exploring salty, sour, bitter, and sweet flavors through food pairings and blindfolded tastings.

Digital Media students in both the morning and afternoon classes are creating autobiographical collage posters using Photoshop, tablet monitors, professional cameras, and the photo studio. They are learning about layers and selection tools while photographing objects to incorporate into their designs. Students will vote on their favorite posters, which will be printed and displayed in the hallway. They are also beginning their annual submission to the Northwest Nightmares film festival, a favorite project that lets them explore the many roles involved in filmmaking.

Electrical Trades students have completed their basic electrical safety curriculum and are now working with fractions and the National Electrical Code. With that foundation in place, they are eager to move into more hands-on electrical work.

Engineering Technologies students are learning hand drafting by measuring their classroom and turning those measurements into scaled floor plans and projections. They are excited to build their drafting skills and explore the program's NEW architecture focus.

Human Services I and II students, as well as our on-campus preschoolers, are learning and reinforcing the routines and expectations that help their classroom run smoothly. High school students are completing confidentiality, mandated reporter, and other required safety training. Human Services II students are also volunteering with Unified Theater, an inclusive performing arts program that brings students of different abilities together. Students are looking forward to fall preschool activities and spending more time working directly with children.

Medical Professions I students are wrapping up their introduction to anatomy and physiology while studying the history of medicine and how medical knowledge has changed over time. Medical Professions II students are studying the respiratory system and beginning their nutrition unit. Through embedded English, they are also starting their college essays and looking ahead to their next steps after graduation.

Outdoor Technology students recently completed tree identification books featuring at least 25 species found in and around campus. This week, students are gleaning produce at Hudak Farm and donating it to Martha's Kitchen. What’s gleaning? Gleaning is collecting usable crops left after a farm’s main harvest (often surplus or imperfect produce) and donating it to people in the community.

Congratulations are also in order for Outdoor Technology instructors Andrew and Christian and their students: the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife will recognize the program with a Partner to Let's Go Fishing Award for its hands-on aquatic education and volunteer service!

Public Safety and Law Enforcement students are exploring the eight dimensions of wellness: emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, physical, social, and spiritual. Working in groups, students are developing presentations about the different dimensions and building a more complete understanding of the factors that support well-being in public-safety careers.

In recognition of September 11, Public Safety & Law Enforcement students are watching 9/11: One Day in America and completing a guided reflection packet. Through firsthand accounts, students are examining the courage, difficult decisions, and response of emergency personnel while considering the responsibility carried by those who choose careers in public service.

What brought you to NCTC?

“Different learning opportunities.”

“Getting Started on a nursing career.”

“Getting better with building.”

Why did you come back this year?

“I liked being around people, and the connections here”

“I want to graduate with my cosmetology license."

“To keep working on cars.”

“It’s fun and I learn lots.”

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

Have questions about NCTC programs, schedules, or planning for life after graduation?

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.