October 2026

It’s been an exciting start to the academic year! It was exciting to open the new BTC wing of the Burlington High School/Burlington Technical Center complex, welcome our new students, and see our returning students come back for their second year.

This year, our students represent 18 different home high schools:

• Alternative Center for Education (ACE)

• Burlington High School

• BFA Fairfax

• Champlain Valley Union

• Colchester High School

• Eagle Bay Academy

• Essex High School

• Harwood Union

• Homeschool

• Lyndon Institute

• Mill School

• Milton High School

• Mount Mansfield Union

• Rice Memorial

• South Burlington High School

• Spaulding High School

• Two Roads Academy

• Winooski High School

It’s wonderful to see students from across the region and beyond come together to form a new learning community at BTC around shared interests. Thank you for supporting your students in attending BTC, and we are grateful to your high schools for their support.

Below are some updates from our programs and departments. Please feel free to reach out at any time if you have questions.

-Jason Reed

jreed@bsdvt.org

(802) 864-08426

From your BTC school counselor: welcome back to our returning students, and a big welcome to our new students. I have been popping into classrooms and meeting as many of our new students as possible over the first month. It's important that BTC students understand that I can help with many of the same needs that their sending school counselor helps with: academic challenges, social-emotional well-being, and college and career support. It's college application season now so I have been spending a lot time early on with many of our seniors, helping them navigate the process and prepare their applications. A high percentage of our graduating students will continue on to postsecondary training, either at 4- or 2-year colleges, or at trade schools. Since most of that training costs money, another big item I'll be talking with students about is how to pay for additional schooling.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is now available for our students and families to fill out, so I'll be offering work sessions for students and families if they'd like to schedule with me. I also expect to host some evening/online information sessions on these topics, and will communicate dates for those upcoming opportunities in the weeks ahead via ParentSquare. I also will be administering an ASVAB Career Exploration Program test on Thursday, October 22nd, for any students who have interest in military careers. If you have any questions or want support for your student on a particular topic, don't hesitate to reach out to me directly at jyepez@bsdvt.org.

First year students have been working on completing ACT's Workkeys. This is a standardized assessment required of all Tech Center students in the state. It involves three multiply choice assessments in the areas of applied mathematics, workplace documents and graphic literacy. Students who score 5 or higher are eligible for an industry recognized credential which can be used as part of their applications when applying to an employer or college to show that they are able to demonstrate appropriate workplace skills in math, reading, and graph skills.

If your student is struggling with their transition to BTC please reach out to me. I am always happy to meet with students and/or families in order to develop a plan that can address this. My office is always open for students to stop by as well. Please encourage your student to stop in if they need to chat with someone about anything!

We are looking forward to a great year. Thanks for taking this journey with us!

Autumn Nealis is a paraeducator at Burlington Technical Center, primarily supporting students in the Design and Illustration and Digital Media Lab programs. She holds a bachelor’s degree in History and Anthropology from St. Lawrence University and previously taught middle school social studies in the Bronx, New York.

With professional experience in photography and music venue coordination, Autumn brings practical industry knowledge and expertise in Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom to her work with students. Her educational philosophy centers on recognizing each student as a unique individual, building meaningful relationships, and creating an engaging learning environment where students feel supported in exploring their interests and passions. She believes that fostering curiosity and keeping students connected to their education are essential to their personal growth and future success.

Outside of BTC, Autumn enjoys running, playing rugby with the Burlington Rugby Club, and attending live music performances. She plans to pursue a master’s degree in education next year.

Burlington Technical Center’s Adult Evening Aviation Maintenance program takes flight on October 12 at the BTC Aviation Center, 200 DaVinci Drive! This inaugural FAA General course is the first step toward earning an Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) mechanic certificate, expanding access to aviation training for working adults and community members. Instructor Ariana Bhalla, an A&P mechanic with classroom teaching experience in New York, will guide students through classroom instruction and hands-on learning focused on aviation maintenance fundamentals, tools, safety, and FAA regulations. Classes meet Monday through Friday from 6:00–9:00 PM. The first cohort is full with a waitlist, and we look forward to welcoming these adult learners to the BTC community!

Appointments for Seniors

Following the Common App & Supplemental Essay workshops, Stacy is offering 1-1 appointments for seniors. This is for students who want support with their transition out of BTC, from writing feedback, brainstorming, or just talking through different pathways and options.

• Seahorse students: follow this link for appointments (Mon / Tues / Thurs)
• DaVinci students: follow this link for appointments (Wednesdays)
• ETL students: continued in-class time for 1-1 support, as scheduled by program instructor. Please email for any additional support.

Student Work Experiences

Austin Cassidy participated in a co-op as a plumber's apprentice with Alliance Group Services over the summer. A student of the Design, Engineering, and Fabrication program, Austin used his skills learned in class in a real-world setting. He gained new insights as well, traveling all around the State to perform duties including installing new piping, replacing sink drains, fabricating parts, and more. He used accurate measuring, math, physics, and his machining knowledge to make sure his customers had quality plumbing.

This summer Bella Listi was a teaching assistant at Burlington City Arts. She supported students in learning about everything from how to personally design and make your own Shrinky-Dink bracelets, screen prints on different materials, paintings and drawings, and how to take quality photos and how to develop them in a darkroom. She used her skills learned in the Design & Illustration program, as well as her good nature to give the kids fantastic experiences.

Design and Illustration student Anderson Howard had a co-op at Burlington City Arts as a teacher's assistant. During one of the weeks, he supported campers as they learned how to use a film camera and how to develop their own photographs. In another he helped students design and build their own LEGO sets in order to produce their own animated movie. He taught campers how to compose their shots, how to position their mini-figures for their scenes, how to use capture software, and how to set up their cameras correctly to get the shots they wanted. What a learning experience for both the campers and Anderson.

• What do we do? We work directly in program classrooms to provide targeted language and academic support. This may include differentiating assignments, planning with instructors, supplementing lessons with additional activities, building vocabulary, and using visuals to enhance understanding. We’re always excited about supporting students and connecting with families, and we look forward to working with you throughout the year!

Quarter 1 ends on Friday, October 30, with teacher grades due by Wednesday, November 4. This is a great time for families to check in with students about their progress and connect with their BTC teacher(s) with any questions or concerns.

Fall Family Conferences will be held on Thursday, October 22. There will be no school that day. We encourage families to take advantage of this opportunity to connect with teachers, discuss student progress, and learn more about how things are going in their program.

Please also remember that there will be no school on Friday, October 23.

Throughout students’ time at BTC, they may visit industry partners, attend conferences, and go on other types of field trips. When arranging transportation, we use companies who are vetted for school transportation purposes. The companies we use include Mountain Transit, Premier Coach, Vermont Ride Network, and others. All of these trips include school chaperones at 10:1 student-to-chaperone ratio.

There are times when students will be transported by Vermont Ride Network without a chaperone present in the minivan. This can be an individual student going to a work-based learning location, or a small group of students who are meeting their teacher at a location, and the teacher may be in another vehicle with other students. We specifically use Vermont Ride Network because they background check their drivers and run cameras in the vehicles for everyone's safety. Vermont Ride Network contracts with many districts around the county.

The staff at BTC has gotten used to referring to the Vermont Ride Network vans as “cabs” in casual conversation around the school. If your student reports they are riding in cabs, we want to assure you that they are riding in vetted transportation, not just jumping in local cabs or Uber-like services.

This fall, while our Registrar is on leave, our Office Manager, Laura McKnight, is handling attendance calls and emails in the morning. To report an absence, late arrival, or the need for an early dismissal–

• Call (802) 864-8426 and press 2

• Email btcattendance@bsdvt.org

With students coming from so many home high schools, it is important to also report attendance even if it is for a school-related event. We encourage students to stay connected to the activities and community events at their high schools. We do not always get up-to-date information from all schools and their various departments (athletics, drama, music, etc.).

For excusing missed classes, BTC uses the Agency of Education guidance on what qualifies as an excused absence. The reasons include:

• 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

• Planned absences for personal or educational purposes that have been approved (including significant events at home high schools)

• Absences due to suspension or expulsion

You can find calendar information on our website at: https://btc.bsdvt.org/calendar/

It is now possible to subscribe to our web calendar. You can find the link to subscribe at the link above as well. Our calendar is also linked in ParentSquare.

We enourage you to monitor your home high school's calendar for early release, and other special days.

Students in the daytime Adult Airframe and Powerplant program recently completed the fabric covering and painting section of their training. During this unit, students applied aircraft fabric and paint finishes, completed a fabric repair, and applied a registration number.

Students are now working through the sheet metal section, where they are learning proper riveting techniques and developing hands-on skills in fabricating and repairing aluminum aircraft structures.

Students in the AM Design, Engineering, and Fabrication class have jumped right into 21st century manufacturing by accessing some of our lasers to begin cutting, engraving, and scoring material. They have studied the 6 processes of manufacturing, and have begun learning about technical drawing. We have used CADSTD and AutoCAD to create blueprints, and have scheduled site visits to Keurig Dr. Pepper, OnLogic, Harbour Industries, and Design Signs. Soon we’ll begin our OSHA-10 certification.

Students in the PM D,E,F class began the school year by helping to set up our 1:1 3D printing lab, where each student is assigned their own 3D printer! Students have been constructing scale model (1:24, ½”=1’) tiny houses and learning about the various structural members that comprise stick framing. Students have also used Vernier micrometers, and architects scales to design and 3D printing scale furniture for our tiny houses.

Year 2 Update: Year 2 students have been crushing it lately, diving headfirst into the history of American policing—tracing its origins all the way from old English law and early colonial systems to modern reforms, agency structures, and the step-by-step hiring process it takes to become an officer today. They immediately put that background knowledge to work in an action-packed, five-day hands-on challenge: analyzing patrol strategies, mastering 9-1-1 dispatch and radio protocols, and suiting up in uniform to run full, simulated BTC PD patrol shifts, taking turns responding to live-action call scenarios to test their real-time communication, teamwork, and decision-making under pressure.

Milano Bauer(class of 2019) returned to BTC as a guest speaker via Zoom from nursing school in Montana.

Dissections allow us to see the anatomy up close. This week we looked at sheep brains and cow eyes. Intro to Healthcare allows students deep learning opportunities in human biology content through a clinical perspective. Wearing scrubs reminds us why we are here! Ours arrived this week. "Donning and doffing" PPE is a daily task in healthcare settings to protect ourselves from troublesome pathogens. We get to practice in the classroom before being faced with a real risky situation.

October 12

• First day of evening adult Aviation classes
• Tammie Consejo, LCMHC, to ETL for wellness work
• VT Synth Society DEMO at DML

October 14

• DEF to OnLogic for tour

October 15

• HSCJ to BTV TSA for tour
• Artist, Andrew Frost, at DML and DI
• Generator Manufacturing Day

October 19

• Heritage Auto to Auto Tech for guest speaking
• DML Film Society

October 22

• No School
• Fall Family Conferences

October 23

• No School

October 27

• IHC to tour UVMMC Radiology

October 29

• GoJet to visit Aviation
• HOSA Fall Leadership Conferences

October 30

• Q1 Ends

November 2

• Q2 Starts

November 3

• DEF to tour Harbour Industries
• BHS Career Class to tour BTC at Seahorse facility

November 4

• VT Outstanding Educator Awards
• BTC 10th grade presentation at ????