
Biddeford Center of Technology
December 14, 2022
Dear Students, Guardians, and Families,
The staff and students at BRCOT have been very active!
Field Trips/Guest Speakers:
Many COT students were on the move this month, participating in numerous field trips, getting to visit many local businesses and organizations as well as traveling up to Orono. The students in our Precision Machining program visited General Dynamics, Trident, and Solares while our plumbing program got to see the operations of the Biddeford Water District from below ground! Our Computer Technology students headed to UMaine to participate in the App Challenge.
Students in our business/marketing programs had the opportunity to connect with Heart of Biddeford, the Chamber of Commerce, and learn about the Holy Donut when its owner, Leigh Kellis, was a guest speaker.
Community Connections:
The following are some of the ways BRCOT is serving/connecting with our community.
- In the afternoon, our halls have been filled with laughter and excitement from the students in the Mother Goose Nursery School.
- Our CNA students have started their clinical at Seal Rock Healthcare.
- Our Business Academy students have been working with the Heart of Biddeford to get our city ready for the holidays.
- At the request of community members/leaders, the electrical program has rewired the community menorah, which will help celebrate Hanukkah.
November Students of the Month:
We are proud of our students at COT and proud of all they are learning and accomplishing. We are recognizing students who are demonstrating areas of strength in leadership, attendance, quality of work, reliability, responsibility, initiative, and academics by naming them as student of the month. Recognized students are identified by their instructors. Please Note: Instructors/programs are not required to have a student of the month every month.
November Students of the Month are as follows:
Plumbing/Heating PM: Tyler Cote - Tyler is always on task. He acts very professionally and completes every assignment immediately. He always goes above and beyond.
Legal Studies: Abby Nadeau - Abby is a hard-working, conscientious student that has consistently exceeded expectations in this program. She is seriously considering a career in law enforcement.
Intro To Business: Madelyn Berlin - Madelyn is a very determined, hard-working young lady. She has a serious interest in the business field. She has consistently exceeded expectations for this class.
Electrical PM: Caleb Wert - Caleb has been so much fun to work with. He has stepped out of his comfort zone and is leading in shop installations. His quality of work is craftsman like and he helps others when they are in need. His attitude is always happy, friendly and always willing to be challenged. I real step out and step up student.
Manufacturing Technology PM Zack League - Zack has truly demonstrated, to me, the term, Outstanding student in my afternoon Manufacturing class. He has a good attitude and comes prepared for every class. His attention to detail is outstanding for a first-year student in the second quarter of the year. He continues to build upon each of the lessons taught and is able to demonstrate his knowledge by completing the shop projects/parts with little interaction from me. He is willing to help other students if need be and is a pleasure to have in class.
Welding AM: Braiden Salamacha - Braden has taken the initiative to drive himself up to Bangor to get his welding certifications. Braden is the second student in the past seven years that I have been teaching here at the COT to get two certifications. Braden has a good sense of humor, gets along with everyone, and is fun to have in the program.
EMT PM: Ella Riley - Ella is a quiet but polite and engaged student. She is a bit of a silent leader, helping her class and especially her assigned platoon stay on track with skills and keep organized during learning sessions. She enthusiastically completes her work, sets an example for others, and is helpful and involved with the rest of her class. When she sees an issue, she does not hesitate to report it and helps with the solutions.
Intro to Med Science AM: Liam Heiger - Liam is a great student who expresses enthusiasm for learning every day he is in class. He does very good quality work and has excellent grades in class. He often is willing to serve as spokesperson for his group when we do group activities and often participates in discussions. Liam has high goals for his potential career in medicine, aspiring to be a Nurse Anesthetist, and is always engaged in our classroom, asking poignant questions, and has a healthy desire to learn.
Residential Carpentry PM: Robert Cormeia - Robert demonstrates excellent work habits both in the classroom and in the lab. He is the first one to step up and volunteer to demonstrate a task or take on a project. He is reliable, practices great safety habits, and demonstrates excellent initiative.
UPCOMING DATES TO KNOW
December 14: Mid-Term Progress Grades will be posted.
December 23-January 2: No School - Winter Break (Classes resume Tuesday, January 3)
January 11: Early Release Day
January 16: No School - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
NURSING UPDATE
There has been an increase in the number of reports of children in Maine, and across the U.S., with respiratory illness caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), adenovirus, enterovirus, influenza, and COVID-19. Our School Nurse would like to remind parents and guardians of the following:
Encourage children to stay home if they are sick to help prevent illnesses in the school setting:
COVID-19: Individuals should consider home testing, isolate for at least five (5) days with a positive test, and may return with masking depending on severity of illness. When to Leave Isolation.
Influenza: Individuals should stay home until 24 hours after fever resolves without the use of fever-reducing medications. Fact Sheet.
Pertussis: Individuals should stay home until they have completed five (5) days of antibiotics. Fact Sheet.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection (RSV): Individuals with RSV are usually contagious 3 to 8 days. Most RSV infections go away on their own in a week or two. Fact Sheet.
Colds: There is no standardized recommendation for returning during/after a cold. Individuals with colds are typically infectious for 4-7 days after symptoms begin.
Please contact the school nurse if you have questions or concerns about your child.
WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA
This past Monday, the Wreaths Across America convoy passed through Southern Maine en route to Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. Each December, on National Wreaths Across America Day (December 17th), their mission is to Remember, Honor, and Teach. They do this by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery, as well as at 3,400 additional locations in all 50 U.S. states, at sea, and abroad, and making scheduled stops along the way to teach children the value of freedom. This year Biddeford Middle School was chosen as a scheduled stop.
If you would like to be involved, you are welcome to join local community members on Saturday, December 17 at 9:00 am at the following cemetery locations: St. Joseph’s, St. Mary’s, St. Demetrios, Woodlawn and Greenwood to place wreaths on Veteran graves.
Click here for everything you need to know.
If Biddeford Schools are closed, BRCOT is closed.
Biddeford Regional Center of Technology
Email: paulette.b@biddefordschools.me
Website: https://www.biddefordschools.me/o/brct
Location: 10 Maplewood Avenue, Biddeford, ME, USA
Phone: (207)-282-1501
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BiddefordRegionalCenterOfTechnology
Twitter: @BiddCOT