CATEC March 2025 Newsletter

There are lots of ways to know what is happening at CATEC. Keep in touch with us to know what our students are doing and all the ways we are working to improve our local workforce.

• Call us (434) 245-2419
• Visit us www.catec.org
• Download our app CATEC, VA
• Follow us at @CATECHighSchool (Facebook), CATEC High School (YouTube), @CATEChs (Twitter), @catechighschool (Instagram), @catechighschool (TikTok)

Dear CATEC Families,

As March comes to an end, we are bus planning lots of events happening at CATEC. These include:

• Interview Events (April-May)
• Fun Day (April 25)
• School-to-Work Signing Day (May 13)
• Completers' Ceremony (May 21)
• Last Day of CATEC (May 29)

Please mark your calendars for the school-wide events taking place this spring. More information is to come regarding important details.

Sincerely,

Dr. Stacey Heltz

• March 21: No CATEC High School
• March 31-April 4: Spring Break
• April 8: Automotive Technician Interviews (Richardson)
• April 28: Vet Science Interviews
• April 30: Carpentry and Electricity Interviews
• May 5: Nurse Assistant Interviews
• May 7: Cosmetology 2 Interviews
• May 13: School-to-Work Signing Day Event
• May 21: Completers Ceremony at MLK Jr. Performing Arts Center (CHS)
• May 29: Last day of CATEC

Please save the date for our 2025 Completers Ceremony. This graduation ceremony is for students who are completing their CATEC course, including both 1-year and 2-year programs. Please ask your instructor if you are eligible to participate this year.

CATEC has a Scholarships webpage dedicated to providing information for CATEC, local, and CTE scholarships. Check out the website there are lots of scholarship opportunities available to students!

Did you know that CATEC has its own PowerSchool?

You can view your student's current grades and attendance by following this link: CATEC PowerSchool. The PowerSchool Portal is also available on the high school page of the CATEC website.

Families will need to contact CATEC's front office at (434) 245-2419 to obtain login information for accessing their student's account.

Students have received their login details in their trade class and should check their accounts regularly to stay updated on their grades throughout the school year.

School Counseling

Ms. Butler is our School Counselor, and her office is located in the Career and Counseling Corner. She is available to meet with students and families regarding class schedules, dual-enrollment questions, and helps provide support as needed. You can reach her at 434-245-2419 or butlera1@charlottesvilleschools.org.

Workplace Readiness

CATEC values ensuring our students leave with technical trade skills as well as workplace skills that make students prepared to get and keep jobs. Throughout the year, CATEC staff tackles workplace readiness expectations. Congrats to all students who passed their WRS Assessment!

• EMT
• Charlottesville High School
• 11th grade
• Was enrolled at CATEC by accident but became a great mistake
• Loves EMT and enjoys doing so much hands-on work
• Will take health and medical sciences classes at CHS next year
• Has 2 jobs
• Enjoys mountain biking

• Nurse Assistant
• Western Albemarle High School
• 11th grade
• Attends CATEC because likes helping people and wants to work in the medical field
• Enjoys learning new facts about the body
• Wants to work as a CNA while finishing high school and then become an RN through UVA after graduation

Curriculum

CATEC’s Veterinary Science program is a natural educational pathway for students interested in working with animals. The class introduces students to the technical knowledge and skills necessary for success in careers pertaining to animals, including pet care industries, government agencies, laboratory research institutions, pharmaceutical occupations, veterinary medical assisting and technology, and postsecondary education.

College Credit and Credentialing

Veterinary Science students receive 12 college credits through Blue Ridge Community College. Credits include coursework in veterinary assisting, care and maintenance of small domestic animals, veterinary office assisting, and companion animal behavior. Students who satisfactorily complete the program also receive the Blue Ridge Community College Career Studies Certificate in Veterinary Assisting concurrent with high school graduation. Students take the Certified Veterinary Assistant test through American Allied Health at the end of their course.

Career Outlook

Upon graduation from the program, students can enter the industry as a Veterinary Assistant, helping vets by setting up equipment, preparing animals for treatment, and keeping records. They can work their way up to Veterinary Technician. Projected job growth in Virginia for Veterinary Assistants is nearly 20% and Virginia wages align with the national wage average. Program graduates can continue to post-secondary learning opportunities, can work in area veterinary clinics, or even as Laboratory Animal Care Technicians. Students can also attend Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine to become a veterinarian.

Ms. Grant has a Bachelor of Arts in English from Radford University. Ms. Grant has 6 years of teaching experience, and 6 years of experience as a Veterinary Technician. She has a teaching license with an endorsement in English. She has been working as a reading teacher in Florida since 2019. She is also CATEC's PM English instructor.

College isn’t an option for all. But everyone deserves the same opportunity to pursue a rewarding career that can provide a good living; the skilled trades are an avenue to that success. Trades + Tech Education Foundation wants to help connect community learners with the training to achieve their goals.

Formerly the CATEC Foundation, the Trades + Tech Education Foundation has supported adult learners and CATEC students studying skilled trades for more than 40 years, through scholarships and advocacy. The Foundation is now expanding our mission to include graduating students and adult learners throughout the Piedmont Region by helping them find the classes, programs, and funding they need to succeed.

In December, we launched our new website www.tradesandtech.org to serve as a resource for this information connecting learners with available training and certification programs in technology, healthcare, building and automotive trades, and more. Visitors to the site can access the scholarship application as well, and plans to include opportunities in apprenticeships, notifications of job fairs and workshops are in the works.

We hope this website serves as a go-to hub for anyone seeking to find a great career in skilled labor – an 18 year-old high school senior, a forty-year old career switcher, or an under-employed healthcare worker. They are vital to our community, to our businesses, and to our economy. The Trades + Tech Education Foundation would love to help these learners get a head start on their path forward.

Email: heltzs1@charlottesvilleschools.org
Website: www.catec.org
Location: 1000 Rio Road East, Charlottesville, VA, USA
Phone: 434-245-2419

Facebook: facebook.com/CATECHighSchool
Twitter: @CATEChs