Biddeford Center of Technology

It has been an exciting first quarter at BRCOT with welcoming students to a new school year. From getting to ride in a Tesla Cybertruck and seeing our completed J1 Houses be transported from our campus, to welcoming guest speakers and doing site visits and field trips, our students/programs have been very busy.

We are also excited to have opened the new addition which houses several of our programs. The new addition is housing Plumbing, Introduction to Medical Science/Emergency Medical Services, Athletic Training as well as our new programs, Culinary Arts and Travel, Tourism & Hospitality. It was nice to see many of you at our Open House on September 26th; thank you for coming.

Parents and guardians, your partnership in your child’s education is invaluable. The end of the first quarter is October 25th and Parent Teacher Conferences will be held on Wednesday, November 6th, 3:30 - 7:00 p.m. Instructors will be sharing information with their classes on how to schedule a conference. We hope you are able to make it!

Please Note: The School Committee voted to provide asynchronous learning for students who attend Biddeford High School (Grades 8-12) and Biddeford Regional Center of Technology on Election Day, Tuesday, November 5th. Students will access their lessons/assignments for the day via Google Classroom.

As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us or your child’s teacher with any questions or concerns, 207-282-1501.

One of the unique characteristics of our school's programming is that each of our programs has a Program Advisory Committee (PAC). The committee is made up of industry representatives, a parent, current and past students, and college representatives. Committee members play multiple roles and the primary function is to advise us on current and future trends, equipment needs, internship, and work opportunities so that we are always focused on improvement and innovation. The committee meets at least twice a year. If you should receive an invitation, you are encouraged to participate as your feedback is valuable. If you would like to participate, please contact your child's instructor. It is a great way to learn more about the intricacies of the program.

• 10/23: Screenagers: Under the Influence Event (See below)
  
• 10/25: End of the First Quarter
• 10/29: Grand Opening of COT, Building 2
• 11/3: Daylight Savings Time ends (Clocks back 1 hour)

• 11/5: Election Day - Asynchronous Day for Students, No In-Person Classes
• 11/6: Early Release & Parent Teacher Conferences 3:30-7 PM
• 11/11: Veterans Day - No School
• 11/15: College & Career Fair

To kick off Red Ribbon Week, October 23-31, we are partnering up with Coastal Healthy Communities Coalition and the Biddeford Saco Rotary Club to feature a screening of the documentary Screenagers: Under the Influence, which addresses vaping, drugs, and alcohol in the digital age. The event will be held on Wednesday, October 23rd at 6pm at the Thornton Academy Auditorium, followed by a panel discussion and resource fair. We hope parents are able to attend.

To make the most of the unique learning experiences at BRCOT, it’s important that students attend every day, on time, and ready to learn. Our A.M. session runs from 8:30-10:40, and the P.M. session is from 12:20-2:25. Since many activities cannot be replicated, missing a class could mean missing important one-time events.

If your child will be absent, please notify us by calling BRCOT. If a student is absent without notification parents/guardians will receive automated text messages and calls.

We would like to remind parents and students about the new cell phone policy. In the summer of 2024, the Biddeford School Committee passed Policy JICJ, which governs the use of cell phones and other electronic devices. This policy aligns with BRCOT’s established guidelines, as outlined in our Student/Parent Handbook.

At BRCOT, cell phones and other electronic devices, including smartwatches, must be turned off—not just placed in silent mode—during class time. Instructors may also require that devices be stored in designated classroom locations. Access to these devices during class may be allowed only for specific educational purposes.

1. Go to www. biddefordschools.me or this link.
   
2. Click on Campus Student
   
3. Student Username is: Student Number, not Personal ID or State ID number. The Student ID Number is usually found under their birth date. It has 5 numbers.
   
4. Password is: First name initial, Last name initial, Date of Birth. For example, if a student was born on September 9, 2004, they enter ts090904
   
5. If this fails, please contact Holly Scribner at 282-1501 or at hscribner@biddefordschools.me
   
6. If you are a BHS student, the school designation (upper right bar) from BHS to COT, or you will not see COT grades.

Note: If a student/parent forgets their sign-on information, after a few attempts you may get locked out. If this happens, contact Holly Scribner (282-1501) for a reset.

We may send text alerts in addition to email messages regarding important changes in the school day. Texts will be coming from a 98900 number. Please be advised this is a legitimate number, and blocking it could affect future messaging.

The Telling Room’s annual creative Writing Contest invites youth from all over Maine, ages 6 - 18, to show off their writing. A panel of professional writers and youth selects one grand prize winner, a winner from each of Maine’s participating 16 counties, and submissions are considered for publication. All forms of creative writing are considered, including poetry, prose, fiction, nonfiction, screenwriting, playwriting, and songwriting. All submissions must be submitted by November 15th, and all the details are listed on The Telling Room’s website.

Paulette Bonneau, Director

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