SCHOOL NEWS
A NOTE FROM THE PRINCIPAL
As we transition into March and anticipate longer days, I am often reminded of the privilege I have to collaborate with such an exceptional team. Witnessing the dedication of our teaching staff across our four programs during classroom visits fills me with admiration daily. I feel truly fortunate to be surrounded by Educators who understand the essence of their roles and continuously push themselves and our students.
In recent months, our students have thrived in the classroom, bravely confronting academic challenges while focusing on their personal development. Their unwavering commitment to progress fills me with awe, and I eagerly anticipate a bright future ahead.
Sincerely,
Mike FrancoeurM A R C H 2 0 2 4
BRIDGE CROSSING ACADEMY
Staff Highlights
Congratulations to Burton Withey and Allana O’Dowd who celebrated their 1year anniversary with NFI North/Bridge Crossing Academy in March. Both were presented with their cup and pin. The staff at BCA are so thankful for all Burton and Allana provide to the students and the team We can’t thank you enough for being the special people that you are.
Bridge Crossing Academeny Celebrates Random Act of Kindness Week Feb. 11-17
Bridge Crossing Academy would like to thank our Maintenance Man, Elden Martin for all of his hard work and dedication to maintaining, repairing and keeping our school clean and safe. Elden is friendly and outgoing and has built solid relationships with the staff and the students With the everyday wear and tear on the facility with a busy group of young students, Elden will often spend school vacations ensuring that the program is in tip top condition when the staff and students return Elden is such a valued member of our community
We can’t thank you enough
Bridge Crossing Academy celebrated Random Acts of Kindness Week February 11-17 The school created a random acts of kindness tracker to highlight and track acts of kindness throughout the week. The tracker was easily filled by kindness shown to each other and the students were rewarded by making, decorating and eating their own cookies! One student was so inspired by this exercise, he developed his own tracker for his classroom to keep the acts of kindness going. Remember, “practice random acts of kindness, and senseless acts of beauty ”
Anne Herbert, 1982
BRIDGE CROSSING ACADEMY
Working Together and Trying our Best, Helps us Learn and Leads to Success!
March is here! The groundhog said spring was coming and we’re ready to play in the sun (After we finish our schoolwork, that is!) Staff here at Bridge Crossing have been introducing more interactive ways to learn, including Scholastic quizzes that allow staff vs. students to compete at trivia from the week’s readings.
ELA/School Spirit:
In English class, students delve into the world of grammar by studying nouns, verbs, and adjectives Additionally, they explore literary devices like alliteration, which involves repeating initial stressed consonant sounds in a sequence of words. At our school, we honor this with weekly celebrations such as Tye Dye Tuesday, Waffle Wednesday, and Flannel Friday!
Academic Highlights
At Bridge Crossing, educators concentrate on building students' reading and writing confidence For example, Charlotte inspired her students to work together by making homemade Play-doh They went to Reny's to get supplies, found the recipe online, wrote it out by hand and on the computer, and read it aloud while using math skills while making the dough (with slight modifications to achieve specific colors).
In the field of science: Integrating active learning, where "learning" is combined with practical activities, improves lesson retention. For example, Sugarloaf learned the concept of the "Food Web" by assigning each student a different animal and passing a string when one animal preyed on another. To explore photosynthesis, students colored comic pages In an experiment, a student tested if markers in water could alter the color of white flowers – and to everyone's surprise, it was successful!
BEACON HOUSE
Our students continue to work hard:
In our English classes, we are delving into the theme "Growing Times " We engage with short stories, autobiographical narratives, and poems that depict children growing up in diverse circumstances worldwide. Through crafting our autobiographical accounts, we immerse ourselves in the protagonist's shoes and reflect on how we would respond in similar situations. Our focus remains on figurative language, distinguishing between metaphors and similes. Additionally, we are honing our grammar skills by mastering possessive noun forms and incorporating vibrant verbs into our writing We have experimented with shape poems and delved into the role of the "speaker" in poetry to enhance our writing Strengthening our arguments with evidence from stories is also a key aspect of our writing process.
For students who have fulfilled their math graduation requirements, we have shifted our focus to another essential subject: Financial Literacy. Activities include creating grocery lists, simulating shopping experiences, dining out to calculate tax and tips using percentages, and exploring the nuances of online shopping
Integrated Math students are starting to delve into basic algebra concepts, such as integers on a number line, simplifying expressions with variables, handling positive exponents and variables, utilizing formulas with variables for perimeter calculations, and grasping addition rules starting with the commutative property
Our Social Studies students are currently engaged in a popular activity of creating travel brochures. The objective is to entice travelers to visit a selected country by showcasing its attractions, history, climate, and natural wonders Additionally, some students are focusing on US history in preparation for graduation, benefiting from personalized attention and extended study periods to enhance comprehension and maintain progress. In Biology and Life Science classes, students are involved in categorizing plants and animals, while also exploring the historical context and modern challenges related to renewable and alternative resources.
BEACON HOUSE
We are excited to be planning a trip slightly north on April 8th to view (carefully) the total solar eclipse. Teachers are preparing lessons associated with the solar system, solar rituals and celebrations and principles of geometry related to this once in a lifetime convergence We are even planning some art projects that utilize light activated paper and found objects, reading “All Summer in a Day '' and blackout poetry One of our students has been a very active participant in the BEHS Drama Club. He participated in the BEHS student led production of The Laramie Project, and just wrapped up the festival performances.
Two of our seniors have made the challenging, and rewarding, choice to continue into another year of High School, even though they met requirements for a Maine State Diploma. One student is off to Job Corp and the other intends to return to public school for a final year In many cases, that additional year is important for developing new relationships, as well as strengthening skills and accessing vocational guidance. We are ever mindful that there is no one-size-fits-all approach
Upcoming Events
Day of Quarter two is March
Spring Break is April 15-19 Professional Development March 15th and March 29th Monthly Med Reviews are April 10th and May 8th
Last
22nd
SIDNEY RIVERBEND
We are heading into our final quarter of school. It has been a fun and fast paced year.
Our students in Physical Science moved on from the Chemistry portion of the class and onto the Physics lessons They have been learning about forces, motion, and energy, and they will be working on a project that analyzes different forms of energy and how they are helping (or harming) our planet. In Biology, our students have been learning about Darwin's theory on Natural Selection, and they have been analyzing how genetics can show common ancestry They recently completed a lab in which they needed to simulate the beaks of finches and determine which bird had the best fitness
Students taking health have completed a unit on mental health and how to take care of it. We moved on to learning about the different body systems and how they interact to create a working human Students labeled our resident skeleton (Bobby Bones), and they used him to show how our body moves
Those in Art have been working through the history of art and how it has developed. We began at the prehistoric era, and we are currently learning about Greek and Roman art and the influences it has had on other forms. Students have also learned about famous artists, their lives, and analyzed their artwork Art projects focused on the 6 forms of art, and students are beginning to complete artwork centered around movements and famous artists.
Upcoming Events
April Vacation starts on the 15th and ends on the 21st
The state assessments will be completed in May for reading, math, and science
May 17th is a professional development day, no school
SIDNEY RIVERBEND
The US Modern History class just completed a unit on Civil Rights Meanwhile, Modern World History students are delving into imperialism and the events leading up to World War I.
In our English class, students have been immersed in the Civil Rights Movement unit. They have dissected Martin Luther King Jr 's iconic "I Have a Dream" speech and his "Letter from Birmingham Jail " Additionally, they have explored other speeches and writings inspired by Dr King's messages, delving into his influence on future movements. Currently, students are engrossed in "To Kill a Mockingbird," reflecting on themes of courage, innocence, morality, and prejudice. British Literature students have embarked on a unit centered on "Society”.
In math classes, students are tackling a range of topics from multiplication and division to rates and solving parts of a triangle
This semester in Music class, students are exploring the history of music, various instruments, note reading, and learning to play the guitar.
Within the Personal Finance class, students are honing skills in balancing bank accounts, writing checks, and budgeting They are also mastering tax filing using the EverFi program.
Professional Development:
The Sidney School Team attended a recent Professional Development Days in Jan. and March teachers were able to attend trainings on Lesson Planning, and Unit Plan Development. Ed Techs attended a training on Student Engagement and one on Documentation All staff had trainings on Specially Designed Instruction, and Implementing A Plan With Fidelity.
STETSON RANCH
With Spring around the corner, we’ve got some big plans sprouting We’re looking forward to getting our students involved in the planting of our garden and our greenhouse, specifically through introducing a Horticulture elective in the school. They’ve been working hard to come up with some great ideas of what to include and how to most effectively use our space.
The beginning of spring, means that winter must comes the and to close out that season, our leadership students will go on their Winter Camping Trip this week. They plan to spend three days in a beautiful A-Frame Cabin and spend their time learning about fly tying, how to use a map and compass, tying knots, and plaster casting as well as enjoying some time with a registered Maine Guide They were also looking forward to dozing off in the easy-chairs there and cooking over a campfire
We’ve also been strengthening the students interpersonal communication skills by encouraging them to connect with the participants at Finson Rd Last month, the students hand painted Valentine’s Day cards for the participants at Finson and even delivered them with gifts, before sitting down and enjoying some pizza with the residents and chatting a bit
This Thursday, we’re celebrating Pi Day by spending an afternoon making pies with our students to enjoy at the Ranch but also to share with the participants at Finson Rd Be sure we’re definitely keeping a few to take along on the camping trip as well. It is truly amazing to watch these students grow and bloom during their time with us at NFI North Stetson.
STETSON RANCH
Last week, some of our admin had the opportunity to attend Paul’s promotion celebration and take the serving tray made by our students down to present it Paul. We’re lucky to have someone who cares so much about the people we support on the day to day. Congrats Paul!