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Wiscasset Schools Advisory Group for Educational Success SAGES Oct. Newsletter 2011
Collaboration Project at Wiscasset Primary School: WE RECYCLE Farm-to-School / WPS Cafete-‐ ria / 3rd & 4th Grade Ar sts are excited to inform you of a wonderful recycling effort new to the Wiscasset Primary School, this year! Abby Plummer, our Farm-to-School Coordinator, Theresa Meehan and her staff, and Mrs. Barnes and her 3rd and 4th graders are planning an exci ng educa-‐ onal and fun learning environment for ALL students, in the Wiscasset Primary School cafeteria. We'd like you to know about the follow-‐ ing. We are recycling. We are compos ng in the school cafeteria and many class-‐ rooms, and we are learning about compos ng and sustainable lifestyle prac ces with our teachers and Farm-to -School Coordinator. We are crea ng a Farm-to-School bul-‐
le n board in the cafeteria that will feature photographs iden fying the local farms that provide our kitchen staff with locally grown produce, AND the drawings of our school building created by fourth grade ar sts. 3rd and 4th graders are designing recycling monsters for the cafeteria! These students are elec ng to par cipate in a contest. The result will be that three monster designs from each grade level will be chosen for enlargement. These enlarged monster designs will become recycling can 'costumes'. They will make our recycling cans fun, colorful, and be a reminder to students of what goes where! The results of this contest will be announced Friday, October 21. We will reduce the size of some of the
other original monster designs and use them as decora ve covers for our cafeteria’s utensil containers and napkin holders. Who knows! One or two of these monster designs might just find a home in the teacher's lounge, as well. We could all use a recycling reminder! We plan to invite the public to a 'monster' open house in the near future. We s ll have much work to do before this, so keep an eye out for that invite. The monster designs on this page for the WPS Recycle Cans were created by the following ar sts: Briana, Ka anna, Kayla, Vanessa, Maria, Jordan and Saorise. Ar cle Submi ed by WPS and WMS Art Teacher Donna Barnes
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We welcome you to Wiscasset Primary School……….. Did you know that we have 260 children at the school on a daily basis? They come each day to learn about our world, how to think, navigate and solve problems. It is a wonderful place and we’d like to share it with you! We are looking for you to be part of our school community. Please consider scheduling a tour to come and see all of the great things going on in our school. Just call 882-7585 to plan at time that works for you and school personnel. We are looking forward to meeting you! Next month, you’ll hear more about a “Math Challenge” that we hope to involve the whole community in…..more to come…….. Submitted by WPS Principal Cheryl Howe
Library Fun with WPS Librarian Ms. Hardman Wiscasset Primary School third grade students from Mrs. Johnson’s class recently participated in the newly formed Fancy Nancy Club. Club members enjoyed a weekly tea party and, much like the book character Fancy Nancy, discussed important topics such as manners, accessories, and how to go through life as fancily as possible. This club was made possible thanks to the generous support of the PIE group, as well as Wiscasset Primary School staff. A special thank you to Tanya Albert, who made a beautiful bulletin board for this club as well as one for the Star Wars Club.
First Grade has visited the Morris Farm to have tours, meet the animals and see where our cafeteria waste is composted!. Abby is an awesome liaison between WPS and the farm. Some students helped feed Country and
Wiscasset Primary School fourth grade students from Mrs. Erdmann’s and Mrs. Roper’s classes were among the first to take part in the newly formed Star Wars Club. Supervised by librarian Lisa Hardman, the club met for three sessions and enjoyed such activities as discussing Star Wars books and movies, playing Star Wars Trouble, performing light saber displays, putting together Star Wars puzzles, and making Star Wars themed crafts. Participants were treated to a snack of Star Wars gummies and one member of the club even came dressed as Darth Vader.
WPS Students Visit The Morris Farm
Nation, the farm heifers while others got to hold bunnies! We look forward to rekindling our past connections with the farm, and know the learning that will result!!! Submitted by WPS First Grade Teacher Tracy Jackson
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WPS Students Learn about Tomato Hornworms The life of a tomato hornworm is not easy. The female sphinx moth lays one egg, on the un- derside of a tomato or potato leaf. The caterpillar will emerge in about one week, and spend the next four weeks of its life eating. This can be a problem, because its diet consists of potato or tomato leaves. Farmers usually do not want their crop eaten, so many do not survive the month of eating that it takes them to grow to their full size as a 4 inch caterpillar. If it survives feeding for about a month, and grows to its size of 4 inches, it must then move into its pupa stage. The caterpillar will crawl to the ground, and burrow down several inches, forming a brown, hard-shelled pupa or cocoon. Here it will try to survive a Maine winter. It will use all of the energy it has
stored while eating all month, and breathe through holes called spiracles, on the sides of its cocoon. In May or June, it will burst out of its cocoon, crawl to the surface, and begin its new life as a sphinx moth, a large moth with a wingspan of about five inches. Its life in the sunshine is short lived. It will mate, lay a single egg, and then die. A sphinx moth has to use many adaptations in order to survive, but last week, one particular caterpillar got some help from Mrs. Warner's class. While digging potatoes at Morris Farm, Kyle and Matthew found a recently formed pupa of a tomato hornworm. If they left it in the fields at the farm, it would get plowed under in the spring.
Their class brought it to Mrs. Morissette's class, and the fourth graders and third graders worked together to find the cocoon a new home (Mrs. Morissette's class butterfly garden). Third and fourth graders worked together to learn about the life cycle of the tomato hornworm, and the adaptations that allow it to survive. At the end, they were rewarded with a cool treat for the great job they did!!! Submitted by Lynn Morissette, WPS 4th Grade teacher Mrs. Morissette’s class’s link http://wps.svrsu.org/ morissette/hornworm
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WPS & WMS Music is in the Air! Fall Music is in the Air! Wiscasset Primary School students have enjoyed learning some fun new songs for fall. Favorites included, “I’m So Glad to Be Here,” “Autumn Equinox,” “The Apple Song,” “Apple on a Stick” and “1492.” Students eagerly played classroom percussion instruments in unison with fellow classmates singing. A Special Visit! The fourth grade was recently asked to perform for the Chinese Delegation during their visit to Wiscasset High School on Oct. 21st. Students were thrilled to sing and perform choreography to the song “Positive.” The song had a meaningful message about personal growth and the power of positive thinking and was a hit with students and our international guests.
passes many styles of learning and opportunities for all.
well as the WMS Band led by Mr. Whitney.
Destination Portland! The fifth graders are going on a field trip to Merrill Auditorium on Oct. 25th. They are attending Portland Symphony Orchestra’s youth concert entitled, “Beethoven in the House.” Students are preparing ahead by learning a great deal about composer Ludwig Van Beethoven and his music. They even heard a rumor that Beethoven himself just might show up at the concert!
Not Just Your Ordinary Festival. The seventh and eighth grade singers and instrumentalists are starting to prepare for Honors Festival auditions. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to experience a formal audition and, if accepted, attend a two- day festival in April. The event brings together students from towns throughout the district to perform an incredible mix of challenging music.
Talent Abounds! Choral ensem- bles are off to a wonderful start. The Fifth Grade Chorus is the largest I’ve taught at WMS and is full of enthusiastic students who give their best effort at every Did Someone Say Christmas? Third rehearsal. The Sixth, Seventh and fourth graders (and second graders and Eighth Grade Chorus is also full of amazing talent this year. in 2S) have already begun to prepare for the Holiday Concert at WPS. Mark The group has already learned one jazzy song called, “Feel the your calendars for December 13th at 6:00pm. I am once again very happy to Beat” and is working on some more difficult pieces to present collaborate this year with Physical Education teacher, Linda Hanson and later in the year. Mark your calendars: The WMS Holiday Art teacher Donna Barnes on this th concert. Students truly benefit from this Concert is December 20 at 6:30 and will feature both groups as school-wide project which encom-
As you can see, the music program is quite busy! I am very much enjoying working with the young people in our community and invite you to experience their talents at our upcoming events. By Carole Drury, K-6 Music Teacher and WMS Choral Director
Wiscasset Airport Visit Inspires WMS Students After the wonderful trip to the Wiscasset Airport to see the five WWII airplanes, the 6th grade created inspirational posters for the slogans used in the documentary movie shown about the Tuskegee Airmen. We will use these slogans to encourage us throughout the year. Submitted by WMS 6th Grade English Language Arts Teacher Nancy Erkman
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News from Wiscasset Middle School Library
News from the Wiscasset Middle School Library 5th and 6th Grade Program Improving literacy is a building-wide goal at Wiscasset Middle School. What are some of the techniques we use in our library program to inspire students to read???
Last Chance for WMS Book Fair Books !!
Third, we build excitement towards the culture of reading a great book. Our 6th graders have aesthetic control of the library and have been creating cozy, comfortable library spaces that encourage us to come to the library and dwell in the company of great books.
5th and 6th graders also help with the Scholastic Book Fair planning. Our First, we must know our students! We listen to their interests and note the types of Book Fair will be open to the public weekdays Oct. 17 – 25th from 3-6:00 literature they have already read and enjoyed. We have collegial conversations p.m. in small library focus groups to encourage peer recommendations for excellent books Upper classmen come to the library to read. as they need new books or with their classes in order to research topics. Stop by the library when you are in Second, we use our knowledge of our the school! students to expose them to books that we think they would like. We read sample passages to inspire a connection to the Submitted by WMS books. We try to hook 5th and 6th graders into a series so they have the pleasure of Librarian and Art an extended reading experience. Teacher Mrs. Carlson
Oct. 24 & 25 from 3– 6 p.m.
Below: The September Students of the Month for Grade 6 enjoy reading for CYOB. Submi ed by Nancy Erkman
Sixth Grade Reading Program is Awesome! Sixth graders at the Wiscasset Middle School have been reading a lot. As part of the reading curriculum, students participate in a program called “CYOB” - choose your own book. The students read during class and at home. They need to read 800 pages to get an A and most students have already surpassed that goal. After reading a book, students record information about the book on their computers, and do two book talks with their reading teacher each quarter. The sixth grade teachers love meeting with the kids to discuss books. During the book talks the students rate the books they read on a scale of one to ten. The students share the book titles of books that got high ratings so others might enjoy these books. Some of the top titles and series this quarter are: Guardians of Ga’hoole by Kathryn Lasky, Ranger’s Aprentice Series by John Flanagan, Red Pyra- mid by Rick Riordan Maximum Ride Series James Patterson, Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling, Seekers by Erin Hunter Skeleton Creek Series by Patrick Carmen, The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins, Deltora Quest by Emily Rodda, Goosebumps Series by R.L. Stein The Lightning Thief Series by Rick Riordan, Attack of the Red Hot Chile Peppers by David Lubar Heroes of Olympus Series by Rick Riordan, Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver Submitted by WMS Sixth Grade Teacher Marsha Emery
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Middle School Students are Citizen Scientists In early October, a group of 7 students visited the Montsweag Dam removal site. Their work will assist Chewonki in monitoring the sight and gathering data for the Montsweag Restoration Project. They collected data on water chemistry, vegetation, and stream shape. They took photos from stations set up at the site. They are continuing the work began by last year’s eighth graders and plan to visit the site monthly throughout the year.
grade classes. These clams were planted using four different methods in an attempt to determine which method was the best for the growth of clams. After the clam samples were collected, they were brought back to the school where they were washed, measured and examined. All data was collected and results are pending.
The 8th grade students, in conjunction with the Wiscasset Shellfish Committee, will continue with this Brian Beal, Professor of Marine Ecology at ongoing project and will be reseeding the University of Maine Machias visited the again in the spring. Any interested community members are welcome to 8th grade classroom and gave a very join in the effort. Please call Cindy informative lecture on the life cycle of the clam, their feeding methods, predation and Collamore or Sue Kistenmacher at the Wiscasset Middle School with any many other aspects involving the “Mya questions. arenaria,” more commonly known as the soft shell clam. Denis Marc-Nault, Biologist and Shellfish Program Supervisor Submitted by WMS Cindy Collamore, also assisted with this project. Administrative Assistant Some of those students accompanied Professor Brian Beal, Denis Marc-Nault, and Dick Forrest onto the mud flats behind the Middle School. They helped sample clams that were planted in the springs of 2010 and 2011 by the previous eighth
Email sages123@ymail.com to let us know what you would like to know more about.
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Wiscasset High School Celebrated its 50th Birthday with a Fun Filled Homecoming!
On September 29 and 30, the high school celebrated Homecoming 2012 and Wiscasset High School’s 50th birthday. The girls’ soccer team had an outstanding win on Thursday against Mountain Valley, and the boys’ soccer team soundly beat Carrabec in a game under the lights on Friday. The students celebrated Homecoming by decorating the bleachers and the school bulletin boards and were out in force to support their school teams. There was an alumni reception on Friday evening, followed by the Homecoming Dance. We were delighted to see former WHS students at the reception and enjoyed telling tales from the past with interesting facts about WHS offered up by alum Judy Flanagan. We look forward to continuing this tradition in the future and hope we will see many more past graduates at next year’s event.
WHS Technology Teacher Chip Schwehm is nominated for 2012 Teacher Excellence Award Chip Schwehm, one of Wiscasset High School’s Technology Education teachers, was recently nominated for the 2012 Teacher Excellence Award from the Technology & Engineering Educators Association of Maine and the International Technology & Engineering Educator Association. Mr. Schwehm has taught at Wiscasset High School for a number of years and works alongside Rob Cronk in the Technology Education Department. He is a valuable member of our high school community, and we are very proud of him. We congratulate him on this initial honor and hope that he will be the 7 eventual recipient of this prestigious award.
Beloved Children's Story Comes Alive on the WHS Stage
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Cast and Crew of "Anne of Green Gables" - pictured left to right: Row 1: Cassandra Crawford and Ally Lambert;; Row 2: Rachael Berry, Alyssa Urquhart, Micheala Trudeau, Amanda Marcas, and Katie-Lyn Mills;; Row 3: Ally Wehrle, Charlene Reed, Kyle Shute, Alexa Burns, and Alex Crawford;; Row 4: Jean Phillips, Jon West, Jasmine Smith, Hannah Campbell, and Morgan Suydam;; Not pictured: Logan Conley, Gabrielle Chapman, and Abby Kennedy
The beloved book Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery will come alive on the Wiscasset High School stage this November. This stage adaptation by Joseph Robinette and directed by WHS Drama teacher Jean Phillips, covers the story of orphan Anne (spelled with an "e") Shirley from the moment she arrives at Bright River to the beginning of her career as a teacher. Cast in the title role of Anne Shirley is freshman Jasmine Smith;; junior Alyssa Urquhart will portray her adopted mother, Marilla Cuthbert;; and senior Jon West will play Marilla's bachelor brother, Matthew Cuthbert. Junior Kyle Shute will play Anne's sometime nemesis, Gilbert Bylthe. Rounding out the rest of the cast are freshmen Rachael Berry, Abigail Kennedy, KatieLyn Mills, and Charlene Reed;; sophomores Alexa Burns, Hannah Campbell, Cola Cobb, Cassandra Crawford, Allyson Lambert, and Michaela Trudeau;; and senior Morgan Suydam. This year, students from the middle schools in the entire RSU were given the opportunity to participate in the play, and three students from WMS: Gabrielle Chapman, Amanda Marcus, and Allison Wehrle are part of the cast. Anne of Green Gables will be performed on November 12th at 7:00 PM and November 13th at 2:00 PM. Tickets will be $5.00 for adults, $3.00 for students, and $2.00 for children under ten. Children of all ages are encouraged to relive their memories of this wonderful series and come to Green Gables for a visit.
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Wiscasset High School Welcomes New Staff Wiscasset High School is delighted to announce the addition of some new staff. Kristin Grasse has joined us part-time as our new school nurse. She will be in the office on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Tom Waterhouse is a new Education Technician and will be working to support the needs of our students in the Life Skills program. Tenley Libby, part-time physical education teacher at Wiscasset Middle School, has joined us as the new Athletic Director for Wiscasset Middle and High School. Many of you have probably already met her on the fields this fall and will surely see her around the basketball courts and swimming pool this winter. Additionally, we are delighted to welcome back Sue Poppish in a new role. She will serve part-time as our Assistant Principal. As many of you know, she brings a wealth of knowledge about the school and the community and has already jumped in with both feet. Please extend a welcome to our new staff the next time you see them! Submitted By WHS Principal Deb Taylor
Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held on November 2 and 3 from 3:00-7:00 pm at Wiscasset High School. Teachers will be available to discuss student progress and any concerns that parents may have. Please contact the front office at 8827722 to schedule a conference with the teachers.
Chinese Education Delegation Visited Wiscasset High School On Friday October 21st, a Chinese Education Delegation from the Taishun Yucai School in the Wenzhou province came to Wiscasset High School to explore the possibility of a "sister school" relationship. Wiscasset High School has been working diligently on a project to recruit Chinese tuition students in the academic year 2012-2013, and this visit is a part of our work in this effort. There was a full-school assembly at 8:30 a.m. where the superintendent of RSU 12, Greg Potter, Principal Deborah Taylor, and Wiscasset's Chamber of
Commerce representatives welcomed the delegation, after which these educators toured our facility and were given information to support their understanding of our school as a potential "sister school." Seven student ambassadors led the tours with translators, accompanied their visitors in classroom visits, and answered questions after the tour. Cormac Walsh, David Marcus, Logan Grover, Cameron Mugnai, Alyssa Urquhart, Michaela Trudeau, and KT Connors all applied
to be Student Ambassadors, and will continue in that role in 2012-2013 to support any incoming Chinese tuition students. This event was a wonderful first step in Wiscasset High School's efforts to diversify our student population, thus enriching the school and community culture. Submitted by Sue Poppish, WHS Interim Vice Principal
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whs open art rooms, a sneak peek and quotes from arts in education week Students stay late on a Friday to work on a variety of long term projects that will be due in the coming week. Ceramics Slab Project Narratives, Sculpture Mobiles, Art Revolutions Collage Diptych, and Printmaking HandColored Intaglio Prints were some of the projects being worked on. A little music and lots of smiles. A great group! Images of student works in progress- a sneak peek of the upcoming Arts Celebration. The proposed Winter Gallery of The Arts is December 15th! We hope to see you all there!
Kiln Protector by Alyssa Urquart
Quotes From Arts In Education Week Students and Staff were asked to reflect on the impact of the arts in their education. "When I got to high school, I was really shy and self conscious, then I got involved in the arts (theater, music and art) and throughout my years here, it has made me a much stronger and more confident person." Alyssa Urquhart
Vine Charcoal Contour Still Life Drawing by Alexa Burns
“I have always been a really crafty person and interested in art and things of that nature. It wasn't until I had a printmaking class, that I realized I can actually draw. Then I started looking into different media and found a passion for it.” Alyssa Smith "I knew since 8th grade that I wanted to be a music teacher. Music makes life more fun!"Mrs. Winchenbach "Art makes up life. Everything is art, even if you don't realize it." Anon Haase "If I didn't have art and music, I wouldn't be me!" Annonymous Submitted by Shalimar Poulin, Visual Arts 9-12th Grades Wiscasset High School
10 Alyssa Smith Works on her Slab Ceramics Box Project
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SAGES One United Wiscasset Schools Community Email sages123@ymail.com with your questions and/or school related topics. What would you like to read about in SAGES Newsletter?
sages123@ymail.com
SAGES October 12, 2011 Meeting Fourteen a ended SAGES 10/12/2011 mee ng. Par cipants shared exci ng fall news about Wiscasset Schools. An update about SAGES website, newsle er, and the 10/26 Q & A forum was provided. SAGES discussed how do we know if our efforts to let people know about Wiscasset Schools reach those we hope to reach. Who reads the newsle ers? Sugges ons- use constant contact or similar service; use town sign, & LCTV. SAGES communica on efforts to date: website, newsle er, email list, press releases, ar cles from newsle er sent to local papers, & facebook for mee ng invites. Decision for SAGES' advisory project priority- focus on what needs improvement in our schools re: educa on w/in financial limits. Ideas shared: increase GT services; explore foreign languages at WPS; issue of scheduling w/in me constraints. Discussion ensued about: integra on of content areas; need to know what ATLAS curriculum program is/ K - 12 curriculum planning; would like more informa on about scheduling of class me during the school day. November's plan is to learn about RSU12's use of ATLAS for curriculum work to identify any gaps in curriculum, & if any, find out what is being done to fill them and when. Stay tuned for SAGES November meeting date.
Wiscasset Schools Advisory Group for Educational Success was created as a community run group supported by Wiscasset Schools staff and administrators to be a resource to support a positive interconnected K-12 experience & school culture in Wiscasset Schools and academic achievement for all students. SAGES will work best if a diverse array of community members participate by emailing SAGES school topic related questions & suggestions, and by attending SAGES meetings when you can. SAGES will work on: fostering positive relationships between Wiscasset Schools and the communities sending students to the schools through effective communication. SAGES will provide meeting forums to learn about our schools and a means to provide community input for Wiscasset Schools Principals, the RSU 12 Superintendent and Board of Directors.
Wiscasset SAGES community informational forum about Wiscasset Schools staying in or leaving RSU12 will be on Wednesday, October 26th at 6 p.m. in Wiscasset High School. Please attend if you can.
SAGES Website linked to Wiscasset Schools’ sites has lots of information which is updated often. https://sites.google.com/site/wiscassetsages
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