Mid-Maine Chamber announces Ezhaya scholarship winner

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Hannah Robinson

Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce announces the 2023 Joseph B. Ezhaya scholarship winner.

Hannah Robinson, of Pittsfield, was selected as the scholarship recipient from a field of applicants.

Hannah is one of the top students in her class at Maine Central Institute (MCI) and was chosen as Salutatorian for the class of 2023. She will present the welcoming speech at graduation.

At the point of graduation time, along with her regular classes, she will have completed four honors, one AP and six college courses. She is a member of the National Honor Society and has received the Maine Principal’s Award as well as multiple Certificates of Merit and other academic awards.

Hannah played on her school’s field hockey, basketball, and softball teams throughout her four years at MCI, serving as captain for all three sports in her senior year. Through her school’s Key Club and National Honor Society, she found many ways to give back to her community. She has also worked at various youth athletic clinics and plans to stay active in community service throughout her college years.

Hannah will attend the University of Maine at Orono in the fall, majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders. She is entering the field of Speech Language Pathology so she can work with children, a passion she discovered while enrolled in the Early Childhood program at Maine Central Institute’s Technical and Career Center.

PHOTO: Waterville 12U softball team

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Front row, from left to right, Neriyah Doble, Lilly Wheeler, Andie Partridge, Dylan Bulmer and Whitney Cutter. Back, Haeley Ratner, Alyson Lake, Jordyn Moore, Ali Peters, Logan Laskey, Maci Peters and Coach Jimmy Peters. (photo By Missy Brown, Central Maine Photography)

PHOTO: Waterville Majors Purple baseball team

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First row, from left to right, Warren May, Milo Taylor, Ben Forkey, Oliver LeVan, Alex Pelotte, Brogan Walter, and Mason Pelletier. Back, Coach Craig McInnis, Landon Belisle, Jameson Dow, Maxwell Cornforth, Mitchell Ouellette, Cameron McInnis, Jayden Rancourt, and Coach Shawn Forkey. (photo by Missy Brown, Central Maine Photography)

Local students named to dean’s list at Cedarville University

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Catherine Estes, of Sidney, and Josette Gilman, of China, were named to the spring 2023 dean’s list at Cedarville University, in Cedarville, Ohio.

Lydia Gilman achieves Spring 2023 dean’s list at Belmont University

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Lydia Gilman

Lydia Gilman, of China, qualified for Belmont University’s spring 2023 dean’s list, in Nashville, Tennessee.

SNHU announces winter 2023 president’s list

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The following central Maine students have achieved president’s list status at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), in Manchester, New Hampshire.  Kristina Canedo, of Skowhegan, Heather Hall, of Canaan, Ashley Parks, of Anson, Jessica Keay, of Albion, Philip Densmore, Carrielee Harvey, and Alyson Cass, all of Waterville, and Matthew Bandyk, of Jefferson.

New Dimensions FCU awards two scholarships to local high school students

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Shivon Larsen and Kaiden Kelley accepted their scholarship certificates on Wednesday, April 26, 2023. (contributed photo)

New Dimensions FCU has announced that Shivon Larsen, from Temple Academy, in Waterville, and Kaiden Kelley, from Erskine Academy, in South China, have been selected as New Dimensions FCU’s 2023 Scholarship Program winners who have earned $2,500 each for their first year in college.

New Dim­ensions FCU awards scholarships to deserving high school seniors demonstrating strong character, community involvement, and academic success. This year, both students’ essays showed their character and assessment of financial literacy aligned with our mission and values.

Shivon Larsen will be attending Kennebec Valley Community College (KVCC), in Fairfield, in the fall in General Studies and plans to pursue classes in financial education. Kaiden Kelley will attend Plymouth State University, in New Hampshire, to study Graphic Design.

Ryan Poulin, Chief Executive Officer, states, “Our Scholarship Program is one of the ways we support our community. Often, we hear from students that financial education is an underdeveloped skill they would like to enhance. We do our best to provide them with the necessary tools and resources by adding financial education into their school’s curriculum and offering our Scholarship Program to show the importance of financial success.”

For more information, contact NDFCU at (800) 326-6190 or visit www.newdimensionsfcu.com

Local student named to fall 2022 UAF chancellor’s list

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Jeff Beyea, of Whitefield, has been named to the fall 2022 chancellor’s list at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, in Fairbanks, Alaska.

UAF is a Land, Sea and Space Grant institution and is the leading doctoral degree-granting institution in the state of Alaska. Since it was founded in 1917, UAF has been internationally recognized for research relating to the Arctic and sub-Arctic in areas such as biology, geophysics, engineering, natural resources and global climate change.

VASSALBORO: Teachers ask for more professional development time

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Vassalboro Community School (contributed photo)

by Mary Grow

Vassalboro School Board members spent most of their May 16 meeting discussing the 2023-24 school calendar, and scheduled a special zoom meeting for May 22 to approve a final version, after Superintendent Alan Pfeiffer wrote up their revisions and ran them by staff members.

The main issue was professional development time, scheduled hours for staff to do workshops and training and work together on educational issues.

This past year has seen two early release days most months, days when students go home at midday so staff can meet in the afternoon. Principal Ira Michaud reported the most recent day had been used for a zoom workshop with an outside expert.

Alternatives to early release days include late start days (used in some other Maine school organizations, people said) or full days without students. Discussion tried to balance two objectives: maximizing staff time for cooperative work while minimizing inconvenience to parents.

Michaud emphasized that students benefit from the staff development time. The purpose is to share current information and ideas that make classroom teaching more effective.

Pfeiffer reported after the May 22 meeting that school board members unanimously approved the 2023-24 calendar. It will be shared with parents in mailings and posted on the school website, vcsvikings.com.

In other business May 16:

  • Michaud reported after screening for next year’s prekindergarten and kindergarten classes, preliminary figures are 29 prekindergarten students and 39 kindergarten students.
  • Pfeiffer said plans for summer work include repointing and sealing the school building’s brick exterior, more security upgrades and adding acoustic tiles to reduce noise in the cafeteria.
  • Michaud said third-graders won this spring’s penny-collecting contest. The Student Council voted to use the about $400 collected to buy larger national and state flags for the flagpole in front of the school.

Another thought students had was to replace the worn-out slide on the playground, but Michaud said a new slide would cost between $6,000 and $10,000. He’ll keep the need in mind and hope to find money.

  • Board members approved Mia Sargent as the new art teacher and Joel Estes, who has been a substitute teacher, as an Educational Technician III.

Michaud said Sargent spent a year becoming a credentialed art teacher, after eight years’ experience as an elementary-school classroom teacher. She succeeds Sue Briggs, one of the two Vassalboro Community School long-timers retiring next month; kitchen manager Mary Dumont is the other.

Pfeiffer and Michaud praised VCS staff for their hard work as school enters “the new normal” after the disruptive covid years.

This year’s eight-grade promotion is scheduled for 6 p.m., Monday, June 12, at the China Lake Conference Center, on Neck Road, in China.

After the special May 22 meeting, the next regular Vassalboro School Board meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m., Tuesday, June 20.

Board members set their annual summer workshop for 5 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 18, to be followed by the summer school board meeting at 6:45 p.m.

Carrabec High School honor parts announced (2023)

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Luke Carey (left) and Mliss Hem (right)

Valedictorian:

Luke Carey, Carrabec’s Valedictorian, is a student who is a role model in school. With a grade point average of 100.67, he has completed four ad­vanced placement classes, seven honors classes, two early college courses and one dual enrollment class, as well as, advanced math classes. Luke is not only a great student and an extraordinary math team leader, he also applies his strengths to the sports world as well, excelling in basketball, soccer, baseball and tennis. Luke will be attending the University of Maine at Farmington, majoring in actuarial science. Luke is the son of Erik and Tanya Carey, of Embden.

Salutatorian:

Mliss Hem, Carrabec’s Salutatorian, is a bright and successful student. Mliss has a grade point average of 100.00, completing nine honors classes. She came to Carrabec her senior year after being homeschooled and was a great addition to the senior class. Mliss will be attending Washington County Community College, majoring in business management. Mliss is the daughter of Bunn and Margaret Hem, of New Portland.