China Middle School honor roll

photo source: JMG.org

GRADE 8

High honors: Carter Brockway, Ashlee Camillo, Lauren Cowing, Lillian Crommett, Kalli Duvall, Clara French, Serena Hotham, Parker Hunter, Abigail McDonough, Shannon McDonough, Noah Pelletier, Justin Reed, Laney Robitaille, Avery Ross, Carlee Sanborn, Aislynn Savage, Parker Studholme and Dalorice Vires.

Honors: Haileigh Allen, Jayda Bickford, Keenan Clark, Dylan Cooley, Lucas Farrington, Brooke Lee, Jackson Levesque, Sadie Pierce, Kyle Scott and Larissa Steeves.

GRADE 7

High honors: London Catle, Madeline Clement-Cargill, Clkaire Davis, Sylvia Davis, April Dutilly, Faith Given, Kasen Kelley, Bayley Nickles, Ruby Pearson, Elijah Pelkey, Desirae Proctor, Christian Salvadori, Jaelyn Seamon, Madelynn Spencer and Abigial Studholme.

Honors: Brock Bowden, MacKenzie Chasem, Gavin Clark, Colby Hardy, Willow Haschalk, Easton Houghton, Laylah Leach, Nathaniel Levesque, Hayden Little, Aurora Littrell, Jeremy McKay, Jack Murray, Michael Richardson, Benjamin Severy, Nichala Small, Kayla Stred, Phoebe Taylor, Kamryn Turner and Alexander Walker.

GRADE 6

High honors: Isaac Audette, Khloe Clark, Connor Crommett, Logan Dow, Nolan Dow, Bella Dutilly, Isabella Farrington, Danica Ferris, Scott Fitts, Kaylee Grierson, Johanna Jacobs, Peyton Kibbin, Kate McGlew, Annie Miragliuolo, Natalie Peaslee, Bryson Pettengill, Caylee Putek, Jessika Shaw, Gabriel Studholme and Sabrina Sutdholme.

Honors: Delia Bailey, Mason Carrillo, Landen DeCosta, Kelsie Dunn, James Goodwin, Connor Hardesty, Chase Hester, Wyatt Michaud, Hadleigh Morin, Haile Pierce, Dylan Proctor, Mason Reed-Prosser, Julianna Ripley, Dylan Saucier, Blake Spry, Colby Spry and Matthew Vernesoni.

GRADE 5

High honors: Dawson Baker, Mackenzie Bowden, Jackson Bryant, Trevor French, Tyler Gagnon, Landon Larochelle, Bella Lefferts, Lainey McFarland, Ava Miragliuolo, Liam Ross, Maxine Spencer, Amelia Spry, Ethan Studholme, Dalton Stufflebeam, Kallie Turner and Brian Walker.

Honors: Alexxander Catassi, Dante Farrell, Myla Gower, Madison Levesque, Mason Mattingly, Alexander Mayo, Clara Monroe, Nolan Pierce, Reed Pilsbury, Keegan Sears, Braelyn Waters and Leah Watson.

Erskine cereal box challenge nets 3,544 boxes for local food pantries

The Erskine gym with 3,544 cereal boxes set up like dominos. (photo by Blais Photography)

Responding to a challenge issued by the Jobs for Maine Graduates (JMG) students of Cony High School, in Augusta, to their peers at Erskine Academy, in South China, the school exceeded the 1,000 box challenge, raising 3,544 boxes of cereal for its local food pantries.

Given only two weeks (one while the school was operating fully remote), Erskine’s goal of 1,334 boxes of cereal (one more than Cony High’s recorded total) was more than doubled. On Monday, April 5, cereal boxes were lined up to create a domino-effect spiral beginning at the headmaster’s desk, running through the school and to the gym. The live-streamed release event took over nine minutes from start to finish.

Immediately following the domino event, students and staff delivered the cereal to food pantries in China, Vassalboro, Chelsea, Whitefield, Jefferson, Windsor, and Palermo, the sending communities to Erskine Academy. The school then challenged two JMG program schools, Skowhegan Area HighSchool and Mt. View High School, in Thorndike, to keep the charitable momentum going with their cereal drives.

Though led by Erskine’s students and faculty, the campaign became a broader community event supported substantially by families, area middle schools, alumni, and many area businesses and organizations.

(photo by Blais Photography)

About this accomplishment, Headmaster Michael McQuarrie says, “The Cereal Box Challenge was for a great cause and was presented to us at a time when we need each other, especially when it comes to being nourished — body, heart, and spirit. We thank Cony High’s JMG students for inspiring the Erskine community with a little friendly competition, and through it, Erskine’s values of stewardship, leadership, and relationships were evident. The work ethic, inspiration, and idealism of our young people are humbling and heartening.”

Known for its philanthropic spirit, in 2016, Erskine was a WGME13/Fox23’s School Spirit Champion for having raised nearly 85,000 pounds of food for distribution by Good Shepherd Food Bank of Maine. In 2018, Erskine repeated its efforts to win the School Spirit Tournament of Champions, raising a record 196,696 pounds of food. “We engaged with our rural Central Maine communities to provide a critical community service — fighting hunger in Maine,” said McQuarrie.

Erskine Academy is profoundly grateful to its friends for supporting this effort, including: BAC-40 Maple Products, B&B Septic Service, Chadwick’s Craft Spirits, Central Church, Oxley Express 3/31, PyroCity Maine, Roddy’s Redemption, Whitfield Lyons Club, JMG Corp, South China Hannaford, Tobey’s Market, and these area middle schools — Whitefield, Vassalboro, Palermo, Jefferson, and China.

Erskine Academy second trimester honor roll 2021

(photo credit: Erskine Academy)

Grade 12

High honors: Abbygail Blair, Jane Blanchard, Christopher Bourdon, Nomi Bouwens, Samantha Box, Anthony Chessa, Ashley Clavette, Joleigh Crockett, Cody Devaney, Amelia Evans, Addison Gamage, Margaret Gamage, Avril Goodman, Avery Henningsen, Delaney Ireland, Sierra LaCroix, Haley Laird, Isabela Libby, Colby Lloyd, Emily Lowther, Chiara Mahoney, Jonathan Martinez, Michael Nicholas III, Ian Oliphant, Brian Ouellette Jr, Annaliese Patterson, Aiden Pettengill, Anna Pfleging, Sydni Plummer, Harry Rabideau, Kristin Ray, Aarick Staples, Joshua Tobey, Dylan Wing and Kelby Young.

Honors: Mara Adams, Brooke Allen, Philip Allen, Nicholas Barber, Rylee Bellemare, Everett Blair, Johnathan Blair, David Bourgoin, Trevor Brockway, Eleanor Brown, Ethan Cates, Joshua Cowing, Nolan Cowing, Jacob Devaney, Abigail Dumas, Patrick Hanley, Hailey Haskell, Paeshance-Rae Horan, Emma Hutchinson, Bryan Joslyn Jr, Keith Knowles, Kaylah Kronillis, Joanna Linscott, Hailey Mayo, Gavin Mills, Courtney Paine, Isabella Parlin, Elek Pelletier, Allison Roddy, Colby Rumpf, Acadia Senkbeil, Riley Sullivan and Samuel York.

Grade 11

High honors: Isaac Baker, Maylien Beermann, Jacob Bentley, Jack Blais, Autumn Boody, Lilian Bray, Emily Clark, Liberty Crockett, Colby Cunningham, Michele De Gugliemi, Isabella DeRose, Kaden Doughty, Emma Fortin, Josette Gilman, Samantha Golden, Larissa Haskell, Grace Hodgkin, Rachel Huntoon, Emma Jefferson, Grace Kelso, Tanner Klasson, Mallory Landry, Aidan Larrabee, Lili Lefebvre, Hunter Marr, David Martinez – Gosselin, Malcolm Martinez, Wes McGlew, Rebecca Morton, Adam Ochs, Devon Polley, Lilly Potter, Sarah Praul, Letizia Rasch, Paige Reed, Riley Reitchel, Parker Reynolds, Mackenzie Roderick, Abbey Searles, Andrew Shaw, Hannah Soule, Natalie Spearin, Hannah Strout – Gordon and Lily Vinci. Honors: Julia Barber, Alana Beggs, Evan Butler, Austin Campbellton, Abrial Chamberlain, Jesse Cowing, Blaze Cunningham, Luke Desmond, Alexander Drolet, Abigail Dutton, Chase Folsom, Wyatt French, Jenna Gallant, Ciera Hamar, Trace Harris, Isaac Hayden, Timothy Hinckley Jr, Krystal Ingersoll, Madelyne Koehling, Madison Lully, Isavel Lux Soc, Calvin Mason, Kaden McIntyre, Brady O’Connor, Abigail Peaslee, Julian Reight, Shawn Searles, Hugo Smith, Hannah Torrey, Summer Wasilowski and Samuel Worthley.

Grade 10

High honors: John Allen, Carson Appel, Abigail Beyor, Eve Boatright, Katherine Bourdon, Breckon Davidson, Nicole DeMerchant, Lillian Dorval, Loralei Gilley, Cooper Grondin, Elizabeth Hardy, Grady Hotham, Grace Hutchins, Beck Jorgensen, Kaiden Kelley, Meadow Laflamme, Dale Lapointe, Dinah Lemelin, Malachi Lowery, Lily Matthews, Brooklyn McCue, River Meader, Nabila Meity, Angelina Ochoa, Ethan Ouellette, Timber Parlin, Kayla Peaslee, Jonathan Peil, Gabriel Pelletier, Sophia Pilotte, Kaden Porter, Ingrid Ramberg, Alexis Rancourt, Cadence Rau, Samantha Reynolds, Sarah Robinson, Ally Rodrigue, Noah Rushing, Emmalee Sanborn, Daniel Stillman, Jacob Sullivan, Aidan Tirrell, Mackenzie Toner, Emma Tyler, Lauren Tyler and Damon Wilson.

Honors: Molly Anderson, Andrew Bentley, Angel Bonilla, Zane Boulet, Samuel Boynton, Nicholas Choate, Tianna Cunningham, Grace Ellis, Myra Evans, Hailey Farrar, Lilly Fredette, Alyssa Gagne, Brianna Gardner, Alivia Gower, Kassidy Hopper, Olivia Hutchinson, Acadia Kelley, Brady Kirkpatrick, Matthew Knowles, Emmet Lani-Caputo, Zephyr Lani-Caputo, Joseph Lemelin, Brenden Levesque, Gwen Lockhart, Gage Moody, Ezra Padgett, Maddison Paquet, Hannah Patterson, Michael Perez, Jenna Perkins, Casey Petty, Kathleen Pfleging, Karen Potter, Conner Rowe, Jarell Sandoval, Sophie Steeves, Emma Stred, Paige Sutter and Katherine Williams.

Grade 9

High honors: Isabella Boudreau, Heather Bourgoin, Robin Boynton, Elizabeth Brown, Kaleb Brown, Nolan Burgess, Eva Carlezon, Nathalia Carrasco, Elise Choate, Brielle Crommett, Noah Crummett, Gavin Cunningham, Hailey Estes, Ciara Fickett, Caleb Gay, Nathan Hall, Stephanie Kumnick, Carol Labbe, Sydney Laird, Logan Lanphier, Kiley Lee, Aidan Maguire, Richard Mahoney III, Alexia McDonald, Holden McKenney, Austin Nicholas, Jazel Nichols, Alejandro Ochoa, Jeremy Parker, Nathan Polley, Kinsey Stevens, Lara Stinchfield, Reese Sullivan and Baruch Wilson.

Honors: Abigail Adams, Austin Armstrong, Lyla Bailey, Trinity Brann, Wyatt Bray, Hayden Chase, Timothy Christiansen, Simon Clark, Connor Coull, Thomas Crawford, Keira Deschamps, Hunter Foard, Cole Fortin, Kaylee Fyfe, Brayden Garland, Leah Grant, Natalie Henderson, Hallee Huff, Kameron Kronillis, Mackenzie Kutniewski, Sophie Leclerc, Brody Loiko, Jack Lyons, David McCaig, Carlos Michaud, Abigail Miller, Royce Nelson, Alyssa Ouellette, Remy Pettengill, Keith Radonis, Giacomo Smith, Adam St. Onge, Ryan Tyler, Haley Webb and Brandon Wood.

Vassalboro school board briefed on full day, in-person classes

Vassalboro Community School (contributed photo)

by Mary Grow

Vassalboro School Board members held their regular monthly meeting April 13, followed by a meeting with the budget committee to answer questions about their proposed 2021-22 budget.

Vassalboro Community School Principal Megan Allen said the second full day with classes back in person just ended, and went smoothly. The schedule called for one more full day Wednesday, April 14, followed by parent-teacher conferences taking part of the two days before vacation week, April 19 through 23.

Setting up the cafeteria had been a challenge, she said, with tables spaced at marked intervals and individual seats marked at the tables.

Total VCS enrollment is 395 students, Allen said, of whom 62 are learning fully remotely. The fourth grade has the largest proportion of remote learners, 12 out of 42; only one eighth-grader is learning on-line.

After weeks of having students coming to the building in cohorts on alternate days, “It feels really good to be able to say ‘See you tomorrow,'” Allen said.

School nurse MaryAnn Fortin continues monitoring and testing as needed, Superintendent Alan Pfeiffer added.

Pfeiffer and Assistant Principal Greg Hughes reported on two personnel shortages.

Pfeiffer said bus drivers are in short supply. Retired driver Ellie Lessard has again un-retired to help out, he said, but more drivers would be welcome.

And, Hughes said, baseball will not start unless a baseball coach appears. Sixteen boys have signed up and are waiting.

Softball has already started, Hughes said. He expects the VCS team will begin playing against other area schools in May.

In other business April 13, school board members accepted the resignation of math specialist Erica Millett; gave preliminary approval to the 2021-22 school calendar; and continued their ongoing review of school policies.

The next regular school board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday evening, May 18.

PHOTOS: Winslow youth baseball, softball gear up for season

Members of the Winslow Youth softball and baseball teams began practice on March 19. (photo by Missy Brown, Central Maine Photography staff)

From left to right, Adyson Lessard and Emma McCaslin practicing for the start of the season. (photo by Missy Brown, Central Maine Photography staff)

From left to right, baseball coordinator Jared Poulin, varsity baseball coach Isaiah Fleming and youth league president Beth LaFountain. (photo by Missy Brown, Central Maine Photography staff)

PHOTO: Waiting for the change

Central Maine Youth Hockey player Jamie Laliberty, 9, of Water­ville, waits for the next line change during the last game of the season against the Gladiators on March 20. (photo by Sarah Fredette, Central Maine Photography staff)

Noah Lambert, of Fairfield, wins the 2021 Virtual Slam Dunk Contest

Noah Lambert, 16, from Fairfield (photo by Central Maine Photography)

by Mark Huard

Noah Lambert, 16, from Fairfield, is 6-feet, one-inch tall and was one of eight chosen in the Big Time Hoops Maine Dunking Competition.

He works out and practices two to four hours a day or more.

With post season all-star games and festivities being canceled last year into this year, Fort Kent Native Tom Bard wanted to try and put something together for the kids that allowed them to showcase their skills. With everything being virtual over the last year he came up with the idea of doing a virtual 3-Point & Dunk Contest.

Tom had posted a couple questions through social media asking those who follow the page as to who should be invited and send out the the invites based on that input. The kids selected recorded their dunks at their home gyms and sent them back once completed.

Once I had everyone’s videos, I edited and and packaged it as the Big Time Hoops 3-Point Shootout and Dunk Contests and put it up on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vp2U-wdE8M&t=2634s).

Fans voted on who they thought won the Dunk Contest, and Noah Lambert, of Lawrence High School, in Fairfield, was crowned champion. Lambert has been playing basketball now for nine years!

Teaching in the year of Covid-19

China Middle School teacher Ron Maxwell with part of his daily uniform. (contributed photo)

by Jeanne Marquis

Covid-19 has created unprecedented times in our schools, full of challenges for parents, students and teachers alike. I had the opportunity to interview one of our local seasoned teachers, Ron Maxwell, a science teacher with China Middle School, who gave a frank look into what it is like to teach during this era of Covid. Although we may be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, it is important to document what our teachers are going through during these extraordinary times.

Ron Maxwell said he had no experience teaching remotely before the pandemic. In late August at the beginning of the 2020-21 school year he was told the school was offering remote learning for some students using Google Classroom. So as Ron put it, “We kind of learned as we went because this was a brand new thing for most of us.”

“There’s something magical about a face. Our brain gets so much information from the entire thing. That’s what we’re missing the most. There’s a connection. It’s also half the communication.”

As every teacher did across the nation, Ron had to adapt his teaching methods as well as his classroom organization. He had to protect his students from a contagious virus, while at the same time connect with them inside the classroom and through his laptop screen.

Ron explained, “My philosophy has always been hands-on, so a lot is experiential. Most of my grading happens with what we do in the classroom and I use homework sparingly. We do a lot with lab reports. I set up stations in the classroom, and they run from here to there as they work in groups. And, of course, everything that I’m describing now went out the window.

“This school year all the things that I’ve been practicing and perfecting needed dramatic changes to be possible. We’re doing an electronic learning target right now where they’re learning the difference between series and parallel circuits. Over here, I have three bins of wires and bulbs and batteries, none of which I can use because I can’t put them down for the kids to use and then put back in the next group because of the sanitation.”

Sanitation became an essential part of the 2020-2021 school day to keep both the students and the faculty safe, adding another layer of complexity and stress. “Now I’m literally spraying down my classroom every time a class leaves. So imagine the bell rings. They all get up. They’re packing up. They’re chatting. They’re decompressing, and they’re leaving right? That is, if I can get them to leave, because they are junior high kids. We have to watch them to make sure they’re staying this far apart and they’re wearing their masks. Then I have to lock the door and spray everything down. So in essence, that’s what happens in that two minute time between classes.”

Another challenge to the 2020-2021 school year was learning how to connect with students through laptop screens. As a veteran teacher, Ron knew how to set guidelines upfront. To be counted as present in class as a remote student, Ron told them he needed to see their faces, not the ceiling or blank screen. That was a non-negotiable rule. He said in the beginning he had a few students who were reticent about showing their faces. Each morning as their faces popped up as they joined the class, he greeted them with a “hello that says I see you, you exist and you mean something.”

For the most part, Ron’s remote students are fully engaged, “I may just have the best students. Maybe that’s why or maybe the answer is sometimes their parents on the other end, and I can hear them in the background laughing at my jokes.

“I’m deeply appreciative of all the support the parents give us. We couldn’t do our work if they weren’t doing theirs. I’ve said things have changed for me but things have changed for them, as well. Now, if you were to drive by the school building around 7:15 a.m., you would see the line of cars start. They wait in line sometimes for as long as a half an hour to drop their kids off and pick their kids up. I couldn’t imagine that. Parents, who used to be a two-income household, now they’re a one income household because one parent has elected to stay home and look after the kids. Yeah, and there are single parents of our students holding down a job, helping the kid appropriately attend classes, making sure they figured out how to get internet at home to deal with this. The community has really stepped up. We are blessed to have the support that we have. I’m proud of them as much as I am of my colleagues.”

Ron Maxwell expressed so openly what a challenging academic 2020-21 is for teachers, ed techs, students and their parents to balance safety, learning and technology. It’s a year where challenges are being met and adaptations are ongoing through human resilience and cooperation.

At the end of the interview, Ron said the one thing that he misses from the pre-Covid days that he will never take for granted again is seeing his students’ faces and he explained why: “The other day, I realized something important. I am looking solely at their eyes now. Yeah. And if I walk by them outside on the playground, I don’t know my own students. Oh my gosh. Because with their lower faces open, it changes who they are. It does. So, what do I miss the most? Yeah. I miss the faces.

“I have a student who had several older siblings, and I taught most of the kids in the family. She looks just like an older sister until the first time I saw her out there. [Outside at recess.] I was just amazed because she’s entirely her own person, of course.

“There’s something magical about a face. Our brain gets so much information from the entire thing. That’s what we’re missing the most. There’s a connection. It’s also half the communication.”

Courtney Peabody earns MPA award

Courtney Peabody

Courtney Peabody, daughter of Robert and Carrie Peabody, of Solon, a senior at Carrabec High School, has been selected to receive the 2021 Principal’s Award, according to Principal Timothy Richards. The award, sponsored by the Maine Principals’ Association, is given in recognition of a high school senior’s academic achievement, citizenship and leadership.

According to Richards, Ms. Peabody has distinguished herself in the classroom, on the court, in track and field, and as a leader in the school. She always has a smile on her face and has a positive attitude. Courtney is hard-working, kind, and humble, all of which will ensure her future success.

Academically, Courtney has challenged herself throughout her high school years, where she has taken six dual enrollment classes, as well as three AP courses. Her hard work, perseverance and enthusiasm have made her a role model in our school.

Strong and focused, Peabody has not only thrived in the sports world, but is also a member of the National Honor Society, has been a member of the Willpower Weightlifting Team, Youth in Maine Government, and was February 2021 Student of the Month.

For all of these reasons, Richards has announced that Courtney Peabody is the Carrabec High School MPA Award recipient for 2021. Courtney can attend a live, virtual event on May 14, 2021, where she will be eligible to be selected for one of ten scholarships.

Palermo student earns climate scholarship

John Edwards, an eighth grader at Palermo Consolidated School. (contributed photo)

John Edwards, an eighth grader at Palermo Consolidated School, won a scholarship to attend the 2021 Talk Climate Institute on March 23 and 24. John learned about climate topics and developed strategies to discuss climate issues. The institute, run by the Climate Generation, provides teaching tips, resources, inspiration, and community networking to assist in bringing climate change discussions to schools. John has been interested in topics of climate change since the fifth grade and he is excited to learn about strategies from around the world on how to protect the earth. John hopes to use this experience to enhance his knowledge and to share information and strategies with others.