Vassalboro Community School honor roll

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Vassalboro Community School (contributed photo)

HIGH HONORS

Grade 3: Aliyah Anthony, Sophia Brazier, Grace Clark, Xainte Cloutier, Twila Cloutier, Wyatt Devoe, Dekah Dumont, Mariah Estabrook, Riley Fletcher, Camden Foster, Dawson Frazer, Lucian Kinrade, Sarina LaCroix, Isaac Leonard, Arianna Muzerolle, Olivia Perry, Elliott Rafuse, Juliahna Rocque, Cassidy Rumba, Isaiah Smith, and Cameron Willett. Grade 4: Emily Clark, Keegan Clark, Basil Dillaway, Harlen Fortin, Tess Foster, Fury Frappier, Baylee Fuchswanz, Allyson Gilman, Kaitlyn Lavallee, Cheyenne Lizzotte, Elizabeth Longfellow, Mia McLean, Elliot McQuarrie, Kackenzy Monroe, Weston Pappas, Emma Robbins, Grace Tobey and Ava Wood. Grade 5: Benjamin Allen, Tristyn Brown, Dylan Dodge, Jasmine Garey, Drake Goodie, Zachary Kinrade,, Drew Lindquist, Paige Perry, Judson Smith and Reid Willett. Grade 6: Madison Burns, Ryley Desmond, Josslyn Ouellette and Taiya Rankins. Grade 7: Emily Almeida, Jacob Lavallee, Ava Lemelin, Mylee Petela and Hannah Polley. Grade 8: Sofia Derosby, Allison Dorval, Ava Kelso, and Greta Limberger.

HONORS

Grade 3: Zander Austin, Lukas Blais, Samantha Carter, Kaylee Colfer, Samantha Craig, Branson Fortin, Peter Giampietro, Aubrey Goforth, Landon Lagasse, Jade Lopez, Agatha Meyer, Addison Neagle, Bruce Sounier, and Haven Trainor. Grade 4: Mason Brewer, Ariyah Doyen, Isadora Duarte, Zoe Gaffney, Bayleigh Gorman, Jack LaPierre, Aiden McIntyre, Kalyee Moulton and Naseem Umar. Grade 5: Bentley Austin, Logan Cimino, Zoey, DeMerchant, Jennah Dumont, Ryleigh French, Cooper Lajoie, Caleb Marden, Katherine Maxwell,Brandon Neagle, Ryder Neptune-Reny, Trinity Pooler, Kayden Renna, Landon Sullivan, Leigha Sullivan, Hannah Tobey, William Trainor, Jade Travers, and Alana Wade. Grade 6: Sophie Day, Eilah Dillaway, Wyatt Ellis, Scott Fitts, Caspar Hooper, Jack Malcolm, Natalie Rancourt and Bryson Stratton. Grade 7: Quinn Coull, Mckenzie Duenne, WilliamEllsey, Madison Estabrook, Paige Littlefield, Alexandria O’Hara, Daniel Ouellette, Leahna Rocque and Addison Witham. Grade 8: Noah Bechard, Brooke Blais, Brady Desmond, Ellie Giampetruzzi, Kaylene Glidden, Brandon Hanscom, Kailynn Houle, Kaelyn Pappas, Seth Picard, Ava Picard and Emma Waterhouse.

HONORABLE MENTION

Grade 3: Chanse Hartford, and Meadow Vaney. Grade 4: Caylie Buotte, Gabriella Duarte, Jaziah Garcia, and Jaelyn Moore. Grade 5: Dominick Bickford, Lucas Cornier, and Bentley Pooler. Grade 6: Kiley Doughty, Madison Field, and Adalyn Glidden. Grade 7: Elisha Baker, Moira Bevan, Saunders Chase, Mason Decker, Leigh-Ann Gagnon, Kaiden Morin, Taylor Neptune, Lilian Piecewicz, and Leah Targett. Grade 8: Landen Blodgett, Evan Brochu, Bodi Laflamme and Alysha Opacki.

Making spirits bright

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Contributed photo

In years past, Erskine Academy, in South China, has held an annual “Wish List Drive” for the Home for Little Wanderers, in Waterville. This year, because of their cohorts’ schedules and social distancing, the student council felt it would be best to make a monetary donation. Once again, the students and faculty proved that by many giving just a little, they are able to make a donation that will serve hundreds of children. Many thanks to all the students and staff members who donated to this event. Because of them, Erskine is “making spirits bright” in 2020.

China Middle School honor roll

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photo source: JMG.org

GRADE 8

High honors: Ashlee Carrillo, KennanClark, Lauren Cowing, Lillian Crommett, Kali Duvall, Chloe French, Clara French, Serena Hotham, Abigail McDonough, Shannon McDonough, Colin Oliphant, Noah Pelletier, Justin Reed, Laney Robitaille, Avery Ross, Carlee Sanborn, Aislynn Savage and Parker Studholme. Honors: Haileigh Allen, Jayda Bickford, Carter Brockway, Dylan Cooley, Lucas Farrington, Parker Hunter, Walker Jean, Adrian Mayo, Emma Mills, Kaeleigh Morin, Sadie Pierce, Kyle Scott, Larissa Steeves, Myra Trott and Dalorice Vires.

GRADE 7

High honors: Cassandra Bessey, London Castle, Madeline Clement-Cargill, Claire Davis, Sylvia Davis, April Dutilly, Madison Gagnon, Willow Haschalk, Kasen Kelley, Bayley Nickles, Ruby Pearson, Elijah Pelkey, Desirae Proctor, Christian Salvadori, Jaelyn Seamon, Benjamin Severance, Nichala Small, Madelynn Spencer, Kayla Stred, Abigail Studholme and Kamryn Turner. Honors: Kylie Bellows, Lucas Berto, Brock Bowden, Logan Breton, Brittney Dunton, Faith Futrell, Brandon Haley, Colby Hardy, Easton Houghton, Laylah Leach, Nathaniel Levesque, Hayden Little, Aurora Litrell, Jeremy McKay, Jack Murray, Michael Richardson, Benjamin Severy, Phoebe Taylor, Alexander Walker and Ella Winn.

GRADE 6

High honors: Isaac Audette, Delia Bailey, Emma Casey, Connor Crommett, Isabella Farrington, Danica Ferris, Collin Fletcher, James Goodwin, Kaylee Grierson, Chase Hester, Johanna Jacobs, Peyton Kibbin, Kate McGlew, Wyatt Michaud, Molly Oxley, Bryson Pettengill, Caylee Putek, Jessika Shaw, Colby Spry and Sabrina Studholme. Honors: Mason Carillo, Khloe Clark, Landen DeCosta, Kelsie Dunn, Delaney Dupuis, Bella Dutilly, Connor Hardesty, Lilyanna Holmes, Cassidy Liberty, Gage Miller, Annie Miragliuolo, Hadleigh Morin, Madeline Oxley, Natalie Peaslee, Dylan Proctor, Mason ReedProsser, Emma Rodrigue, Dylan Saucier, Lucas Short, Blake Spry, Gabriel Studlholme, Olivia Vashon and Matthew Vernesoni.

GRADE 5

High honors: Mackenzie Bowden, Alexxander Catassi, Trevor French, Tyler Gagnon, Myla Gower, Landon Larochelle, Bella Lefferts, Madison Levesque, Lainey McFarland, Ava Miragliuolo, Reed Pilsbury, Liam Ross, Keegan Sears, Maxine Spencer, Amelia Spry, Ethan Studholme, Dalton Stufflebeam, Kallie Turner, Brian Walker and Leah Watson. Honors: Dawson Baker, Jackson Bryant, Kaylee Dunton, Dante Farrell, Taylor Gagnon, Marcus George, Mason Mattingly, Alexander Mayo, Clara Monroe, Nolan Pierce, Camryn Prosper and Braelyn Waters.

Carrabec High School first quarter honor roll

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Carrabec High School

GRADE 12

High honors: Natalynn Deuble, Ethan Johnson, Chantelle LaCroix, Adam Lawrence, Dakota Libby, Autumn Morrill, Mikayla Oliver, Sarah Olson, Courtney Peabody and Anastasia Quimby. Honors:  Jasmyne Coombs, Andrew Davis, Elizabeth Manzer and Gavin Tsoukalas.

GRADE 11

High honors:  Emma Baker, Cheyenne Cahill, Alexander Cloutier and Shyanne Holmes. Honors: Lilly Augustine, Julia Baker, Abigayle Ballard, Erin Clark, Xavier Cloutier, Thomas Courtney, Charlee Davis, Tyler Edwards, Kiera Goodale, Aliyah Grunder, Brianna Kimball, Jacob Lawrence, Abigail Luce, Sean Olson, Logan Reichert, Courtney Rollins, Cassidy Smith, Devon Spencer, Drake Whittemore and Garrett Wilson.

GRADE 10

High honors:  Jessica Benedict, Zebadiah Burnham, Luke Carey and Hunter Sousa. Honors: Lindsay Hamilton, Garrett Karwanski, Robert Lindblom, Jr., Gabriella Manzer, Caitlyn Oliver, Connor Peabody and William Price II.

GRADE 9

Honors:  Dakota Cahill, Kolby Carpenter, Jayden Cates, Riley Crocker, Devyn DeLeonardis, Cooper Dellerma, Kayliy Folco, Nevaeh Holmes, Emma Junkins, William Lawrence and Isaiah Longley.

Unity College earns national honor for sustainability in its curriculum

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Association for the Advancement for Sustainability in Higher Education recognizes America’s Environmental College in its Sustainable Campus Index

As America’s Environmental College, it’s important for Unity College to establish itself as a leader in sustainability — to not only talk the talk, but to also walk the walk, doubling down on its mission. As Unity College leans into curricular excellence in sustainability — a key contributor to the College reaching record enrollment, which has more than doubled over the past five years — the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) has recognized the College for its contributions to sustainability in its undergraduate and graduate curriculum.

Designations such as these have garnered attention from students nationally, contributing to the unprecedented growth the College has seen in recent years. Many adult, place-bound learners are seeking a degree rooted in sustainability, and receiving this honor reaffirms for them that Unity College is on the right track with its Path Forward.

The AASHE 2020 Sustainable Campus Index recognizes top-performing colleges and universities from across the country overall and in 17 distinct aspects of sustainability, measured by the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS). Criteria include sustainable learning outcomes, immersive experiences, internships in sustainability fields, and sustainability courses and topics within courses.

“We here at Unity College take pride in developing the next generation of environmental leaders, and being recognized by AASHE reassures us that not only is our mission more relevant than ever, but that our curriculum and our students are thriving,” said Unity College President Dr. Melik Peter Khoury. “Through Hybrid Learning and Distance Education, we’ve taken strides to reach more students where they are, so now they can put our sustainability-minded education right to use in their own hometown. So it’s not only a win for our students, but for their communities as well. And a win for the environment, as it reduces the carbon emissions that students generate to receive a Unity College education!”

Unity College incorporates sustainability into every aspect of its functions, from academics to operations and planning. In fact, every single graduate program has at least one sustainability learning outcome, and all research-producing units are engaged in sustainability research. The College has also realized a reduction in building energy of more than 25 percent through efficient construction and retrofits. Meanwhile, 15 percent of electronic purchases, 80 percent of janitorial products, and 100 percent of copy paper meet recognized sustainability standards

“Sustainability is ingrained in our culture,” said Chief Sustainability Officer Jennifer deHart. “From orientation on, all of our students and staff understand the role that we all play in protecting our environment, and are aware of just how important it is to make the right decisions to limit our carbon footprint. And, sometimes changing the smallest habit can make a significant difference, like diverting 45 percent of our waste from landfills, including our food waste that is recycled into energy. If you do the math over years, it’s quite an accomplishment.”

The College’s sustainability curriculum is clearly both timely and desirable. Congratulations to all the Unity College students, faculty, staff, and alumni who have helped in leading the College’s sustainability efforts.

STUDENT WRITERS – Examining “The Social Dilemma”: The real impact on young people

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STUDENT WRITERS PROGRAM
This week featuring: ERSKINE ACADEMY

by Olivia Bourque of Vassalboro, Maine
Erskine Academy Junior

It is truly paradoxical that a generation has been raised to be enthralled by inventions detrimental to their mental health and wellbeing. A Netflix documentary, The Social Dilemma, addresses the evolution of and dangers of social media, an enigma and issue growing exponentially along with the minds of young adults. Simply stated, exposure to harsh and unfiltered content on social media harms teens’ self esteem, while captivating them with unlimited information tailored to their wants and interests. Software smarter than anyone and worth millions of dollars generates a feed of suggested content to keep everyone mindlessly engrossed, though this software was never created to improve the mental state of the person behind the screen, but rather to make some people an enormous amounts of money.

An embellished version of this enchantment is demonstrated with a teenage boy, a standard social media app, and a fictional group of people controlling his suggested feed (replacing the job of designated software for this purpose). At the beginning of the documentary, this group of people keeping the teenage boy actively swiping seems innovative, although the boy’s family and friends blatantly express their concern and frustration with his obsession. Any parent of a child with a smartphone would likely wholeheartedly confirm this aggravation, as these apps truly are addicting. This is expected, however, especially with the knowledge that machines present users with content hand-selected for their amusement.

As the film continues, the people controlling the teenage boy’s suggested feed and notifications slowly come to the epiphany that their job is not in the best interest of the user whom they’re supposed to keep engaged. Though this was a satisfying ending, it is unrealistic, as these groups of people are actually machines, incapable of understanding human emotions, actually observing how its work affects their users, and finally does not have the power to discontinue their work. With this, society does not have anyone to rely on to contain this mass craze, and therefore we must come to this revelation on our own.

In a smaller part of The Social Dilemma, a teenage girl represents a massive demographic of those whose mental health and self esteem is at jeopardy; she is also spending far too much time scrolling through content tailored to her, and along the way she begins to compare herself to others, instilling unrealistic expectations for herself. Like this girl, many young adults question their worth once they see what the ideal woman or man should look like through a series of heavily edited pictures.

This can often lead to numerous mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. Instead of taking away social media’s power to contort self-image, the girl responds to this insecurity by fixing her hair, makeup, and lighting, finding the perfect filter, and posting a picture of herself attempting to conform with current beauty standards.

This backfires on her when she receives mean comments online about her ears. From this, her self-esteem plummets, and she does everything in her power to cover her ears. Not only does this teenager unknowingly succumb to temptation of handpicked material online, but she also alters her emotional state as a result. This enforces the idea that a generation of self-destructive slaves to the internet are being created, and it’s almost unavoidable.

Student Writer’s Program: What Is It?

The Town Line has published the first in what we hope will be many articles from local students under the heading of the “Student Writer’s Program.” While it may seem plainly evident why The Town Line would pursue this program with local schools and students, we think it’s worth the time to highlight the reasons why we enthusiastically support this endeavor.

Up front, the program is meant to offer students who have a love of writing a venue where they can be published and read in their community. We have specifically not provided topics for the students to write on or about, and we have left the editing largely up to their teachers. From our perspective this is a free form space provided to students.

From the perspective of the community, what is the benefit? When considering any piece that should or could be published, this is a question we often ask ourselves at The Town Line. The benefit is that we as community are given a glimpse into how our students see the world, what concerns them, and, maybe even possible solutions to our pressing problems. Our fundamental mission at the paper is to help us all better understand and appreciate our community, our state, and our nation through journalism and print.

We hope you will read these articles with as much interest and enjoyment as we do. The students are giving us a rare opportunity to hear them out, to peer into their world, and see how they are processing this world we, as adults, are giving them.

To include your high school, contact The Town Line, townline@townline.org.

PHOTOS: Fall 2020 Winslow travel soccer teams

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Members of the Winslow U10 fall girls travel soccer team include,front row, from left to right, Ashleigh Hussey, Lily Brown, Madalynn Loubier, Emma Duplessie, Adyson Lessard, Luna Meak and Clair Dunton. Back, Leah Fate, Callen Pooler, Emma McCaslin, Hazel Sheridan, Kaitlyn Lavallee, Sumire Page, Addisyn Willette, Jorga Sharp, Savannah Calvo, Head coach Ryan Loubier, Asst. Coach Brian Dunton. Absent from photo, Sadie Snell and Asst. Coach David Page. (photo by Missy Brown, Central Maine Photography staff)

Members of the Winslow U12 fall girls travel soccer team include, from left to right, Coach Joshua Giroux, Olivia Coldwell, Kera Bilodeau, Michayla Richard, Alex, Davanee Kimball, Reese Siodla, Isabella Loubier, Kayla Giroux, Mirra Meak, Madison Cochran, Tenley Nadeau, Julia Ortins, Elena Rioux and Coach Sim Meak. Absent from photo, Johanna Jacobs and Coach Brian Kimball. (photo by Missy Brown, Central Maine Photography staff)

Members of the Winslow U11 fall boys travel soccer team include, front row, from left to right, Jackson Bailey, Scott LeClair, Eban Barbeau, Weston Pappas, Basil Dillaway and Nixon Souviney. Back, Coach Candice Flaherty, Andrew Pronto, Jack Flaherty, Frank Farnham, Quincy Morin, Rex Morin, Freddie Ouellette and Coach Nick Souviney. (photo by Missy Brown, Central Maine Photography staff)

Members of the Winslow U9 fall boys travel soccer team include, kneeling, from left to right, Deegan Grenier, Preston Bailey, Chase Reynolds and Eli Nadeau. Standing, Coach Wayne Doughty, Ander Bell, Walker Johnson, Jack Calvo, Landon Curtis and Coach Jarrod Carnrick. (photo by Missy Brown, Central Maine Photography staff)

Members of the Winslow U14 fall boys travel soccer team include, front row, from left to right, Jared Burbank, Seth Price, Logan Baron, Alex Beckwith, Tom Labbe, Brody Willette, Logan Caldwell and Dillon Whitney. Back, Kyri Meak, Coach Brad Rodrigue, Doug HIllman, Braden Rodrigue, Max Spicer, Ethan McCaslin, Jacob Lavallee, Brady Poulin and Coach Jesse Beckwith. Absent from photo, Coach Bruce Poulin. (photo by Missy Brown, Central Maine Photography staff)

PHOTO: Waterville-Winslow football action

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Waterville Youth Football team member Logan Cimino (42) runs with the ball while Winslow defenders, from left to right, Michael Loubier (68), Benjamin Fisher (50), and Larson Ronco (32), move in for the stop. The game was played on October 25, in Waterville. (photo by Missy Brown, Central Maine Photography staff)

STUDENT WRITERS: So what? The real impact on young people

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STUDENT WRITERS PROGRAM
This week featuring: ERSKINE ACADEMY

by Hannah Soule, Vassalboro

We all have bad days. Maybe your cat got run over or maybe the jelly in your PB and J sandwich made the bread way too soggy for the desired taste of the sandwich, or maybe you’ve had your head in your screen all day. I find myself having days where I ponder life more than others, where I come up with incredibly insane situations that I would never be in, and then I find myself having days where it kills me to tear my eyes away from my screen for two seconds. Social media is a disease that is being spread upon the youth. Many teens are struggling to find motivation and purpose. Very engaging and authentic opening paragraph, with a clear thesis!

The day I was handed my iPhone was the day my life changed. I stopped being the carefree child that didn’t have a care in the world. I was consumed with dark thoughts. I now had voices in my head making me second guess if my picture was pretty enough, if someone would say something about my imperfections, and if I needed to lose a little extra weight because I didn’t look like the supermodels that would pop up in my ads. My care-free spirit suddenly started to care. That’s what’s happening to our youth. If you hand your child a smartphone, it’s not a matter of if they will become consumed with darkness, it’s the matter of when. Wow!

Growing up a girl, all eyes are now on you and how you mature. I personally hear it all the time, “ oh wow Hannah, it looks like you have lost weight.” or “ Hannah, you look so different”, as if they are looking for these things the second I arrive in their presence, but for a few minutes you have the gladdening thought of the comment. Social media, however, can take this comment too far; all of a sudden the need for compliments takes over and you find yourself googling how to lose weight or how to be prettier. No girl should have to go through the expectations that society puts out for us. All of this could be avoided if the unfair comparison between teenagers and supermodels stopped. 72% of all teens use Instagram daily. This data is scary because that is 72% of the youth being brainwashed everyday.

Sixty-nine percent of children have their own devices by the age of 12, which was a 41% increase from 2015. The problem keeps growing and won’t stop. Smartphones were introduced in 2007 and from 2010 to 2015 visits to doctors regarding depression jumped nearly 30%. Now, I know it is hard to believe that social media causes depression. It is not a direct cause, however, it is a major contribution.

Technology is killing kids’ sense of adventure and their creative wavelengths. Sure, you may think that your kid has it under control because they still get active. For example, they will walk your dog (yay, exercise) but soon enough the whole world knows that your little Susie took old sparky for a walk. Parents now observe children with their eyes gleaned (Glued?) to a screen instead of drawing a picture or playing with friends.

Social media is causing kids’ minds to alter completely. Thirty years ago the biggest worry in parents’ minds was if their kids were going to eat a worm at recess; today the biggest worry in a parents mind is if their child will be a victim of this darkness that consumes young teens. Social media causes so much hate and discontent that we can’t experience the joys of walking alone at night or leaving the house in the morning and making it back just in time for dinner. This is a problem that will become out of hand if we do not take action today.

Student Writer’s Program: What Is It?

The Town Line has published the first in what we hope will be many articles from local students under the heading of the “Student Writer’s Program.” While it may seem plainly evident why The Town Line would pursue this program with local schools and students, I think it’s worth the time to highlight the reasons why we enthusiastically support this endeavor.

Up front, the program is meant to offer students who have a love of writing a venue where they can be published and read in their community. We have specifically not provided topics for the students to write on or about, and we have left the editing largely up to their teachers. From our perspective this is a free form space provided to students.

From the perspective of the community, what is the benefit? When considering any piece that should or could be published, this is a question we often ask ourselves at The Town Line. The benefit is that we as community are given a glimpse into how our students see the world, what concerns them, and, maybe even possible solutions to our pressing problems. Our fundamental mission at the paper is to help us all better understand and appreciate our community, our state, and our nation through journalism and print.

We hope you will read these articles with as much interest and enjoyment as we do. The students are giving us a rare opportunity to hear them out, to peer into their world, and see how they are processing this world we, as adults, are giving them.

To include your high school, contact The Town Line, townline@townline.org.

Vassalboro school closed for two weeks

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Vassalboro Community School (contributed photo)

Alan Pfeiffer, superintendent of schools in Vassalboro, issued a letter on November 1, to inform the community that the spouse of a staff member at Vassalboro Community School recently tested positive for the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID 19). The letter was sent to notify the public of the closing of the building for the next two weeks, per a strong recommendation from the Maine CDC (November 2 – November 15). “We are going to do full remote learning for the next two weeks. Our in-person learning will plan to resume Monday, November 16 – a BLUE cohort day,” said Pfeiffer. “You will be updated more as we hear from the Maine CDC.”

Maine CDC or a school representative will contact you directly if you are identified as a close contact to an individual who tested positive. Close contacts will be asked to quarantine for 14 days after the last exposure to the positive individual. A negative test result does not get an individual out of quarantine.

Maine CDC recommends measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. These measures include proper hand washing with soap and water, which is especially important after using the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. When soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, and avoid close contact with people who are sick. Cover your cough or sneeze into a tissue, and then throw the tissue in the trash. Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray and wipe.

Vassalboro Community School will be cleaned according to the federal CDC guidelines.

For general COVID-19 questions, dial 211 (or 1-866-811-5695). You can also text your zip code to 898-211 or email ​infor@211maine.org​, ​www.maine.gove/dhhs/coronavirus​ or www.cdc.gove/coronoavirus​. The letter can be read in its entirety at vcsvikings.org.