Emma Concaugh, of Oakland, a member of the class of 2024, was named to the College of the Holy Cross dean’s list, in Worcester, Massachusetts.
(photo credit: Erskine Academy)
High Honors: Tristan Anderson, Leah Bonner, Heather Bourgoin, Elizabeth Brown, Nolan Burgess, Nathalia Carrasco, Elise Choate, Marshall Clifford, Caleigh Crocker, Brielle Crommett, Noah Crummett, Skyler Danforth, Isabella Day, Keira Deschamps, Hailey Estes, Kaylee Fyfe, Aaralyn Gagnon, Meilani Gatlin, Caleb Gay, Tucker Greenwald, Nathan Hall, Natalie Henderson, Anna Jarosz, Hannah Kugelmeyer, Henrique Leal Ribeiro, Landon Lefebvre, Aidan Maguire, Liberty Massie, Holden McKenney, Akela Mitchell, Lucas Mitchell, Austin Nicholas, Jeremy Parker, Nathan Polley, Jessica Pumphrey, Evelyn Rousseau, Max Sanborn, Jamecen Stokes, Reese Sullivan, and Baruch Wilson. Honors: Abigail Adams, Lacey Arp, Duncan Bailey, Isabella Boudreau, Kellsie Boynton, Robin Boynton, Wyatt Bray, Kaleb Brown, Carol Caouette-Labbe, Makayla Chabot, Timothy Christiansen, Simon Clark, Alexia Cole, Connor Coull, Thomas Crawford, Gavin Cunningham, Jesseca Eastup, Hunter Foard, Cole Fortin, Brayden Garland, Julius Giguere, Nathan Grenier, Sammi Jo Guptill, Tara Hanley, Jessica Hendsbee, Trinity Hyson, Stephanie Kumnick, Mackenzie Kutniewski, Logan Lanphier, Sophie Leclerc, Jack Lyons, Abigail Miller, Royce Nelson, Alejandro Ochoa, Alyssa Ouellette, Keith Radonis, Christine Smith, Giacomo Smith, Adam St. Onge, Kinsey Stevens, Gavin Turner, Ryan Tyler, Jack Uleau, Haley Webb, Elijah York, and Maddison Zepeda.
High Honors: Daphney Allen, Emmett Appel, Emily Bailey, Noah Bechard, Rylan Bennett, Octavia Berto, Jayda Bickford, Brooke Blais, Olivia Brann, Carter Brockway, Keenan Clark, Hannah Cohen-Mackin, Andra Cowing, Lauren Cowing, Gabrielle Daggett, Trinity DeGreenia, Aidan Durgin, John Edwards, Ryan Farnsworth, Keeley Gagnon, Hailey Garate, Ellie Giampetruzzi, Echo Hawk, Serena Hotham, Kailynn Houle, Alivia Jackson, Walker Jean, Ava Kelso, Sophia Knapp, Jack Lucier, Owen Lucier, Eleanor Maranda, Jade McCollett, Abigail McDonough, Shannon McDonough, Madison McNeff, Colin Oliphant, Makayla Oxley, Noah Pelletier, Carter Rau, Elsa Redmond, Lillian Rispoli, Laney Robitaille, Carlee Sanborn, Joslyn Sandoval, Aislynn Savage, Kyle Scott, Jordyn Smith, Zoey Smith, Larissa Steeves, Kaylee Tims, and Clara Waldrop. Honors: Haileigh Allen, Jeffrey Allen, Ava Anderson, Bryana Barrett, Brody Campbell, Paige Clark, Madison Cochran, Dylan Cooley, Aydan Desjardins, Brady Desmond, Lucas Farrington, Addison Gagne, Kaylene Glidden, Jonathan Gutierrez, Trent Haggett, Brandon Hanscom, Landen Hayden, Emma Henderson, Rion Kesel, Kaiden Kronillis, Bodi Laflamme, Chase Larrabee, Shelby Lincoln, D’andre Marable, Kaeleigh Morin, Gavyn Paradis, Ava Picard, Alyssa Pullen, Victoria Rancourt, Justin Reed, Nathan Robinson, Achiva Seigars, Emily Sprague, Parker Studholme, David Thompson III, Grace Vashon, and Adrianna Vernesoni.
High Honors: Connor Alcott, Emily Almeida, Kylie Bellows, Addyson Briggs, London Castle, Nathan Choate, William Choate, Drew Clark, Lillian Clark, Madeline Clement-Cargill, Sylvia Davis, Joshua Denis, Audryanna DeRaps, Charles DeSchamp, Lauren Dufour, Madison Gagnon, Madison Griffiths, Mia Hersom, Halle Jones, Kasen Kelley, Kayle Lappin, Jacob Lavallee, Ava Lemelin, Nathaniel Levesque, Jack Murray, Elijah Nelson, Jordyn Parise, Ruby Pearson, Elijah Pelkey, Isabelle Pelotte, Emily Piecewicz, Taisen Pilotte, Hannah Polley, Desirae Proctor, Michael Richardson, Owen Robichaud, Leahna Rocque, Jackie Sasse, Edward Schmidt, Kathryn Shaw, Madelynn Spencer, Kayla Stred, Gentry Stuart, Abigail Studholme, Donovan Thompson, Kammie Thompson, and Addison Witham. Honors: Savannah Baker, Gavin Bartlett, Brock Bowden, Kolby Caswell, Saunders Chase, Timothy Clavette, William Ellsey Jr., Jacob Faucher, Solomon Fortier, Stephen Gould, Brandon Haley, Aiden Hamlin, Willow Haschalk, Evan Heron, Easton Houghton, Aidan Huff, Jacob Hunter, Alexus Jackson, Timothy Kiralis, Savannah Knight, Brayden McLean, Parker Minzy, Tucker Nessmith, Phoebe Padgett, Jacoby Peaslee, Abigail Peil, Jackson Pelotte, Kameron Quinn, Eli Redmond, Alexander Reitchel, Autumn Sawyer, Jaelyn Seamon, Benjamin Severy, Nichala Small, Benjamin Sullivan, Phoebe Taylor, Addison Turner, Charles Uleau, Isaac Vallieres, Finnegan Vinci, Oryanna Winchenbach, Brody Worth, and Maddilyn York.
High Honors: Isaac Audette, Olivia Austin, Jeremiah Bailey, Linnea Bassett, Luke Blair, Jackson Blake, Silas Bolitho, Madeline Boynton, Delaney Brown, Liam Burgess, Emma Casey, Olivia Childs, Hunter Christiansen, Khloe Clark, Owen Couture, Jilian Desjardins, Robin Dmitrieff, Logan Dow, Isabella Farrington, Adalyn Glidden, Cody Grondin, Addison Hall, Madison Harris, Eva Hayden, Reid Jackson, Ivy Johns, Callianne Jordan, Chantz Klaft, Gaven Miller, Annie Miragliuolo, MacKenzie Oxley, Bryson Pettengill, Caylee Putek, Tayden Richards, Jessika Shaw, Lailah Sher, Bryson Stratton, Gabriel Studholme, Sabrina Studholme, Kaleb Tolentino, Cayden Turner, Carter Ulmer, Isabella Winchenbach, and Eryn Young. Honors: William Adamson IV, Ariana Armstrong, Ashton Bailey, Delia Bailey, Benjamin Beale, Hailey Boone, Cassidy Brann, Logan Chechowitz, Tyler Clark, Connor Crommett, Ryley Desmond, Kiley Doughty, Nolan Dow, Kelsie Dunn, Bella Dutilly, Wyatt Ellis, Gavin Fanjoy, Danica Ferris, Madison Field, Gianna Figucia, Scott Fitts, Audrey Fortin, Colby Frith, Nicholas Gould, Paige Greene-Morse, Lilly Hutchinson, Evan James, Channing Kelly, Peyton Kibbin, Maverick Knapp, Bryson Lanphier, Sawyer Livingstone, Jack Malcolm, Jasai Marable, Kate McGlew, Gage Miller, Alexis Mitton, Jacoby Mort, Emi Munn, Madeline Oxley, Molly Oxley, Layla Peaslee, Teagan Pilsbury, Sovie Rau, Samuel Richardson, Colton Ryan, Lucas Short, Braeden Temple, Mackullen Tolentino, Tyler Waldrop, and Brayden Ward.
Sophie Wheeler, of Skowhegan, was named to the dean’s list at Bates College, in Lewiston, for the fall/winter semester ending in December 2023. This is a distinction earned by students whose grade point average is 3.92 or higher.
Wheeler is majoring in Theater and Rhetoric, Film, Screen Studies, at Bates.
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The annual prize for Pi Day winners at Vassalboro Community School is the chance to throw a pie – whipped cream in a graham cracker crust into the face of a teacher or the principal. On Pi Day 2024, sixth-grade winners Mariah Estabrook (second from left) and Sarina LaCroix (third from left) so honored sixth-grade math teacher Stephanie Tuttle (left) and Principal Ira Michaud (right). (contributed photo)
At their March 19 meeting, Vassalboro school board members decided the two issues left undecided in February (see the Feb. 22 issue of The Town Line, p. 3) and continued review of the draft 2024-25 school budget.
Board members voted unanimously to approve a three-year contract with Jennifer Lizotte, who runs the daycare at Vassalboro Community School (VCS). The decision was accompanied by expressions of goodwill and approval from school administrators and Lizotte.
School personnel said the daycare is well run, Lizotte is cooperative with them and school staff whose children attend are happy.
Lizotte thanked school personnel for being helpful and understanding. She thanked the board for the three-year contract, which will let her plan ahead.
The present daycare space fits nicely with staff and enrollment, Lizotte said. She and board members talked about possible installation of a ceiling fan in the area for the summer term.
Superintendent Alan Pfeiffer said after discussion with Shelley Phillips, director of maintenance and grounds for Vassalboro and Winslow schools, the daily rent will be raised from $25 to $28. This figure will be reviewed annually.
The second month-old issue was whether to increase school board members’ stipends, currently $40 per meeting. Pfeiffer said many comparable boards’ members are rewarded more generously.
Board members voted unanimously not to change the figure. Several said they had run for school board without knowing there was a stipend.
No one could predict whether more money would encourage more residents to run for the board. Pfeiffer was doubtful, saying the number of volunteers for local positions has been declining state-wide.
Budget discussion covered two major accounts, administration and tuition. Pfeiffer emphasized that some figures are estimates.
For example, he does not have 2024-25 insurance costs and is guessing how big the increase will be. The state will calculate and release 2024-25 high-school tuition costs in December 2024; based on the last two years, Pfeiffer has penciled in a six percent increase.
In other business, Principal Ira Michaud said Vassalboro’s average daily attendance is at 94.9 percent, slightly below the state’s recommended goal of 95 percent. He explained the two types of absences, excused (when a parent calls in to say a student is ill, or the family is going on a trip) and unexcused (when no explanation is offered). Especially in the second case, he said, teachers are encouraged to call the family to see if the school can help.
Board member Jessica Clark alerted the rest of the board to the legislative bill LD 974, titled “An Act to Establish Minimum Pay for Educational Technicians and Other School Support Staff.” If it becomes effective, in 2025 some educational technicians could be paid more than teachers, she said.
Pfeiffer said the bill, if it becomes law, will have a “significant” monetary impact state-wide. He hopes if the legislature approves it, state funding will be provided.
Clark said Vassalboro’s legislators, Rep. Richard Bradstreet and Sen. Matthew Pouliot, told her the bill is likely to pass and advised her to address her concerns to Governor Janet Mills.
Principal Michaud’s report included thanks to the Vassalboro Parent-Teacher Organization for supplies for two recent events, Bubble Day and Pi Day.
He said school counselor, Gina Davis, introduced Bubble Day, with students outdoors blowing bubbles, as an observance of the first day of spring.
Pi Day, the annual observance of the “mathematical constant that is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter, approximately equal to 3.14159,” drew 34 contestants trying to remember as much of the endless number as they could. Michaud said the winners were, in third place, fifth-grader Ashlynn Hamlin; second place, sixth-grader Mariah Estabrook; and first-place, reciting 167 digits, sixth-grader Sarina LaCroix.
Board members plan to continue budget discussion at their regular meeting Tuesday evening, April 9. Pfeiffer is considering scheduling an additional special budget meeting.
Jud Smith, center, flanked by his mother Lisa Libby, left, and his father Zachary Smith. (contributed photo)
Judson Smith, a 13-year-old eighth-grader at Vassalboro Community School (VCS), has been accepted for high school at the Maine School of Science and Mathematics (MSSM), in Limestone.
Jud is an honor roll student at VCS, a member of the JMG (Jobs for Maine Graduates) program and the Gifted and Talented Program and president of the student council. He played soccer last fall.
His father, Zachary Smith, said Jud has long been interested in math and science, partly because of his parents. Smith, with a background in biology and medicine, is a Psychiatric Physician Assistant, and his wife, Lisa Libby, is a pharmacist.
With his parents’ support, Jud went to MSSM’s summer camp for two years. Jud added, “They offered classes where you were able to launch rockets and calculate what distances they would cover.”
At MSSM, Jud intends to focus on chemistry. He is considering a career in chemical engineering, and looks forward to the “more challenging material” he expects at MSSM.
“It is a very high honor for any student to be accepted to this prestigious institution,” Vassalboro school superintendent Alan Pfeiffer said.
Nolan Burgess
Headmaster Jamie Soule has announced that Nolan Burgess, of Whitefield, a senior at Erskine Academy, in South China, has been selected to receive the 2024 Principal’s Award. The award, sponsored by the Maine Principals’ Association, recognizes a high school senior’s academic excellence, outstanding school citizenship, and leadership.
Burgess is a consistent high-honors student in a highly competitive academic program that includes honors or accelerated level classes and numerous Advanced Placement and Concurrent Enrollment courses with nearby colleges. He has been commended and honored within the school for his exceptional academic achievements, extracurricular involvement, and community service. Burgess has received awards for outstanding achievement in Social Studies, Advanced Mathematics courses, and Spanish, and he is currently ranked among the top students in Erskine Academy’s Class of 2024.
“Nolan has demonstrated outstanding dedication, integrity, and a commitment to excellence in all endeavors. He personifies the school’s core values of scholarship, leadership, stewardship, and relationships, and he is an excellent representative of Erskine Academy,” noted Headmaster Soule.
Burgess, Soule, and other award winners and their principals will attend an Honors Luncheon at Jeff’s Catering on Saturday, April 6, 2024, at 12:30 p.m. The event recognizes outstanding students by presenting a plaque and awarding ten $1,000 scholarships in the names of former Maine principals and MPA Executive Directors: Horace O. McGowan, Richard W. Tyler, and Richard A. Durost.
Devyn DeLeonardis
Devyn DeLeonardis, son of Frederick and Amanda, of North Anson, a senior at Carrabec High School, in North Anson, has been selected to receive the 2024 Principal’s Award, according to Principal Peter Campbell. The award, sponsored by the Maine Principals’ Association, is given in recognition of a high school senior’s academic achievement, citizenship and leadership.
DeLeonardis has distinguished himself in the classroom. He has challenged himself and through his hard work and perseverance has made him one of the top students in the class of 2024. Devyn is a member of the National Honor Society and was selected as the first student to represent his class as Student of the Month.
It is in the areas of citizenship and leadership that Devyn DeLeonardis truly excels. His eagerness and enthusiasm make him a leader and a role model in our school. This year Devyn achieved a feat that very few manage. He earned the rank of Eagle Scout, a rank that only about 5 percent of all scouts manage to obtain. Devyn has more than doubled the required number of community service hours required to graduate. To exemplify that, he was quick to present his thoughts on how students could earn more hours of service by helping individuals affected by the recent flood.
For all of these reasons, Mr. Campbell is proud to announce that Devyn DeLeonardis is the Carrabec High School MPA Award recipient for 2024. Devyn will attend an awards luncheon on April 6, 2024, where he will receive his award and be eligible to be selected for one of ten scholarships.
Dawson Turcotte (Contributed photo)
Dawson Turcotte, son of Eric and Kris Turcotte, of Skowhegan, was accepted into the University of New England’s Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Program beginning July 2024. Dawson will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in medical biology from the University of New England this May. Dawson is a 2021 graduate of Skowhegan Area High School.
Front row, from left to right, Adrian DeLeonard, Jojo Garay, Sawyer Bearce and Chase Strahorn. Middle row, Carter LePlante, Jaxon Troxell, Gabe Staffierre, Quincy Brittingham and Avery McKenna. Back, Coach McKenna and Coach Troxell (photo by Missy Brown, Central Maine Photography)
The Waterville Rotary Club raised $5,000 this year to support local organizations that address food insecurity. In the prior three years the club donated a total of $40,622 to organizations addressing hunger and basic needs.
According to club president Daniel Eccher, “Our club became aware of the intense need in our community during the pandemic. We have directed a portion of our fundraising efforts each year from 2021 to help support the great work of local meal programs and food pantries, including some housed in our schools. We know that they operate on tight budgets and are dependent upon donations to feed people who don’t have enough resources to prevent hunger.”
Donations were awarded to the following organizations: Winslow Community Cupboard; Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter; Mid-Maine Technical Center; Albert S. Hall School; Waterville Junior High School; Waterville Area Soup Kitchen; Oakland Food Pantry; and Vassalboro Food Pantry Station.
The organizations are very grateful for the funding. Bruce Bottiglierie, Operation Manager of the Winslow Community Cupboard states “We appreciate the generous donation from Waterville Rotary Club in the assistance to end hunger. It is our mission at Winslow Community Cupboard to fight hunger, not only in our community but in the surrounding areas as well. All proceeds from this donation will go directly towards making it possible to meet the growing needs of our neighborhoods. This donation will also help us expand to help more people and build our new building so we can continue to support our growing community”.
According to Carla Caron, president of the Waterville Area Soup Kitchen, “While many volunteers happily provide the labor at the Lighthouse each day, they can only do so because of the financial support of organizations and individuals within our community. It requires significant resources to provide 5,000 meals each month in a safe and comfortable location. The Rotary Club has been a stalwart backer of the Waterville Area Soup Kitchen since its beginning. Its contributions have helped us to keep the doors open and the plates full”.
The Waterville Rotary Club is proud to support these outstanding groups doing important work in the community. For more information contact Michele Prince, Community Services Committee Chairperson michelep@kvcap.org or Dan Eccher, Club President d.eccher@leveyandwagely.com.