By Karen Sattler
Hodgdon Mill Pond School
So much has happened in our halls, I scarce can remember everything, but let me see what I can recall. We have celebrated our 100th day of school in the primary grades with different activities centered on the number 100. Students brought in collections of 100 items, stories were shared, and creative teachers showed off 100’s in many ways! Our eighth grade students were studying scale in math and culminated the unit with drawings of a locust that they expanded to a 1:3 scale.
The teachers were so impressed that the final drawings were judged and Connor Hebert was awarded first prize for the best drawing! Happening right now in the eighth grade is a Poetry Expo. Students chose pictures from magazines and had to follow specific guidelines to produce various types of poetry. These are all on display in the school gym, so stop by and check out some wonderful work.
Contributed photo
SUPER SHOOTERS — Participants in the Hoops for Hearts fundraiser held Feb. 13 at Mill Pond Elementary School raised $538, with Dylan Jurson raising $263. Dawn Bossie and Sandra Hare helped with this event. Taking part were, from left, front row, Reiley Wright; middle, Serena Lufkin and Madison Bolling; and back, Wayne Faulkner, Dylan Jurson and Isaac Jurson.
Hoops for Hearts, our annual fundraiser for the American Heart Association, took place on Feb. 13 with just six students participating. They raised a total of $538 for the AHA. Participants were Dylan Jurson, Serena Lufkin, Isaac Jurson, Madison Bolling, Wayne Faulkner, and Reilly Wright. Dylan Jurson raised $263 alone in pledges!
Grades four and five students attended the CBP Maine Diversity Inclusion Event held on Feb. 26, at the Houlton Air Branch on Industrial Drive. Coordinated efforts of the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security provided some unique opportunities for the students.
Agents presented information on careers in their areas of expertise, while others did personal demonstrations. Nallah King, a fifth grade student in Vivian Hynick’s class, loved watching the dogs do their job of sniffing out drugs in boxes and suitcases. “I even got handcuffed!” she exclaimed to her dad.
Fellow student, Lizzy Boyette’s favorite part was, “Some of the kids got to dress up in the border patrol agent uniforms.” Students learned other interesting things about the agents, like the fact that some had to go as far away as Arizona for their training. I think all the students I spoke with had a great time during this visit.
Continuing something from last year, I’d like to focus on one of our newest staff members at Mill Pond. Peter Loiselle is our new assistant principal. He and his wife, Christine, live in Ellsworth, but Loiselle travels home each weekend. He is very proud of his siblings. His sister, Anne, is a pharmacist. His brother, Gerard, works for General Electric as an aeronautical engineer while his other brother, Daniel, is a doctor. Suzanne, another sister, is a pediatrician.
Peter and Christine have a cat named Mickey who is seventeen years old! When asked about his dream vacation, he quickly replied, “An Alaskan cruise!” When asked if there was anything he would do over differently, he decided he wouldn’t change a thing. A unique or unusual thing he wanted us to know is that he has appeared as a guest on the Oprah Winfrey Show. Loiselle’s proudest moment was being able to preside over his brother’s and sister’s marriages as a notary public. We are happy to have such an interesting man as part of our school family!
Lastly, here is a quick note about a couple of special events for our afterschool program. On Thursday, March 21, we will be having a Pampered Chef Bingo fundraiser in the Mill Pond gym starting at 6 p.m. The cost is $20 for a book of cards for the 10 games to be played. Snacks and beverages will be supplied and prize drawings will happen throughout the event. We are hoping for a great turnout to help raise some extra funds for our program.
On Thursday, March 28, we will be having our first Family Science Night. This will be like our family reading nights, except will involve parents and students working together on science experiments. Come see what Sara McQuarrie has in store!
