The halls of Hodgdon Mill Pond School are once again full of the sounds of laughter, chatter, and excitement! Students are beginning to settle into new routines with new teachers and some new classmates. The staff has welcomed some new faces to the fold. Some students are getting used to having homework and lockers for the first time.
To help the sixth-grade students and any new students, the middle school staff and students spent the first day all together, playing some ice breaker games and learning about this peculiar thing known as “middle school.” Students in sixth, seventh and eighth grades spent time in their focus groups to design locker plates, put together time capsules to be opened at the end of the year, and to fill out goal sheets which we will re-examine just before April vacation. Hopefully, this helped to ease any anxiety and answer any questions!
A parent breakfast was held the first day of school. Parents and their students were able to share breakfast together and walk to their classrooms. Parents returned to the cafeteria to hear from Mrs. Wiley, principal, and Mrs. Foster, home-school coordinator. They talked about the different programs available to help students and shared a short video on how to help your child be prepared for school.
Parents were also introduced to our new vice principal, Tom Vicaire. He will be the subject of our first “Staff Highlight.” Mr. Vicaire comes to us from Mattanawcook Academy in Lincoln where he lives with his wife, Amy, and their two children, Zoe, age 7 and Joseph, age 9. He is beginning his 19th year in education. While in Lincoln, he taught CAD Engineering, Tech Ed, Wood, Power, and Metal welding, machining vehicle maintenance and foundry. Mr. Vicaire also taught a survey class to meet specific assessments for the Maine Learning Results.
As the Engineering Coach at M.A., he had the opportunity to guide students to great achievements at the state and national level. He has received several Teacher of the Year awards including one for the Maine Wind Blade Challenge and most recently the ITEEA Maine High School Teacher of the Year for 2014.
On a personal note, Mr. Vicaire enjoys spending time with his family watching his children’s sports activities, sharing campfires, and simply sitting around the dinner table and talking about the day. An avid outdoorsman, he enjoys fly fishing (he ties his own flies!), ice fishing and skiing during the winter, and hunting for waterfowl with his three black Labrador retrievers.
Mr. Vicaire loves to see the smiling faces of students each morning and the family atmosphere at Mill Pond has made the transition to a new school much easier for him. His best advice to the students of today would be “persevere!” Teaching children that everyone will face challenges, big and small, he says, “Stick it out! Keep trying and believe in yourself!”
Mr. Vicaire believes it’s okay to make mistakes as each experience teaches us something. It’s part of becoming an independent person. We will learn a few interesting tidbits about our new vice principal as the year goes on!
As an end to this initial Hawk’s Eye for this year, this note was found in one of the eighth-grade math books handed out. “Dear whoever may have this book …. Make eighth grade last as long as possible! Make sure you do your homework! And remember, the year will fly by fast so try to make it last!” Thanks for the sage advice, Jessica Geiger!
