Welcome to fall at Mill Pond!
Ask your student about an “equinox” and see if they can explain it to you.
Of course, with the arrival of fall, students are in the midst of standardized testing. It would be beneficial to students to be sure to have a good breakfast on the mornings of testing. We know that students can have problems concentrating if they feel hungry, and maybe a little more sleep would help, also.
The first meeting of the middle school student council took place this past week. Mrs. Karen Sattler is the acting advisor to this very active group. Twenty-five students have signed up for this group, which is responsible for activities for students and many forms of support for our community. This group will be holding elections soon for the offices of president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer with the middle school students casting ballots for the decisions.
One item of interest already discussed was the “Drive for Change” to be held to help raise money for the purchase of room-darkening curtains for the gym, so start saving those coins for us and send them to school with your student once the drive begins.
The after-school program has already begun with an average attendance of 35-40 students. Specialized programs are just being set up so we will report on those as information is received.
Another group that has begun its activities for the year is the Civil Rights Team which is under the leadership of Mrs. Rhonda Foster. The current nine students will be attending a specialized training in Presque Isle in October.
Students and staff had an unplanned early release day on Tuesday, Sept. 22, to allow attendance to the funeral of Mrs. Debera Varney. Mrs. Varney had been the special education secretary for MSAD #70 since 1992. Her constant smile and positive, infectious attitude will definitely be missed here. Our thoughts continue to be with her family throughout this time of transition.
On Oct. 7 students in the middle school are planning a trip to Goughan’s Berry Farm in Caribou for a trip through the corn maze. This is an annual trip for our middle school and a favorite fall activity. This year’s maze is a special “Happy Birthday” tribute with some pirate themes thrown in for fun. Now, we just hope for favorable weather!
Thursday, Oct. 8, is an early release day for students and Friday, Oct. 9, is a workshop day for teachers. The following Monday is Columbus Day, so students will be able to enjoy a nice long weekend.
A note from the nurse: If you have some smaller size (Pre-K or kindergarten) jeans with elastic waists that you could donate to the school, it would allow us to have some extra clothing on hand in case of “accidents” at school. Also, teachers would appreciate it greatly if each student could supply one box of tissues for the classroom. This will help when cold season arrives!
The PTO fall fundraiser has come to a close. Thank you to all who bought items in support of this and congratulations to students who earned prizes along the way.
Our staff profile for this week is another new face to Mill Pond School. Jared Carter is the clinical social worker and splits his time between Mill Pond and Danforth. In the past, he worked for 13 years at Community Health and Counseling Services. Mr. Carter also teaches a class at the outreach center through NMCC and co-facilitates a group called Youth Leadership Advisory Team for teens in the foster care system.
Jared is married to Adelaide and together, they have three children: Ethan, Lydia and Sydney. His favorite activities center around his family, with camping and hiking being near the top of his list. He and his wife also play in a band called “Just a Ride.” Jared sings and is learning to play bass guitar while Adelaide sings and plays keyboard. A dream they share is to someday take their family to Disney World.
When asked to share something about himself that most people wouldn’t know, he said he had lived in New Zealand for two years. His advice to students comes from a quote from “The Lorax”: “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”
Thanks for sharing, Mr. Carter, and welcome to the Mill Pond family.
We close with a reminder that school pictures are scheduled for Sept. 30, 2015. Until next time, be safe, share a smile and a laugh, and tell someone how you appreciate them.
