Lawrence Junior High School Band and Chorus rocked the house in their spring concert !
At Albion Elementary School, families came together for a fun-filled Title 1 Literacy Parent Night! 🍕📚 From a book scavenger hunt to cuddles with Love on a Leash comfort dogs—and topped off with a pizza dinner—it was a night of connection, community, and a shared love of reading!
At Clinton Elementary, we’re making math meaningful! 📏 After reading Inch by Inch, students practiced using nonstandard measurement by exploring the classroom with their inchworm rulers—measuring objects and building real-world math connections through hands-on learning.
Benton Elementary sixth graders have been learning about bridge engineering and design. Mark Hume, an engineer for the Maine Department of Transportation, recently visited with students to teach them about the various types of bridges, their parts, and design principles. Last week, he joined each of our sixth-grade classes and their teachers as they toured bridges throughout the central Maine area. Teams of students will use what they’ve learned to design and build their own toothpick bridge models, then test their models for strength.
LHS Good News, 5/14/25
🎓We had four Seniors participate in KVCC’s graduation on Saturday as they successfully completed the Welding Certificate Program they undertook during the past two years while still in high school. Nash Corson, Dawson Chapman, Davin Bolduc & Toby Simpson are pictured below. Congratulations!
🎵The Music Department held their annual Spring Concert Wednesday night with the Band and Chorus groups each performing five pieces. A job well done by all.
📋Maine’s Through Year Testing will take place next week for our ELA and Math students. On Tuesday, students will be taking their Reading test during Block 1 and Advisory. On Wednesday, students will be administered the Math portion during Advisory and Block 2. This is a statewide assessment used to gauge student performance on Maine’s accountability standards, the Common Core Standards.
Thursday night the National Technical Honor Society for MMTC will meet at the Waterville Elks Club to induct new members.
📕Lawrence Education Alternative Program is accepting applications for admission into the program for next year. This is an opportunity for students for whom the traditional educational setting does not work, who can apply and interview to see if the alternative program would be a better fit. This program is limited to a select number, so applications and interviews are a mandatory part of the process to see if it would be a mutual fit for the student and the program. Applications can be picked up in Guidance.
🏅Upcoming Events: Our Evening of Excellence will be held next Wednesday evening, May 21st, at 7:00 PM in the Williamson Auditorium to recognize our underclassmen's growth and achievement awards and Junior Book Award recipients. Letters were mailed home inviting recipients of the various awards to the Evening of Excellence.
Have a great week!
Earning time to build focus! Albion second graders in Mrs. Poland’s class earned guided drawing time and used it to practice focus and listening skills as they followed steps to draw their Minions. 🖍️🧠
Clinton Elementary students are learning about plants in an engaging cross-curricular experience that connects reading and science.They explore plant life cycles, parts of a plant, and what plants need to grow through planting seeds and observing plant growth. At the same time, reading lessons include nonfiction texts and stories about plants, helping students build vocabulary and comprehension while reinforcing scientific concepts. Students are developing curiosity, improving literacy skills, and gaining a deeper understanding of the natural world!
Benton Elementary first graders recently had a special visit with a science educator from Chewonki. Chewonki is a non-profit environmental education organization, based out of Wiscasset, with a mission of teaching appreciation and stewardship of the natural world. During this presentation, students learned how different types of animal adaptations - including webbed feet, camouflaged fur, and spines - help animals survive in their habitats every day. They also met Tippy the groundhog and learned how she uses her adaptations to survive in the wild.
Time to give a cheer for the LJHS 24-25 Cheering Squad. They had a successful year in their competition performances! Congratulations.
LHS Good News, 5/7/25
From Pete Spears - the track team won the Husky Throwdown competition at MCI today. Zoe Hutchins won the girls' shot put and discus. Other kids who placed were Kiera Day, Gabe Fairbrother, and Jaiden Hebert. They scored enough points to have us win by 1 point over Scarborough. There were 32 teams in total. Lots of personal bests were attained by other LHS kids, too. Great day for all!
Vocal Vibe was invited to perform at the Inter-faith, non-denominational National Prayer Breakfast held on May 1, 2025, at the Augusta Armory. Vocal Vibe has performed there in the past, and it is by invitation only, so a recognized honor for the group!
On Tuesday, April 29 the Albion 5th graders traveled to the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath. The students were able to learn about Maine's waterways and the people who have lived and worked along Maine's Atlantic Coast and Rivers through artwork, movies, and historical artifacts. It was extremely informative about Maine's shipbuilding history!
Benton third graders visited the Margaret Chase Smith Library this week. The library, located in Skowhegan, is a museum and educational facility that’s devoted to preserving the legacy of Margaret Chase Smith, the first woman elected to both houses of the US Congress. This field trip ties in nicely with our students’ studies of the state of Maine and our state government. The new director told students the current video presentation - while informative - feels a bit dull. He said he's looking forward to updating it with something more dynamic and student-centered, and our Bulldogs were eager to help make that happen with their artwork. They're excited about contributing to the project and bringing a fresh, engaging perspective to the library's presentation.
New York Times Best Selling Author Visits LJHS!
📚LJHS students and sixth graders enjoyed an inspiring assembly to learn about how Matt Tavares created the award-winning book, Hoops. Students asked questions and won signed copies of the book. Students also enjoyed two hands-on illustration workshop sessions with the author.
🤱Happy May Day! During a recent after school Power Hour session, Teacher-Librarian, Ms. Butterfield, guided staff in making May Day baskets.
📕May 4 is the last day to order a yearbook online at ybpay.com. The code is 15009625. The cost is 20 dollars. Students may also bring cash or a check made out to LJHS to the library on Friday.
LHS Good News, 4/30/25
🏆Dexter Thomas, an Emmy and Pulitzer Prize winner, visited the LEAP students this week to consult on their video essays they are producing. The students were enthusiastic about the visit and happy to share their ideas and work with him.
On Wednesday, the National Guard representatives came in to discuss the ASVAB test results with the thirty students who took them earlier this year.
🎨Mrs. Joler took members of her English class to the Colby Art Museum on Wednesday to tour the museum.
📚AP Testing starts next week. Students who are testing have their schedules for when they are testing. They are allowed to sign out after they complete their test if they have a morning test slot, which would be around 11:30 - Noon. If they have an afternoon test, those start at Noon, and they should report to the testing room by 11:45 AM. All tests are scheduled for four hours. Students should get a good night’s sleep before test day, as well as eat something before sitting for that long period. Students who are not testing will follow their regular schedule for classes.
A mailing will be going home to Seniors with graduation information next week.
Have a great week!
At Albion Elementary, our students are getting ready to shine!
During writing this week, they broke into groups to practice presenting their portfolios for next week — and they did an amazing job supporting and encouraging one another! 🙌🎉
This kind of preparation builds confidence, communication skills, and pride in their hard work. 💪📚 We can't wait to see them showcase their learning! 🌟
At Clinton Elementary, we were thrilled to welcome Maine children's author and illustrator Chris Van Dusen last Friday! He inspired our young writers by sharing what it's like to be both an author and illustrator, and even joined students for lunch! 🍎
📖 His visit highlighted the importance of creativity, storytelling, and following your passions. Our 3rd graders made his day when he learned they chose one of his books in their Final Four Book Selection in March! 🏆📚
What an unforgettable experience for our future authors and artists!
Benton Elementary held Student-Led Conferences on April 15th and 16th. Over the course of these two nights, families came together to celebrate their child's learning! They also visited our PTO Sponsored Book Fair and had ice cream at the Darlings Ice Cream Truck. All of the proceeds from the ice cream truck go towards our Student Assistance Fund. We also held our annual Student Art Show, which filled the walls of the school. A special Thank You! to our art teacher, Mr. Walston, for curating this beautiful show! We are extremely grateful to all of the students and families who participated!
The Lawrence Junior High School Book Club competed in the second round of The Great Maine Book Tournament and placed second in the Central Maine division. The team worked together to become experts on fifteen titles to be ready for questions about the books. Students reflected that the challenge gave them the motivation to read more while being with friends. Another shared that he would never forget the group because of all the new friendships and fun moments. One student enjoyed friendly competition to outread her librarian, Ms. Butterfield, with the tournament books and was successful! Pictured are some of the club members who wanted to share the books they each read to prepare for the competition.
LHS Good News, 4/16/25:
👷🧑⚕️On Thursday, some of our upperclassmen JMG students will travel to UMF to attend a Workforce Development fair.
💃A reminder that Friday will mark the start of April vacation, as it is a non-student day. When we return from vacation, the remainder of the spring semester will go by quickly. On Saturday, May 10th, we will have the Jr./Sr. Prom. Tickets are being sold now, and guest forms are available to the upperclassmen. All guest forms are due in the Main Office by Wednesday, May 7th.
📃AP Exams are right around the corner, starting on May 5th and running through May 15, 2025. Students are taking them digitally this year at the high school. Students taking AP exams are allowed to leave once the testing period is over. These are roughly four-hour exams. Students are encouraged to get a good night’s sleep and eat breakfast, which they can pick up at school in the morning before heading to the testing room.
🏫As we have had Parent Teacher Conferences, we are getting word from some parents that students are telling them that they can be off campus during the day. This is not accurate. Only Juniors and Seniors with Academic Privileges are allowed to sign out and leave during a study hall. They are not allowed to bring other students with them, particularly underclassmen. If students who have vehicles are found to be driving other students off school grounds, they are subject to losing their driving privileges for a couple of weeks. Freshman and Sophomore students are not allowed to leave campus unless dismissed by a parent to go home sick or for an appointment. If you question what you’re being told by your student, you can always call to speak with us to verify.
Thanks and have a great vacation week.
Benton Elementary's "Smoothies for Success" tradition continues! Students in grades 4, 5, and 6 have been working on essays about their future aspirations, and this week they had the opportunity to submit their essays for the Bulldog Future of Maine Scholarship. Staff and younger students lined the hallways to cheer on the older students as they paraded toward the cafeteria to exchange their essays for a "success smoothie." A total of 181 students submitted their essays this year, an accomplishment worth celebrating! Thank you to our kitchen staff for preparing this special smoothie treat, and good luck to all of these students. Community members will gather this Friday to read and score essays, and winners will be announced in May.
