On Thursday, April 11, students at Benton Elementary School participated in Smoothies for Success. Students in grades 4, 5, and 6 wrote essays about their future aspirations and had the opportunity to submit them 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 submit their essays. As each student turned in their essay they received a “success smoothie” to enjoy. A total of 144 students submitted their essays, an accomplishment worth celebrating. Thank you to our kitchen staff for preparing this special smoothie treat, and good luck to all of these students! Winners will be announced next month!
Members of the Lawrence Junior High School Yearbook staff are working diligently to get the 23-24 yearbook off to the publishers. The yearbook staff, Mrs. Anderson, and Mr. Cloutier have been working all year long gathering pictures and materials for the yearbook. The cover of the yearbook is designed by one of our own LJHS students. It will be revealed when the yearbooks arrive. Orders for the yearbooks can be placed at ybpay.com our school code is 150009624. The deadline for ordering is May 6th. Get your orders in!"
For the High School, we have some pertinent information to make you aware of:
Seniors will be receiving forms in Homeroom on Monday, April 29, 2024, regarding their plans for next year. Any Senior interested in being considered for scholarships that are awarded by the Scholarship Committee should fill out this form. Forms will also be available in Guidance. These forms are due back into Guidance by May 2nd.
A reminder to Senior Parents that we will host a Senior Parent Meeting on Wednesday, May 1, 2024 in the Williamson Auditorium at 6:30 PM. This meeting will cover the Project Graduation trip, as well as end of year activities for the graduating seniors. It should be over in an hour. Seniors are welcome to attend, as well. We will also post the information that gets disseminated at the meeting if you can’t attend.
Extended Day Credit Recovery for any student with a course failure of 55-69 will start on Tuesday, May 7th from 2:15 - 3:45 PM and will run weekly on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, until May 30th. Students will receive a permission form to bring home to have a Parent/Guardian sign. On that form, you can indicate if bus transportation home is needed. Students taking part report until they have recovered the credit. It may take all four weeks or a student may complete it in the first week. It’s up to the student. If they don’t finish during this time, we will be holding Summer School Credit Recovery.
AP Exams will start the week of May 6, 2024. AP students can be excused after their AP exams. If they have an afternoon one, they may come into school to report for that exam and be excused from their morning classes. We just ask that parents call or email the Attendance Office, Deb Poli or Jan Rossignol, so we have your permission for your student to do so on their AP Exam day(s).
Maine Through Year Assessments for Sophomores will take place on Wednesday, May 8th during Block 1 and Advisory for English and on Thursday, May 9th from Advisory through Block 2 for Math. These are important statewide assessments for our Sophomore students. Our Sophomore students will report by Homeroom to their testing room on those days. The other students will hold their regular classes and follow their regular schedule.
The Science Augmentation test for Juniors will be held on Tuesday, May 14th during Blocks 3, 4, and 5. As on the Sophomore test dates, all other students will follow their regular schedule while the Juniors will report by Homeroom to their testing room.
All of these assessments are used by the State in comparison to other schools across Maine for the ELA and Math and nationally for the Science Augmentation test. They are important for that reason. Internally, the results are looked at to guide instruction and curriculum. We appreciate the students’ and parents’ cooperation in coming to school with a positive attitude on those test days and in getting your child to school for those assessments.
Have a great week!
Capturing celestial wonder! 🌑✨ Fairfield Primary and Albion Elementary embraced the magic of the Eclipse on Monday, April 8th. Dive into the enchanting journey through captivating photos and remarkable student work samples, showcasing the educational exploration and awe-inspiring experiences that spark curiosity and deepen understanding of the cosmos.
Students at Benton Elementary prepared for Monday’s solar eclipse by learning about Earth, our Moon, and the Sun with lots of creative and engaging activities. Students were excited to watch live feed from NASA and the state of Maine and to experience the start of the eclipse with their classmates and teachers on our playground. Two fourth-grade classes and dozens of Benton staff members stayed after school to view the full eclipse together. Thank you to MSAD 49 and Superintendent Roberta Hersom for providing solar eclipse glasses for our students and staff, allowing safe viewing of this rare event. It will surely be a core memory for many of us!
Empowering young minds through literacy! 📚✨ Students at Clinton Elementary dive into word work, writing, and reading activities, igniting their passion for learning and honing essential literacy skills. Through hands-on engagement and personalized support from the Reading Recovery program, every student blossoms into a confident reader and writer, laying the foundation for a lifetime of academic success.
☀️As seen in one of the pictures below, LEAP students traveled to the path of totality to witness the eclipse on Monday.🌔
🎵 Vocal Vibe and Jazz Band - weekend accolades
- All State Vocal Jazz and Show Choir competition took place in Ellsworth on Saturday, April 6, 2024. Vocal Vibe received a silver rating. Students receiving top scores for their solo performances were Hallie Firmage, Jena Lawe, Lena Paige, and Harrison Bartley. Harrison also received one of eight outstanding musicianship awards. Congratulations to all on a great showing.🎵
🎉Please congratulate Abigail Taylor as the NHS state secretary and Elizabeth Holden as the NHS regional representative.🎉
🎶Saturday Night, 7 PM in the Williamson Auditorium, the US Army Field Band and Soldiers Chorus will be performing a free concert. For tickets you can email Loren Fields at lfields@msad49.org or go to any of the following sites to register for the concert. You won’t be turned away! An overflow room will be available.
- Concert Band & Soldiers’ Chorus
- Free Concert - The US Army Field Band & Soldiers’ Chorus 🎶
🏆 Mr. Bowers and Hallie Firmage attended the Maine Principals Association Honor’s Luncheon on Saturday where Hallie was formally presented with a plaque for being Lawrence High School’s recipient for the 2024 Principal’s Award. 🏆
🛥️ On Wednesday the 7 Lakes Alliance, out of Belgrade, spoke to the students during our Community Homeroom. They explained their courtesy boat inspection program and work opportunities for this summer, as well as their involvement with the Youth Conservation Corp program. 🛥️
A reminder that there is no school on Friday and that we’ll see students back on Monday, April 22nd, after April break.
Have a great week and vacation week.
Sparkling literary moments at Albion Elementary! 📚✨ Renowned author Lynn Plourde, known for captivating tales like 'Wild Child,' 'Spring’s Sprung,' and 'Winter Waits,' graced our school on March 25th. Thanks to the PTA's support, students from PreK to 6th grade relished her visit and engaging workshops.
Students at Fairfield Primary are embracing the magic of storytelling! 📚 Mrs. Sweatt's class immerses themselves in the timeless tale of 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears.' Through imaginative play and character exploration, students not only enjoy a fun-filled experience but also enhance their language skills, empathy, and creativity.
On Tuesday, March 26th Benton Elementary’s Reading Recovery/Title I Literacy team hosted their second family literacy night for many of our first and second-grade Title I students. Families enjoyed pizza, chips, and giant chocolate chip cookies for dinner. Principal Brian Wedge was our guest caller for several games of BINGO, and children had their choice of fun, literacy-related prizes. Our Reading Recovery team - Carol Crothers, Sarah Rogers, and Lisa Roy - emphasized the importance of our home-school partnership to continue accelerating literacy learning for students. Each family went home with a hardcover copy of Mo Willems’ Can I Play Too? which students will be able to read with their families.
Last Wednesday at Clinton Elementary the kindergarten classes made their own Kodable fuzz buddies. Kodable is an app that teaches computer coding and programming to young learners. They had a lot of fun and enjoyed taking home their new pals. :)
March 26 - 29 the Maine BIOLAB visited Lawrence Junior High School, 1 of 12 middle schools to share this honor in the state of Maine. Students, and a few staff members, were able to engage in state-of-the-art lab activities during their science classes. This was an exciting opportunity for our students to engage in hands-on lessons providing exposure to different careers involving STEM.
Next week on Thursday, April 11th, the high school will run an extended Community Homeroom to hear a presentation by Students Empowering to End Dependence (SEEDs). This program consists of 2 peer presenters - ages 19 and 17 years old and an adult collaborator. The presentation will consist of a short PowerPoint slide, a video, and a question-and-answer session dealing with dependency. SEEDs currently has a series on PBS called Voices of Hope for anyone interested in checking it out. We will have the presentation from 8:30 - 9:30 AM on the 11th in the auditorium for our students.
This past week we did have a group of students sign up and go to a Job Fair put on by Maine General in Augusta. It consisted of all the opportunities that are available in the hospital setting and looking at what the requirements for them are: be they a high school diploma, technical school training, or college. The students who attended and the staff who went said it was very worthwhile. This was spearheaded by our Guidance department and JMG.
3rd Quarter Report Cards will be issued on Friday, but if Thursday’s storm interrupts that we’ll have them on Monday. Shortly after grades are out we will be getting word on our Senior Classes Top Ten. I hope to be able to report on who they are next week, without revealing the order, but will list them alphabetically. This is really the first of the spring accolades for the graduating class.
We will host a Senior Parent Night on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in the Williamson Auditorium from 6:30 - 7:30 PM to go over the end-of-year ceremonies pertaining to Scholarship Awards, and Senior Last Assembly and Graduation, as well as the Project Graduation plans. Mr. Bowers and Mr. Van Tuinen will host the informational meeting. We will be able to answer questions you may have, as well. Parents of graduating seniors, as well as Seniors, are invited to attend. We will post the information for those who can’t attend.
Have a great week.
At Clinton Elementary students were involved with hands-on art exploration in Mr. Mercier's 4th-grade class! 🖌️ Witness the creativity as students mold finger pots from clay, not just honing artistic skills but also fostering tactile learning and fine motor development. Through art, students not only express themselves but also cultivate patience, focus, and an appreciation for the beauty of craftsmanship.
Exploring the world of lines in art class with Mrs. Bolduc at Albion Elementary! 🎨 Meanwhile, Mrs. Bearce's kindergarteners are busy crafting a spring project, embracing creativity and fine motor skills. From straight to wavy, lines play a crucial role in artistic expression, helping young minds develop spatial awareness and precision while fostering a love for art from an early age.
Spring has sprung at Fairfield Primary! 🌸 Mrs. Salley's class embraced the season on March 19th with a delightful sun catcher activity, bringing warmth and color into the classroom. Emphasizing creativity and hands-on learning, such activities foster a vibrant learning environment, sparking imagination and connecting students with the beauty of nature.
At Benton Elementary, Annie Jewell's second-grade class recently
had a special visitor…Ms. Jewell’s dad, Mr. Jewell! Raph Jewell works at Alfaslopes Dairy Farm in Charleston, Maine. During his visit to this class, he highlighted the importance of dairy farms in Maine by bringing a virtual field trip with him. Students were able to “walk” through the farm and see what a typical day looks like for the cows. After learning about the milking process, Ms. Jewell’s students had a chance to try it on their own using a makeshift udder filled with water. They realized just how hard it is to aim for the bucket! They also sampled some cheese that was made with milk from the Alpaslopes farm. We appreciate Mr. Jewell coming in to teach our students all about dairy farming!
On March 14th (3/14), Lawrence Junior High celebrated Pi Day, paying homage to the beloved mathematical constant 3.14! Students dove into the fun of math by experimenting with cupcakes to grasp the link between a circle's diameter and circumference. They also competed to recite Pi's digits to the furthest decimal place. For those who need a refresher, Pi is an infinite and unpredictable number, essential in calculating circles. Math class turned into a sweet adventure, proving once again that learning can be both enjoyable and rewarding!
The high school is in the final week of the third quarter and we’ll start Quarter 4 on Monday, April 1, no fooling.
Spring sports have started with tryouts this week. Games won’t start until April vacation week.
Jocelyn Matos did an all-day training for Early Childhood Development on March 26th with the rest of her MMTC Child Care program.
The following MMTC Automotive students attended an all-day on-site work experience at Ray Haskell Ford on the 26th. Those students are Trafton Cole, Jake Giles, Aidan Meader, Russell Newell, and Liam Poulin.
Our KVCC Welding students participated in a Job Fair that was held on Wednesday, March 27th.
Our EMPOWER students presented their assembly for the 4th, 5th, and 6th graders on Tuesday of this week, focusing on decision-making in different scenarios: one on not vaping, and another on good social media use.
End-of-year festivities will soon be upon us. I will be reaching out to Senior Parents to hold an informational meeting on May 1, 2024, to talk about Graduation and the planned Project Graduation trip.
Enjoy the week.
The Lawrence Chapter of the National Honor Society attended the NHS state convention on Thursday, March 14. At the conference, our juniors and seniors were given the opportunity to meet and network with various other young leaders from around the state, to build on various leadership skills through a myriad of workshops, and to gain new service ideas to bring back to our own community.
During this event, we had two juniors run for the State's NHS Executive Committee Board. It is with great pleasure that we congratulate Abigail Taylor, our new Maine State Secretary, and Elizabeth Holden, our new Central Maine Representative.
Last Friday the Unified Basketball Team played before the student body against Messalonskee’s Unified Team. It was a great experience for our students; both players and those supporting from the stands. During our Community Homeroom on Wednesday we had a video showing the addictive effects of cell phone use. It comes from the apps and constant updates and how satisfaction of checking your posts for likes releases dopamines creating a stronger craving for that feeling with neural pathways being affected leading to detachment, sadness, and melancholy affect when faced with other natural stimuli.
If at all possible it would be beneficial to create non-cell phone use time for your kids at night and when they’re doing homework. It is suggested that cell phones be in a different location at night than their bedroom so they don’t check them and can get a good night’s sleep.
We have one week left in the quarter. Report Cards will be ready on April 5th. Spring Sports start next week. Please make sure that your student-athlete has signed up on Family ID on the high school webpage.
Thanks and have a great week!
