With Kindness Week, Valentine’s Day, the 100th Day of School, AND a Read-A-Thon, Benton Elementary sure did pack a lot of FUN into the week before February break! Our annual Read-A-Thon was a huge success, raising funds our PTO will use for future events for our students.
On February 14th, Lawrence Junior High School students in both 7th & 8th grade participated in Hoops for Hearts, a fundraiser for the American Heart Association. The American Heart Challenge program teaches middle school and high school students about a healthy lifestyle, engages them with the mission of the American Heart Association as they raise lifesaving funds, and lets them have lots of fun physical activity at school.
Our school raised $1018.00 for the American Heart Association this year!
As you can see, there was some fierce competition among these students! Great job to everybody who participated or donated! And a special thanks to Mrs. Morris and Mrs. Heinrich who organized this event.
Greetings. The Lawrence Northern Maine Champion Football team was invited to the State House in Augusta by Representative Rudnicki on Wednesday to receive a Legislative Sentiment for their successful season completed earlier this year. The students were given a tour of the State House.
The week leading up to vacation we had four students visit the Clinton Elementary 4th graders as part of their inspirations project and to share their stories and experiences with growing up and high school. Maureen Ferriter, our school counselor who accompanied them said that they were terrific; showing authenticity, humor, and encouragement to the students. The high school students were Ronnie Allen, Hailey Bowley, Harrison Bartley, and Lucas Proctor (pictured below).
The University of Maine at Fort Kent visited with interested students in Guidance on Wednesday. The high school regularly hosts visiting college admissions officers who will meet with students to explain their college/university offerings and talk about admissions, etc. Students can inquire within Guidance on any upcoming college or military recruiter visits. They are posted on the Jr./Sr. Bulletin in Infinite Campus and outside the Guidance Office. The Marines will be here on March 8th. They will set up a table outside of the cafe with swag.
The Unified Basketball Team has started their schedule and already played a game. They had a game on Wednesday, February 28th, against Skowhegan. These games exhibit very strong sportsmanship and camaraderie between players with fans supporting both teams. Thank you to our Cheerleading Team for cheering at Wednesday’s game.
8th Grade Parent Night was held Wednesday, February 28th for the incoming Class of 2028. This was an opportunity for the parents and students to hear from the High School Administration and Department Chairs, as well as School Counselors the process for signing up for next year’s courses and what the high school experience will look like. The course selection process will take place for this year’s Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors next week. School Counselors will hold a different class meeting during Advisory time to go over the signup process and the signup window will be open until March 14, 2024.
A reminder that Parent Teacher Conferences will be held on March 13 and March 14, 2024. Friday, March 15th will be a Teacher In-Service day - no students.
Have a great week!
Clinton Elementary enjoyed a Valentine's Dance held on February 9th sponsored by the Student Council. Students could enter a raffle by bringing a food item for the Humane Society to win a stuffed frog. The winner of the raffle was Emma Ross. Congratulations!
Albion Elementary students are building bonds across grade levels for a brighter future! Mrs. Quick's grade 5/6 students embark on a journey as they mentor their kindergarten buddies. Through collaborative projects and shared reading sessions, they not only cultivate empathy and leadership but also foster a sense of community and support within the school.
At Fairfield Primary the students are building their foundation one word at a time! Mrs. Lerette's kindergarten class diligently practices their sight words, laying the groundwork for lifelong literacy. Each stroke on paper represents a step towards unlocking a world of knowledge and communication. Cultivating early literacy skills not only fosters academic success but also ignites a lifelong love for learning.
Benton Elementary held a “Souper Bowl” Food Drive during the past several weeks. Students brought in non-perishable donations to be placed in shopping carts in the lobby. Our sixth graders double-checked expiration dates and updated our downstairs and upstairs team totals each day.
On Monday, February 12, the final score was 846 for the downstairs team and 959 for the upstairs team, with a combined donation of over 1,800 items for the Fairfield Interfaith Food Pantry! Nancy Marcoux, director of the pantry, says this large donation will help stock their shelves with items for families in need. Located at 23 Lawrence Avenue in Fairfield, the pantry serves residents of Fairfield and Benton on the first and third Thursdays of each month.
Thank you to Elm Plaza Hannaford for allowing us to borrow shopping carts, our sixth-grade students for sorting and counting, and our students and families for their generous donations! Well done, Benton Bulldogs!
Students at Lawrence Junior High Scool participated in an "Anything but a backpack day" that was sponsored by the Lawrence Junior High Student Council, run by Mr. Quirion. The goal was to find the most creative way to carry your belongings with you instead of the standard backpack. Students were very creative in their efforts. The mailbox won the most original vote and was indeed the talk of the school. Students enjoyed the change of pace and an opportunity to be creative.
The Lawrence Jazz Combo and Jazz Choir competed in the District Festival at Messalonskee High School. Students that will be showcasing their singing and playing talents are: (Jazz Combo): Emma Spaulding, Marley Peaslee, Brock Merrill, Harrison Bartley,
8th Grade Parent Night, Wednesday, February 28, 2024, at 6:30 PM in the Williamson Performing Arts Center. This is a presentation for parents and students of the incoming Class of 2028; where we’ll go over the Program of Studies to enable the students to make their course selections for the high school classes they will take next year.
Athletic teams and individuals that are involved in post-season play over break are the Girls’ Basketball team playing Friday night at 8:30 PM at the Augusta Civic Center. The Boys’ Basketball Team plays on Saturday at 5:30 PM. If the teams win they will play on Wednesday. Please note that tickets for the basketball tournament are not being sold at the door. You will have to purchase them online through the MPA’s GoFan website. (Like concert tickets - you download them to your phone).
I would like to recognize Hallie Firmage as this year’s recipient of the Principal’s Award for outstanding school citizenship, academic excellence, and leadership. Hallie is number one in her class, involved in NHS, Vocal Vibe, a member and captain of the Cross Country team, as well as a contributing member to the Artistic Arsenal - Lawrence High School’s student-led literary magazine. Hallie will formally be presented the award at the Maine Principals’ Association Honors Luncheon on April 6, 2024. Congratulations Hallie!
Pictured below: Mr. Bowers and Hallie Firmage
At Albion Elementary, kindergarten creativity shines as Mrs. Bearce's class unleashes their imagination with shape monsters in Art class with Mrs. Bolduc. Fostering artistic expression at a young age sparks innovation and critical thinking skills.
Clinton Pre-K dives into the importance of maintaining a healthy body. Through engaging center activities, students immerse themselves in play, creativity, and hands-on learning, reinforcing the vital lessons of wellness for life.
At Fairfield Primary Mrs. Leary’s class is unlocking the power of language. They are engaged in connecting movements to vowel sounds, paving the way for vibrant expression and literacy mastery. Movement becomes the bridge to linguistic fluency, fostering not just reading skills, but also creativity, confidence, and communication.
Emma Goodrich, daughter of Benton Elementary fifth-grade teacher Katherine Goodrich, recently visited her mom's fifth-grade class to share the book Be A Tree and teach students about the benefits of yoga. Emma is currently taking a course to become a certified children's yoga teacher. Our fifth graders enjoyed learning relaxation and de-stressing techniques, and they're looking forward to Emma returning to Benton later this year.
The high school is in the third week of Quarter 3, Semester 2. The Sophomore class heard a presentation from Mid Maine Technical Center (MMTC) in Waterville on their program offerings this past week and will be attending an in-person visit on Monday, February 12, 2024 as part of their school day. One of the new programs that MMTC is offering is in pre-engineering. They have programs for everyone, so it should be a worthwhile experience for the Sophomores.
The Program of Studies for next year’s course offerings will become available the week we get back from February break. We have hard copies for the incoming freshmen students and will post an electronic version for the upperclassmen. Signups will start once the school counselors have met with each individual class after break and will be completed by March 14, 2024.
Mid Maine Technical Center held their Skills Competition last Thursday night. Lawrence students who placed (medaled) are: Russell Newell - Silver Medal in Automotive Service Technology, Noah Spaulding - Bronze Medal in Criminal Justice, Alexander Johnson - Bronze Medal in Firefighting, and Kayleigh Marchetti - Silver Medal in Mobil Robotics. Also receiving a Bronze Medal in Emergency Medical Technician was Arlo Roman. Congratulations to our medalists!
Students at Albion Elementary received a visit from Dinoman. Dinoman took the students on a prehistoric journey, unraveling the mysteries of dinosaurs and fossils! Igniting curiosity and sparking their young minds, this educational adventure brings history to life, fostering a love for learning about our planet's incredible past.
At Fairfield Primary the students got a visit from Dinoman. Dinoman captivated students with a fascinating journey into the prehistoric world, unraveling the mysteries of dinosaurs and fossils. As the children embarked on this educational adventure, they not only discovered the history of Earth's ancient inhabitants but also ignited a passion for science and curiosity. Bringing learning to life, Dinoman's visit sparks imaginations, fostering a love for paleontology and the wonders of our planet's rich history. Learning becomes an adventure when dinosaurs and fossils come to life in the classroom!
At Clinton Elementary the student council school spirit activities include themed dress-up days. Last Friday the theme was dress in camo.
Here are some pictures of the kids and how they took it to the max from hats to pants!
Fun spirit days we all look forward to!
At Benton Elementary Rachel Carpenter and Kelley Cloutier’s sixth-grade students experienced an unforgettable field trip to the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, located in Portland. This trip provided students with an interactive, hands-on experience learning about the Gulf of Maine ecosystem, specifically collecting and analyzing data about lobsters and black sea bass.
Students were divided into research teams and given opportunities to not only handle and investigate live lobster but also to use other scientific and technological equipment like microscopes and an interactive touch table. Students took team photos and recorded videos of their hypotheses and conclusions using their digital “field notebooks” and then were able to compare and contrast their findings with other student teams and researchers in the field.
Thank you to the many Maine businesses and foundations - including Poland Spring, Bangor Savings Bank Foundation, Old Bug Light Charitable Foundation, M&T Bank, and Skowhegan Savings - that sponsored this field trip. It was an incredible experience for our Bulldogs!
Students at LJHS, in Ms. Turlo & Ms. Ward's 8th grade Earth Science classes have been studying minerals and their formation. In this mineral lab students performed streak and scratch tests along with observing and noting many other mineral properties like: luster, hardness, streak, texture, odor, breakage and atom array. Students used varying tools like: microscopes, pennies, paperclips, glass plates, porcelain plates, their fingernails, and magnifying glasses. These tools aided students in identifying different mineral properties to then identify each mineral. This hands-on lab helped to give students an close up image of what a day in the life of a geologist looks like!
News from Lawrence High School: On Monday, February 5th, all sophomores will be attending a presentation from Mid-Maine Technical Center during Advisory in the Auditorium. A list of programs will be shared and the students will have the chance to choose ones that they are interested in when they attend the tour the following Monday.
On Monday, February 12th, all sophomores will be going to MMTC for a tour of the programs for possible enrollment for next school year. They will leave at noon and return at 1:30. This is an opportunity for students to see what is offered and get a taste of what the hands-on courses are like.
We have five students from band and chorus that will represent LHS at the Kennebec Valley Music Educators’ Association (KVMEA) Festival. These students had to audition and were selected from among many students in Central Maine. Congratulations to the selected students: Brock Merrill, Troy Bubar, Hallie Firmage, Marley Peaslee, and Emma Spaulding
Our Vocal Vibe and Jazz Combo will compete on February 14th at Messalonskee High School.
Our five Sophomore participants in the Olympia Snowe Women’s Leadership Institute attended a meeting on February 23rd. They presented mini posters of people in the world who are living a core value. The purpose of this presentation was to recognize the more we think about how our values “show up” in life then the greater connection we will have to them
Guidance has a representative from Husson College visiting on February 9th. We also have had SGT Collin Woodhead meet with several students regarding a future in the Marines.