Dear RSU 71 Students, Families, Staff, School Board, and Community Partners,
Welcome Sue Totman!
We have a new staff member to introduce to the RSU 71 community: Susan Totman is our new Executive Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent and School Board. She will be collecting information and good news and formatting our Bi-Weekly Friday Updates, among many other things.
Thank You, Administrative Assistants and Secretaries!
This week, we celebrated our RSU administrative assistants and secretaries, who do a great job keeping our school system running smoothly and communicating well with students, staff, parents, families, and community partners. Please consider expressing your appreciation the next time you are in our school and district offices.
Educator Appreciation is Next Week!
Please consider finding ways to express appreciation for the excellent work of our fabulous staff. While every member of the RSU 71 Family of Staff is integral to the work of educating our students, I believe that our teachers are the rubies and pearls of the school district and that their work is sacred.
Belfast Rotary Club
The Belfast Rotary Club has donated to Belfast's "Keep the Faith" fund to support the nearly 140 workers displaced by the recent Penobscot McCrum Fire. The Club also supported the April 12 job resource fair at the University of Maine's Hutchinson Center. The Club has presented cash gifts to food programs at The Game Loft, Waldo County Technical Center, and six local food pantries. Rotary's Motto is 'Service Above Self,' and as the pandemic winds down, I look forward to again attending our weekly meetings.
Read news article ➤ Belfast Rotary helps 'Keep the Faith,' food programs, Ukraine relief, etc.
Last Day of School The last day for students is June 9, and for staff, June 10.
Pandemic Update - This Week's Data
Good News, Reminders, Information
Ames
Ames Student Sing!
Ames students led by music educator Amy Gardner did a great job speaking and singing this morning at the opening of today's Maine Principals Association Spring Conference at the Samoset Resort in Rockport. Their fabulous Principal Lori Smail, President-Elect of the MPA, introduced them to the assembly of principals there assembled. Their proud teachers Maggie Campbell and Erin Fitzgerald, and I cheered them on; we were so proud that tears came to our eyes, especially as they concluded with the national anthem. It was their first public performance since the onset of the pandemic and they did an outstanding job!
Earth Day Clean-up at Ames
As part of our service learning... and to honor Earth Day, we worked super hard on Friday, April 15th. We had so much help from parents, and the kids worked extremely hard, too. Mother Nature set us up with an exceptional day, and the Ames School looks GREAT! - Ames Teacher Sarah Nelson
Captain Albert Stevens
The CASS Times JUST came out.
Check out the latest edition here ➤ The CASS Times, 6th Edition, V2
Troy Howard
THMS Newsletter
Math Meet
Math Press Release (Jacquie Gage) ➤ RSU#71 Students Shine AGAIN at the Final Regional Middle School Math Meet of the School Year
Letter of Appreciation
Waldo County's association of retired teachers would like us to share this letter of appreciation.
Good morning Mr. Bailey,
As former Educators, who are members of WCEAR (Waldo County Education Association Retired) , we enjoy the programs that are offered during our monthly meetings.
April 13 , 2022 , on Zoom, David Wessels presented a video about the THMS Garden Program . We were fascinated with what the seventh graders learn . We were truly engaged and interested in the depth that Mr. Wessels puts into blending the curriculum into the Garden Program.
Our granddaughter will be a seventh grader in the fall. We are excited for her and her peers. They will have an opportunity to learn in an environment that surrounds them in an outside setting which offers a holistic / natural way of learning.
Mr. Wessels is a role model for all educators. He is passionate about the living world and how it is connected to everyone , especially the middle schoolers and their learning .
We highly admire Mr. Wessels's ; Talent , knowledge , experience and dedication to his ; students , THMS , RSU 71 and the community .
Yours in Education
Greg & Mary Jane Coleman
BCOPE
Best of the Best 2022
BCOPE has been chosen as a Winner in the 2022 WALDO COUNTY "BEST OF THE BEST"…The People's Choice Awards!
FIRST Place: EDUCATION (ALTERNATIVE/CONTINUING)
Biomaterials as an Alternative to Plastic
Megan Valanidas, an industrial designer, recently visited BCOPE. She discussed biomaterials as an alternative to plastic and created bioplastic materials with our students.
BAHS
BAHS Student Wins Marine Institute Logo Competition
Read news article ➤ Belfast Area High School Marine Institute announces new logo
BAHS Job Fair
Over 24 local businesses met with students in the gym on Thursday, 4/14/2022 for a job fair. Some conducted on-site interviews.
BAHS National Honor Society
Four seniors and twenty-two juniors were inducted into the BAHS chapter of the National Honor Society on Wednesday evening, April 13, 2022. The newest members are in the first four rows. Current senior members are in the back rows
2023 National Merit Scholarship Program
CONGRATULATIONS to Willa Bywater for being selected and entered in the first round of The 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program. Willa and other national high-scoring students were chosen for their results on the 2021 PSAT test.
Coastal Mountain Land Trust
BAHS student Maiara Rebordao was recently elected to the CMLT Board for a three-year term. Congratulations, Maiara!
BAHS Newsletter
Special Services
The special education team has been busy with transition meetings for our incoming kindergartens, 5th to 6th grade, and 8th to 9th-grade transitions. This is always an exciting time as we welcome new students into kindergarten and watch our fifth and 8th graders stretch and grow.
WCTC
Tech Center students take 11 medals at the state SkillsUSA competition
Read the news article ➤ Four Waldo County students will travel to Atlanta in June for the national event.
Future Search
About 100 individuals from each of our five towns, including board members, staff, students, parents, and a wide array of community members representing different perspectives, gathered together at the Hutchinson Center on the afternoon and evening of Friday, April 8 and all day Saturday, April 9, 2022. Judy Sanders facilitated a thoughtful, engaging, and energizing process. We are working on an executive summary of the event, and it will be shared with everyone who participated. Then, on May 25 and May 26, a smaller group of 15 people will come together to create a draft strategic education plan for 2022-2027. The entire board will give input and vote on the plan in June. This summer, principals and directors will work with their leadership teams to flesh out the school/department work plan for the 2022-2023 school year.
That's it for this week. Please feel free to be in touch with the staff and me with questions, suggestions, ideas, and concerns. The next bi-weekly update will be sent on Friday, May 13.
With warm wishes for a great weekend,
Mary Alice McLean
