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Showing posts with label Casco. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Casco. Show all posts

Friday, March 4, 2022

WHS’ Rossetti a finalist for national assistant principal award

Windham Assistant Principal Phil Rossetti 
has been named as a finalist for the
National Assistant Principal of the Year
Award. SUBMITTED PHOTO
The Maine Principals’ Association has announced that Maine Assistant Principal of the Year, Philip Rossetti, Assistant Principal at Windham High School, is a Finalist for the National Assistant Principal of the Year Award.

Rossetti will be honored by the MPA at its annual awards banquet at their Spring Conference on April at the Samoset Resort in Rockport.

The national finalist announcement highlighted Rossetti’s belief that people make mistakes, but it’s what they do after that defines who they are. He’s used this principle to transform how Windham High School manages student behavior, focusing on restorative justice to hold students accountable and repair the harm they caused their school community.

This restorative approach has improved school safety and reshaped school culture, fostering stronger relationships between students and turning mistakes into opportunities to learn.

Reflecting on Rossetti’s selection as a 2022 NASSP Assistant Principal of the Year Finalist, MPA Executive Director Dr. Holly Blair praised Rossetti.

“It is exciting that Mr. Rossetti has been recognized by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) as a finalist for the National Assistant Principal of the Year,” Blair said. “This is the first time that Maine has had a finalist in the program. Mr. Rossetti is an exceptional Assistant Principal and very much deserving of this honor. We are very proud of him.”

Rossetti started his educational career as a social studies teacher at Windham High School in 1996. In 2015, he became the Assistant Principal of South Portland High School before returning to Windham High School in 2016 where he continues to serve as Assistant Principal.

During an interview in December, Rossetti said that he had encouraging mentors and loving family members who helped guide him along the way.

“I was lucky to have good teachers and people who cared about education during my high school years,” Rossetti said. “Plus, I had very supportive parents who encouraged me to get an advanced education.”

Rossetti, who lived most of his childhood life in Casco, explained that both of his parents came from a long line of hardworking people, and although his mother and father’s traditional education ended early, they believed in the power of conventional study and held grand hopes of high achievement for their son.

“They believed that the only way to my own success was through education and encouraged me to go to college,” Rossetti said. “They told me they wanted me to have the opportunities that they didn’t have.”

In addition to his parents’ encouragement, Rossetti had a very engaging history teacher at Lakes Region High School where Rossetti’s formative years were created.

“It was the way my history teacher taught classes that made the lessons enjoyable,” Rossetti said. “Plus, he was one of those teachers who really cared about you. He was very encouraging to the students and wanted his students to succeed. This inspired me to follow in his footsteps. I remember thinking to myself one day, ‘I want to be a teacher just like him.’”

He is currently a member of the Maine Principals’ Association (MPA) and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) and also serves as an assistant football coach for the school. <

Friday, October 23, 2020

‘Camp Sunshine Pumpkin Carving Day’ set for Saturday

Camp Sunshine, an award-winning retreat in Casco for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families, has announced plans for Camp Sunshine Pumpkin Carving Day.

The “Camp Sunshine Pumpkin Carving Day” is a free, national initiative that calls for people of all ages to carve, paint or decorate pumpkins at home on Saturday, Oct. 24 and share their images on social media using the Instagram hashtag #CarveforCamp.

Organizers hope to connect with more people than ever before, as plans for the annual Camp Sunshine Pumpkin Festival, which has been a fall tradition throughout the Northeast since 2003, had to be restructured this year because of the pandemic.

"Camp Sunshine Pumpkin Carving Day was designed to be a fun and festive way for communities across the country to come together and show their support for the families Camp Sunshine serves," said Michael Katz, Camp Sunshine's Executive Director. "This event will also help us continue to reach new families

who may be able to benefit from our programs."

Everyone who participates in Camp Sunshine Pumpkin Carving Day and submits a photo of a pumpkin that they've carved, painted or decorated using the hashtag #CarveforCamp on Instagram will be automatically entered to win a $100 L.L. Bean gift card.

It's entirely free to participate in Camp Sunshine Pumpkin Carving Day. For more information and ways to support Camp Sunshine's mission, visit www.campsunshinepumpkinfestivals.org.

Founded in 1984, Camp Sunshine provides retreats combining respite, recreation and support, while enabling hope and promoting joy, for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families through the various stages of a child's illness.

Camp Sunshine's program is offered year-round and has the distinction of having been designed to serve the entire family in a retreat model.

The program is free of charge to families and includes on-site medical support. Bereavement sessions are also offered for families who have experienced the death of a child from a supported illness. www.campsunshine.org. <


Friday, September 20, 2019

Historic Casco schoolhouse rises from the ashes and now is open to the public

Photo courtesy of Rose Andrews-Symonds
By Walter Lunt

After more than a year of resolute and reverent reconstruction, a replica of Casco’s old Quaker Ridge Schoolhouse, or Friends School, was opened to the public this week on the grounds of the Casco-Raymond Historical Society museum.

Nearly 100 visitors attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the museum complex on Route 302 in Casco. Society curator Rose Andrews-Symonds said she heard the comment “How beautiful” numerous times during the three-hour open house event. Andrews-Symonds, who also curated the original building before it was destroyed by fire in 2018, continued, “It’s quite breathtaking to it see (back) almost in its original state.”

Few who gathered for the occasion failed to notice the front steps. The imposing granite treads seemingly invite the visitor to enter. Some were retrieved from the debris of the former structure, and some were donated by Society member Louise Lester.
http://www.windhammaine.us/
Upon entering, just past the cloak room, one knows for sure they are stepping back in schoolhouse time. Rows of old-fashioned desks in long, straight rows await scholars of an earlier day (two of the desks are originals from the old building). Benches, a faded globe outlining countries long ago renamed, an original 1861 wall map of Maine, a standing bookshelf containing atlas’, early grade-readers and other books dated in the 1800s, a large teacher’s desk, an American flag and a wood stove complete the experience.

The old-style interior construction, including walls, trim and floor was completed entirely by Tim Symonds, with assistance from grandson Daniel.

“We’re filled with history,” said Andrews-Symonds, “it’s important to preserve where we’ve been (in order) to know where we’re going.”

The original Quaker Ridge Schoolhouse was built in 1849 on Quaker Ridge Road by the son of a founding settler in what was known as Quaker Hill, or Quakerville. Run by the Society of Friends (Quakers), it operated continuously until 1942, except for the year 1920 when it closed temporarily due to low enrollment. Also, around that time, indoor toilet facilities were added. An open house was held in the 1950s; it was reported that scores of former pupils and teachers attended.

https://bbcultivation.com/In 1971 the schoolhouse was acquired by the newly formed Raymond-Casco Historical Society and moved from its prominent perch on Quaker Ridge to a spot next to the fire station in Casco Village. The structure secured a listing on the National Register of Historic Places in the late ‘70s. Long range plans for the building included restoration and moving to the RCHS museum complex on Route 302. That was just about to happen when arsonists destroyed the building last year. Also consumed by the flames were irreplaceable books and documents dating to the 18th century, including an official proclamation announcing the election of George Washington as president. Plans to build the replica in the new location began almost immediately.

Resources for the reconstruction of the Quaker schoolhouse, including money donations and in-kind services, came from dozens of businesses and residents. Andrews-Symonds said the town of Casco, Hancock Lumber (especially employee Bob Thibodeau), and Society members Skip and Zeena Watkins were just a small fraction of the volunteerism and donations received for the project.
Asked how the new schoolhouse would be utilized, Andrews-Symonds said it now becomes a part of the regular tour of the museum complex, which includes three other buildings. She said the museum is now closed for the winter but will open for school groups this fall, adding “It’s important for the kids to understand the progress of life.”  
https://www.egcu.org/card


Friday, August 17, 2018

A matter of historical record: Disciplined learning and occasional chaos characterized early one-room schoolhouses by Walter Lunt

Anderson School. Windham's earliest schoolhouses
Windham and Raymond are bringing back their one-room schoolhouses, not as components of the RSU14 school district, but as replicas of a much earlier time.  

In Windham, the historical society plans a grand opening on August 25 for its Village School, one of several buildings slated to become a living history compound at Windham Center.

Education, in the form of one-room schools, was dispersed throughout Windham for most of the 19th and into the early 20th centuries. One teacher taught “scholars” ranging in age from six to about 16 years. Many attended school just long enough to gain the minimal reading and “ciphering” (math) skills to support life on the family farm. An eighth-grade education was considered high attainment.


At one time, Windham had 19 district schools. Each served a neighborhood, including Centre School at Windham Center, Arlington School in North Windham, Friends School (which now serves as the local food pantry) and John A. Andrew in South Windham. Others were Anderson School, which served the first-settled area on River Road near the Westbrook line, Windham Corner at the intersection of Ward and Pope Roads in the “triangle” at Windham Hill and Bakers Corner, or Clark School on the corner of Brand Road and Route 202, which was said to have been a “lively place.” 

https://www.autoshinemaine.com/In the early 1800s the Society of Friends, or Quakers, opened an academy at the corner of Swett Road and the Main Road (Route 202). Of their school and religious teachings, Historian Samuel T. Dole noted that the Friends “sturdy observance to the principles…. (of) peace, religious and social freedom, equality of race and strict honesty (was) conducted with marked success.”

The historical record fails to reveal the year of Windham’s first school. However, tradition holds that Mary Chute, wife of first settler Thomas Chute, conducted classes in her home. The first schoolhouse, Anderson School, was built around 1770 on River Road near the Westbrook line.

In his book, “Windham in the Past”, historian Dole describes the function of the General Examining Committee (forerunner to the modern Superintending School Committee). Comprised of three learned men of high moral character, the committee was charged with visiting each school twice during the winter term to evaluate instruction, often by quizzing the scholars.

Dole recalls one such visit to his 19th century schoolhouse: “(I) remember the awe with which these dignitaries were regarded by the average pupil, as, with slow and stately tread, they filed into the schoolroom and took their places behind the teacher’s desk; and with what fear and terrible forebodings we awaited their questions in regard to our proficiency in the different branches then taught.”

The late Kenneth Cole, Jr. of Windham wrote of his days in the early 1930s at the one-room Knight School on Pope Road near its intersection with Route 302.

“I went to school by sleigh. (But) if the …. road hadn’t been rolled I would go on snowshoes.”
Cole recalled being the chief stove tender – the stove wood were slabs donated by a local sawmill. Water was drawn from a nearby well, “The first couple of years we all drank from…a 10 quart milk pail (using) the same long handled dipper. At recess time there was no playground, just the cow pasture across the road. We played baseball; dried cow flops were bases.”

Cole expressed high praise for the teachers and the education he received over five years at Knight School, “Eight grades every day for one teacher and the only breather for her was when the town’s music teacher dropped by.”

Courses of study in those early school days included reading and grammar, composition, arithmetic (earlier known as ciphering), history, geography, recitation and elocution (speaking skills), health and wellness and agriculture. Penmanship (cursive) and spelling were emphasized. Grammar instruction meant “parsing” sentences, that is, explaining the function of each in a sentence (a forerunner to diagramming sentences).

A typical day for a student (scholar) would begin with the journey to the schoolhouse. Those without a horse or pony would walk, up to three miles for some. One or two older boys would arrive early to fill the water pail for drinking and washing hands and to haul wood for the pot-bellied stove.

This one room school house is a 19th century replica and sits on the Village Green of the Windham Historical Society on Windham Center Road. Contact the historical society for a tour and workshops.
Today’s aging population who were scholars “back in the day” remember feeling roasted when seated near the stove or freezing when far from it – heavy wool clothing was a must. Attendance was largely voluntary, depending on weather or the need for labor at home.

Before 1900, community schools had two terms, one in winter from November to April, and in summer from May to August.

A teacher’s needs were largely met by the community which usually included a small salary, housing, staples and food. If a female teacher married, many communities expected her to quit teaching because it was felt her most important job should be the care of her family.

Schools were ungraded. Scholars were seated according to age and ability, younger up front – older in the back, and were promoted only when the teacher felt he or she was ready to move on to more challenging material.

A typical day would begin with a morning greeting. The teacher would welcome the scholars. In response, scholars would “mind their manners;” girls would curtsy, boys would bow. Following Pledge of Allegiance and a morning prayer, the teacher would conduct a reading lesson with younger students while others would cipher an arithmetic problem on their individual slate boards.

Gaining the teacher’s attention by raising a hand was a rarity in the one-room schoolhouse. Students waited to be called upon by the schoolmarm/master, then they would stand to answer or recite. 

Responding to a mental arithmetic problem involved more than simply giving a numerical answer. For example, just stating “28” would not be an acceptable response to the following problem. The teacher would expect to hear, “Because Alice collected four eggs each day for seven days, and the product of four and seven is 28, Alice collected 28 eggs.” Discipline was taught in conjunction with schoolwork as well as behavior.

Later, during penmanship, scholars would use quill pens and ink to write their names, date and a maxim into their copybooks. Maxims were oft repeated sayings that promoted proper living habits or good moral character (ex: Deal justly with all; speak evil of none.)

“Turn-out,”, or privy privileges, usually occurred in conjunction with recess. Girls first. It was not unusual for the boys to disappear during recess time to go swimming in a nearby stream or pond.
Forms of punishment for scholars who failed to complete work or mind their manners were varied.

The most common was the use of the dreaded ferrule, a bendy rod utilized to change attitude and behavior when laid sharply across a scholar’s palms or buttocks. Other methods included sitting on a stool wearing a dunce cap or standing against the board with one’s nose pressed inside a drawn circle.

Perhaps the worst practice for boys was being made to sit with the girls while wearing a bonnet.
A special program for local school children designed to replicate the old-time teaching practices (sans the ferrule) has been created by a committee of the Windham Historical Society.

https://www.egcu.org/autoElementary students studying local and Maine history will be invited to assume the identities of actual Windham residents who attended a Windham Center school in the late 1800s. Slates, quill pens & ink and McGuffey Readers will be used to give participants a realistic one-room schoolhouse experience. The soon-to-be restored Friends Schoolhouse, located on Route 302 in Casco will offer a similar program, according to Frank McDermott, president of the Raymond-Casco Historical Society.

The 1848 structure was lost to fire last April. McDermott said the RCHS hopes to have the building up and closed in by late fall. Donations of money, materials and furnishings are now being accepted.

While there is much romanticism surrounding the culture and teaching practices of old schoolhouses, their successes were coupled with many of the same problems that plague schools today. However, those difficulties were dealt with in a much different way. The old Bakers, or Clark, School referred to earlier as a “lively place” was probably Windham’s most unruly school. According to an early story, a group of boys slugged their schoolmaster, lugged him out of the building and threw him headfirst into a snow bank.

Many, if not most, of the old schoolhouses experienced similar or more outlandish events than the one at Bakers. Next week, in a special edition of The Historic Record series, we will share a bizarre story told several years ago by the late Phil Kennard who attended the old Arlington Grammar School in the late 1920s. <

Friday, July 27, 2018

Raymond Arts Alliance provides an evening of great music among beautiful views by Jennifer Davis

Hacker’s Hill Preserve in Casco is a beautiful location with excellent views of the Lakes Region Area. This past Saturday, July 21 from 4 until 5:30 p.m., Hacker’s Hill came to life as more than 120 members of the community arrived to enjoy the beautiful music from The New England Jazz Band. 

The event was hosted by the Raymond Arts Alliance (RAA) as part of their fundraiser efforts. The event was supported by Loon Echo Land Trust, the environmental organization that manages the preserve.

 The New England Jazz Band performed music from “The Great American Songbook” with a goal of entertaining their audience and reminding those in attendance of America’s great musical heritage. The band is an 18-piece band with a polished sound. “They were fantastic, professional, creative, talented, and very fun,” said Mary-Therese Duffy, President of the RAA. “Everyone enjoyed them tremendously.”  For more information on The New England Jazz Band and to hear their music please visit their website www.newenglandjazzband.com/.

http://buttscommercialbrokers.com/The RAA is a program of the Raymond Village Library in partnership with the Raymond Village Community Church U.C.C. The RAA hosts events such as music nights, artists’ gatherings, and workshops to provide an avenue for people to express their talents and interests. All funds raised by this event at Hacker’s Hill will go to support upcoming events in consideration and development such as “The Jazz Poetry Project” with Poet Laureate Betsy Sholl, a “Community Sing”, “Favorite Collections,” as well as a Native American flute maker and storyteller, one or two writers’ groups, a published author who resides in both NYC and Raymond. 

“Our goals also include a monthly fine artists’ group for networking, collaboration and simple enjoyment of learning of each other’s works; a mentoring program where aspiring artists/performers can meet and perhaps shadow a successful artist/performer,”  said Duffy.  “In addition, a scholarship program is available for young students who wish to pursue continued study in the fine or performing arts and humanities.”

With this year’s event being such a success, the goal of the RAA is to have this event again next year. “We hope to continue growing, both in membership and in community participation,” said Duffy. “Our true goal and commitment is for the community to feel that this is their organization and that they can participate at any point and be as creative as they would like to be with it.” If you would like more information or want to participate in the RAA, you may visit their website at www.raymondvillagelibrary.org/raymond-arts-alliance/.

Sunday, September 10, 2017

A look into Rep. Jessica Fay's first year in the Maine State Legislature by Lorraine Glowczak


Have you ever considered running for public office and wanted to know what to expect? Are you curious about what actually occurs during the legislative session in Augusta as you read the newspapers on the latest bill being considered?


Representative Jessica Fay, a Democrat who represents parts of the towns of Raymond, Casco and
Poland shares her first year as a Maine Legislator.

Fay’s interest in politics began when she was a young child. Growing up in a politically active family she witnessed her mother, Linda Krause, who began her career in the political process as an active member with the League of Women Voters of Connecticut in the 1970s. As a result of her participation in the League and what she learned from that experience, her mother was inspired to become more politically engaged. Her mother’s career included that of being a Land Use Planner and Director of the Lower Connecticut River Valley Council of Governments as well as Mayor of the Town of Groton, CT.

“As I watched her commitment to the political process, I grew to admire her,” Fay stated. “I was able to observe her activities and the manner in which she approached her constituents; how she listened to them and worked to create a better life for others. I was really proud of her.”

Moving forward many years to 2014: “My mom had to have heart surgery and there were many complications as a result of that surgery,” Fay stated. “She couldn’t speak for herself so I became her medical advocate. I soon realized that I made important decisions about someone I loved. I did it under pressure and I did not panic. This was the impetus, a form of self-discovery. I realized I could do what I had witnessed my mother doing. It was at that this point that I decided to enter into public service.”

Whether you agree with her politics or not, Fay shares her story in a non-partisan manner for everyone; especially for those who may be considering a possible run in local government or beyond. Sharing her own experiences can also be a learning opportunity for anyone who is curious about what a first year is like in the Maine legislature.

“Layers,” Fay began. “I discovered that the political activity of a legislator is one of layers.”
She explains that the “bare minimum” requirement, or the first layer as she puts it, expected of a State Legislator includes being in the chamber to vote yes or no on legislative matters. “I am happy to say, I was in my seat for100 percent of my roll call votes,” Fay stated.

“The second layer is committee work,” Fay continued. “This is where a lot of crafting, vetting and real public policy legislation occurs. It’s at this point, once a bill is introduced and referred to a committee to ‘work the bill’, it is determined whether it will  make it into the House or Senate Floor for a vote.”

The third layer is “Constituent Services”, which means being available to those whom you represent to listen to their point of view, the issues they are facing and trying to simply answer their questions.
One way Fay provides this service is holding office hours at the Raymond Village Library, Casco Town Office and Poland Public Library which she will continue in the next legislative session.

 “I want folks to feel comfortable being involved in their government,” Fay said. “And this is one reason why I provide office hours. This makes government more responsive and accountable.”
“And then,” she began, “the layers continue on within those required three expectations. Layers upon layers.”

Due to the extreme divisive nature of the present political atmosphere, when asked about how she handled this, Fay stated that there was a workshop provided at the beginning of the session, by the University of Arizona’s Institute of Civil Discourse that legislators could volunteer to participate.

“It was a great way to start the session,” Fay began, who participated in the workshop. “It was really super helpful [to me] in various ways. For example, I learned ways to understand where someone is coming from that I might disagree with – to more clearly understand their point of view. This helped me to compromise to the best of my ability while at the same time, keeping my constituents viewpoints in mind.”

The most surprising thing Fay learned her first year is how complicated the legislative process can be. “Every day, there is a new twist and everything that seems to be really straightforward almost always never is.”

That complication often makes a straightforward and seemingly clear cut perception on a certain political issue extremely complex. This complexity is what makes it difficult to make the decisions for everyone. Worst yet, sometimes it appears as if you are not listening to your constituents.

“The most difficult part about my first year is discovering that I had to make really difficult decisions that would keep me up at night,” Fay stated. “That black and white or simple point of view isn’t what I had expected. There are various subtleties and issues that need to be considered and as a result, those subtleties can make it really hard to communicate why I voted a certain way.”

The best advice she can give to those who are considering political involvement is to listen. “Listen more than you talk,” Fay suggested.

She also advised that one should contact your representative, selectman, council member, etc. – whoever is doing what you want to do yourself. “Contact them and discover the upside and downside of that position,” Fay recommends. "If someone is interested in getting into public service or elected office, by all means spend some time with someone in the office you are interested in. Spend a day job shadowing and ask lots of questions." 

She thanks her husband for being so supportive her first year. “I can’t imagine not having support from your family, that would make the job so much more difficult,” Fay said of those involved in government.

Despite the challenges, Fay loves her role as State Representative. Although she has learned a great deal her first year, she acknowledges there is more learning to be had. “This is a job that takes a while to learn,” Fay stated. “And I have a lot more to learn and improve upon and will continue  to do so.”