WHS robotics teams compete in statewide competition

By Masha Yurkevich

This past Saturday, the Windham High School robotics teams 1810S 1810T competed in the Maine State Championships in South Portland. They had spent months preparing and qualifying for this event, making adjustments to their robot in order for it to perform at its best on the big day.

WHS Team 1810S consists of Francesca Lomonte, Victoria Lin, Pyper Harris, and Rosario Lydon, and WHS Team 1810T consists of Emma Kennedy, Ava Kennedy, and Colby Prescott. The two Windham teams competed with 72 other teams, 48 of which were in the high school division.

 

Windham High teams 1810S and 1810T competed in the
Maine State Robotics Championships last weekend in
South Portland. Team 1810S members are Francesca 
Lomonte, Victoria Lin, Pyper Harris and Rosario Lydon.
Team 18100T members are Emma Kennedy, Ava Kennedy,
and Colby Prescott. The two Windham teams competed 
against 72 other teams, including 48 from the high school
division. SUBMITTED PHOTO

Michelle Lane is the coach for the WHS robotics teams. She started developing the team five years ago when she started teaching at Windham. She was the Robotics Team coach at the previous school where she taught and wanted to start a team in Windham.

The team was officially formed in the fall of 2019. Lane received a grant that would give the school a robotics kit if they purchased one. This would allow for two groups of students that could compete at the competitions, which was perfect for the five interested students.

All five students only had six weeks to work on one robot for the first competition that they attended in November of 2019, since the other kit did not arrive in time. There have been other students interested in joining, though the team has not been able to reach out due to limited transportation and the amount of robot kits that are available.

“The purpose of the Robotics Team is to have a place where students can apply what they learn in their academic classes and to practice critical thinking, problem solving, and teamwork skills all while working on an engaging, hands-on robotics challenge” says Lane. “Team members learn a variety of skills that will help them be successful in life. The main one being able to follow the engineering design process, which can be applied to most issues the students may face in their life.”

The process allows students to understand the importance of researching, developing multiple solutions, analyzing those solutions to choose the best one, creating the solution, and then evaluating their solution. During this process students also learn organization, time management, dependability, adaptability, and communication skills.

The team names, 1810S and 1810T, have an interesting story behind them. When you register a team with VEX Robotics Competition, you need to pick numbers and a letter that will be used to distinguish the teams from one another. At Lane’s previous school, she just used the ending of the school phone number, so it would be easy to remember. She decided to do the same when she went to register the Windham High team, since the number was available.

Lane registered the first team as 1810W, W for Windham. The second kit did not arrive until later in the year, so she let that team choose their own letter, S for superior. When she registered the third team in 2021, she decided to just continue in the alphabet, T. Lane retired the W team, since it was all seniors last year and they helped start the team.

Francesca Lomonte is a sophomore at WHS and is part of the 1810S team. This is her fourth year in robotics. She did two years of robotics at the middle school level. She joined Lego League at the beginning of sixth grade and VRC the beginning of freshman year.

“In robotics, we work together to design, build, and program a robot that can compete in this year's VEX Robotics Competition game,” said Lomonte. “The game this year is called Spin Up, which is like disc golf but with more rules. Using only pieces that are put out by VEX Robotics, we have to find ways to play the game, decide on which one works best in relation to the amount of time we have and the materials we have access to, construct the robot, then program a controller to make the bot work, as well as two autonomous programs.”

Even though the two teams are separate, they work very well together and help each other when needed.

“If someone walked into the wood shop on a Tuesday afternoon, they would probably find seven teenagers laughing and working together to create something great with music playing in the background,” said Lomonte. “We're all able to be casual around each other and everyone on both teams from WHS works well together and you can tell that we really enjoy each other's company. We also have to put together an Engineering Design Notebook which marks all of our progress and work throughout the season and can help to win awards like the Judges Award.”

Though none of the teams ended up qualifying for the world robotics competition, Team 1810S ended up ranking seventh in skills and Team 1810T in 8th and team 1810S brought home the Inspire Award and team 1810T brought home the Judges Award. <

Windham couple compete in international CrossFit Games competition

After meeting each other at the gym in 2016, Caroline and
Austin Spencer of Windham fell in love and were married
this May. They are only the second married couple to ever
qualify and compete in the international CrossFit Games,
a huge accomplishment that they are both very proud of.
COURTESY PHOTO

By Masha Yurkevich 

For many of us, the word “international” followed by “competition” is something that we can only think about or watch on TV with a cup of tea. But local Windham fitness couple Caroline and Austin Spencer have put that cup down, got up, raised the bar and made it a reality instead.

From Aug. 3 through Aug. 7, the Spencers did something that many of us will never be able to say we’ve done: they qualified and competed in the 2022 International CrossFit Games that were held in Madison Wisconsin.

Caroline started CrossFit at the end of 2013. She is currently a trainer, remote coach and does a lot of behind the scenes for their competitive CrossFit company. Austin started his CrossFit journey in 2012 and is a full-time arborist. They met at their gym and started dating in 2016 and got married this past May. They also coach together at the MisFit Gym in Windham.

CrossFit is a strenuous fitness regimen that involves constantly varied functional movements performed at high intensity.

“I started getting interested in fitness my senior year in high school,” says Caroline. “I was a cheerleader for about ten years and competed on a travel team, but once that was over, I started to go to the gym more and started lifting weights just to stay fit.”

Austin played all kinds of sports growing up, including soccer, lacrosse, track and rugby in college. A friend of his introduced him to CrossFit during college and he knew right away he wanted to compete in the sport. 

“Austin basically knew right away that he wanted to get good enough to compete. He just enjoyed the sport, and knew he was capable of reaching that goal,” says Caroline. “It wasn't until my third year, maybe, that I realized I was good enough to really make a push to become competitive and qualify for one of the stages leading up to the games. Once I qualified for Regionals - now known as semi-finals - as an individual two years in a row, I really started to want to make it to the next stage, which is the CrossFit Games.”

Caroline has been training for nine years and Austin for 10.

To qualify for the CrossFit Games, you are required to have to make it past three different stages from February to June. Stage One is known as the "Open." It is a three-week online competition. Each week a new "test" is announced, and participants have from Thursday night to Monday night to complete the workout and submit their scores and videos. From there, the top 10 percent of each country move on to "Quarterfinals."

The quarterfinals are also online but are only one week. Five tests are announced, and participants have to complete them between Thursday and Monday as well. From there, the top 120 from participating countries advance to the "Semifinals."

There are four semifinals for the US, six more in other countries, which are all days of competition in person. Each US semifinal has 30 men and 30 women, where you have to finish in the top five to qualify for the CrossFit Games. In total, the top 40 men and 40 women worldwide are the only individuals to make it to this stage and this year, the Spencers achieved that goal.

The competition typically starts on Wednesday and ends on Sunday. There are anywhere from 12 to 15 tests spread out over the week where competitors earn points based on their ranking in each event. The more points you have, the higher you are on the leaderboard. Whomever earns the most points across the week of tests is the winner. First place wins $310,000. Earnings are less as you go down the leaderboard. Participants can also win money if they place first in an event.

“We both are very passionate about fitness and about competing. The dedication comes much easier because we both truly love the process of continuing to grow as athletes to get to our full potential,” said Caroline.

This is her second year qualifying for the CrossFit Games and Austin’s first. They didn’t win, but they say that there really is no way to describe how they feel about qualifying for the CrossFit Games.

“It's really extremely hard to qualify. Some people train for years and never make it,” says Caroline. “We have both sacrificed a lot and have worked so hard for so long, and to be able to share this experience, as only the second married couple ever to do it, is such an incredible feeling. We're both extremely grateful and proud.” <

WHS Quiz Show Team exhibits a true winning attitude

By Lorraine Glowczak 

Members of the Windham High School Quiz Team are,
from left, Al Potter, Greta Paulding, Kaitlyn Farrin and 
Francesca Lomonte. PHOTO BY LORRAINE GLOWCZAK

Although the first-place winning team for Season Five’s PBS Maine High School Quiz Show went to Brewer High School, with Bangor High School coming in as the runner-up, that does not signify defeat to the members of Windham High School’s Quiz Show Team.

The team demonstrated their intellectually competitive edge against 15 other Maine high schools and, at the same time, revealed their attitude regarding true triumph and success. Their positive winning mindset was exhibited at a private screening of the team’s last competition against Brewer at Pat’s Pizza before it aired for public viewing on June 24.

“It’s certainly not the results we wanted, but we got further than we had hoped,” said WHS math teacher and co-advisor John Ziegler.

Although they did not make it to the finals, WHS Quiz Show Team members shared their thoughts on what a true win means to them. 

“We have gained genuine friendships that will last a lifetime,” said Team Captain Greta Paulding, a senior for the 2022-23 school year. “That means more to me than anything.”

Team member Victoria Lin, who will also be a senior next school year, said that belonging to this group was one of the highlights of her school experience last year.

“We laugh a lot and have so much fun together,” she said. “Joining this team is one of the best things I have done.”

After the private screening, the students shared with their parents, who were unaware of the show’s outcome, about their experiences in this academic rivalry which brought the room to laughter.

“The van rides to the competitions are always very full of energy,” said Al Potter, a senior next year. “Conversations often include discussion about the quiz show itself and random stuff like traffic patterns, video games and movies. In addition, our group discussions are always exciting and fun. This happens naturally when you put a bunch of witty-outgoing teenagers in a van together.”

Potter also said that the taping at PBS was very professional, providing a learning experience for everyone.

“I think one thing we did not expect when arriving for the first time at PBS is the television process,” he said. “For example, everything is prerecorded and some of Todd's [Quiz Show's host, Todd Gutner] parts are scripted. If something goes wrong, they will stop and restart. This often meant waiting around, in the middle of rounds, sometimes for 15 to 20 minutes until taping resumed.”

Potter also shared another unknown fact about the taping process.

“Before the show starts, the crew points the camera at our whole team and tells us to dance with really high energy for 30 seconds. That is way more awkward and difficult than one would expect. I think we all high-fived each other 50 times because we were all out of 'high energy' dance moves.”

As the story telling ended and the laughter subsided, co-advisor and English teacher Nicole Densmore explained to the parents that being a part of this group also takes a lot of hard work, pointing out how proud she was of their perseverance and enthusiasm.

“They worked really hard meeting two days a week - every Monday and Friday,” she said. “They worked above and beyond what is expected of them and did so with a lot of gusto.”

The Quiz Show Team members explained that one does not need to be exceptionally clever or affiliate with Mensa to participate as a WHS team member.

“It’s not about being smart enough – that is not what matters,” said Potter. “It is about building confidence in yourself, taking a risk, and building friendships. Everyone’s contribution and knowledge are recognized and appreciated.”

Current members suggest a few ways to gain factual knowledge, especially for those students who might want to be a part of WHS Quiz Show team.

“Any reading you do helps,” Paulding said. “From my library, I recommend books such as ‘Jane Eyre’ or any books from classical literature.”

Other suggestions by team members include watching educational YouTube videos such as Wendover Productions, John Green’s Crash Course, or Oversimplified to gather random fun facts.

The 2021-22 WHS Quiz show team members were Greta Paulding (captain), Kaitlyn Farrin (alternate captain), Al Potter, Victoria Lin, Francesca Lomonte, Will Stuart, Rosie Lydon, Ralph Leavitt, Bryce Vance, Lee Bowman, Alex Pooler, Browin Dieumegard, Owen Gaulrapp, and Logan Alcott.

Densmore said that the WHS Quiz Show team's support throughout the year contributed to the members' attitude toward success.

“Everyone from siblings, guardians, and parents contributed to the team’s accomplishments,” she said. “I especially want to honor our two leaders, Greta and Kaitlyn, for their organizational and leadership skills.”

As Paulding said in a previous interview, their greatest success lies in teamwork and individual strengths. She applauds the work of the whole team and the co-advisors for their dedication and a job well done.

“I can’t thank my team enough,” she said. “Their astounding knowledge base, support and sense of humor keep me going through wins and losses. I am privileged to stand by their side. Our coaches, Mr. Ziegler and Ms. Densmore are incredible. Thanks to them, we continued to practice over Zoom last year when other teams stopped meeting altogether. We are so blessed to have such dedicated leaders.”

Although the competition did not go as hoped, the WHS Quiz Show team has a winning attitude evident through their hard work, enthusiasm, persistence, and most of all – the ability to have fun while making deep and long-lasting friendships.

After a month-long recess, the WHS Quiz Show team will begin working hard on sharpening their intellectual prowess to prepare for next year by meeting every Friday this summer until school starts this fall, where they will begin meeting twice weekly once again. <

Manchester School student wins prestigious OMER's Award

Fifth-grade student Harlie Menard received the OMER's Award
for her exceptional leadership abilities to reassure and cheer her
team members when they needed support, which earned her the
nickname 'OM Mother.' Team members help her celebrate her
award, from left are Sophia Albano, Mia Albano, Emma Poirer,
Devon Yates, Harlie Menard, Dr. Kyle Rhoads, Troy
Otterstein and Finnagen Niman. COURTESY PHOTO  

By Lorraine Glowczak

It was a whirlwind of excitement for Manchester Elementary School when fifth-grade student Harlie Menard was awarded the esteemed OMER’s Award on Saturday, March 26, in a regional Odyssey of the Mind (OM) tournament at Noble High School in Berwick.

Menard began participating in OM six years ago when she was a student at Windham Primary School.

“We are very proud of Harlie for this award and her many years of involvement in Odyssey of the Mind,” said Linda Berry, Windham Primary School’s Gifted and Talented Teacher and Menard’s OM Coach. “She has been a leader on her team at Windham Primary and Manchester Schools and is a great example of how Odyssey of the Mind helps students grow and learn in a fun, engaging, collaborative environment. Our OM teams were successful as a whole and it is great to have such a leader in Harlie.” 

OM is a creative problem-solving program involving students from kindergarten through college. Team members work together to solve a predefined long-term problem and present their solution to the problem at a competition. According to its website, participation in OM teaches students how to develop and use their natural creativity to become problem-solvers. OM’s mascot is a raccoon named OMER.

OMER's Award recognizes those individuals, coaches, team members, parents, officials and others who, during a tournament, serve as exemplary examples or role models through their actions or words. This award is also bestowed on team members who exhibit exceptional skill and talents.

Menard gained this highly coveted award due to her exceptional ability to reassure her team members when they felt unsure of themselves.

“When the team was off task, Harlie got them back on track, earning her the nickname ‘OM Mother’, said Jason Wheeler, Association Director of Maine OM. “I’ve had the pleasure of watching Harlie grow up in Odyssey of the Mind and while yes she is talented, the confidence she has developed through Odyssey is special.”

Menard shared one of the reasons why she enjoys participating in OM.

“My favorite parts of being a part of Odyssey of the Mind are teamwork, creativity and meeting new people.”

Windham Primary School began participating in OM 10 years ago when Dr. Kyle Rhoads, WPS principal, wanted to offer the experience to students. Berry began to coordinate the program at that point.

“We have more students participating every year,” Berry said in a previous interview. “This year we had roughly 40 students participating in the program.”

Fulfilling the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), Common Core, and 21st Century Skills Initiatives, OM fosters critical and creative thinking in what the website states as an environment where there is no right or wrong, no grades, no standardized tests. Instead, students are introduced to creative problem-solving in tangible ways.

“Odyssey of the Mind aligns directly with the current district Strategic Plan, specifically around innovative practices and creative problem solving,” Rhoads said in a previous interview. “Importantly, our students learn lifelong skills and have loads of fun!”

The team of students and coaches, who begin to meet in late/fall early winter, select which of the five long-term problems they wish to solve.

“The specific problem changes every year, although there is always one in each of five categories: Vehicle, Technical/Performance, Classics, Structure and Theatrical,” Berry explained.

All coaches are volunteers and contribute to the students' success and their participation in OM.

“We truly need community support to operate successful teams,” Rhoads explained. “Teams are coached by volunteers and at times need to do some fundraising to buy supplies for their problem.”

In the past, OM students and volunteers raised funds to purchase the needed supplies and travel. But as the common theme these recent years, fundraising was put on hold.

“Due to the pandemic, we have not fundraised for two years but anticipate starting again in the Fall of 2022,” Berry said. “In 2020 the competition was canceled, in 2021 the tournament was a virtual event, but this year it was great to have it back in person. The fundraising events that we sponsor are a wonderful way for OM families to get to know other team families and come together to support our participation in the program.”

Berry stated that the OM students have been resilient for the last two years. With the uncertainty at times during the past two years, students and families have continued to problem solve logistical as well as program problems with great success.

“Our participation continues to grow each year, and we look forward to finding out what the long term problems are for 2023.”

Menard is also looking forward to next year and wants to share her excitement with others.

“I want others to know that not only is Odyssey of the Mind a great place to meet new friends but it is a place where you can be yourself and have an endless open mind to creativity.”<

Windham mother sets sights on winning Mrs. Maine Pageant

By Ed Pierce

Christina Erde will represent Windham in
the Mrs. Maine America competition to be
held in South Portland on April 3. She works
at Windham Primary School and also is a
waitress at Rose's Italian Restaurant.
PHOTO BY GARRICK HOFFMAN  

Christina Erde believes in herself and hopes that her message of resilience will help win the crown during the 2022 Mrs. Maine America Pageant in April in South Portland.

Married and the mother of two children, Erde, 37, became interested in competing for the Mrs. Maine title following a discussion with a former state pageant winner.

“I met former Mrs. Maine 2017, Cynthia Peters, and she encouraged me to enter the pageant,” Erde said. “I have never competed in a pageant before but when she shared her experience and how much she enjoyed it and gained from it, I thought ‘You know what? I’m just gonna go for it!’ Two weeks after meeting her, I sent in an application and was awarded the title of Mrs. Windham to compete in the 2022 Mrs. Maine America Pageant.”

During the Mrs. Maine Pageant participants are rated by a panel of judges with 50 percent of scoring based upon an interview (25 percent being interview and 25 beauty), 25 percent swimsuit, and 25 percent evening gown.

“I grew up in Windham and attended Windham Christian Academy from kindergarten through my high school graduation in 2002. My family moved to Otisfield when I was 10 years old, but we continued to commute to Windham for school,” she said. “I attended Central Maine Community College where I studied culinary arts and restaurant management.”

She’s been married to Sam Erde for 16 years and the couple has two two boys, Colin, 10, and Noah, 8.

“I am part of the support staff at the Windham Primary School where I supervise lunch and recess. I also work part time on the weekend waitressing at Roses Italian Restaurant,” Erde said. “I began volunteering four years ago at the primary school when my oldest son was in kindergarten. I then became part of the staff the next year when he was in first grade. I have absolutely loved getting to know the children and families in our town through working at the school. I have also met many local folks as well through working at the restaurant too.”

According to Erde, she usually prefers to work behind the scenes, but feels that competing in the Mrs. Maine Pageant will help her to become more confident and appreciate herself for who she is.

“I saw this as a great opportunity for personal growth as well as a unique platform to promote mental health awareness, a cause that is very near and dear to my heart,” Erde said. “Four years ago, I was hospitalized after suffering a severe mental breakdown. It took me a long time to feel comfortable talking openly with others about my diagnosis of bipolar disorder. I felt that if people knew I had a mental illness it would affect their view of who I am as a person. No one should ever have to feel this way. Just because you have a mental illness doesn’t mean you are less than. If anything, it means you are strong. You are capable. You can live a fulfilling and meaningful life.”

She said that experience has made her resilient and determined to assist others in similar situations.

“Don’t be afraid to get help. I am so glad I did, otherwise I wouldn’t be where I am today,” Erde said. “As I share my story with others, I hope to continue to break the stigma surrounding mental illness and give hope to those who may need it. I am an advocate for mental health and NAMI Maine. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness Maine is dedicated to building better lives for the one in four Mainers who are affected by mental illness.”

She says that her family supports her desire to compete and win the state Mrs. Maine Pageant.

“I am so grateful to have my husband and boys by my side, cheering me on as well as my extended family and friends,” Erde said. “I am so humbled by the love and support I’ve received from the community as well.

The Mrs. Maine America pageant celebrates the achievements, poise, and personality of today’s married women. It is the official state preliminary for the National Mrs. America competition and will be held at the Double Tree Hotel in South Portland on April 3. If she wins the state title, she will compete in Las Vegas for the national title next summer.

“I am so thankful to have amazing sponsors who are supporting me financially or through their services. I wouldn’t be able to do this without their generosity and support,” Erde said. “I have loved getting to know the other contestants. It is so awesome to meet other women with such amazing stories. We come in all shapes and sizes with varying backgrounds. The comradery is great, and we are all rooting for each other. I have never once felt judged or mistreated. Our director, Deb Pronovost, is an incredible leader and wonderful coach. She is very professional and expects the best, yet she is also friendly and approachable.

As a girl growing up in Windham, Erde said that she used to watch the pageants on television but never thought she had what it takes to compete.

“I thought you had to be this Barbie doll with a perfect body and perfect hair,” she said. “There are so many pageants with different qualities and requirements. Some focus on beauty and fashion, others on personality and intelligence. I think over the years many pageants have become more balanced with their focus being more on the personality of who carries the crown than solely on looks and intelligence.” <