WMS teacher AJ Ruth delighted to take on new role as assistant principal

By Lorraine Glowczak

AJ Ruth knew from the moment that she taught her first seventh-grade class that she would always be a middle school educator. As she enters her 21st year in education, with 19 at Windham Middle School serving as a science and math teacher, Ruth remains with the age group that stole her heart in the earliest years of her career. Only now, she has moved from teaching students at WMS to leading them and her colleagues as the new WMS Assistant Principal, replacing Peter Hill.

AJ Ruth, who has been a Windham Middle School science
and mathematics teacher for the past 19 years, will serve
as the school's assistant principal.
PHOTO BY LORRAINE GLOWCZAK  

“I am thrilled to get this job in this community and this school,” she said. “I’ve been working on becoming an administrator for the past four years and the thought of having to leave WMS saddened me. I couldn’t have asked for a better outcome regarding my professional goals.”

As for her new role as a leader, Ruth seemed to possess the innate ability to lead others at an early age. During her middle and high school years at Presque Isle, she eagerly directed and guided fellow youth in many club and sports activities, including the President of her Key Club and swimming instructor as a youth and throughout adulthood. As a result, her role from teacher to leader seems like a natural transition.

“I’ve always loved being a leader and my involvement with school and community events continues to this day,” she said. “Becoming the WMS Assistant Principal has been a dream and is the right fit at this time for me.”

Ruth’s colleagues agree and are very happy with the selection of their new assistant principal.

“Because we already know and love her, AJ is the perfect liaison between staff and the new principal [Greg Applestein],” said Doug Elder, WMS seventh-grade social studies teacher who has team-taught with Ruth over the past seven years in hands-on, inquiry-based projects.

“As much as we all hate to lose her as a team teacher, she has the skills and qualities it takes to be our next assistant principal. Working closely with her the past couple of weeks in her new role has proven us right. We are happy she is staying with us at WMS.”

Providing youth with authentic and engaging learning experiences is how Ruth approaches education. In recent years, Ruth, and fellow WMS colleagues including Elder, have implemented Project Based Learning (PBL), an educational method that promotes students’ ownership of their learning as they design, develop, and construct hands-on solutions to real-life situations.

“PBL allows students to show their creativity in ways they can’t in the regular classroom,” Ruth said.

Ruth said the best part about her new job is the amount of support and encouragement she has received from her colleagues.

“The WMS staff are like family and to have their backing in this transition has meant the world to me. We are a close group. If you ask anyone in our building what the one most important strength we carry, they will tell you it is the strong relationships we have with each other.”

There is also positive strength growing and developing between Ruth and the new WMS principal.
Their admiration and support for one another reflect that strength.

“Greg has had a variety of experiences in administration and has led at different schools across the state,” Ruth said. “As a result, he brings expertise to WMS that will help guide and continue the wonderful work we offer students. Being a veteran administrator, Greg will be a good resource for me and a great mentor as I learn my new role.”

Applestein said that he is also looking forward to continuing to grow and develop the relationship with Ruth to best serve the students, staff, and families of WMS.

“We share a lot of the same core values, and we have a very similar vision for WMS,” he said. “She is a seasoned veteran teacher who held many teacher-leadership positions which gives her the background and experience working with all stakeholders. As a long-serving teacher at WMS, AJ has that historical perspective about the climate, culture, and community of the school and the town. Additionally, her ability to do the right things for the right reasons, makes AJ a vibrant and dynamic assistant principal and we are very fortunate to have her at WMS.”

Ruth received her bachelor’s and master’s in education as well as her certification in administration from Saint Joseph’s College of Maine.

When she is not working with middle school students and staff, Ruth spends time with her family, hiking in the summer and skiing in the winter, noting that being in nature is her saving grace. She lives in Windham with her husband, a son, and a daughter. <

In the public eye: Wescott to leave legacy of positivity at Windham Middle School

Editor’s note: This is another in an ongoing series of Windham and Raymond town employee profiles.

By Ed Pierce

Somewhere early in his teaching career, Bill Wescott learned that by being positive and helping his students to succeed, he too could succeed. It’s a philosophy that’s worked for Wescott for 46 years in his career, one that draws to a close with his retirement on June 16.

Bill Wescott will retire from teaching at Windham Middle
School after 46 years on June 16. During his long career as
an educator, Wescott has taught between 4,000 and 5,000
students by his estimation. He is the son of the late former
Arlington School Principal Robert Wescott and his wife,
Jean, who was also a teacher. PHOTO BY ED PIERCE  

He began his teaching career as a substitute with a long-term assignment filling in from November 1976 to June 1977 at Field-Allen School and then landed a permanent job at the newly built Windham Middle School when it first opened that fall. Wescott has been there ever since, teaching History and Social Studies to eighth grade students, although this year shifting over to teaching seventh graders Language Arts and History. By his own estimate, he’s now taught between 4,000 and 5,000 students in his classroom and says that he’s had the best job in the world.

As the son of two teachers, Jean and Robert Wescott, he grew up in Windham and graduated from Windham High School in 1972. He returned to town after earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Maine at Orono and credits Gary Moore, his first principal at WMS, as seeing something in him and offering him a job that has now lasted nearly five decades. During his long teaching career, Wescott has worked for five principals at WMS, including Moore, who was an English teacher when he attended Windham High and then later served as the Windham Schools Superintendent.

“To me, this is the best job in the world,” Wescott said. “No two days are alike. There’s a lot of energy in this place and the students really haven’t changed a lot. Some of the technology we use to teach them has changed and made it much more kid friendly.”

From 1977 to 1998, Wescott also served as a coach for three different sports, coaching girls’ JV soccer, middle school girls’ basketball and JV softball, with one season spent as the Windham High varsity softball coach. In the classroom, he’s helped students explore the history of America up through the War between the States era, although now he just covers from about the French Indian War in the 1700s up to the Civil War.

What makes him an exceptional classroom teacher is his innate skill of relating to his students.

“I have the ability to connect with the shy and quiet kids and bring them out of their shells,” he said. “Patience is so important for a teacher, especially since so many kids fell behind during COVID.”

Many of his former students have gone on to become teachers themselves, including more than a dozen alone at WMS this year.

According to Wescott, the thing he will miss the most about teaching is interacting with the kids.

“You have to expend a lot of energy to keep up with them,” Wescott said. “And it’s not easy trying to keep them energized. We’re teaching them what they need to know but also what they want to know.”

Of his siblings growing up, Wescott said that he is the only one of three boys and a girl in his family to follow in his parents’ footsteps and become a teacher.

“For some reason they didn’t want to do that,” he said. “In fact, most people don’t want to be a teacher.”

Through the years Wescott has had generations of students, who easily recognize him at the grocery store or while out shopping in Windham.

“One time a mother and a student walked by me, and the mother got this look on her face that she instantly remembered me,” he said. “Later that student told me his mother said she couldn’t believe that I was still teaching. She told him ‘Mr. Wescott was old when I had him.’”

His plans for retirement are to work as a substitute if needed in the fall. His mother is now 90 and he expects he’ll spend some time helping her too.

“I’ll figure it out,” Wescott said. “I always said I’ll know when it’s time to retire and it’s time. I have a cat and I’d like to travel and work on some hobbies.”

His advice for those wanting to follow his career path as an educator is simple.

“Students don’t remember what you taught them but how you made them feel,” Wescott said. “Be positive, make them feel good about what they can do and give them confidence.” <

Academics a cinch for Windham’s Agneta siblings

Four siblings from one family have finished among the top
three academically in their class over the years at Windham
High School. From left are Christina Agneta Imbrogno, 
Melissa Agneta, Dominic Agneta, and Monica Agneta, who
was the WHS Class of 2022 salutatorian, finishing second
academically among her classmates. COURTESY PHOTO 
 

By Ed Pierce

To have a member of a family finish in the top three academically in high school is a significant accomplishment, but in 2022 a Windham family has established a new record that may stand for some time as a fourth family member ended up among the top three of her graduating class at Windham High School.

Monica Agneta was the WHS Class of 2022’s salutatorian, finishing second academically, and joining her brother, Dominic, and sisters, Christina and Melissa, as top academic standouts in their classes at WHS.

Finishing third academically for the Class of 2010 at WHS was Christina Agneta Imbrogno while Melissa Agneta was ranked third overall at WHS for the Class of 2016. Dominic Agneta was the top-ranking student academically at WHS for the Class of 2018 and was that year’s valedictorian for the school.

Monica Agneta will attend the University of Maine at Orono this fall and is aiming for an eventual career in cybersecurity.

She said her favorite classes at WHS were Russian Language 1 and 2 and that the most challenging aspect of high school for her was to prioritize sleep to escape stress.

“My favorite teacher was Jeff Conant, and though I never had him for class, he impacted me simply by being one of my biggest supporters,” she said. “He gave me many pieces of advice, shut down my self-doubt, and his positivity brightened many of my mornings in advisory.”

Christina Agneta Imbrogno is married and now lives in Southeastern Connecticut. She works as a Systems Engineer at the General Dynamics Electric Boat shipbuilding company and previously worked at 3M for four years as a Product Development Engineer and Safety Engineer.

She says that AP Chemistry was her favorite class at WHS, and Lisa McLellan was her favorite teacher.

“My favorite teacher was Mrs. McLellan because her classes were challenging, but interactive, and she explained chemistry in a way that made sense and inspired me to major in Chemical Engineering in college,” she said. “Her classroom was also a welcoming place to hang out in and she led the Science Olympiad team.”

Dominic Agneta graduated from the University of Maine in May and is moving to Dallas, Texas this month to work as an Equipment Engineer for Texas Instruments.

He’s single and says his favorite class at WHS was Physics and his favorite teacher at WHS was Wayne Rathbun.

“I took Physics 2 with him, and I was one of six students,” he said. “The lessons were rich with professional knowledge, but still personal which made it a joy to attend class.”

Melissa Agneta recently got engaged and now lives in Central Connecticut. After graduating from college, she’s worked as a Quality Engineer on hydrogen fuel cell power plants and during the pandemic she served as a virtual high school biology teacher.

Her favorite class at WHS was AP Chemistry and like her sister Christina says that her favorite WHS teacher was Lisa McLellan.

“She taught lessons that were really hands on. I always loved going outside with my classmates and watching Mrs. McLellan combine things like sodium, metal and water to make explosive reactions,” she said. “Going to chemistry class was always really fun and it had a big impact on my future after high school.”

All four siblings offered advice to WHS students looking to excel academically in the future.

“Find a sport or activity outside of academics that you enjoy. It's important to have an outlet that can take your mind off school every once in a while,” Melissa Agneta said. “I danced competitively throughout school, and though it took up a lot of my free time, it made me really happy and always gave me something to look forward to that was outside of academics.”

Taking AP classes will help to prepare students for college courses, said Christina Agneta Imbrogno. She also suggests that WHS students learn new study techniques to help boost their academic skills.

The best advice that Dominic Agneta said he can offer to WHS students trying to determine a major for college is to look at job postings that they are interested in and then look at the qualifications you would need for those jobs.

And he offers some simple advice to become a better student at WHS.

“Attend every single class, and challenge yourself,” he said.

Monica Agneta’s advice to those seeking academic success is to not shy away from taking tough courses.

“To improve academic standing, students should challenge themselves with the classes they sign up for and always turn in their best work,” she said. “Make sure that there are things to look forward to in your schedule, as it will keep you motivated and make the harder days more bearable.” <

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. <

Teacher's creative lessons on food insecurity leads to agriculture award

Stacey Sanborn, right, a fourth-grade teacher at Manchester
School, was honored with awarded the Maine Agriculture In
The Classroom Teacher of the Year Award for 2022 earlier 
this month  for her creative gardening program. Manchester
School Principal Danielle Donnini presents Sanborn with
the official MAITC plaque for winning the award.
PHOTO BY LORRAINE GLOWCZAK 

By Lorraine Glowczak

Stacey Sanborn, a fourth-grade teacher at Manchester School in Windham, has had a lifelong passion for gardening especially as it alleviates food insecurity. She’s passed that love on to her students and for her innovative and creative approach, Sanborn has been awarded the Maine Agriculture In The Classroom Teacher of the Year (MAITC) Award for 2022. 

The MAITC organization singled out Sanborn as a teacher who incorporates agricultural education in the classroom while at the same time, aligning that subject with core curriculum standards in science, math, social studies, and art. But perhaps just as importantly, Sanborn also introduces the importance of food insecurity and how it affects others’ lives.

This is not the first award Sanborn has received in terms of agriculture and how it can help others who are less fortunate.

“It was while I was in high school and a direct result of my work with a project, the 4-H Hunger Garden that I started, is where my interest in food insecurity began,” Sanborn said.

Her project was recognized for its contribution to the community, and she won her first award, the “America’s Future Award” presented by WCSH Channel 6. She said that this experience made a big impact upon her and became a driving force in her adult life and as a teacher.

“I continue to believe that everyone should have access to fresh fruits and vegetables. This belief has stayed with me during my years teaching at Manchester School and co-coordinating the school gardens,” she said.

The agriculture program has shifted and changed throughout the 18 years since Sanborn began teaching at Manchester School.

“Flower gardening is where I started initially,” she said. “The students and I would make arrangements and deliver them to new staff members. I began to see the educational benefits and realized there was more opportunity for me and the students if we expanded the program.”

In addition to the 12 raised beds for vegetable gardens and a hoop house with three raised beds, today the Manchester School campus is also host to six apple trees, three pear trees, and two varieties of grapevines.

Sanborn said incorporating gardening as part of the curriculum is important because Maine is a farming and aquaculture state, and students get to experience how much we are all a part of something bigger and how life is interrelated.

“Teaching students about agriculture helps them to develop the understanding of where our food comes from,” she said. “Students can see the importance of protecting a long Maine tradition of farming. It gets them out of the classroom and into the outdoors where the students are motivated learners with plenty of opportunity for fun and hands-on experiences.”

Her students are involved in all parts of the gardening process – from seed to harvest – and as they do so, they learn the traditional “reading, writing, and arithmetic.” Ways in which the conventional curriculum is a part of the gardening program include activities such as composting and soil experiments, pollination, keeping detailed records, data collection, and analysis to name just a few. Sanborn also points out that the social studies curriculum plays a strong role in Manchester School’s agriculture program.

“Gardening offers the guiding principles of being part of a community and being an active problem solver,” she said. “Doing something for others – even if it is something small – can have a big impact.”

Some of what the students grow, they get to sample, making some of their favorite recipes such as carrot muffins and “Amazing Carrot Soup.” What they can’t use in the cafeteria, they give to the RSU 14 nutrition program and the Windham Food Pantry. But the social responsibility the students learn in Sanborn’s class doesn’t end there.

“A former student-gardener who lived with food insecurity started their own garden at home and were so successful they were able to share produce with other families in need,” Sanborn said.

It appears the lessons learned have continued to make an impact on two former Sanborn students, who are now in the fifth grade.

Jaxon Dorr said that he enjoyed learning about gardening outside and not having to be in the classroom all day.

“My favorite part about Ms. Sanborn’s class is learning how to plant crops,” he said.

Jakobi Hougaz-McCormick agreed with Dorr saying “I really liked trying to guess the temperature of the hoop house, but I really enjoyed giving food to the school and others who needed it.”

Sanborn says she feels very honored to be a part of this program and is grateful for the recognition from MAITC, however, she believes this is not her award alone.

“I must recognize a former colleague, Master gardener, and a great mentor Pam Lenz,” Sanborn said. “She has put so much effort into this program and is a major part of its success. Pam has helped me to achieve everything I’ve done, and it is a true partnership. She was instrumental in keeping the program going during the early days of the pandemic when schools were not meeting in person. She continued by starting seedlings, planting them in the garden, and creating gardening videos that were used as part of the remote learning experience. Pam is just as an important part of this award and I couldn’t have done it without her.”

Sanborn received her undergraduate from the University of New Hampshire and obtained a master’s degree in education from the University of Southern Maine. She has been a teacher for a total of 23 years.

She lives in Standish with her husband, David, and has two adult sons, Nicholas and Colby, and is part of a large extended family. When she is not busy teaching and gardening, Sanborn can be found exploring Maine lighthouses and lakes, camping, and trying out her new hobby, golfing. <

Plummer to seek return to Maine State Senate

By Ed Pierce

A familiar face has thrown his hat in the ring to succeed Bill Diamond in representing Windham in the Maine State Senate.

Republican Gary Plummer has announced his intention to campaign for Windham’s District 26 Senate seat this fall to replace incumbent Democrat Sen. Bill Diamond, who is term limited. Plummer has extensive experience serving in the Maine Legislature, including as a state representative and a state senator.

Former State Rep. and State Sen. Gary Plummer, a Republican,
will seek Windham's District 26 State Senate seat this fall, in
an election to replace Sen. Bill Diamond, who is term limited.
SUBMITTED PHOTO   

“A year ago, I didn’t want to run, I’m retired,” Plummer said. “My wife told me I needed to run for Maine Senate. I can bring something there, which is experience. I know the system and I know the people. Deciding to run has been a slow process for me, but I can do it and I’m in it to win.”

A 1964 graduate of Windham High School, Plummer says he first became interested in politics while attending Dirigo Boys State as a high school junior in 1963. After graduation, he went on to earn a degree in education from Gorham State Teachers College and spent 13 years teaching in Standish before joining Manchester School as an elementary school teacher in 1982.

Plummer was asked by his former biology teacher at Windham High, Bob Hunt, to help serve on a committee examining if Windham should establish its own police force in the mid-1970s and it gave him insight into the workings of town government.

That knowledge expanded further when a referendum converting Windham government to the Council-Town Manager system was passed by voters. Hunt suggested to Plummer that he should run for town council, and he was elected to a council seat in November 1974.

“I loved being a town councilor,” Plummer said. “I liked building and creating the town government we know today. I cast the deciding vote breaking a 3-3 tie to create the Windham Police Department. But after serving eight years on the council things became more routine and the excitement of doing something new started to go away.”

He then ran for Cumberland County Commission and was elected for several four-year terms as a county commissioner.

“It was an enjoyable experience, and I learned a great deal about public safety,” Plummer said. “During my time as a commissioner, we helped transition the position of corrections officer to a career rather than just be a stepping stone to other law enforcement positions.”

His friend, State Rep. David Tobin of Windham, informed Plummer that he would not be running for re-election and Plummer, who had retired as a teacher by then, campaigned and won election as State Representative for Windham in 2004, serving eight years in that role before running and serving one term as Windham’s state senator from 2012 to 2014.

“It was an honor I never took lightly,” Plummer said. “It was a steep learning curve at first. Going from dealing with issues in town government to the politics in Augusta was challenging. My first term was an eye-opening experience. I didn’t expect everything to be so political. But I learned to work with people to get things done.”

Plummer says his willingness to work with others to accomplish legislation that benefits the residents of Windham and everyone in Maine is needed in Augusta and having someone with experience is critical right now.

“I can work with just about everyone,” Plummer said.

District 26 has been redrawn by the Maine Legislature and now encompasses Casco, Frye Island, Windham, Raymond, and now a portion of Westbrook. Currently no other challengers have stepped forward to run for the Republican nomination for the state senate seat, but if there is, a primary election will be conducted in June.

He lives in Windham with his wife Betty in a home his grandparents built on land they bought in 1910. His first wife died and between them, he and Betty have four children, five grandchildren and a great-grandchild.

His interests include antique automobiles and Plummer is the proud owner of 1965 Ford Mustang and a 1949 Ford F-150 pickup truck, close to the one he learned to drive on as a teen in his father’s hayfield.

“I like just about anything regarding history,” he said. “I volunteer with the Windham Historical Society and helped to establish the Neighbors Helping Neighbors Program.”

Plummer said that he has spoken with Diamond about continuing to champion child welfare issues in the state and if elected, he would also focus on resolving domestic violence issues in Maine.

“A lot needs to be done,” he said. “I am also looking to help address the drug issues in our state and making sure the right individuals are chosen to serve as school resource officers.” <  

Maine's 'Assistant Principal of the Year' hails from Windham High School

Windham High School Assistant Principal Phil Rossetti
takes a moment in his office to answer phone calls from
the community and emails from staff and students after
learning he has been honored as the 2022 'Maine Secondary
High School Vice Principal of the Year.'
PHOTO BY LORRAINE GLOWCZAK 

By Lorraine Glowczak

The students and staff at Windham High School perked with curiosity after the usual daily announcements were completed on Monday, Nov. 29. Silence rang through the halls as an unexpected message was spoken over the intercom by RSU14 Superintendent Chris Howell explaining that the Executive Director of the Maine Principals Association (MPA), Holly Blair was in the building and had good news to share. 

Blair followed Howell with the resulting statement:

“MPA recognizes outstanding high school assistant principals who have succeeded in providing high-quality learning opportunities for their students as well as demonstrating exemplary contributions to the profession,” Blair said. “After much consideration, MPA has determined that Mr. Rossetti meets those standards and has decided to name him the Secondary School Assistant Principal of 2022.”

Becoming the Assistant Principal of the Year of Maine High Schools can be a long and winding road of joy, hard work, and luck that included encouraging mentors and loving family members who guide you 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.’”.

There was also another favorite activity that held Rossetti’s attention and that was playing sports; specifically, football and baseball. As a result, he wanted to be a coach too.

Carrying out his parents’ wish of college and thinking that sports medicine with a focus on sports journalism might be an option to consider, he began taking classes in those fields. But it didn’t take long before he realized that becoming a history teacher was more in alignment with his passions.

After receiving his Bachelor of Science in Social Studies Education at Plymouth State University in Plymouth, New Hampshire, Rossetti accepted a position as a Social Studies Teacher at WHS from 1996 to 2015. During that time, he filled in as Assistant Principal periodically during extended and medical leaves while obtaining a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Saint Joseph’s College of Maine. Rossetti was at the time and remains the WHS Assistant Football Coach.

In July 2015 he was asked to be the full-time assistant principal at South Portland High School and remained there until a full-time assistant principal position opened up at WHS. He applied and was offered the position in August 2016.

Rossetti’s role as assistant principal has made many impacts on the community. Captain William Andrew of the Windham Police Department works closely with Rossetti as a leadership team member for Be The Influence Coalition.

"Phil’s dedication, commitment, and most of all his heart for the betterment of education, the staff, and most importantly the students is what makes this a most deserved award,” Captain Andrew said.

His coworkers enjoy the opportunity to work with Rossetti including WHS Principal Ryan Caron who has known Rossetti for over twenty years, eight of those years were teaching together at WHS in the social studies department. Rossetti was also one of Caron’s assistant principals at South Portland High School, and now, they work together on the administrative team at WHS and have done so for the last four years.

“The opportunity to work with Phil again played a big part in my decision to return to Windham,” Caron said. “Phil puts the needs of our students and staff first in all things that he does. He takes the time to really get to know both students and staff, which allows him to provide support and guidance that is appropriate for the individual while building lasting relationships. When you work with Phil you know that he cares about you and wants the best for you. Students and staff respect his honesty and integrity and believe that he has their best interests at heart. I am extremely lucky that he works just down the hall from me.”

WHS teachers also believe that Rossetti being named Assistant Principal of the Year is a well-deserved honor that represents his commitment to staff and students. Adrianne Shetenhelm, lead teacher of WHS's alternative education program, APEX, said that the award doesn't surprise her.

“He cares about the whole student experience,” Shetenhelm said. “I work with Phil almost daily and he is always focused on what is right for a student's best interest, considering their academic goals, social-emotional needs, and future hopes. He is an integral part of our admin team and school community.”

Superintendent Howell agrees with Shetenhelm and added that Rossetti does a great job mastering the skills and expectations of a vice principal.

“I have known and worked with Phil for close to 20 years,” Howell said. “He is a highly skilled administrator who has a huge heart for meeting the needs of students. Phil has always been able to focus on the big picture as he works to support the students at WHS. I cannot think of a more deserving person for this honor.”

 For those who may wish to follow in Rossetti’s footstep, the newly named vice principal of the year offers the following advice:  

“There are two things that one must have in terms of character,” Rossetti said. “You have to really enjoy working alongside other people [students and staff] and you have to be willing to work long, hard hours. There are many challenging days but I love working with the kids. They not only make it a fun job but they help me grow in terms of my journey as an educator – not only on a professional level but personally as well.”

Rossetti also said that making a positive change in a student’s life is what motivates him to be the best he can be. “We work to find restorative practices and conversations to turn negative experiences and actions into something positive that create long-term change. People make mistakes and it's what you do with those mistakes that matters. These kids are really good kids. They say funny things and make me laugh. It is for these reasons and more that this has been the most exciting and rewarding job I’ve ever had.”

Rossetti lives in Raymond with his wife Sara and daughter Maria. When he is not busy at work, Rossetti enjoys golfing and vacationing with his family. < 

Teacher reaches four-decade milestone as a Windham educator

By Ed Pierce

If the purpose of life is finding your gift to give to others, Nancy Cash-Cobb has certainly found her calling.  After more than 40 years as a teacher in Windham, she’s eager to get started for yet another school year, inspiring students through music at Windham Primary School.

Growing up in Portland, Cash-Cobb developed an appreciation for music at an early age thanks to her parents.

Nancy Cash-Cobb has been teaching RSU 14 students for more
than 40 years and is currently the music teacher at Windham
Primary School. She has taught music there since the school 
first opened about two decades ago. SUBMITTED PHOTO 

“We sang in the car a lot,” Cash-Cobb said. “My dad played piano and violin by ear and my mom played piano and sang in choirs all of her life. I spent my childhood attending concerts and musicals. We loved it.”

Her interest in music grew when she sang in the chorus and played in the orchestras at Longfellow Elementary School, Lincoln Junior High School and Deering High School. She made the decision to attend college and wanted to follow in the footsteps of her teachers by becoming one herself.

She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in music education and a master’s degree from the University of Southern Maine.

Her first teaching job was for two years in Sacopee Valley in Western Maine, but in 1981 she landed a job as an elementary school teacher in Windham, and she’s been here ever since.

“When I first came to Windham I taught K-4 at Manchester School, then Arlington School, Field Allen School, John Andrew School and the Kindergarten Center,” Cash-Cobb said. “I helped design the music rooms at Windham Primary School and have taught there since it opened.”

Through the years, Cash-Cobb has been a champion for music education in the school district.

“Music enhances our lives and has the power to fill our hearts with joy as no other medium can,” she said. “Music improves connections in the developing brain and helps our problem-solving skills. Music is truly the heart in education.”

She’s Orff music education certified from Long Island University, Hamline University and the University of Illinois, and helped found the Maine Chapter of The American Orff-Schulwerk Association in 1987. That’s an organization of American music educators dedicated to using, advancing, and preserving Orff-Schulwerk, a developmental learning approach to music education created by composer Carl Orff and German music educator Gunild Keetman.

Cash-Cobb has been an active member of the Maine Music Educators Association Executive Board for 35 years and in 1999 was honored as Maine Music Educator of the Year. She’s currently serving as the Co-Conference Chair of the Maine Music Educators Association and is a longtime member of the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 148 in Windham. In fact, the Maine American Legion honored her at their annual convention in 2017 as “Maine American Legion Educator of the Year for 2017.”

According to Cash-Cobb, professional development offered by the school district has helped her sustain her career as an educator.

“In my opinion, the secret to my teaching so long in one place is professional development and keeping current and up to date with the best teaching practices,” she said.

In a lengthy career filled with memorable moments, Cash-Cobb says that she’s extremely proud of her work with younger students and opening their eyes to a lifetime of music.

“I still get teary eyed when I hear my students singing,” she said. “My favorite concerts have been the exchange concerts that we do within the district, especially the third-grade chorus with the Windham Chamber Singers. We have been doing that one for probably 30-plus years.”

Under her direction, student concerts at Windham Primary School are the stuff of legends, with three nights of Christmas concerts performed each year. WPS students at each grade level also perform annual concerts of their own with first, second and third grade concerts taking place in March and the annual kindergarten concert performed each May. 

As for her own musical ability, Cash-Cobb will admit to preferring vocals above all else.

“I am first and foremost a singer,” she said. “I play guitar and piano. I grew up playing the violin.”

In case anyone is wondering, her current favorite song to teach to her students is "Elephants have Wrinkles.”

She said there are too many school administrators to choose from to thank for helping her during her career, but she’s grateful for all of their assistance and understanding.

As far as her own favorite musicians, Cash-Cobb said one immediately comes to mind.

“John Denver is my all-time favorite composer and performer,” she said. “I have performed many of his songs at weddings and other events. I also enjoy performing Christian music.”

Family and faith in God have also been instrumental in her long and distinguished musical career. She and her husband, Jerry Cobb, enjoy being actively involved in music for their church and their daughter Sara is a pediatric registered nurse.

The family supports her work as a teacher and when school is out for the summer they enjoy traveling together, especially to Disney World in Florida and to visit relatives out of state.

Besides music, Cash-Cobb also likes swimming or kayaking on the lake and spending time with her 2 ½-year-old grandson, Jacob.

“His father is 6-foot-4 and Jacob is nearly as tall right now as I am,” she said.

Her current principal at Windham Primary School, Dr. Kyle Rhoads, said that Cash-Cobb has left an indelible impression upon her students over the past four decades teaching in Windham.

“Even after 40 years, Mrs. Cash-Cobb’s energy and enthusiasm for learners loving music remains at an unbelievable level,” Rhoads said. “Her passion and care for them shines brightly. A mark of a wonderful educator. What a legacy our learners have had by her teaching.”

RSU 14 Superintendent of Schools Christopher Howell said that Cash-Cobb can take pride in what she has accomplished as a teacher and playing a part in their educational development while leading them to  an appreciation of music.

“We are proud of the work that Nancy has done over her 40 years in our district. I am truly in awe of the number of students that she has taught and inspired over her career as an elementary music teacher,” Howell said. “She has worked throughout her career to develop and foster a strong musical foundation in her students. Her dedication has set the groundwork that ultimately develops into the talented musicians that RSU 14 is known for.” <