Honk! Jr. takes center stage - By Walter Lunt

Young stars will light up the stage at Windham Town Hall gym in the Windham Center Stage production of Honk! Jr., beginning March 4^th. Sixty-plus lakes region children, ages 7 to 13, will interpret the classic Hans Christian Andersen tale in a modern musical style that’s fun and wholesome for the entire family.
 

Honk! is the stage version of The Ugly Duckling that tells the story of a young duck whose unappealing looks forces him from the flock due to ridicule and taunts. Along the way he is pursued by a hungry cat and a frantic mother. His journey to find love and acceptance is filled with adventure, charm and humor. The story, which teaches tolerance, is told in part through energetic song and dance performances, thanks to musical director Patrick Martin and choreography by Jaydie Allen. The director, Diane Hancock, sings high praise for each cast of about 30 young performers. 

Cast A - Photo by Meg Hatch Photography

“The story is not contemporary,” and the kids are not as familiar with the dialogue and characters as they might with a Disney production. Martin says the harmonies are complex and “not really written for children.” But the casts have risen to the challenge and deliver impressive performances.

Highlights include the opening Poultry Tale, where the actors introduce the story in song and dance. And Look At Him, performed by the entire cast, which is a defining moment when Ugly is singled out by family and neighbors for the way he looks – a number that is reprised in the finale. 

Cast B - Photo by Meg Hatch Photography

The production is enhanced by a brightly colored set: Vivid greens and browns form a comically over-sized pond, created by a team of community volunteers.

Hancock reflected on early rehearsals when the stage experience of the multi-age performers ranged from zero to several years. “Right now,” just days before the opening performance, “it’s hard to tell the difference.” Older, “more experienced” actors willingly serve as mentors. Chloe Cyr who plays Ida, Ugly’s mother, says “I like interacting with the younger kids and helping them in their acting ability. They’re fast learners.” And, she added with a smile, “I like being looked up to.”

Angel Spiller agrees, “This is really fun. We come together like a big family. The older kids helped me when I was little. Now I can give back.”

Honk! is produced by Heidi Doucette and Gail White. It opens March 4 with 12 performances through March 20 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Consult www.windhamtheater.org for times and cast performances.

UPDATE to ice derbies taking place this weekend

The Cumberland County Ice Fishing Derby will still take place this weekend, February 27^th and 28^th as originally planned along with the Maine Children’s Cancer Program’s Polar Dip at Raymond Beach at noon on Saturday, February 27^th.  The Sebago Lake Derby has been cancelled. 

At a meeting Tuesday evening with the Sebago Lake Ice Fishing Derby organizers, the Warden’s Service, IF&W and other safety personnel, the conclusion was that the unusually warm temps and upcoming rains and more warm temperatures, have created unpredictable and unsafe ice conditions to hold the Sebago Lake portion of the derby. So there will be no fishing on Sebago Lake for togue keeping our ice fishermen’s safety our primary concern. This also removes the $150,000 state record togue prize from the prize pool. Togue from other Cumberland County waters will be accepted other than Sebago, prizes for togue will be same as other Cumberland County prizes. 

The 50 or so smaller ponds and lakes comprising of the Cumberland County derby will still be fished although the Warden’s Service cautions everyone to check the ice depth before heading out on the ice and to check it often as warm temps and sunshine can deteriorate conditions quickly. They stated that every body of water in the state has less than normal ice conditions. “We have always emphasized fish at your own risk and cannot stress enough to check ice conditions,” said derby organizers.  

The other fish pool prizes will be awarded, including the 2016 Polaris ATV which registrations act as an entry into that drawing. The awards and prizes will be handed out on Sunday, the 28^th at Windham Weaponry’s Conference Hall at 999 Roosevelt Trail in Windham, at 6 pm. 

Check the website www.icefishingderby.com and the Facebook page for most up to date information.

Student iMovie project an educational hit

Sebago Lake Rotary Ice Fishing Derby still scheduled for next weekend

Presumpscot Regional Land Trust offers opportunity to explore the great outdoors

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Student iMovie project an educational hit

By Walter Lunt - Creative energy was in abundance at the Jordan Small School in Raymond during the first weeks of 2016.  Groups of students, grades 5 through 8, were collaborating, making group decisions, writing and producing. What were they doing? Making movies – iMovies.

Classroom teacher John Powers said the school-wide project is this year’s version of an annual unit that attempts to encourage students to apply classroom and personal knowledge in creative ways. He says the iMovie Project was spawned through the inspiration of a teacher in another district; an idea that has really taken off at the Raymond middle school.

Students prepare to film their animated production.

Here’s how it works: Students form self-selected groups and brainstorm ideas for a short film. The collaboration results in decisions, scripts, and production meetings that require leadership and teamwork. The process demands responsible group interaction, making contributions, listening to the ideas of others and above all, patience. And finally, all products have a deadline that’s expected to be met. 

While it’s the fun part of the project, filming, using Apple iPads, often results in the frustration of do-overs, necessary tweaking or changes, or underestimating the difficulty of an idea. The filming stage saw students spill out classrooms into halls, even into the parking lot.

Eighth grader Tom DuPont says the iMovie project gives students the “chance to take an idea, use your brain and then make it come to life.”

Norma Easter and Rainey Pawlowski were working on a stop-motion film, pointing their iPad at a hand- made city-scape while manipulating small cotton figures that represented people. They said their digital story carries a message that encourages all to “follow your own path and make your own decisions,” not follow blindly the wishes of others who seek to control you. They were joined by Joshua Marquis who, although not a member of their group, had joined to help Easter and Pawlowski edit their film.

Another eighth grade student, Sophey Potter, said that, initially, she had a hard time coming up with an idea for her film but after collaborating with a family member decided to pursue one of her pet-peeves: friends and fellow students “who are always talking negative about themselves.” She said they should reflect on how they see themselves and try to be more positive. “Don’t say ‘I’m short,’ say ‘I’m fun-sized,’” Potter said with a smile.

Subject matter for the films is as varied as the grade levels and number of students involved. Powers discussed one innovative project titled The Adventures of Ivan” in which the central character engages in certain every-day activities that demonstrate various principles of trigonometry. He said another was based on a student’s original poem, while still another playfully charts the life of a snowman.

Sebago Lake Rotary Ice Fishing Derby still scheduled for next weekend despite mild temperatures

Last year's 1st place togue winner, Brady Ouellette.

By Walter Lunt - While Mother Nature continues to tease ice anglers with changing conditions on Sebago Lake, derby director Deb McPhail says the annual mid-winter event is “still on” for the weekend of Feb. 27 and 28. Recent on and off cold has created changeable conditions on sections of the lake where ice fishers have accessed the derby, but because the high winds which prevent freezing due to churning waters have come mainly from the south, the ice just may hold at Sebago Station in Standish, according to fisheries biologist Francis Brautigam of Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. The best advice is to always assume ice is unsafe, he says, so it’s best is to check conditions on the Rotary web site icefishingderby.com, which will be updated regularly as derby time draws closer.

ATV to be given away compliments of Woody's

McPhail reminds participants and would-be registrants that 50 Cumberland County lakes and ponds also qualify for the derby. The option was added in recent years when lack of ice forced the cancellation of the Sebago derby. The list of eligible waters can be found on the web site.

The derby, sponsored by the Sebago Lake Rotary Club, promotes family fun, fish management and local charities. Last year, according to McPhail, $65,000 was raised, benefiting local food pantries, Camp Sunshine, scores of other organizations and local people in need. She cites rehabilitative help for a child with multiple sclerosis and a ramp that was provided for an amputee. The polar dip, in which brave souls jump into frigid Sebago water, raised thousands of dollars for Maine Children’s Cancer Program.

click for local flyer

Ice fishers compete for cash prizes and the unique recognition of pulling in the largest fish in the area. The four species include togue (lake trout), pike (invasive), perch and pickerel. Prizes range from $100 to $1000 for trophy fish. The grand prize this year totals $150,000 for the angler who bests the state record for togue, which now stands at 31 lbs. 8 oz. set in 1958. In addition, all registrants, whether fishing or not, will be eligible to the win the drawing for a 2016 Polaris Sportsman 570 ATV.

Details concerning the Sebago Lake Rotary Club Ice Fishing Derby, including the children’s derby to be held in March, can be found at icefishingderby.com.

Presumpscot Regional Land Trust offers opportunity to explore the great outdoors

By Elizabeth Richards - A hearty group of outdoor enthusiasts came together on Maine Great Outdoors Weekend for an Animal Tracks program put on by the Presumpscot Regional Land Trust (PRLT).  On Saturday, February 13^th, the group met at the Hawkes Preserve in Gorham for a one-mile snowshoe around the new nature loop trail. 

Though the day was cold and windy, almost two dozen people gathered to take part in the program.  Master Naturalist Karen Herold and PRLT Executive Director Rachelle Curran Apse led the family-friendly trek, stopping frequently to discuss tracks in the snow and how to identify the wild creatures that had recently been traveling that path.

A wide variety of tracks showed evidence of the many creatures who share the land at the Hawkes Preserve, including mice, squirrels, deer, otter and mink.  The trail winds its way through the woods behind Great Falls Elementary School and along the Presumpscot River. 

The one-mile nature loop trail was developed in partnership with the school, said Curran Apse.  The school uses the trail with students in the spring and fall.  A pamphlet guide details six marked stops along the path.  The brochure offers a brief description of what visitors can expect to see at the stop, including the shoreline, specific trees and plants, and a small wetland area.     The Animal Tracks program was one of many events put on by the non-profit PRLT, which manages just over 1000 acres of land on 20 preserves in Presumpscot River Watershed.  The goal, said Curran Apse, is to offer a program every month, to get people out enjoying and learning more about nature. 

“We’re focused on finding, preserving and protecting open space for wildlife and for public recreation,” said Curran Apse.  This includes creating trails, and seven of the preserves are free and open to the public for recreation.  “We want people to get out and enjoy nature on them,” said Curran Apse.  “That’s why we’re doing more programs, to make sure people know about them.  We hope that after programs like this people come back on their own and keep enjoying them,” she said.

The PRLT is in their 30^th year as an organization, and has had many exciting new recent developments.  One is their closure on the Randall Orchard preserve.  This is a conservation easement, meaning that although the land is still privately owned by the Randall family the 500 acres will always be protected as farm and forest, and will never be subdivided. 

Their newest preserve is the Millbrook preserve in Westbrook. “What is really exciting about it is that  thanks to the dam being removed on the lower Presumpscot about a decade ago, migratory  alewife now come from the ocean up Millbrook to Highland Lake and spawn,” said Curran Apse.  “Putting a preserve on there and putting in a trail is going to allow people from the region to come and see this amazing migratory fish.”  Although a trail won’t be completed until this summer, a program is planned at the reserve for World Fish Migration Day on Saturday, May 21^st.   

The next PRLT program is a Presumpscot River History Walk at the Gambo Preserve in Gorham on Saturday, March 19^th.  Information about all events can be found on the organizations website, at www.prlt.org

Fast cars and great fun at the annual Pinewood Derby - By Michelle Libby

Ashes to Go at the Windham Post Office on Ash Wednesday - By Michelle Libby

New Grading System Gives insight to work ethics - By Elizabeth Richards

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Fast cars and great fun at the annual Pinewood Derby

Cub Scout Pack 805 held its annual Pinewood Derby, where Scouts from first grade to fifth grade race cars made from a block of wood. Each car has to weigh five ounces, have plastic wheels and fit within certain parameters.

The cars are only limited in design by the imagination of the boy creating it. This year there were many Star Wars themed cars, a hot dog, a police car, thin cars and even a football field. The speeds are clocked by computer, eliminating human confusion.

This year’s winners were first place Alexander Momot, second place Joseph Lopes, third place Calvin Bartz, fourth place Wyatt Richards and fifth place Jacob Spencer.

 

Trophies were also given to best in show for each age group (called a den) and one over all winner.

Top 5 winners are:

Name                                        Time                    Average Speed (mph)

1 - Alexander Momot                6.5590                    215.2

2 - Joseph Lopes                        6.6420                    212.5               

3- Calvin Bartz                          6.6460                    212.4

4 - Wyatt Richards                    6.6850                    211.1

5 - Jacob Spencer                      6.7010                    210.6

Ashes to Go at the Windham Post Office on Ash Wednesday - By Michelle Libby

Everyone has heard of Mardi Gras and Fat Tuesday, but what follows is the 40 days of Lent, a spiritual time to do holy listening, learn about faith and listen to what God is saying. Lent began on Ash Wednesday, and as a spiritual service Rev. Tim Higgins and Deacon Wendy Rozene from St. Ann’s Episcopal Church in Windham administered Ashes to Go in front of the Windham Post Office Wednesday afternoon. This was their fourth year.

“People have busy lives, busy schedules. We’re bringing it to the streets. We’ve had some incredible grace filled moments,” Higgins said. “There’s something about praying on the sidewalk in front of God and nature.”

People stopped to be prayed over and have ashes put on their foreheads. Some drove up in cars because they were too weak to get out and others were not going to be able to make the Wednesday night service. 

“The ashes remind us the importance of each day. Life is impermanent,” said Mary Jo DiBenedetto-Nelson.

“Some people were brand new and saw it in the paper,” said Rozene. “Others are regulars now.”

The pair stood in front of the post office with a table with a “Lent in a bag” which was sand, a person, a candle and a rock, and literature about Lent.

The prophet Joel blew a trumpet as a wake-up call. “Lent is a wake-up call to us,” said Higgins. “We stick out like a sore tooth. It’s startling. It’s a wake-up call that the Lord is near.”

The ashes are the burnt remains of last year’s Palm Sunday palms. For Higgins and Rozene, coming to the people also gives them the opportunity to do some teaching. Some people stop to ask what they were doing.

“It’s a very cool outreach,” Higgins said.

The trend has always been to give something up for Lent, but recently there has been a movement that instead of giving things up, people are taking things on, said Rozene. They look for projects that reflect what priorities are important to them.

New Grading System Gives insight to work ethics - By Elizabeth Richards

Though RSU 14 has been using standards based grading on a 4-point scale for several years now, many of the schools are using a new reporting system called Jump Rope to give parents information about their children’s progress.

“There are lots of different systems popping up and what we are trying to do in RSU 14 is find the one that matches what we believe in and what we want to report out to our community in order to help them understand the curriculum we’re teaching,” said Christine Hesler, director of curriculum, instruction and assessment For RSU 14.

Raymond Elementary School, Jordan Small Middle School, Manchester School and Windham Middle School are all using Jump Rope exclusively at this time.

At Windham Primary School, staff was given a choice to stay with Infinite Campus or try Jump Rope, while knowing that at some point the district might decide that Jump Rope is the program to be used.

“We want a system that’s going to best meet the needs of our students and generate an understandable report card for the parents,” said Dr. Kyle Rhoads, principal at Windham Primary School. “Parents want their children to get a customized learning experience. We want to make sure that whatever we end up doing the report card reflects that.”

Administrators said that the move to Jump Rope has increased the level of transparency in grading. Hesler said that the reports offer more information about a student’s learning, allowing parents to see both areas of strength and areas of weakness that they can help their child with in concrete ways. “Everything that is in the Jump Rope system is what standards and performance indicators that we have decided as an RSU are important for students,” she said. “It also allows us to be very transparent about where children are and where they are heading in the next sequence of their learning.”

Many of the schools have opened the Jump Rope parent portal. With this portal, parents and students can log in at any time to see how a student is progressing, rather than waiting for a printed report card.

The primary school has not opened the parent portal yet. Rhoads said that he supports using the parent portal, but it needs to work in a way that makes sense for parents. “We want to make sure what we’re giving them is easy to understand. If you don’t it could lead to more confusion,” he said.

Trista Collins, who has three children at Windham Middle School, said she has used the portal. She said that while information hasn’t been consistent yet, due to teachers still getting used to it, she knows from attending parent meetings about Jump Rope that this issue is being addressed. “Once the system is fully implemented and being used the same way by all teachers I think it will be very helpful,” she said.

Patin said he is working with staff on consistency, and has clarified his expectation that grades will be entered into Jump Rope at least every two weeks. Teachers will review the information to look for patterns, and reach out with an email or phone call to work with parents on how any issues can be addressed.  He added that discussions with parents helped him realize that although the reporting system provides a nice level of detail, it is no substitute for quality parent-teacher communication.

He said he hopes that they can make up for any downside by having quality communication with parents, involving them in the problem solving process, as well as being able to reach out and praise kids for the work they’ve been doing.

Collins said the report cards give information about areas parents previously would not have seen, and that without explanation these reports would be difficult to understand. She added that it will be important to continue to talk with teachers to be sure parents are correctly interpreting the data they are given.

The district has tried to offer a variety of ways for families to learn about Jump Rope and to give feedback, including a video, posted parent forums and parent meetings.

“Drew Patin has been absolutely phenomenal in providing parents with opportunities to provide feedback and be involved in discussions regarding everything from layout to what this means in conjunction with teacher conferences. The teachers are all new with this program too so we all need to continue to ask questions and work through this together,” said Collins. She stressed the importance of parents utilizing the opportunities offered at the middle school to be sure they can understand the report cards.
In addition to academic information, the reports in Jump Rope cover work habits, including academic responsibility, organization and social responsibility.

“In the past there’s been a lot of emphasis on purely grades,” said Patin. He said work habits are helpful in determining if someone is workplace ready. For instance, a student receiving ones and twos in organization might not be able to keep up with workplace expectations. “We want to bring those more to the top. Usually there’s a correlation. If a student isn’t doing well in some of the academic areas, that usually can match up with the habits of work,” he said.

Although grades K-3 will still receive printed report cards, now that the parent portals are open Manchester School and the middle school levels will only be printing them upon request. “It’s not about cleaning the slate at the end of the trimester, it’s about building on and showing a progression of learning,” said Patin. “Think of it as an open grade book for the entire year.” He said that parents can log on to see information anytime, and they are also working to make accessing this information part of the student’s day.

If parents want a printed copy, they can call and specify the level of detail they are interested in. “We don’t want to have [lack of] access to the Internet or technology at home to be a barrier to knowing how their child’s doing,” said Patin.

Hesler said the system is used to inform instruction as well as to report progress. Teachers are able to see which piece of the information the children didn’t get, she said, and give accurate, targeted instruction in that area instead of simply moving on.

If families have questions on the new report cards, or need information or assistance in using the Jump Rope system, they should talk with their building administrator.

Family of SS Pendleton survivor gathers to watch "The Finest Hours" By Elizabeth Richards

Kindness Week at Manchester School ends with a celebration and a dash of color - By Michelle Libby

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Kindness Week at Manchester School ends with a celebration and a dash of color - By Michelle Libby

Last Friday over 400 students at Manchester School in Windham celebrated kindness at an assembly featuring skits, speeches and the introduction of a color run to take place in the spring. 

“The best part was last year fourth grade students approached Mrs. Weatherbee to start an anti-bullying club,” said principal Danielle Donnini. The team worked to create the name Team Kindness and met at lunch recess to plan activities. The group consists of approximately 30 fourth and fifth graders. 

 “It has evolved from September into today,” said guidance counselor Jessica Weatherbee. “One little idea can turn into something this huge,” she told the audience of fourth and fifth graders. 

On Friday, some of the team put on kindness skits showing how to be nice to someone who gets tripped or drops their books. 

The whole week was dedicated to doing something to help others. “They want to expand kindness throughout the whole school,” said Weatherbee. “We want to create a culture of kindness in the building.”

The whole school, led by the chorus, sang a kindness song about “reach out your kind-hearted hand.” All of it part of The Great Kindness Challenge, an online program that encourages schools to devote one week to performing as many acts of kindness as possible, choosing from a 50 item checklist. The items vary from smile at 25 people to walk a dog or cat. 

 

The school also held a door contest on way to show kindness. Many of the classrooms had interactive doors that had quotes and special touches to show and give suggestions on ways to be kind. One door was made to look like an iPhone with apps for kindness, for example Kindness Watchers (Weight Watchers), Teamwork, KindFlix (Netflix), FriendBook and InstaKind. 

Student Adrianna Libby said her favorite app was Stand up. “It’s about standing up for yourself.”

Donnini declared that everyone won the contest because it’s all about kindness and everyone wins when it comes to kindness. 

Donnini quoted Ellen DeGeneres, “I just think that kindness is something we should all have…We need more of that out there.” 

“This week reminded us just a little bit about how we want to be,” said Weatherbee. During the week the students were asked to bring in a food item for the Windham Food Pantry for the privilege of breaking dress code and wearing a hat in school. With a two day notice the school rallied and brought in 283 items to donate. 

The also held themed dress up days like “tied together with kindness” where kids wore curly ribbon and bow or neck ties, “crazy for kindness” where they wore mismatched clothes and the “dreaming of kindness” where the students wore pajamas. 

The students made iMovie videos about what kindness means to them and they continued talk about “creating a chain reaction,” which they learned about in Rachel’s Challenge. 

The Kindness Team has been meeting twice a month and according to Weatherbee, “the students are teaching and guiding me” about what they want to accomplish. 

“I’ve seen so much kindness and I know this is going to continue,” said vice principal Kristal Vargo-Ward. 

Weatherbee also announced that Mrs. Carle’s class will be organizing a color run as their Community Day project. Manchester hosts a community day every year to celebrate each class doing a year-long project to benefit something in the community. The color run will be a one or two mile, untimed race. Weatherbee, Vargo-Ward and gifted and talented teacher Jennifer Breton volunteered to demonstrate how the color run would work, with students tossing a colored chalk-like substance on their white shirts creating a colorful art piece. The color run is scheduled for April 10^th.