RSU14 enriches the lives of its special education students by taking them downhill - By Michelle Libby

Last Monday was one of the best days of the season at Shawnee Peak. For 11 students in the Adaptive Ski Program sponsored by Shawnee Peak, this was the last day of their 7-week program and they were all headed to Rabbit Run. This was the first slope they had tried that had a chair lift.  

“Anne Blake is the RSU 14 physical therapist who makes this great program happen—of course along with the RSU 14 Special Education Teachers and Educational Technicians,” said Phil Potenziano, director for student services at RSU14.

The program got new life in the RSU four years ago when physical therapist Blake agreed to take the program over. Students at Windham Middle School, Jordan-Small Middle School and Windham High School who are involved in the Life skills and in the Autism programs hit the slopes on Mondays for two and a half hours. 

The program is paid for by the special education department at RSU14. “It’s really inexpensive for what they get,” said Blake. For the 7-weeks, including volunteers and rentals, a lift ticket and use of the lodge, the cost is $50 per student. 

 “It’s not just about the skiing. It’s about ethics, behavior and posture. They put on the equipment and it’s a multi-faceted life skill,” said Blake. “We’re doing more than going down the mountain.”  

“You get addicted to [the program],” said volunteer Maureen McDevitt. She and her skier Annie sang songs all the way up the chair lift. McDevitt started volunteering after volunteer Beverly Bears told her that she had an opportunity for her. Bears volunteers four times a week and has a full-time job. McDevitt never looked back.

 “It gets these kids out in the fresh air. It’s physical activity and socialization. Doctors have said a lot of these kids have improved balance greatly since starting this program,” said co-director Charles Scribner. “Before kids like this were institutionalized and never had the opportunity.” The other director, who was also supervising, is Ross Graham. 

For the most part, the program is one-to-one with one adult volunteer or education technician. Shawnee Peak provides seven or eight volunteers, depending on the day. The students use adaptive ski equipment with tethers, cords and metal links tying the skis together and helmets.   

The students all started on the magic carpet slope that uses a conveyer belt to move the skiers to the top of a small hill.

The goals of the program are to be independent, have fun and stay safe,” said Scribner. 

“The non-skiers are invaluable,” Blake said of the two staff members who attended the program to help the skiers on and off the chairlift as well as assist with equipment issues. 

Al Curns is retired, has been a skier for 65 years and he spends five days a week at the mountain volunteering his time. “It’s nice if you can get the same kids. Every kid is different. We strive for the best they can be,” Curns said. 

“I liked fun and being outside, and a day off from school,” said Ben Silva, 13, from Windham Middle School. 

Shawnee Peak’s Adaptive Ski Program sees 16 different groups Monday through Friday, with three groups each day. The non-profit sees 100 skiers from elementary school to adults who take advantage of the program. Ten to 13 volunteers supplement the school departments that can’t find enough adults to ski with the students. 

Although no one used one from RSU14, the program also has a bi-ski for wheelchair bound skiers in addition to the other adaptive equipment. 

Ginger Whiteside, 14, from Windham High School said her favorite part was “taking the boots off at the end of the day,” but then stood in front of the group and said, “This year I had so much fun. Last year I was scared.” 

Volunteer Glenn Yale joined the program two years ago. Some of the skiers are apprehensive, but we tell them “I won’t let you get hurt. It’s about building up trust,” he said. “I’m thankful for the program.” 

“At first it was pretty scary, but then it turned out to be okay,” said Cameron Malone, 13, from Windham Middle School, who said his favorite part of skiing was the chair lift. 

Not all of the students stayed on the Rabbit Run, choosing to head to the top of the mountain to show off their skills. 

Fifteen-year-old Lucas Maloney-Spiller from Windham High School had a fun ski day. “We went all the way to the top. We had the best time. We laughed. I hit jumps,” he said. He has been involved in the program for two or three years and said that he gets better every year. The best part of skiing for him, “Going all the way to the top to see the mountains and the view.” 

The program at Shawnee Peak is 25 years old, said Scribner. “Most of these kids look forward to coming,” he added. Some students continue to ski after the program is over. “I’m sorry that most won’t have an opportunity to do it on their own.”

The program has one large fundraiser each year, The Moose Pond Half Marathon and 5K. The proceeds go to scholarships and awards. This year at the program pizza party, the students received a T-shirt that matched the theme of the season “Pushing the Limit”. The shirts said, “I pushed the limits – Shawnee Peak Adaptive Ski Program 2015.” 

“We measure the progress with smiles here,” Curns said. 

The next adventure for these students is getting ready for the Special Olympics swim meet April 3 and then the Special Olympics track meet at Bonny Eagle on May 1. This year they will also attend the state meet at Orono from June 5 to 7.

School Board crunches the numbers to reconfigure the Cost Sharing Formula - By Michelle Libby

After months of working through the data and many meetings, the RSU14 School Board has begun having public hearings and laying out the plan for adjusting the Cost Sharing Formula between Raymond and Windham. 
 

When the communities consolidated in 2009, it was determined that the cost sharing would be based on the prior three-year average of the additional local-only funding. The percentages were 55 percent for Windham and 45 percent for Raymond. The Windham High School debt would be based on a two-year enrollment of Raymond students.

In the fall a subcommittee was created called the cost sharing committee with two Raymond members and two Windham members. The numbers were compared to numbers that were estimated out based on how much the two towns would have paid for educating the youth in that community if the RSU had not been created.

The new proposal is based on the State valuation of each town. Windham’s valuation is $1,772,075,000. Raymond’s is $1,003,150,000. When figured out the percentages were 64 percent and 36 percent. Windham having the larger percentage because it is larger. It is that 64 percent and 36 percent split that also was figured by averaging the number of students in each community. 

The new cost sharing method will be phased in over three years with Windham’s cost per $250,000 home ending up in 2018 at $51 total. Raymond’s portion based on the same $250,000 home would decrease $90. The amount that Windham and Raymond are splitting with this formula applies only to the money that exceeds the amount the State of Maine pays through Essential Programs and Services (EPS) and Windham-Raymond Adult Education. 

Debt service, on new construction that does not change the footprint of a building, would then be paid for with the 64/36 formula, for example if a boiler went at Jordan-Small Middle School, the RSU would fix it. If the new construction changes the footprint of a building the town the construction is in would take on the debt for that building. Any debt that was acquired before the consolidation would stay with that town, except for the Windham High School construction. Raymond agreed to pay according to a percentage of students anticipated would attend WHS. With the new plan, if a student from Raymond attends Windham Middle School and a new school is built, Raymond would pay 1/635 of the cost.    

“The high school was built for 1,300 students instead of the 1,100 students that Windham had,” said Assistant Superintendent Donn Davis. 

Public hearings have been held in Windham and Raymond with another planned for March 18 before the final vote on March 25. 

In Raymond, Joe Brown of Raymond addressed the school board. “I appreciate you going and reconfiguring. Still in the next three years Raymond is paying more than they should,” he said. He finished with “Congratulations on coming back with something workable.” 

Robert Faye of Raymond supports the new cost sharing proposal. “I encourage the Town of Raymond to suspend the disbanding of the RSU,” he said. 

The final vote for the cost sharing formula will be on March 25 at Windham High School Performing Arts Center. The vote will be a show of hands vote. The vote will be at 6 p.m., but there will be a review of the plan starting at 5:30 p.m.

Tuesday night, Superintendent Sandy Prince and Davis spoke to the Windham Town Council to explain the formula. In 2019, the school board will look back to the state valuation, take a three year average and then could create the formula for the official cost sharing numbers. 

Councilman Robert Muir was concerned about the turn out for the public hearing and the lack of polling time on March 25. “I want to have open polls at more times,” he said. 

School board chair Marge Govoni said “We would have hoped for more [people]. When people are content they tend to stay home.”  She added that by statute the vote on the plan had to be around March 25 to get it in this year’s budget. She wanted to stress how much work and support has gone into this plan. “I don’t think we could have communicated it any better. I’m very grateful for the amount of feedback from the public.”

REAL School students hit the road for sevice learning - By Elizabeth Richards

Real school students and staff embarked on two separate journeys this week to wrap up two service learning projects students have undertaken this year.
 

Nine students, two staff members, an Americorps volunteer, and a parent volunteer rose early Saturday morning to begin their service learning trip to the Dominican Republic. The group will stay at a mission in La Romana and work in “bateys” in the sugar fields while they are there. In these makeshift villages, students will build water filtration systems for the Haitian refugees living and working there. Additionally, students will help doctors and nurses from the Good Samaritan Hospital in providing basic medical care to the batey communities.

The school year found students preparing for the trip in a variety of ways. “We have been learning Spanish and learning about the culture, and the government and how the bio-sand filters work to purify the water,” said Curtis Arnold, a junior from Portland. “It will be cool to get there and experience everything that we have been learning about!" 

 
Staff member Bear Shea, LCSW said the trip allows students to experience international cultures and give back in an authentic way. In addition, he said, “It also provides them with a unique space to reflect on their own lives, their own communities, and the strengths they have to offer."

Emily Denbow, a senior from Windham, said she is grateful for the opportunity, and prepared to give as much as she can to the often overlooked people in the bateys. “You aren't helpless in your own situation, and you are not helpless when it comes to making a change,” she said. “Doing things like this trip opens up this whole new world of "what else can I do?” 

This year marks the seventh year that students from the REAL School have worked with the mission in La Romana. 

Another team of students and staff left on Tuesday for Washington DC, to deliver the products of their Veterans’ History Project to the Library of Congress. This is a project the REAL school has been involved in for more than a decade. Each year, students interview veterans to capture their stories in video documentaries. They then bring these videos to the Library of Congress, where they are archived as part of the official history of the United States. “When I was in school, I had to read about our country's history - our kids are actually creating history,” said REAL School Principal Pender Makin.

Service Learning is an integral part of the curriculum at the REAL School. According to Makin, these projects allow students to learn and practice cross-curricular concepts and skills. “We work hard to make sure that the products of their academic work have authentic value beyond the classroom,” she said. 

The projects are important in another way as well. Many students at the school have never been given the opportunity to use, or even recognize, the gifts they have within themselves, said Makin. “It's an honor for all of us at REAL School to provide these service learning expeditions that allow students to reach way outside of their comfort zones to impact the world in positive ways. This is life-changing work - for our students and for the communities and individuals they serve.”

A journal entry from one of the students:

"In America, we are separated by all sorts of things; social hierarchies, facial features, body types, clothing, beliefs, and most obviously, technology. While poverty is definitely not unheard of, we have malls, an array of foods, entertainment and opportunities everywhere we turn our eyes to. Generally, necessities are a given, to the point where things that are truly not necessities have become so. In the Dominican, the men and boys will set off into the fields to work under the scorching sun for the equivalent of pennies. Women and girls – many of whom are mothers between the ages of thirteen and sixteen – will stay behind and tend to the children and homemaker tasks. They will keep clean their house the size of your garage, which will averagely house eight people. They will fill buckets of dirty water for themselves and the children; cook a meager meal over hot coals in the already boiling heat, hand-wash and hang the pair or two of clothes they have and watch over the swarm of children running free about the batey." - Emily

Babb's Bridge has re-opened earlier than originally anticipated - By Michelle Libby

Despite the State of Maine DOT telling local legislators that repairs to Babb’s Bridge wouldn’t happen until late spring or June, the work to make the bridge safe was completed and the bridge was reopened on February 27. 
 

The bridge was damaged in a hit and run accident in February. 

“The three legislators met with Dale Doughty…and explained that’s not going to be acceptable. We need to get this done,” said local senator Bill Diamond. 

The first priority was to make the bridge serviceable and to certify that the safety of the structure was sound. There are no new restrictions on the bridge. 

“I think the lull in the weather certainly played into [getting the repairs done early],” said town manager Tony Plante. “I’ve already heard from people who use the bridge on a regular basis that they appreciate it, too.” 

“They went out of their way to get this done,” said Diamond. “We are winners all the way around.”

The fixes were not historically accurate and that will need to be addressed going forward. Diamond said, that the state didn’t commit financially to the historical restoration, but they offered to be a part of the committee that works on that part of the bridge.