After a short break, Benton Elementary students are back in the driver's seat of their learning! Students and staff wore their new MSAD 49 Bulldog shirts, a reminder of what it means to "Learn Like a Bulldog." Tiffany Lerette's Kindergarteners MADE CONNECTIONS to the text, Abiyoyo, by creating a village of people and writing letters to warn villagers about the giant coming to their village. They also PERSEVERED when digging through buckets of letters and pictures to find correct matches to create ornaments. First graders in Danielle Merciers' class got CURIOUS while learning about Christmas celebrations around the world. Second graders in Emily Hachey's class were REFLECTIVE by thinking back about their writing goals and considering what they can do to improve their future writing. Kori Whited's fourth graders were also REFLECTIVE as they self-assessed and set learning goals for the month of December. Our students are showing what it means to LEARN like BULLDOGS!
Gingerbread House Made with Library Love.
Judy King, of Unity, Maine, has been making gingerbread houses for more than forty years. She gifted Lawrence Junior High School and the community with a Lawrence Public Library gingerbread house to share her joy with others. Debra Butterfield, teacher librarian, is new to MSAD #49 this year. On the day of her interview, she visited the Lawrence Public Library and was in awe of the gem. She believes her job is to promote students being library patrons at school and in the community. The gingerbread house will be delivered to Lawrence Public Library on Friday, December 20 for viewing. Please visit the Lawrence Junior High School website for more information about the gingerbread house artist and the history of Lawrence Public Library.
🏑Three students headed to participate in Division I and II college sports “signed” their National Letters of Intent in a brief ceremony held in the Library on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, at 3:00 PM. The students are: Addison Battis, Elizabeth Holden, and Madisyn Niles. Addison will be heading to Southern New Hampshire University to play Field Hockey and major in Psychology with a concentration in Childhood and Adolescent Development. Madisyn Niles will attend Merrimack College to play Field Hockey and major in Business. Elizabeth Holden is headed to Le Moyne College to play Golf and major in Aerospace Engineering. Congratulations to the girls on their athletic accomplishments, as well as their academic excellence and the prospect of taking it to the next level as they pursue their dreams.
🎭The Lawrence Theatre Company will be performing Mamma Mia! this week with opening night on Thursday, 12/5 at 7:00 PM, Friday night at 7:00, and Saturday, 12/7 at 3:00 PM. Please come to see the talent our students have and support them. Please give them the thrill of performing before a packed house!
🏅The National Honor Society Induction Ceremony will be held on Monday, December 9th at 6:00 PM in the Williamson Center. The National Honor Society is a highly selective honor society for students nationwide. We will be inducting 18 new members on Monday evening. All are welcome to attend.
⚽During the Community Advisory on Wednesday, both our Boys and Girls Soccer Teams were presented with the Soccer Officials’ Sportsmanship banners for this past soccer season. This is a great recognition as it is from the Central Maine Soccer Officials group who selected each of our teams as the teams that demonstrated the best sportsmanship over the entire season. Congratulations!
🖼️Mrs. Beaulieu’s Life Skills class has been making crafts for the Craft Fair at Benton Elementary School this coming Saturday.
🎶The Instrumental Band Holiday Concert will be coming up on Wednesday, December 18 at 6:30 PM in the Williamson Performing Arts Center. Please come out to support the grades 7-12 band students and get into the holiday spirit on the 18th!
📋Please check out the Bulldog Bulletin for pictures and updates of other goings-on at the high school this past week. It will be out on Friday.
Have a great week!
Fourth, fifth, and sixth graders from Clinton Elementary enjoyed a movie outing to see Lost on a Mountain in Maine, after reading the true story of Don Fendler’s adventure in the Maine woods. In Mr. Mercier's class, students participated in a survival skills activity where they worked in groups to determine which items were most essential for survival. Through discussion and resolving disagreements, they reflected on how each item could help in both their own survival and Don Fendler's. This activity emphasized the importance of teamwork, critical thinking, and problem-solving.
In PreK at Albion, Mrs. Fields and Mrs. Rackliff’s students created Thankful Thanksgiving Turkeys, drawing pictures of the things they’re grateful for. Their colorful artwork included depictions of family, pumpkins, acorns, themselves, soda for Thanksgiving, and much more! This creative activity helped young learners reflect on the importance of gratitude and the spirit of the season.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Everyone loves a parade! During the month of November, fourth graders at Benton Elementary have been learning about the history of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and crafting their own balloons to float over Benton’s Broadway!
After reading Balloons Over Broadway, by Melissa Sweet, students worked with teacher-librarian Amanda Delorie to define the problems Tony Sarg - the puppeteer of the early parade - was trying to solve with his massive balloons. After that, students continued the Engineering Design Process with technology teacher, Lydia Fortunato, identifying the criteria for a successful balloon and the limits of their resources. Students then brainstormed the animals they would like to depict in balloon form, learned how to use databases to research their chosen animal, and programmed robots to guide their balloons through the parade route. Perseverance came into play as students collaborated to construct, test, and complete their balloons, in addition to programming dance routines and filming their creations on our parade route.
We look forward to sharing their whole parade with you!
In the LJHS Library, students had the chance to write heartfelt thank-you notes to those they appreciate, whether it's a classmate, friend, family member, or staff member. Over 200 cards were filled with gratitude, fostering a sense of community and connection. As one student shared, "Creating these cards made me feel good about myself," while a staff member said, "I’m going to post my card in my room. It reminds me that I make a difference." These notes highlight the power of appreciation in building a positive and supportive school environment.
We've certainly made the most of this short week! The Olympia Snowe Girls Group met, we hosted the annual Bulldog Classic basketball tournament, sponsored by Kennebec Tool Rental, and our Upward Bound partners from UMF had a meeting with students. Josten's also held an assembly for senior cap and gowns, and we distributed over 25 donated gift cards to help provide Thanksgiving meals to those in our community. Additionally, our LEAP program baked holiday breads to sell to staff presented an overview of their program to the School Board, and planned, prepared, and enjoyed a community Thanksgiving meal.
At Albion Elementary, Mr. Plaisted is teaching Mrs. Bearce’s Kindergarteners the fundamentals of soccer, focusing on ball control. This valuable lesson helps young learners build coordination, teamwork, and motor skills, setting the foundation for both physical and social growth while instilling confidence and a love for active play.
Last week, third-grade students at Clinton Elementary worked on the second module of the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Into Reading Writing Workshop curriculum. They wrote letters to their future selves, focusing on their goals and dreams. Inspired by discussions about famous role models and the importance of a growth mindset, students studied letter-writing elements before drafting, revising, editing, and publishing their letters. The excitement of imagining their future selves reading the letters brought smiles to both the students and their teacher.
This fall, Benton Elementary partnered with Colby College's Education Department to develop assemblies for our students. Colby research students and Colby Education Department Head, Adam Howard, met with our administration and guidance team and then carefully planned these interactive assemblies for grades one through six.
On November 14 & 15, this team of research students - along with many other Colby students - visited our school and spent time with our students. Their engaging activities focused on language, technology, and acceptance.
A huge thank you to the team of Colby students who planned and facilitated these assemblies. Our Bulldogs learned that school is a safer and happier place when we communicate with each other and celebrate our differences.
Students at Lawrence Junior High celebrate academic success for the quarter 1 academic achievement. Students and staff participated in a Flip, Rock, Paper, Scissors Challenge and competed in a school wide trivia challenge. Students were then recognized in a school wide assembly for honors, high honors, and perfect attendance for quarter 1.
LHS Good News, 11/20/24
📚KVCC was on campus on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, for their “Admit in a Day” event whereby they accepted 9 Lawrence High School seniors for college to begin next fall. Congratulations to those students!
🏫A Mitchell Scholarship representative will be here at LHS on December 12, 2024. They will help students with the application process and talk with interested students about what is needed to complete their application and what opportunities it provides. Every Maine High School is given at least one scholarship. The message to the students is that this is well worth looking into and if interested, they need to sign up in the Guidance Office to be able to meet with the representative on the 12th.
💸JMG raised over $600 for the backpack program and Christmas for Teens in their annual Penny Wars drive.
NHS coordinated the Craft Fair held on November 2nd and raised $1348.50 which they then donated to the Red Cross for Hurricane Relief. The Craft Fair was a success and thank you to the National Honor Society members for their work and selflessness in raising the funds for hurricane relief.
🏅Broden Foster, Zack Hill, Liz Holden, and Ryan Lea received KVAC All-Academic Awards. Congratulations! As I get updated information on the other Varsity fall sports teams, I will pass those recipient’s names along, as well. The Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference (KVAC) recognizes those members of Varsity teams who have earned all B’s or higher during each sport season.
The following MMTC students have been recognized as November Students of the Month: Bianca Wright - Criminal Justice, Adian Veilleux - Information Technology, and John Ouellette - Mass Media Communications.
The following MMTC students were recognized with the quarterly Work Performance Award: Trafton Cole - Automotive Systems, Hailey Davis - Crime Investigation Criminology, Gavin Mushero - CTE Academy, Kaileigh Clowry - Early Childhood, Keenan McLain - Electrical I, and Johnna Douin - Electrical II. Congratulations on this recognition!
One final recognition to the following students who attended a KVAC Leadership Group Summit hosted by Edward Little High School and the KVAC on October 28, 2024: Jillian Boyden, Hannah Carlton, Chandler Firmage, Dawson Moore, Trevor Pellerin, Madalyn Provost, and Ashley Shores.
🎬Upcoming Event at LHS - Mamma Mia!, will be performed by the Lawrence High School Theatre troupe. Performances will take place at the Williamson Auditorium on the nights of December 5th and 6th at 7:00 PM and December 7th at 3:00 PM.
Mrs. Cloutier’s class in Albion had a creative day in art with Mrs. Bolduc, making colorful turkeys inspired by the color wheel! This fun project not only enhances their artistic skills but also deepens their understanding of color theory, encouraging creativity and self-expression.
Mrs. Morris' Wellness classes tackle the climbing wall at LJHS, embracing the challenge and fostering teamwork! Climbing not only builds physical strength but also boosts confidence and resilience, highlighting the importance of stepping outside our comfort zones.
At Clinton Elementary, Mrs. Larrabee's class is diving into Friends and Families! We're exploring kindness, learning to care for babies, and building houses through art and creativity. Thanks for stopping by to see our busy learning in action!
Our Benton Bulldogs have been on the move! Last week, our Kindergarteners and first graders enjoyed a live performance of "Elephant and Piggie" at the Waterville Opera House. Our third graders traveled to the Strand Theater to see the newly released movie, "Lost on a Mountain in Maine." Our fourth graders have been reading Don Fendler's memoir, and they will head to Skowhegan to view his story on the big screen at the end of November.
LHS Good News, 11/13/24
The Bulldog Bulletin (https://secure.smore.com/n/s0wfv) is a weekly newsletter published on Fridays by Mr. Cyr. Please subscribe to keep up with Bulldog news and events.
We recognized our October Students of the Month at a community homeroom held last week. Students of the Month are nominated and voted among the faculty. Congratulations to the following students on being named October Students of the Month: Senior - Ronnie Allen, Junior - Romona McDonald, Sophomore - Melanie Thompson, and Freshman - Kaleb Clement. We also recognized October Citizenship Awards to students for being solid school citizens. Moving forward, the award recipients for the Citizenship Award will be nominated and voted on by their fellow students. October Citizenship Awards went to: Senior - Taylor Levesque, Junior - Ashley Shores, Sophomore - Emma Spaulding, and Freshman - Evan Bowers.
The Football team will be playing Falmouth at Cony High School on Friday night for the Regional Finals with a 7:00 PM kick off! Please come and support the Bulldogs!
A STEM Mini-grant of $360.00 has been awarded to Jason Bellner for classroom supplies for his STEM classes by JMG. Congratulations to Mr. Bellner on receiving that award.
We were the host site for the American Choral Directors’ Association’s (ACDA) Choral Festival of surrounding member schools who came and performed in the Williamson Auditorium during the day on Wednesday, 11/13/24. It was a good prelude to what we’ll be hearing during our winter concerts which will be coming up in December for Band and January for the Choral groups.
Here is a picture of the high school chorus performance from Wednesday.
Benton Elementary Bulldogs are in the driver’s seat of their learning! Our district elementary team has been working hard to identify the qualities we want our students to have to improve their ability to learn. These are life skills that are important for success in school and in the world. We collectively decided a Bulldog Learner is curious, makes connections, takes risks, is reflective, and perseveres. We also agree that students self-monitoring their levels of engagement is a huge component of learning. We want our students to "drive their learning," which means setting goals, asking for feedback, and self-assessing. All of our students have learned about these ideas, and teachers are finding ways to integrate them into students' everyday learning activities. This week we celebrated "Learning Like a Bulldog" by giving all our students an MSAD 49 Bulldog t-shirt, specially designed for this occasion. We hope students wear it with pride and will tell you what it means to "Learn Like a Bulldog!"
At Clinton our staff and students are leading the way in their learning journey! With perseverance, curiosity, and a strong work ethic, we’re proud to be a hard-working, supportive School Family. And we’re even more excited to show our Bulldog pride in our new tees!
