Thursday, October 20, 2011
Retrospective show features Millonzi
Advertiser Democrat
Oct 06, 2011 12:00 am
by Julie DiFazio
by Julie DiFazio
NORWAY — "The Journey," a Retrospective Art Show by Nikki Millonzi, is on display at the Norway Savings Bank Operations Center, 356 Main Street in Norway.
“The Journey” can be seen during the month of October and includes a dozen pieces created over a span of 27 years at Nikki’s studio on Pikes Hill. Her self portrait was her first adult framed piece and it was done in the early '70s under the tutelage of Lajos Matolsky, a well known artist and teacher. Nikki worked with Lajos for two years and then studied with Jean Randall of Otisfield, another gifted printmaker, artist and mentor.
“Requiem for Clara, a Good Laying Hen” was another early work from this period. Gradually her work became bolder and included collage as a technique. She often created things, then tore them up and collaged them back together to make something new. “Rainbow Warrior,” a collage expressing outrage over the treatment of native Americans at Big Mountain, is included in the show.
For three years Lisa Moore and Nikki collaborated, melding poetry and images in the form of poster calendars. As part of this series, they collaborated on the Millennial Quilt – each of the quilt’s squares were made into a month for the 2000 calendar. About this same time, the town of Norway commissioned Nikki to create the artistic map of the downtown area that is on display at the kiosk across the street from the Service Center.
As a founder of the Commons Art Collective at Fare Share Co-op, Nikki organized The Art Doll Collaboration. This was a year long project with a dozen artists each starting an artist doll, then sending it along to another artist who worked on it for a month before sending it along to the next person. This resulted in a wonderful show at the Collective gallery, and Nikki’s piece “My Hoose” is part of the retrospective.
Most recently Nikki has been intrigued with the “Touch Printing” process and making prints generally. “The Gates of Winter” was done this past winter incorporating those prints into a composite piece.
Everyone is invited to visit the Norway Saving Bank Operations Center at 356 Main Street to view the diverse works, ranging from the whimsical to the sublime - expressions created over nearly three decades of working in Norway. These art shows are hosted by Norway Savings Bank and are organized by the Western Maine Art Group.
For more information or comments, please contact Nikki at nikkimillonzi@gmail.com.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Breaking a Record
By Crissy Lewis
How easy is it to break a school record? Apparently for Tyler Pelletier, at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School (OHCHS) it was pretty easy. Pelletier just beat the school’s record for race-walking, and he is going to be competing in the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference (KVAC) and States.
Race-walking is a foot race, obviously, but it’s different than running. When you are race-walking you need to make sure you always have one foot on the ground, unlike running where that doesn’t matter. Race walking can be a little uncomfortable because “you have to push up with your heel,” Pelletier says, and after awhile your shins can start hurting.
Pelletier joined the track team when he was in 7th grade. That year he began race-walking also. After that year, he decided to drop race-walking and concentrate more on the other events he was in. In his sophomore year he picked up the event again and made it to the KVACs. Ever since then he has been competing. Training has been a big thing with Pelletier. He’s had to train to get better and faster to beat his opponents. Pelletier had the chance to meet and talk with the Maranacook track coach Tuesday at their meet where the coach gave him some advice on his race-walking. He told him to lengthen his strides and to lower his shoulders.
The previous record, held by Josh Grenier in 2005, was 8:02. This year in 2011, Pelletier broke the record with a significant difference with a 7:20. Not only does he compete in race-walking, but he also does the 400 meter and the 4X4 relay here at OHCHS.
Tyler Pelletier is a senior at OHCHS and has been working hard to get ready for the KVAC and States. He says, “I’ve worked on my form and pushing myself harder.” The KVAC meet is next Saturday, May 28, at Morse High School, and the States is going to be held at Windham High School on June 4th. Pelletier is now ranked 1st in KVACs and 3rd in States.
How easy is it to break a school record? Apparently for Tyler Pelletier, at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School (OHCHS) it was pretty easy. Pelletier just beat the school’s record for race-walking, and he is going to be competing in the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference (KVAC) and States.
Race-walking is a foot race, obviously, but it’s different than running. When you are race-walking you need to make sure you always have one foot on the ground, unlike running where that doesn’t matter. Race walking can be a little uncomfortable because “you have to push up with your heel,” Pelletier says, and after awhile your shins can start hurting.
Pelletier joined the track team when he was in 7th grade. That year he began race-walking also. After that year, he decided to drop race-walking and concentrate more on the other events he was in. In his sophomore year he picked up the event again and made it to the KVACs. Ever since then he has been competing. Training has been a big thing with Pelletier. He’s had to train to get better and faster to beat his opponents. Pelletier had the chance to meet and talk with the Maranacook track coach Tuesday at their meet where the coach gave him some advice on his race-walking. He told him to lengthen his strides and to lower his shoulders.
The previous record, held by Josh Grenier in 2005, was 8:02. This year in 2011, Pelletier broke the record with a significant difference with a 7:20. Not only does he compete in race-walking, but he also does the 400 meter and the 4X4 relay here at OHCHS.
Tyler Pelletier is a senior at OHCHS and has been working hard to get ready for the KVAC and States. He says, “I’ve worked on my form and pushing myself harder.” The KVAC meet is next Saturday, May 28, at Morse High School, and the States is going to be held at Windham High School on June 4th. Pelletier is now ranked 1st in KVACs and 3rd in States.
Monday, May 23, 2011
OHCHS tells it's tale
Norway and South Paris, the biggest rivalry in the county. In the 1950's the Norway Rams and the South Paris Cardinals, each their own respective high schools, were cross town rivals that one could walk to and from within fifteen minutes. When 1961 came around the two rivals joined forces and became one mega school. Why might they do such a thing? The state wanted the smaller schools to consolidate and form one school to improve course offerings. By 1967, all the towns joined the new high school, which include; Norway, South Paris, Oxford, West Paris, Hebron, Harrison, and Otisfield.
The name for the school was widely debated on. Some wanted Hanible Hamlin High School, and the others Pleasant Valley High School. Until one man thought of something different, these were the ones to be voted on. One man did though. He mentioned Oxford Hills High School, and the committee lost their marbles. When voted on, it was a sure fire winner. The colors of the school and the mascot was also an issue. They can't favor blue or red because those were the colors of the old schools. The furthest off of those colors were green and gold, and since Norway had a history of Scandinavian settlers they decided to have the mascot of the school the Vikings. An intimidating name to say the least since they were ruthless on the battlefield.
The first athletes who wanted to put on Viking jerseys for the first time could play football, field hockey, cross country running and golf in the fall. Basketball, wrestling, skiing and gymnastics in the winter. Softball, baseball and track in the spring. Later in the years gymnastics was cut and soccer was put in place. Then lacross, hockey and tennis followed.
Oxford Hills had it's own technical school in the years previous to 1998. Kids would take a bus over to Vocational Region 11 and learn their classes their. When 1998 came around, the school was bigger and had access rooms, so they combined the two locations and the Comprehensive part of the school came into play.
Some fun facts about the school is that it is shaped as a dog. The first principal of the school was Kieth Cunningham. Some alumni of the first graduating class of the new school refer to the class as "going to different high schools together".
The name for the school was widely debated on. Some wanted Hanible Hamlin High School, and the others Pleasant Valley High School. Until one man thought of something different, these were the ones to be voted on. One man did though. He mentioned Oxford Hills High School, and the committee lost their marbles. When voted on, it was a sure fire winner. The colors of the school and the mascot was also an issue. They can't favor blue or red because those were the colors of the old schools. The furthest off of those colors were green and gold, and since Norway had a history of Scandinavian settlers they decided to have the mascot of the school the Vikings. An intimidating name to say the least since they were ruthless on the battlefield.
The first athletes who wanted to put on Viking jerseys for the first time could play football, field hockey, cross country running and golf in the fall. Basketball, wrestling, skiing and gymnastics in the winter. Softball, baseball and track in the spring. Later in the years gymnastics was cut and soccer was put in place. Then lacross, hockey and tennis followed.
Oxford Hills had it's own technical school in the years previous to 1998. Kids would take a bus over to Vocational Region 11 and learn their classes their. When 1998 came around, the school was bigger and had access rooms, so they combined the two locations and the Comprehensive part of the school came into play.
Some fun facts about the school is that it is shaped as a dog. The first principal of the school was Kieth Cunningham. Some alumni of the first graduating class of the new school refer to the class as "going to different high schools together".
Friday, May 20, 2011
Creative Read -a- thon
At the Norway Public Library on a cold and rainy Wednesday night, students 
from Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School brightened up the town. Mrs. Chodosh's period 3 and 6 classes came up with their own pieces to read to a small crowd of family and friends. These pieces ranged from short little lyrics, long rants and stories, and songs played and sung on guitar. Funny, serious, inspiring and a bit creepy, all pieces were read aloud and were followed with a round of applause. Not all pieces were hand written though, one reader chose to speak her mind through a quote from a famous book called "Waiting for Alaska."
Although the reading was simple, the overall impact is much larger.
"It's more than just writing and sharing pieces. This is a Library. It's a real life setting. It adds another layer to the writing experience when students have to read their pieces to the public," Ms. Chodosh said.
Thirty pieces of original writing was read by twenty students. Group readings, which consisted of a class reading one poem line-by-line, was a different approach to reading aloud.
"I liked that these poems were experimental," said Chodosh. We needed more time to practice and make the poems better, but the point was we did them anyway." The group readings just as well as the individually read pieces. However, some pieces were read not performed. An awkwardness in the voice turns the listener away and a shot at learning about the reading is lost. Some of these readings did lose the listener. With a tad bit more practice on how to use the voice, these pieces could have been great.
A decent turnout of over 50 people was a good amount for this small library space. The crowd self seated in wooden chairs which formed a half circle around the readers' podium. We all sat rather clustered but no one complained. The room was comfortable despite the lack space to walk. Students sat in the front and guests sat in the back, due to the students each taking turns reading their pieces.
The night went well. Almost all the students read and each had his or her own little spin. The two pieces that caught my attention were one done by Kristina Rogers and another by Bradey Newman. Rogers's reading was about what inspired her to go into a field of forensic science. The inspiration, although shocking, immediately made me fascinated. Right down the road from Rogers's house a family was brutally murdered, and the killer, just smiled as he was sent to jail. She asked herself why he could do such a thing, and how he could just smile it off.
Newman's piece was a bit more, humorous. He wrote about himself in Wal-Mart as he was attacked by monkeys. It was called Monkey Attack. Although the poem was in no way inspirational, it did grasp my attention. The absolute ridiculousness of the writing and how he put a picture in my mind about an actual attack in Wal-Mart by monkeys actually lead me to believe that this could happened.
A couple of people decided not to read. Instead they had others read for them, This didn't take away anything from the show.
At the end of the show, drinks and snacks were offered and the book "Bits and Pieces" was on sale for $5 dollars. "Bits and Pieces" is a book comprised of pieces written by the students, most of which were included in the reading.
Creative Writing was an elective before becoming a core class in 2009. Seniors can now take this course if they love to write and get a full credit in English. "The class has become a popular choice for seniors," said Chodosh. Next year there are going to be three full classes of people who want to write.
These types of public readings should never be swept under the mat. This should certainly happen more often. Maybe with three classes there will be more than one opportunity to hear writing from our OHCHS seniors.
Good job to everyone who wrote and read.
from Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School brightened up the town. Mrs. Chodosh's period 3 and 6 classes came up with their own pieces to read to a small crowd of family and friends. These pieces ranged from short little lyrics, long rants and stories, and songs played and sung on guitar. Funny, serious, inspiring and a bit creepy, all pieces were read aloud and were followed with a round of applause. Not all pieces were hand written though, one reader chose to speak her mind through a quote from a famous book called "Waiting for Alaska."Although the reading was simple, the overall impact is much larger.
"It's more than just writing and sharing pieces. This is a Library. It's a real life setting. It adds another layer to the writing experience when students have to read their pieces to the public," Ms. Chodosh said.
"I liked that these poems were experimental," said Chodosh. We needed more time to practice and make the poems better, but the point was we did them anyway." The group readings just as well as the individually read pieces. However, some pieces were read not performed. An awkwardness in the voice turns the listener away and a shot at learning about the reading is lost. Some of these readings did lose the listener. With a tad bit more practice on how to use the voice, these pieces could have been great.
A decent turnout of over 50 people was a good amount for this small library space. The crowd self seated in wooden chairs which formed a half circle around the readers' podium. We all sat rather clustered but no one complained. The room was comfortable despite the lack space to walk. Students sat in the front and guests sat in the back, due to the students each taking turns reading their pieces.
The night went well. Almost all the students read and each had his or her own little spin. The two pieces that caught my attention were one done by Kristina Rogers and another by Bradey Newman. Rogers's reading was about what inspired her to go into a field of forensic science. The inspiration, although shocking, immediately made me fascinated. Right down the road from Rogers's house a family was brutally murdered, and the killer, just smiled as he was sent to jail. She asked herself why he could do such a thing, and how he could just smile it off.
Newman's piece was a bit more, humorous. He wrote about himself in Wal-Mart as he was attacked by monkeys. It was called Monkey Attack. Although the poem was in no way inspirational, it did grasp my attention. The absolute ridiculousness of the writing and how he put a picture in my mind about an actual attack in Wal-Mart by monkeys actually lead me to believe that this could happened.
A couple of people decided not to read. Instead they had others read for them, This didn't take away anything from the show.
At the end of the show, drinks and snacks were offered and the book "Bits and Pieces" was on sale for $5 dollars. "Bits and Pieces" is a book comprised of pieces written by the students, most of which were included in the reading.
Creative Writing was an elective before becoming a core class in 2009. Seniors can now take this course if they love to write and get a full credit in English. "The class has become a popular choice for seniors," said Chodosh. Next year there are going to be three full classes of people who want to write.
These types of public readings should never be swept under the mat. This should certainly happen more often. Maybe with three classes there will be more than one opportunity to hear writing from our OHCHS seniors.
Good job to everyone who wrote and read.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Cyber Bullying
Cyber bullying is so scary because as long as you have your phone or computer, it can follow you anywhere. Cyber bullying is anytime someone is threatened, humiliated, harassed or tormented through the internet, phone, or any other digital communication. Teens are the main target of cyber bullying, and sites such as Formspring and Tumblr where it's an option to send messages anonymously, make it easy for the bullies. Alex Flood, 15 of New York is a popular teen blogger on Tumblr. Although he gets hundreds of nice messages, he's also been a victim of cyber bullying as well. "Feelings don't go away over the internet" he explains, "with the click of a button, you can make someone feel bad about themselves".
According to ncpc.org, 43% of teens have been cyber bullied. Although some sites provide the anonymous button option, most don't and in those situations the bullies keep their identity which in some ways is worse because it becomes personal. The internet provides a shield for bullies, so that they can say to someone what they don't have the nerve to say in person. This isn't something that just exists in big cities, it can happen anywhere and to anyone.
Cyber bullying has even occurred right here in Oxford Hills. A few months ago a smut list formed through Facebook. A smut is a nasty word used for someone who has low self respect form themselves and is known for "getting around". Although the school did what they could and eventually had the site taken down, it was still embarrassing for those who made the list.
Once something has been uploaded to the internet, it will always exist even when deleted. Unlike in-school bullies, you can't escape a cyber bully unless you're willing to delete the account you're being victimized on and disconnect your phone. However, there are steps you can take to avoid being a victim of a cyber bully. Before creating an account on any social networking site, be sure turn on all privacy settings and only accept friend requests from people you know. Try to avoid accepting requests from profiles that seem sketchy or fake. Turn off the anonymous button on websites where they're available. Although it's tempting to read them, immediately delete an email the moment you sense any cruel intentions. Block the person who send you the message, and report them to the website's staff which can usually be found at the bottom of the website's homepage. Don't give your phone number to anybody you don't trust, and tell someone who cares about you if you still need help.
Parents, if you feel like your teen may be a victim of cyber bullying, have a talk with them. Most teens who are cyber bullied are too ashamed to ask for help, which can lead to life threatening consequences such as depression and suicide. Cyber bullying can happen to anyone, and can stay with you forever. A mean or hateful message can be saved, which can torture someone for the rest of their life.
The internet can be a fun way to meet people and socialize, but remember to be aware of privacy settings, who you accept into your networking site, and who you exchange contact information with.
According to ncpc.org, 43% of teens have been cyber bullied. Although some sites provide the anonymous button option, most don't and in those situations the bullies keep their identity which in some ways is worse because it becomes personal. The internet provides a shield for bullies, so that they can say to someone what they don't have the nerve to say in person. This isn't something that just exists in big cities, it can happen anywhere and to anyone.
Cyber bullying has even occurred right here in Oxford Hills. A few months ago a smut list formed through Facebook. A smut is a nasty word used for someone who has low self respect form themselves and is known for "getting around". Although the school did what they could and eventually had the site taken down, it was still embarrassing for those who made the list.
Once something has been uploaded to the internet, it will always exist even when deleted. Unlike in-school bullies, you can't escape a cyber bully unless you're willing to delete the account you're being victimized on and disconnect your phone. However, there are steps you can take to avoid being a victim of a cyber bully. Before creating an account on any social networking site, be sure turn on all privacy settings and only accept friend requests from people you know. Try to avoid accepting requests from profiles that seem sketchy or fake. Turn off the anonymous button on websites where they're available. Although it's tempting to read them, immediately delete an email the moment you sense any cruel intentions. Block the person who send you the message, and report them to the website's staff which can usually be found at the bottom of the website's homepage. Don't give your phone number to anybody you don't trust, and tell someone who cares about you if you still need help.
Parents, if you feel like your teen may be a victim of cyber bullying, have a talk with them. Most teens who are cyber bullied are too ashamed to ask for help, which can lead to life threatening consequences such as depression and suicide. Cyber bullying can happen to anyone, and can stay with you forever. A mean or hateful message can be saved, which can torture someone for the rest of their life.
The internet can be a fun way to meet people and socialize, but remember to be aware of privacy settings, who you accept into your networking site, and who you exchange contact information with.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Saving the world, one School at a time
by Tyler Pelletier, Elizabeth Gemme, Crissy Lewis and Abby Shanor
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="249" caption="Image via Wikipedia"]
[/caption]
Lately the entire Earth has been going green, in all sorts of ways. Whether it be planting trees or making chip bags biodegradable, the Earth is trying to save itself. With the world at war with oil prices, there is cause to "go green" in this area too, that's where bio mass furnaces come into play. Bio mass heaters use waste products. For example wood chips are used to heat buildings for a much cheaper cost. Annually the cost is around $2,750 for the bio mass (the cost for what?mention the same thing in next sentence). An average household will cost around $15,000 annually. So the difference is monumental. After talking with Bud Raymond, Head of Maintenance at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School (OHCHS), he gave me more information about the school's biomass furnace that's being put in.
The biomass furnace is a wood chip boiler. We are not the only school in Maine with this new technology. This idea came from Dr. Eastman, OHCHS's former Superintendent. Eastman wanted to change and invest in this eco-friendly boiler so that we weren't so heavily dependent on oil; Eastman was able to get a grant for the school to do this. A performance contract is in effect, which means that the money which the school is saving through this new type of technology will be paid back. OHCHS has been working to put this in the school since August 2010. Many things had to be done before building it, including adding a new building, installing new sprinklers and pipes. It will allow the school to produce energy much cheaper and much more Eco-friendlier. The burning of wood chips will produce the energy to heat the school.
Mass amounts of wood chips will be needed to make this method successful. During heating season, 25 tons to 50 tons of chips will be needed a week. A giant tracker trailer truck will come to the school and unload a pile of wood chips about six to eight feet high, and that's only a two weeks supply. The job is labor free once it is unloaded from the trucks. Moving the supply into the furnace is from the moving floor that's on hydraulics that will pull them into a pit. “From there, there is an auger that is going to push them into the next room which is the boiler room”, Raymond says. Raymond thinks that having a biomass in the school is great idea. The chips go through each auger and that pushes them to the boiler. The Biomass itself is big and there are two sections to it. “ The bottom part is the fire-box, the top part is where all the water tubes are. So the fire-box will heat up the water tubes and the water will come to the large storage tank and that's what will heat the school”. There are ash bins on the side of the boiler. The wood ash will automatically be augured out and put into the bins. One idea of where the waste of wood ash can be put is on gardens. Wood ash makes a great fertilizer in gardens, just like fish compost. OHCHS Superintendent, Mr. Colpitts, says that the school has recently voted to apply for five more grants for the middle school and elementary schools to have a different type of boiler. This will most likely be a pellet boiler as well.
"When it's running, you won't see much of anything coming from the chimney" says Colpitts. According to faculty, the new biomass furnace being installed in the lower A wing of the high school wont be much of a distraction or disturbance to the students and the building. At this point, complications are limited. High School Principal Ted Moccia says, "students will benefit by having a school that is completely heated with a renewable energy source".
However, students won't be the only ones benefiting from this biomass furnace; the high school's budget will also be saving more than $200,000 in heating costs. There also won't be any hazardous or unwanted dirty smoke being produced from the furnace. Cathy Coffey describes the process, "you'd here like a poof and instead of smoke it was almost like fairy dust, is the best I could describe it. It's particles, it's not smoke but it's particles". According to Superintendent Colpitts, the high school spends $280,000 each year on 100,000 gallons of oil to heat the building, but now with the new biomass furnace which uses wood chips for fuel, the school will only be spending about $67,000. The idea of having a biomass furnace installed in the high school was Dr. Eastman's, the National Furnace System issued a grant for $750,000 to help with expenses, and Colpitts said that it took about seven months for the boiler to be built and shipped to the school. Oxford Hills is not the only school in Maine with a biomass furnace. Leavitt, Poland, and Falmouth high school also have them installed.
With the pros outweighing the cons in whether or not the biomass is better, these pros for the bio mass furnace may help. The bio mass furnace is CO2 neutral, meaning that trees can regrow within a couple of years while oil grows within millions. With these furnaces having waste material running them, you wouldn't have to rely on foreign countries. The money spent, whether it be for wood chips, the people running it, or the people building it, would stay in the area, instead of going out.
Another interesting fact that makes this project cool is the inclusion of the solar panels, installed this past fall on the roof of the school. “The solar panels are going to pre-heat the water before it goes into the boiler so the boiler works less on getting the water up to temperature before it goes out”, Raymond says. The school doesn't want the boiler to be firing up cold water. If the school fills up their oil tanks with 95,000 gallons of oil, that costs the school about $40,000. The biomass is most efficient when it's running a lot. It will run when the temperatures are under 40 degrees. OHCHS won't be fully dependent on the biomass though. It will be producing about 90% of the school's heat, while the other 10% will be burning oil.
“When mud season arrives the companies that delivers the chips have to make sure they have enough chips on hand and storage to continue to make deliveries here every two weeks,” says Raymond. If the school doesn't get this supply, we could be in some trouble with the furnace not working. Raymond also thinks that there could be a problem with supply and demand in the future. Right now in our economy, oil prices are sky rocketing. Wood chips are available and there is an abundance of chips and chip suppliers. Although, if it becomes like what oil is today, than prices will rise. With everyone trying to find a way to become green, it's hard to find something that replaces oil. More people and schools are going to start using biomass furnaces. Raymond is optimistic. He says, “As long as the chips supply stays good then the price for chips stays down and then you see a lot more schools looking at that option.”
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="249" caption="Image via Wikipedia"]
[/caption]Lately the entire Earth has been going green, in all sorts of ways. Whether it be planting trees or making chip bags biodegradable, the Earth is trying to save itself. With the world at war with oil prices, there is cause to "go green" in this area too, that's where bio mass furnaces come into play. Bio mass heaters use waste products. For example wood chips are used to heat buildings for a much cheaper cost. Annually the cost is around $2,750 for the bio mass (the cost for what?mention the same thing in next sentence). An average household will cost around $15,000 annually. So the difference is monumental. After talking with Bud Raymond, Head of Maintenance at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School (OHCHS), he gave me more information about the school's biomass furnace that's being put in.
The biomass furnace is a wood chip boiler. We are not the only school in Maine with this new technology. This idea came from Dr. Eastman, OHCHS's former Superintendent. Eastman wanted to change and invest in this eco-friendly boiler so that we weren't so heavily dependent on oil; Eastman was able to get a grant for the school to do this. A performance contract is in effect, which means that the money which the school is saving through this new type of technology will be paid back. OHCHS has been working to put this in the school since August 2010. Many things had to be done before building it, including adding a new building, installing new sprinklers and pipes. It will allow the school to produce energy much cheaper and much more Eco-friendlier. The burning of wood chips will produce the energy to heat the school.
Mass amounts of wood chips will be needed to make this method successful. During heating season, 25 tons to 50 tons of chips will be needed a week. A giant tracker trailer truck will come to the school and unload a pile of wood chips about six to eight feet high, and that's only a two weeks supply. The job is labor free once it is unloaded from the trucks. Moving the supply into the furnace is from the moving floor that's on hydraulics that will pull them into a pit. “From there, there is an auger that is going to push them into the next room which is the boiler room”, Raymond says. Raymond thinks that having a biomass in the school is great idea. The chips go through each auger and that pushes them to the boiler. The Biomass itself is big and there are two sections to it. “ The bottom part is the fire-box, the top part is where all the water tubes are. So the fire-box will heat up the water tubes and the water will come to the large storage tank and that's what will heat the school”. There are ash bins on the side of the boiler. The wood ash will automatically be augured out and put into the bins. One idea of where the waste of wood ash can be put is on gardens. Wood ash makes a great fertilizer in gardens, just like fish compost. OHCHS Superintendent, Mr. Colpitts, says that the school has recently voted to apply for five more grants for the middle school and elementary schools to have a different type of boiler. This will most likely be a pellet boiler as well.
"When it's running, you won't see much of anything coming from the chimney" says Colpitts. According to faculty, the new biomass furnace being installed in the lower A wing of the high school wont be much of a distraction or disturbance to the students and the building. At this point, complications are limited. High School Principal Ted Moccia says, "students will benefit by having a school that is completely heated with a renewable energy source".
However, students won't be the only ones benefiting from this biomass furnace; the high school's budget will also be saving more than $200,000 in heating costs. There also won't be any hazardous or unwanted dirty smoke being produced from the furnace. Cathy Coffey describes the process, "you'd here like a poof and instead of smoke it was almost like fairy dust, is the best I could describe it. It's particles, it's not smoke but it's particles". According to Superintendent Colpitts, the high school spends $280,000 each year on 100,000 gallons of oil to heat the building, but now with the new biomass furnace which uses wood chips for fuel, the school will only be spending about $67,000. The idea of having a biomass furnace installed in the high school was Dr. Eastman's, the National Furnace System issued a grant for $750,000 to help with expenses, and Colpitts said that it took about seven months for the boiler to be built and shipped to the school. Oxford Hills is not the only school in Maine with a biomass furnace. Leavitt, Poland, and Falmouth high school also have them installed.
With the pros outweighing the cons in whether or not the biomass is better, these pros for the bio mass furnace may help. The bio mass furnace is CO2 neutral, meaning that trees can regrow within a couple of years while oil grows within millions. With these furnaces having waste material running them, you wouldn't have to rely on foreign countries. The money spent, whether it be for wood chips, the people running it, or the people building it, would stay in the area, instead of going out.
Another interesting fact that makes this project cool is the inclusion of the solar panels, installed this past fall on the roof of the school. “The solar panels are going to pre-heat the water before it goes into the boiler so the boiler works less on getting the water up to temperature before it goes out”, Raymond says. The school doesn't want the boiler to be firing up cold water. If the school fills up their oil tanks with 95,000 gallons of oil, that costs the school about $40,000. The biomass is most efficient when it's running a lot. It will run when the temperatures are under 40 degrees. OHCHS won't be fully dependent on the biomass though. It will be producing about 90% of the school's heat, while the other 10% will be burning oil.
“When mud season arrives the companies that delivers the chips have to make sure they have enough chips on hand and storage to continue to make deliveries here every two weeks,” says Raymond. If the school doesn't get this supply, we could be in some trouble with the furnace not working. Raymond also thinks that there could be a problem with supply and demand in the future. Right now in our economy, oil prices are sky rocketing. Wood chips are available and there is an abundance of chips and chip suppliers. Although, if it becomes like what oil is today, than prices will rise. With everyone trying to find a way to become green, it's hard to find something that replaces oil. More people and schools are going to start using biomass furnaces. Raymond is optimistic. He says, “As long as the chips supply stays good then the price for chips stays down and then you see a lot more schools looking at that option.”
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Learning Labs
Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School (OHCHS) has many tools at their disposal to prevent a student from failing. One of the most used tools in the school is called Learning Labs. The creation of Learning Labs stemmed from 6-8 years of different programs in the school. It officially started 2 years ago when the principal Mr.Moccia and the leadership team asked this question: "What are the consequences if students are not learning?"
There are currently 140 students in these learning labs. Seventy-five of them are in for English. The second biggest lab is the science lab with 60 kids, followed by a tie of 48 kids in Math and Social Studies. (Note: some kids are counted twice if they are in more then one learning lab.)
Says Moccia, "You put students in a learning lab that their forced to go to and have them do the work, instead of giving them a detention." This allows kids to do their work inside of school instead of hoping that they do their work outside of school.
The process for being assigned to a lab is when a student is failing a class a teacher signs him or her up for a learning lab. Guidance then takes the referral from there and removes one of the student's study halls and replaces it with a learning lab. A student gets to leave the learning lab when all past work is completed and all current work is up to date.
If you ask some of the teachers at OHCHS about learning labs you get mixed responses. However most are positive. Mr.Kilfolye says, "Some students just do not bother doing the work in their classes so they get more work in here.They do the work in here so it's a never ending cycle."
This cycle is very uncommon for students only a select few do this and its by their own accord.One of the names that always seem to pop up when talking about learning labs is Mr. Burns after asking him what he thought of learning labs.
"Learning labs start to address the cultural problem we have with students who have issues around getting motivated to work hard. The bottom line is that when students leave high school, they will be competing for jobs. The national unemployment rate is around 10%, but drops to 4% for those with 4-year college degrees and professional degrees. Getting a college degree requires knowing how to work hard. Learning labs are a small step to help students do so. Simply failing a class does not motivate students; by putting them in learning labs, we hope to put them in contact with adults who will help them understand that they can, in fact, do the work needed to succeed."
After asking a number of students in learning labs most of them dislike and like it at the same time. They dislike the fact that there removed out of their study halls, but like the fact that they can get caught up with all the work and pass. So from a general consensus learning labs seem to be working.
There are currently 140 students in these learning labs. Seventy-five of them are in for English. The second biggest lab is the science lab with 60 kids, followed by a tie of 48 kids in Math and Social Studies. (Note: some kids are counted twice if they are in more then one learning lab.)
Says Moccia, "You put students in a learning lab that their forced to go to and have them do the work, instead of giving them a detention." This allows kids to do their work inside of school instead of hoping that they do their work outside of school.
The process for being assigned to a lab is when a student is failing a class a teacher signs him or her up for a learning lab. Guidance then takes the referral from there and removes one of the student's study halls and replaces it with a learning lab. A student gets to leave the learning lab when all past work is completed and all current work is up to date.
If you ask some of the teachers at OHCHS about learning labs you get mixed responses. However most are positive. Mr.Kilfolye says, "Some students just do not bother doing the work in their classes so they get more work in here.They do the work in here so it's a never ending cycle."
This cycle is very uncommon for students only a select few do this and its by their own accord.One of the names that always seem to pop up when talking about learning labs is Mr. Burns after asking him what he thought of learning labs.
"Learning labs start to address the cultural problem we have with students who have issues around getting motivated to work hard. The bottom line is that when students leave high school, they will be competing for jobs. The national unemployment rate is around 10%, but drops to 4% for those with 4-year college degrees and professional degrees. Getting a college degree requires knowing how to work hard. Learning labs are a small step to help students do so. Simply failing a class does not motivate students; by putting them in learning labs, we hope to put them in contact with adults who will help them understand that they can, in fact, do the work needed to succeed."
After asking a number of students in learning labs most of them dislike and like it at the same time. They dislike the fact that there removed out of their study halls, but like the fact that they can get caught up with all the work and pass. So from a general consensus learning labs seem to be working.
Mr.Moccia MPA
Mr.Moccia received the "State of Maine Principal of the Year" award on Friday, February 18, 2011 at the Winter Carnival assembly. In order to get this award you must be nominated by another principal in the state. Then you must write an essay and send in statistical information. Mr.Moccia became a finalist. After sitting down with an interview committee of fellow principals, he became MPA's (Maine's Principals Association) High School Principal of the Year.Before becoming principal at OHCHS, Mr.Moccia was a assistant principal and a physical education teacher. Because physicality peaked an interest in Mr. Moccia, he also coached the track team and football team at OHCHS. During his tenure he received the Coach of the Year award.
Mr Moccia said this to the student body of OHCHS:
"I think we have the best high school in the state. I truly believe that. It wasn't because of me that I received this award, it was due to everyone in this school, the students,teachers,support staff,office staff."
Thursday, April 14, 2011
High School Teacher Keeps A Positive Attitude
Tamara Douglas says she has "always loved helping other people." Maybe that's why she's so good at what she does. Mrs. Douglass works at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School with Special Education students.She didn't always intend on being a teacher, but after starting a career with her Business Administration major from the University of Maine-Orono, she realized she enjoyed teaching and began volunteering in classrooms when her children entered school. Soon after she earned her teaching certificate and began substituting.
Growing up in the same small town as Mrs. Douglas, I have had the pleasure of getting to know what a friendly and helpful woman she truly is. She is never found without a smile on her face and never passes by without a "hello".
What makes Mrs. Douglas different than every other friendly woman is she doesn't let her disease, Alopecia Areata, affect her attitude. Alopecia Areata is an auto-immune disease when the body rejects hair follicles, meaning she has no hair.
There are three types of Alopecia which are; Alopecia Areata, Alopecia Areata Totails and Alopecia Areata Universalis. This disease affects 4.7 million people in the United States alone.
Mrs. Douglas was diagnosed at a young age, having the disease come and go as she has aged. Although there is yet to be a cure for Alopecia Areata, she maintains her upbeat outlook and tries not to let it get in the way of her day.
Having struggles with Alopecia for so long, Mrs. Douglas has learned a lot. The most important thing she says is "Be accepting of other people and they will be accepting of you."
For more information about Alopecia Areata you can contact the National Alopecia Areata Foundation or visit www.naaf.org.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
The Start of Something New
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="190" caption="Image via Wikipedia"]
[/caption]Schools around the world have a wide varieties of after-school activities, from sports to chess to larking. Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School offers a pretty wide variety of clubs and sports already, but the staff is always up for students coming up with new ideas and starting new clubs. That's just what two juniors, Joel Doherty and Max Brown, are wanting to do. They have an activity in mind in which is fun and which will draw pretty big crowds. This activity is called table tennis or ping pong.
Ping pong has been around for ages, and has even had its own professional stage. The sport was featured in one of the most widely known movies in America, Forrest Gump. The main character, Gump, became a ping-pong champion after being injured in the war. He fell in love with the sport and quickly picked up the essentials of the game. In the movie, he could beat everyone.
“This sport is really fun and would hopefully get a bunch of people together, where they could meet new people and improve their skills,” comments Doherty, one of the juniors who is working on this. Says his friend, Brown, “The intensity of the game and it being not that hard to learn is the best thing about it."
The Ping Pong Club is something they want to start as soon as possible. What's stopping this is the lack of a counselor or coach. If you're interested in helping the group out, get in touch with either Mr, Moccia or the two students who want this club to be an official activity at OHCHS.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
A Family In Need
Camp Sunshine is a year- round retreat for children and their families with a life-threatening illness. Families stay one week at the retreat, located in Raymound, Maine on the shore of Sebago Lake, free of charge. During this week both children and families participate in adventurous and safe activities and are offered support groups to learn ways to cope with the illness the family faces.
Since opening in 1984 by Anna and Larry Gould, Camp Sunshine has served over 32,000 family members from 48 states and 22 countries. Over 24,500 volunteers have contributed 820,000 hours of time. As well as families of children with a life threatening disease bereavement programs are offered for families who have lost a child from an illness. This camp has affected the lives of many. It is known as "being one of the only programs in the nation addressing the impact of a life threatening illness on every member of the family".
Every year Seniors of Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School are required to complete a Senior Project. This project must give back to the community in some way. This year being my last year at OHCHS, I will be trying to raise enough money, $2,000, to send a family to Camp Sunshine. To help raise enough money to send a deserving family to Camp Sunshine contact (207)838-7930. Or to learn how you can volunteer your time at Camp Sunshine contact Camp Sunshine's Executive Director Matt Hoidal (207)655-3800
Since opening in 1984 by Anna and Larry Gould, Camp Sunshine has served over 32,000 family members from 48 states and 22 countries. Over 24,500 volunteers have contributed 820,000 hours of time. As well as families of children with a life threatening disease bereavement programs are offered for families who have lost a child from an illness. This camp has affected the lives of many. It is known as "being one of the only programs in the nation addressing the impact of a life threatening illness on every member of the family".
Every year Seniors of Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School are required to complete a Senior Project. This project must give back to the community in some way. This year being my last year at OHCHS, I will be trying to raise enough money, $2,000, to send a family to Camp Sunshine. To help raise enough money to send a deserving family to Camp Sunshine contact (207)838-7930. Or to learn how you can volunteer your time at Camp Sunshine contact Camp Sunshine's Executive Director Matt Hoidal (207)655-3800
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Oxford Hills has some MAJOR Talent!
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="248" caption="Talent Comes to OHCHS"]
[/caption]A mix between the hit shows 'American Idol' and 'Americas Got Talent', Oxford Hills Got Talent is the new rave in the school. Consisting of singers, dancers, magicians and more, this show is gonna' rock your shoes off. The contestants that wish to be in the actual show must go through auditions, with judges and peers watching. From there, you wait until the day of Winter Carnival where Mr. Cummings, the headmaster of Key Club, announces the top 10 acts that will perform in the real deal.
Three judges determine who will win the cash prize. The winner receives $200 while the runner-up receives nothing. There is also a crowd favorite contest, the winner of which will also receive $100 cash prize. The three judges are Stacey Hanscom, Barbra Ruth, and Sasha Campbell.
This being the third year of this event, it is already a crowd favorite. People of all sorts attend the event, students, parents, and others in the community that enjoy the arts.
The contestants each do one 4-minute performance, and the top 4 perform again to see who the winner is.
During the event there will be free refreshments in the cafeteria.
All proceeds for the event will go directly to the Key Club.
So if you want to come join in on the fun and support your fellow Oxford Hillians in their art, come to the show. The show is on March 11th at 7 pm in the auditorium. Prices are $5 if you buy before hand and $6 at the door.
The contestants with their act are as follows:
1. Lacy Landry – singing
2. Lindsey Redgate – singing
3. Jasinda Mills – singing
4. Matt Bouchane – singing
5. Caitlin Fouler & Clare Robertson – dancing
6. Caleb Ferris – singing
7. Shelby Downs – monologue
8. Meredith Potter – singing
9. Zach Waite – singing
10. Jesse Newcomb – singing
Friday, March 4, 2011
Introducing our New Viking Voices Editor
by Ms. Pamela Chodosh
Like most publications, our Viking Voices Online News Journal now has an editor. His name is Jon Kuvaja and he is a senior at OHCHS. He is editing our work, managing story assignments and taking care of many other behind-the-scene tasks. He is doing this as his senior project.
[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="121" caption=""]
[/caption]
Jon has a keen interest in writing and a natural ear for language. Though he has never been an editor before, he is quickly learning what it takes. He may work with the Advertiser Democrat to see what a real-life editor does day-to-day. He certainly will be learning as he goes, as will we. We are excited to have such talent behind the scenes. You won't see his writing, but you will see the results of his editorial eye.
Like most publications, our Viking Voices Online News Journal now has an editor. His name is Jon Kuvaja and he is a senior at OHCHS. He is editing our work, managing story assignments and taking care of many other behind-the-scene tasks. He is doing this as his senior project.
[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="121" caption=""]
[/caption]Jon has a keen interest in writing and a natural ear for language. Though he has never been an editor before, he is quickly learning what it takes. He may work with the Advertiser Democrat to see what a real-life editor does day-to-day. He certainly will be learning as he goes, as will we. We are excited to have such talent behind the scenes. You won't see his writing, but you will see the results of his editorial eye.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
High School Teacher Overcomes The Negative
Tamara Douglass says she has "always loved helping other people." Maybe that's why she's so good at what she does.Mrs. Douglass works at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School with Special Education classes. She didn't always intend on being a teacher, but after starting a career with her Business Administration major from the University of Maine-Orono, she realized she enjoyed teaching and began volunteering in classrooms when her children entered school. Soon after she earned her teaching certificate and began substituting.
Growing up in the same small town as Mrs. Douglass, I have had the pleasure of getting to know what a friendly and helpful woman she truly is. She is never found without a smile on her face and never passes by without a "hello".
What makes Mrs. Douglass different than every other friendly woman is she doesn't let her disease, Alopecia Areata, affect her attitude. Alopcecia Areata is an auto-immune disease which makes the body rejects hair follicles. This means Douglass has no hair.
There are three types of Alopecia: Alopecia Areata, Alopecia Areata Totails and Alopecia Areata Universalis. This disease affects 4.7 million people in the United States alone.
Mrs. Douglass was diagnosed at a young age. The disease has come and go as she has aged. Although a cure for Alopecia is yet to be found, Douglass maintains her upbeat outlook and tries not to let it get in the way of her day.
Having struggled with Alopecia for so long, Mrs. Douglass has learned a lot. The most important thing, she says, is "be accepting of other people and they will be accepting of you."
For more information about Alopecia Areata you can contact the National Alopecia Areata Foundation or visit www.naaf.org.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Winter Carnival Fun Week
by Crissy Lewis
This year's 2011 Winter Carnival is coming up fast. On Friday February 18th the fun begins for students and teachers to gain and form relationships outside of the academic classroom. The day is filled with workshops, carnival time, and pep rallies. Workshops range from basketball to guitar hero, to Tye-dye to skiing and ice fishing and much more. Tommy Vee the Hypnotist will be joining us again and as one of the three major changes for this year's Winter Carnival, everyone will be able to see the hypnotist and be able to take part in workshops. Winter Carnival excitement builds during the week of fun themes for each day.
On the days leading up to Winter Carnival there are themes concerning what to wear. Monday is monochrome day, Tuesday is Tye dye, Wednesday is plaid, and Thursday is sports team/jerseys day. On Friday students and staff wear their designated class colors. Hats are allowed that day as well. Freshman will be green, sophomores blue, juniors red, seniors black and faculty and staff gray. The day pep will be packed with color and energy.
It will be even more fun with the inflatable obstacle course. Popcorn and snow cones will be a nice treat to have during the day, and the pep rally will allow all students to let out all their energy. The Pep Rally relay race has new challenges with it and this year calligraphy is one of the new workshops you can choose to do. The morning Pep Rally will be a fun way to kick off the day. The Kiss the Viking and Tug of War games always entertain all. Later in the afternoon, we will be having a second Pep Rally where the graduating class of 2011 will walk into the gym.
Students love to compete and there will be tons of contests going on including arm wrestling, pie eating, air band, Chilli cook offs, tug of war, and much more.
To finish off Winter Carnival, on Saturday February 19th there will be the Winter Carnival Dance. The theme of the dance is Las Vegas. Students can dress up "all snazzy." The dance will be held in the gym from 7pm-10pm. Admission will be $7.
This year's 2011 Winter Carnival is coming up fast. On Friday February 18th the fun begins for students and teachers to gain and form relationships outside of the academic classroom. The day is filled with workshops, carnival time, and pep rallies. Workshops range from basketball to guitar hero, to Tye-dye to skiing and ice fishing and much more. Tommy Vee the Hypnotist will be joining us again and as one of the three major changes for this year's Winter Carnival, everyone will be able to see the hypnotist and be able to take part in workshops. Winter Carnival excitement builds during the week of fun themes for each day.
On the days leading up to Winter Carnival there are themes concerning what to wear. Monday is monochrome day, Tuesday is Tye dye, Wednesday is plaid, and Thursday is sports team/jerseys day. On Friday students and staff wear their designated class colors. Hats are allowed that day as well. Freshman will be green, sophomores blue, juniors red, seniors black and faculty and staff gray. The day pep will be packed with color and energy.
It will be even more fun with the inflatable obstacle course. Popcorn and snow cones will be a nice treat to have during the day, and the pep rally will allow all students to let out all their energy. The Pep Rally relay race has new challenges with it and this year calligraphy is one of the new workshops you can choose to do. The morning Pep Rally will be a fun way to kick off the day. The Kiss the Viking and Tug of War games always entertain all. Later in the afternoon, we will be having a second Pep Rally where the graduating class of 2011 will walk into the gym.
Students love to compete and there will be tons of contests going on including arm wrestling, pie eating, air band, Chilli cook offs, tug of war, and much more.
To finish off Winter Carnival, on Saturday February 19th there will be the Winter Carnival Dance. The theme of the dance is Las Vegas. Students can dress up "all snazzy." The dance will be held in the gym from 7pm-10pm. Admission will be $7.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Join an Oxford Hills Technical Program Now
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="118" caption="Image via Wikipedia"]
[/caption]by Abby Shanor
Last Wednesday, Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School held it's annual Technical Program fair. Each Tech Program set up a display in the main hallway, and students were free to walk around and get information about each one. Although there were students from all grades, the majority of the prospects were freshman. Tech Programs are only available for sophomores and above.
Tech Programs are classes that students apply for/ They are focused on a specific career. For example, the Early Childhood Education Program gives students the chance to work in a real preschool setting. The students become teachers to preschoolers, and see for themselves what that career would be like.
With a wide variety of programs such as Culinary Arts, Auto Collision Repair, Media Arts, and many more, there's a program for anyone interested. Although some programs can take up to 3 periods of the day, it's a great experience for students who are undecided about their future to explore careers they might want to study further in college.
NOTE: Applications for all Tech Programs are due by January 28th.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Eating Green at OHCHS
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Eating on the Pyramid"]
[/caption]by Crissy Lewis
There are many different options to eat at lunch. There are healthy choices but there are also some bad choices of eating there. Eating healthy can make you feel better and get you ready for your day ahead. It can be very hard sometimes to get students to eat healthier at school. OHCHS is trying to improve what they are making and selling for students to have for lunch.
Ken Morse, the main representative for Healthy Oxford Hills, works with schools to eat fresh healthy foods. His job is to help schools eat better and to be more farm to school. He is part of the National Farm to School Network. Their job is to make a better relationship between school and farms, support community-based systems, and to help children be healthy and to prevent childhood obesity.
The website of the Farm to School says it’s a program that connects schools and their local farms “with the objective of serving healthy meals in school cafeterias, improving nutrition, providing agriculture, health and nutrition education opportunities, and supporting local and regional farmers”. They go beyond than the farm fresh salad bars and local foods in the cafeteria. They consist of “waste management programs like composting, and experiential education opportunities such as planting school gardens, The Allan Day Garden on Maple Street, cooking demonstrations and farm tours.”
It would be nice to have a strong connection to local schools with farms and have the students eat more local. Having a school garden where they can grow their own things can make it more special too. It’s a benefit you get with Farm to School and Ken Morse says, “If you grow it yourself, you'll eat it”. Children and the community will learn more agriculture and nutrition and the environment. Food security will be better too since food travels a lot, making it not fresh. Buying local food will mean local taxes, which helps the school. A salad bar is offered in the cafeteria that's has fresh vegetables in it. By doing all this you're just, “changing the whole culture on how to eat” says Morse.
You can always get more information about Healthy Oxford Hills because it's not too far from OHCHS. You can also go on Farmtoschool.org to find out more information about what it’s all about. If you eat a lunch that is healthy and local your day will be better and you will feel better about yourself and what you're eating.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Best Part Is Eating
"My favorite part of making cookies is eating them!" explains Oxford Hills preschooler Nicholas Clough. 
On December 16, The Early Childhood Education program (ECE) at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School (OHCHS) expanded their normal classroom boundaries into the larger school, to make gingerbread cookies in the Culinary Arts kitchen.The ECE room is just like any other preschool, complete with their own kitchen, play areas, and bathroom, so they normally have no need to leave that area. This made the children even more excited, because they got to explore new parts of the building. Before heading to Culinary, the eager children gathered for their circle time, where they discussed rules and directions, but they were far too excited to pay any attention.
The excited children and their teachers, who are OHCHS students,took a walking field trip down to the Culinary Arts kitchen, to make gingerbread cookies. This is an ECE/Culinary tradition that has been going on for years. It's one of the few occasions where two Technical Programs at OHCHS work together.
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="180" caption="Image via Wikipedia"]
[/caption]
"Culinary always enjoys working with the kids in making cookies." says Culinary teacher Frank Maccarrone.
The Culinary students prepared gingerbread dough, so when the children arrived they could start right in on cookie cutting. The ECE instructors, Deb LaFrance and Genivieve Ricard, supplied the children with various sprinkles, raisins, and gumdrops for the children to decorate their cookies.
Preschooler Kate Belanger shares that her favorite part was "decorating the gingerbread people to make them look like my family".
When finished, the children returned to their preschool and continued their day with play time and lunch, as they waited for the Culinary students to return their baked cookies, and the children got to take the ones they made home.
On December 16, The Early Childhood Education program (ECE) at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School (OHCHS) expanded their normal classroom boundaries into the larger school, to make gingerbread cookies in the Culinary Arts kitchen.The ECE room is just like any other preschool, complete with their own kitchen, play areas, and bathroom, so they normally have no need to leave that area. This made the children even more excited, because they got to explore new parts of the building. Before heading to Culinary, the eager children gathered for their circle time, where they discussed rules and directions, but they were far too excited to pay any attention.
The excited children and their teachers, who are OHCHS students,took a walking field trip down to the Culinary Arts kitchen, to make gingerbread cookies. This is an ECE/Culinary tradition that has been going on for years. It's one of the few occasions where two Technical Programs at OHCHS work together.
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="180" caption="Image via Wikipedia"]
[/caption]"Culinary always enjoys working with the kids in making cookies." says Culinary teacher Frank Maccarrone.
The Culinary students prepared gingerbread dough, so when the children arrived they could start right in on cookie cutting. The ECE instructors, Deb LaFrance and Genivieve Ricard, supplied the children with various sprinkles, raisins, and gumdrops for the children to decorate their cookies.
Preschooler Kate Belanger shares that her favorite part was "decorating the gingerbread people to make them look like my family".
When finished, the children returned to their preschool and continued their day with play time and lunch, as they waited for the Culinary students to return their baked cookies, and the children got to take the ones they made home.
School Board Meets
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="90" caption="School Meeting"]
[/caption]by Abby Shanor
Cathy Scribner from Otisfield Elementary was congratulated by Superintendant Rick Colpits, along with the rest of the school board, for being selected as staff member of the month, at Monday night's SAD 17 school board meeting.
They board also recognized Kayla McMichael, Lacey Ryder, Forrest Kugell, and Emily Kist as high school students of the month.
A large portion of the meeting was dedicated to the "Cluster Model" which was created to help save the SAD 17 district money, and make things more efficient. Colpits explained how the model exceeded saving estimations by $49,000, with a total savings of $657,523.
The cluster model was effective in increasing class sizes, integrating 5th and 6th graders, exceeding budget savings, continuing to operate schools, and maintaining specialist programs (art, music, library, guidance, physical education) for K-6.
Although the Cluster Model has been successful in many aspects, there are still some areas the board struggles with. For example, the issue of having buses arrive on time still remains.
The board also would like to find a way to be more supportive of the Gifted/Talented programs, as well as music and adaptive physical education.
Audience member Tim Luff shared with the board that the district received a letter from the state commending them on their special education program, and received meets on all the standards on their annual report card.
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