The Hawk’s Nest

    Congratulations to our students in grades three through eight! The students at Mill Pond School once again made AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) on the MEA taken by the students in March of 2007. We are proud of each student’s achievement and dedication to meeting the standard set forth by the state.
    Also, we are very pleased to inform parents of students in our schools that all regular education classrooms are taught by highly qualified individuals. All but two special education teachers are highly qualified in special services. These two special services teachers are certified in the state of Maine and are diligently working on becoming highly qualified.
    Our staff is actively involved in various staff development activities this year. Primary teachers are continuing to receive training from literacy coach, Sara Deveau, while all teachers in grades three through twelve are working closely with USM to improve literacy in all content areas.
    Also, all classroom teachers in grades five through eight are involved in taking a forty-hour class concentrating their efforts on integrating technology into their classrooms. This class is instructed by Ann Ireland.
    We have several students who willingly gave of their time to raise money for St. Jude’s Hospital. Those students are Nathan Bouchard, Kyle White, Blake Woods, Addie Woods, Janelle Goff, and Chris Penland who raised over three hundred dollars.
    These students seek sponsors to pledge a certain amount of money for each math problem they correctly complete. This project is organized by Karen Sattler. A special thanks to all the sponsors.
    Several of our teachers attended the Maine-ly Nutrition workshop in Presque Isle last week. Those participating were Brenda Griffin, Linda Callnan, Patricia McCarthy, and Kim DeWitt.
    Our fall parent/teacher conferences will be held at the end of the month. Teachers will share with parents the student’s fall NWEA test scores, writing prompts, and other progress the student has made. Notices regarding conferences will be sent to parents soon.
    We will have a special session planned for parents on November 15th from 6:30-8 p.m. This discussion will focus on assisting parents in having a productive parent/teacher conference and to improve overall home/school communication.
    Cynthia Sproul, from the Maine Parent Federation, will share her expertise on this subject. This group will meet in the elementary school library.