Members of the Aroostook Retired Educators Association (AREA) recently met with the Madawaska Middle School class officers, advisors and principal, Wayne Anderson as part of the association’s statewide Service Day project.
Contributed photo
Members of the Aroostook Retired Educators Association (AREA) recently presented students at the Madawaska Middle School with 150 fabric book covers to help protect their textbooks through the 2010-11 school year. The donation was part of the AREA Service Day, which is to be a three-year project. From left are: Janet Woods and Diane Parent, AREA members; students Jake Herbert and Ethan Wetmore; Wayne Anderson, principal; and Carol McElwee, Dolores Dumont and Lorraine Redwine, all AREA members.
Each of the Maine Educators Association-retired (MEA-R) were requested to offer their services to a school of their choice on Sept. 11. The Aroostook County group chose the Madawaska Middle School and presented the students with 150 stretchy fabric book covers to protect their textbooks throughout the school years.
“The students were very appreciative of our donation and were delighted with the bright colors and crazy pattens of the fabric,” stated Carol McElwee, AREA president. “We placed lots of positive energy in these covers, in hopes that each student will have a most successful school year.”
This Service Day program will become a three-year project, as next year the group will select a school from the central Aroostook area as its recipient; and in the third year, the retired educations will visit a school in southern Aroostook.
“It is good for the students to see the retired teachers come to their schools,” said McElwee, “and also, it is important for them to realize we are involved in community and service activities — especially that we still care about them, and their schools.”
Janet Woods of Caribou, co-chair of the Sept. 11 Service Day project with Dolores Dumont of Fort Kent, stated, “ The project was quite successful and the group looks forward to next year’s Service Day event.”
Other committee members included Ruth Gahagan of Stockholm, and Diane Parent and Donna Hurley, both of Caribou.