How about that golf team! We are so proud of the back-to-back state championships that our golf team has won. Quite an accomplishment. Our soccer teams are also doing very well this year. We are looking forward to both teams being in the playoffs. For sophomores who ordered classrings, they may be picked up on Nov. 1 at 2:00 here at the school.
The fall musical, “Grease”, will be presented on Friday, Nov. 19, and Saturday, Nov. 20, at 7 p.m. and on Sunday, Nov. 21, at 3:00 p.m. Tickets will be on sale starting Nov. 1. Tickets are $5 for students and seniors and $8 for adults. It is always exciting to see our talented young artists perform. Please plan to attend and enjoy the music, dancing and acting.
Just a reminder that Wednesday, Oct. 20, is an early release day. School will be dismissed at 11:15. Also, November 11 is Veterans’ Day and there will be no school on that day. There will also be no school on November 24, 25, and 26 for Thanksgiving Break.
MUSIC DEPARTMENT NEWS
The SAD 29 Music Department welcomes our new 5-12 grades vocal music director, Jason Anderson, to Houlton Jr./Sr. High School. He brings a wide variety of strengths and experiences to the position. We are pleased to have him as part of our team. The music department is also seeing a growth spurt with numbers of students involved in music. At the high school level we have 133 out of 185 students in band and chorus, which is 72 percent of students involved. These are outstanding participation rates, which would be hard to find in any school system. The SAD 29 Music Boosters organization is open to all parents of grade 7-12 students. The next meeting will be held on Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. in the HHS music area. There will a few events coming up that need parent help. A major goal this year is to send our band and chorus students to Boston and Six Flags New England for a competitive music festival. With so many students, we need to raise $20,000. We know we can do it, but we need parents to get involved. If you need yard work done, HHS band and chorus students will be working to raise money by doing fall cleanup. Call 521-4367 to book your cleanup crew. The boosters will also be sponsoring a Halloween dance on Friday, Oct. 29, for grades 9-12 from 7-11 p.m. in the high school cafeteria. Special prizes for costumes will be given out. Part of the money that is raised every year by the Music Boosters goes into a visiting artist fund. This allows the music department to bring composers, performers and various musicians to Houlton to work with students. This fall we are bringing Dr. Dan Barrett, Professor of Music at the University of Maine. He is going to work with students during the day on Oct. 28 and his UMaine Trombone Collective will be performing in concert at 7:00 that evening. The high school jazz band will open the concert. This is a free concert and open to the public and donations will be accepted to offset cost. Visit our music department website for more information on all our events.
YEARBOOK NEWS
The 2010 yearbooks are in and those that were prepaid or had down payments made may pick them up in the high school office. Orders for the 2011 yearbooks will be taken through December, but the discounted price of $45 is only available until Tuesday, Nov. 23. After Nov. 23, books will be $50. Yearbooks may also be reserved for a down payment of $25. See Mrs. Wotton in the office to place your order.
AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM NEWS
We have had a mandatory after-school program for the past five years for any student failing a subject. That program will continue again this year. In addition to this program, we will be offering a 21st Century Community Learning Center program for the second year. Our beginning date was Sept. 13. We have a homework help lab for all students in 7th and 8th grade. This program will run Monday through Thursday from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. A healthy snack will be offered every day at the beginning of the program. There will be high school students available to assist students with homework help from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.. From 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. we will offer some enrichment activities for all students to enjoy.
Some things that will be offered are: babysitting course, math games, scrapbooking, Robotics, Google Earth, cooking, etc. There is also going to be a physical component as well. We will be able to use the fitness room, walk the nature trail, and do outside activities. Transportation is available every day. There will be a Littleton/Monticello bus that drops students off at Porter’s in Littleton and the Country Store in Monticello, as well as an in-town bus to take students home every day.
Our program focuses on academic improvement as well as enrichment activities. We will try and offer something for everyone’s interests. If you have any ideas or specific things you would like to see included in our enrichment program, please feel free to call me, Lori McGillicuddy, at the school at 532-6551, or via email at lomcgillicuddy@msln.net. I am so excited for this year. I would love the opportunity to speak with any parent who has questions or ideas. I would also love to speak with any potential volunteers. Let us help you and your child to have a successful, rewarding, and growing academic year by including the 21st CCLC Program as a means of extra help. We would like to see all students feel able and ready to meet new academic challenges with a sense of confidence.
ART DEPARTMENT NEWS
Houlton High School’s art program is off and running. Students are anxious to start their pumpkin carvings for the pumpkin show on Friday, Oct. 29. If you have never seen the pumpkin show, stop by for a look. It is always a treat. The show will begin at noon and run until 2:30 p.m. It will be in the art room at Houlton High School. If anyone has some extra pumpkins they would be willing to donate for the students to carve, please contact Bonnie Tidd, art teacher, at the school at 532-6551. We will have almost 80 pumpkins on display in our show.