Board approves new greenhouse for Maine School of Science and Mathematics campus

    CARIBOU, Maine — Luke Shorty, executive director of the Maine School of Science and Mathematics, addressed the RSU 39 School Board on Sept. 19 regarding the magnet school’s wish to build a new greenhouse.
Shorty explained to the board that the current greenhouse located on the grounds is utilized by the students, but is not fully functional. He provided board members with a sketch of the proposed greenhouse created by Michael Lambert, a credentialed engineer who is also MSSM’s chief operating officer. The current greenhouse would be torn down and replaced with the new one.
According to Shorty, MSSM students use the greenhouse for genetics and hydroponics work. They also utilize the space to create science projects to take to the Maine State Science & Engineering Fair held at Jackson Laboratories in Bar Harbor each year, where they have won awards in the past. Their summer camp students also make use of the greenhouse and it is featured in the summer educators’ camp to give teachers who participate in the program some ideas on the usefulness of a greenhouse.
The school hopes to have the project completed within two years as they have received a $40,000 grant from the Davis Foundation with a two-year time limit. Other, smaller grants have also provided about $10,000 in  funds for the $150,000 project. Donations for the greenhouse will be accepted through the MSSM Foundation and various fundraisers.
The new greenhouse would use the school’s current boiler system for heat, and MSSM is looking at possibly installing a back-up system for use mainly in the winter in case of a power outage, which could threaten the life of the plants being cultivated.
After a brief discussion about the design of the greenhouse, the board unanimously accepted MSSM’s proposal.
RSU 39 Superintendent Frank McElwain announced the hiring of Joe Kuklak as a duty aide at Hilltop Elementary School, Pat Karpen as the new Drama Club adviser for Caribou High School, Barb Finlay as the assistant Drama Club coach and joint class adviser for the Class of 2017 at CHS along with Pat Sterris.
McElwain then presented the board with the option of no longer requiring seniors at CHS and Limestone Community School to request the board grant them senior privileges each year. McElwain explained that he felt the decision was best left up to the school administrators.
General consensus among the board members was that this would be acceptable; however, Board Chair Clifford Rhome asked that the board continue to be briefed on the decision and what privileges were given to the students.
Administrative updates were heard from Susan White of Limestone Community School, Jane McCall of Hilltop, Steve Austin of Teague Park Elementary School and Leland Caron of Caribou Middle School.
White reported that members of the LCS staff went to a seminar at UMPI presented by education consultant Bea McGarvey; four LCS seniors are taking a pre-Calculus class with MSSM instructor Pete Pedersen; LCS middle and high school students attended a bullying assembly at CMS; life skills instructor Elizabeth Durepo has been bringing students to the LCS swimming pool for physical education; LCS will begin participation in the Plugged-in to Reading literacy program; the newly established yearbook class is going well, having just completed a contest for the cover design; LCS seventh-grade was just visited by representatives from the National Guard to learn about their training; and the school is looking at the possibility of starting third- and fourth-grade math workshops.
McCall reported that enrollment at Hilltop is up this year, the school held an open house for grades 1 and 2 on Thursday evening and will be having their annual Harvest Hoedown from 1-2:15 p.m. tomorrow, Sept. 26, at the school.
Austin reported that enrollment at Teague Park is also up and they had a successful Orientation Night; Teague Park staff also attended the Bea McGarvey seminar; and the students are currently working with a social worker to create their own code of conduct for the school.
Caron reported that CMS found sixth-grade orientation to be helpful for the new students; CMS had an open house for seventh and eighth grade students followed by a Maine Learning Technology Initiative meeting that was attended by the majority of the students; over half of the students have received their new iPads and are excited to have them; CMS was also visited by National Guard representatives; and New England Common Assessment Program testing begins on Oct. 1.
In other business, board member Dale Gordon mentioned an article she read in the Bangor Daily News regarding fees being imposed on parents to help alleviate the effects of school budget cutbacks. McElwain advised that Emily Keaton has been transferred from a pre-K and Title 1 teacher to a grade 1 teacher at LCS, meaning that there is currently an opening for a pre-K and Title 1 teacher, which is being filled right now by a long-term substitute.
Rhome spoke about the program Operation Warm, which provides new coats for kids in need, and also a program that can provide multiple copies of non-fiction books for grades K-8 so that the books can be read and discussed in class, then the students are free to keep the books.
Board member Michelle Albair mentioned that she was disappointed to see that very few parents had turned out for the financial aid workshop held in Caribou recently. She wondered if there was a way to stress the importance of the workshops and parents to attend.
The next RSU 39 School Board meeting will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 2, at 7 p.m. at the Superintendent’s Office in Caribou.