Schools
Blue Ribbon School
ORONO — Congressman Mike Michaud has congratulated Orono Middle School for being designated a 2011 National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education for very high levels of student achievement.
“When the hard work goes in, the positive results follow,” said Michaud. “Orono Middle School should be extremely proud of this accomplishment. Its students and faculty have clearly demonstrated what it takes to succeed. This national recognition is a fitting tribute to their hard work and impressive achievements.”
Orono Middle School is one of more than 304 public and private schools in the country to be honored. At the invitation of Education Secretary Arne Duncan, the principal and one teacher will be invited to attend the Nov. 14-15 awards ceremony in Washington. Each school will receive a Blue Ribbon Schools plaque and a flag to signify its status.
Orono Middle School involves all 130 students in extracurricular activities, which helps forge a strong school community where students are connected and encouraged to pursue their interests. Orono Middle School is a top-performing school on state-required assessments, and staff at the school use assessments throughout the academic year as a tool for improving and customizing instruction.
The Blue Ribbon Schools Program is part of a larger Department of Education effort to identify and disseminate knowledge about best school leadership and teaching practices.
Penobscot Nation’s ‘Teach the Teachers’
INDIAN ISLAND — Maine kindergarten to grade 12 educators and pre-service educators have a special opportunity to learn about Maine Indians. The fifth annual “Teach the Teachers” series will be hosted by the Penobscot Nation’s Cultural & Historic Preservation Department on four days on Indian Island: Monday, Oct. 3; Tuesday, Oct. 11; Wednesday, Oct. 19; and Thursday, Oct. 27.
The workshops are designed to assist Maine educators with incorporating Maine Indian history and culture into their classrooms, to identify historically accurate and culturally appropriate resources, and to help foster a continuing relationship between Maine educators and the Penobscot Cultural and Historic Preservation Department.
This year, instructors will be looking at subject matter on all grade levels, including a presentation on “Tribal Sovereignty” by Dr. Darren Ranco.
Since 2005, educators in kindergarten through grade 12 have been required to include Maine Indian history and culture in their classrooms. The Maine Indian History and Culture Law, commonly referred to as LD 291, was presented to the 122nd Legislature by former Penobscot tribal Rep. Donna Loring, who recognized a need for Mainers to become better educated about the indigenous people of the state. Loring said that “with knowledge, comes understanding, and with understanding, comes respect.”
The Penobscot Nation Cultural and Historic Preservation Department has been at the forefront since the bill’s inception, providing educational resources, curriculum, classroom presentations and professional development workshops. The fee is $35, including lunch and the DVD “Penobscot: A People and Their River.” Preregistration is required at http:// www.penobscotculture.com. For information, call 817-7472.
Colleges
Open house at Beal
BANGOR — Beal College will host an open house in celebration of its 120th anniversary on Friday, Nov. 4.
“The goal of our open house is to educate prospective students and members of the community about our career training programs and our unique MOD system,” said Erin Leighton, director of admissions. “We want people to see that while we’ve been around for a long time, we’ve also been able to keep current.”
Application fees will be waived for those interested in applying for admission at the event.
Campus tours will showcase the Fitness Center and Beal Café, which were added last year. A college access fair will help attendees learn about career training programs at Beal from faculty members. Attendees also may speak with community members about ways to reduce barriers to college access. A complimentary breakfast and luncheon will be served.
Those interested in attending may register online at http://www.BealCollege.edu/openhouse or call 800-660-7351and ask for Admissions. The deadline is Oct. 14.
It will be the first open house since 2005, when Beal moved to its current location at 99 Farm Road. Established in 1891, Beal College is a small, private, locally owned career college. Accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools, Beal offers an environment designed for students who want a targeted, hands-on education that provides the skills and training necessary for the careers of today and beyond.
Beal offers associate degrees in accounting, administration, business management, criminal justice, early childhood education, health information management, medical administration, medical assisting and social and human services assisting. A one-year diploma in substance abuse counseling also is offered. Financial aid is available to those who qualify for these academic programs.
Fulbright Award
ORONO — University of Maine doctoral student Robert Gee has received a Fulbright Award to conduct research at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He is spending nine months at Dalhousie researching “Tangled Trawls: International Natural Resource Management in the Northwest Atlantic Fishery.”
As a Fulbright student, Gee will study marine resource areas of the Northwest Atlantic and its international collection of users to examine efforts to manage fisheries in the late 19th and early 20th centuries through scientific inquiry, market manipulation and development and enforcement of regulatory institutions at the local, state, provincial, national and international levels.
“It is with a great deal of pleasure that I welcome Mr. Robert Gee to the distinguished group of Canada-U.S. Fulbright Students,” said Michael Hawes, executive director of Fulbright Canada. “Mr. Gee’s research is important and timely, and his study will offer unique and critical insight into the marine resource management. His work will have far-reaching consequences that stretch across our shared border, and beyond.”
Gee earned a master’s degree in U.S. history from the University of New Hampshire and a bachelor’s degree in English and American Studies from Colby College. He is working toward a doctorate focusing on environmental and international history and resource management. He has written several publications and conference presentations and has held teaching and research positions at UMaine, Southern New Hampshire University, Beal College and Hesser College.
MMA Homecoming
CASTINE — Maine Maritime Academy alumni from throughout the United States will return to the college Sept. 23-25 for Homecoming festivities. The gathering welcomes all returning alumni and will honor the reunion classes of 1946, 1951, 1956, 1961, 1966, 1971, 1976, 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001 and 2006.
Alumni will arrive on Friday with registration 11:30 a.m.-8 p.m. in the lobby of the Alfond Student Center. The MMA Alumni Association will meet at 4 p.m. in Wyman House with an open house for alumni and friends 5:30-8 p.m.
On Saturday, an “Eight Bells” Memorial Service honoring deceased members from the class of 1961 will be held at 9:30 a.m. on the lawn in front of Leavitt Hall. There will be tours of the campus, waterfront, harbor and the training ship State of Maine. “MMA Today,” by Capt. Jeff Loustaunau, vice president for enrollment management and commandant of midshipmen, will highlight recent developments at 9 a.m. in the 1954 Lecture Hall of Alfond Center.
The celebration will include a Homecoming Festival, marketplace, auto display and games for children 10 a.m.-3 p.m. near the athletic field. Vendors and auto enthusiasts wishing to participate should contact Amy Gutow at 326-2253 or amy.gutow@mma.edu.
The William J. Mottola Mariner Athletics Hall of Fame will induct Ernold “Ernie” Goodwin, 1961; Fred Gleason, 1964; and W. Kent Higgins, 1966; at 10 a.m. in Delano Auditorium, Leavitt Hall.
Kickoff of the football game with Fitchburg State University is set for 1 p.m. The MMA Alumni Association and several Alumni Chapters will present scholarships to MMA students. The Regiment of Midshipmen will pass in review. Other athletic events will include a women’s volleyball game with the University of Maine at Fort Kent at 7 p.m. Friday in Smith Gymnasium. The men’s and women’s soccer teams will take on Husson University at noon and 2 p.m. Sunday on Richie Field. Regular season athletic events at MMA are free and open to all.
For information and a complete schedule, visit http://mainemaritimealumni.org/, or call 326-2253.
Child Study Center
ORONO — The Child Study Center, the laboratory preschool for University of Maine psychology department, has been awarded a $5,000 grant from the Maine Agriculture In The Classroom Association.
As a result of the Agriculture Specialty License Plate, $60,000 has been awarded in 2011 for Agricultural Education Projects. The plate has provided more than $140,000 in grants since it 2007 to schools, Future Farmers of America chapters and mainstream education.
As a third-year recipient, the center will use the grant money to provide hands-on education regarding agriculture-related activities for more than 40 preschool children enrolled in the program. The children will plant seeds during the fall, winter and spring, using part of the recently-added sunroom as a greenhouse during the winter months.
A few of the activities the 2½- to 6-year-old preschool children will participate in are visiting local dairy farms and apple orchards, carving pumpkins and working with composting. Using real drills, tape measures, saws and screwdrivers, the children will create birdhouses and planters.
In addition, 70 UMaine students affiliated with the program will learn to use agriculture in the classroom. With a typical ratio of one teacher to four children, the students learn side-by-side with the preschool children the importance of agriculture in daily lives. The students then take their knowledge and experiences surrounding Maine agriculture to classrooms or work locations once they graduate.
To obtain more information or to enroll a child in the Child Study Center, contact Director Kevin Duplissie, 581-3080, or email kevin.duplissie@umit.maine.edu. There are still a few openings.