Portland Public School Department

The Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation recently awarded Casco Bay High School (CBHS) and Portland Arts and Technology High School (PATHS) a $35,000 grant to create a library/media center for both schools, which share a building.

The grant will be used to purchase books to support CBHS learning expeditions and PATHS programs, shelves and display racks to house periodicals, trade journals and electronic databases, new technology, bar code scanners and the services of a professional librarian to help establish the new library.

“We are very grateful for the generosity of the King Foundation,” said CBHS Principal Derek Pierce.  “We received even more money than we requested.  We see the planned Community Learning Center as the hub of our two schools.”

PATHS Principal Dana Allen said, “This serves as yet another opportunity for PATHS and CBHS to merge our efforts on behalf of kids - and another opportunity for all of our students to enhance their literacy.”

The two Portland high schools, housed at 196 Allen Ave., will have a projected combined population of more than 800 students in the next school year.  PATHS currently has no library.  CBHS is served by a makeshift library comprised of two computers and fewer than 1,500 books, most of them donated.  CBHS community members have invested hundreds of volunteer hours to create the library and apply for grant funding.  In two years, students raised $10,000 for the school’s library and technology needs, but substantially more funding was needed.

The CBHS-PATHS Community Learning Center will open next fall.

Rob Lindsay, a teacher at Lincoln Middle School, was honored for his contributions to recycling in Portland with one of two 2008 eco-Excellence Awards given by ecomaine, the municipally-owned nonprofit organization.

Lindsay was nominated by fellow teachers Suellen Santiago and Roxann Montgomery for his work with students on a worm bin composting project.  The two-year project resulted in a printed how-to book.  Lindsay works with a group of seventh graders, called The Green Team, who research steps the school can take to reduce electricity consumption and food waste.

A luncheon was held at the ecomaine offices in Portland to honor the winners from all 26 participating municipalities.  Each winner was awarded a framed certificate, a 2008 “Sunrise Guide” and a soft fleece jacket made from recycled plastic bottles.

Winners of the 2008 eco-Excellence Award were chosen from the nominations received by members of the ecomaine recycling committee.  ecomaine owns the only single-sort recycling facility built in Maine.  It also owns and operates a landfill/ashfill and a waste-to-energy plant that produces electricity. 

Lyman Moore Middle School’s math team placed third in the state MATHCOUNTS competition on March 15 at Colby College. 

Ellen Jewett, a Moore eighth grader, placed fourth overall at the meet.  She was chosen to be part of the Maine team that will compete in the national MATHCOUNTS competition in Denver in May. 

The other members of the Moore team are Sean Perry, Julia Kang and Courtney McGorrill.  All are eighth graders.  Julie Myers and parent Kathy Jewett coached the Moore team. 

A robotics team made up of students from Portland Arts and Technology High School (PATHS) and Casco Bay High School (CBHS) recently won a first place trophy as part of the First Place Alliance team at the First Tech Challenge in Palmer, Mass.

Competing against 21 other teams from New England and eastern Canada, the PATHS/CBHS team was chosen to compete in the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals based on their excellent defense strategies and the amount of points accumulated by their robotics maneuvers. The team also received an honorable mention for overcoming multiple obstacles.

The event was sponsored by usfirst.org, a national, nonprofit science organization whose mission is “to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities.”

PATHS manufacturing technology teacher Joe Bolduc led the robotics team, with mentoring by CBHS math teacher David Burke.  Members included CBHS junior Selby Landmann and CBHS freshman Karamon Davis.  Parent David Landmann also provided mentoring and assistance with tournament preparations.

The team’s trophy is on display in the PATHS trophy case at 196 Allen Avenue. For more information, visit the usfirst website at www.usfirst.org, or contact Melissa Pritchard at pritcm@portlandschools.org.

Portland High School won first place in the regional class A one-act play competition on March 7 for a performance of “Small World” by Tracey Wilson.  Portland High students Molly Brenerman and Aaron Peisner were named to the All Festival Cast, and Hillary Orr received a special commendation for directing.

The Portland High cast and crew will compete in the state class A championship on March 21 and 22 at Camden Hills Regional High School in Rockport. 

A performance of “Small World” and another one-act play, “While Shakespeare Slept” by Tim Kelly, will take place on March 19 and 20 at 7:30 p.m. in the Portland High auditorium.  Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for students.

“Small World” cast members who will compete in the state championship are: Mitchell Murdock, Seth Crockett, Sidney Dritz, Jesse Dziedzic, Peisner and Brenerman.  Orr directs the show.  Teacher and drama coach David Smith is the technical director.

The technical crew also includes: Claudia Ridge - stage manager; Wesley Libby - set design; Nathaniel Jewett - lighting and lighting design, and Serena Adlerstein and Cathryn Cunningham - sound.  Members of the crew are Grace Batsford, Anna Flanagan, Mikhaila Fogel, Kala Granger and Isabella Talbott.

The State Board of Education voted unanimously on March 12 to approve the concept design for the new Ocean Avenue elementary school in Portland.  The state will provide approximately $20 million for construction costs.

The Portland City Council is expected to schedule a June referendum on bonding for the project.  The city will issue bonds and then be reimbursed with state funding.

Portland School Committee Chairman John Coyne, Portland Interim Superintendent Jeanne Whynot-Vickers and Michael Johanning of WBRC Architects-Engineers, the lead architect on the project, presented the concept design to the Board of Education.

The new school will be built on the site of the former Baxter Elementary School.  Innovative and energy-efficient features are incorporated into the design.  Residents attending a public meeting earlier in March voiced their overwhelming support for the project.

Click here for updated information about the Ocean Avenue school.

Chelsea Schoen, a senior at Deering High School, has been selected to receive the 2008 Principal’s Award.  Sponsored by the Maine Principals’ Association, the award is given in recognition of a high school senior’s academic achievement and citizenship.

“Throughout her years at Deering, Schoen has distinguished herself in the classroom and community through numerous service projects,” said Principal Kenneth Kunin. “She has left the school a better place than she found it. She very much deserves this recognition.”

Schoen, Kunin and other award winners and their principals will attend an honors luncheon at the Spectacular Event Center in Bangor on April 5 at 1 p.m.  The event will feature the presentation of individual plaques to outstanding students and the award of five, $1,000 scholarships in the names of Horace O. McGowan and Richard W. Tyler, former Maine principals and executive directors of the association.

The Principal’s Award is presented in more than 140 Maine public and private high schools by member principals of the MPA, the professional association which represents Maine’s school administrators.  

William Nelligan, a junior at Casco Bay High School, will travel to the American Legion’s National Oratorical Championship in April to represent Maine in the competition.  Nelligan, who won the state speech championship in February, will compete against peers from other states and several outlying territories for the grand prize, an $18,000 college scholarship.

Nelligan competed against 10 students from across Maine for the state championship.  He delivered a speech titled “Our First Amendment: A Mandate to America.”

The High School Oratorical Scholarship Program invited high school students to deliver an eight- to 10-minute prepared oration and three to five minutes of extemporaneous oration.  At the state gathering on February 16, Nelligan placed first among high school students from around the state, winning $1,000 in scholarship money.  He will enjoy an expense-paid trip to the national competition in Indianapolis in April.

For more information, please visit http://www.legion.org