Portland Public School Department News

Students in the early childhood occupations program at Portland Arts and Technology High School High (PATHS) can take a college-level course this fall without ever leaving the school’s campus.  Students can earn both high school and college credit for the course, which is offered through a partnership between Southern Maine Community College (SMCC) and the school district.

SMCC offers “Introduction to Early Childhood Education” through its School-College Partnerships pilot program.  The program gives students early college opportunities with the goal of increasing the number who pursue higher education, said Susan Williams, the program’s director.

Irving Williams, who heads the PATHS early childhood occupations program, said he was unsure how his second-year students would do tackling a demanding college curriculum when the course was offered for the first time last year.  He discovered that students rose to the occasion.

“It makes them feel grown up. ‘Here I am, a high school senior, and I’m doing college-level work,’” Williams said.  He also noted that it is much easier for students to attend college courses at their high schools during the regular school day than to get to a college campus for a class.

In addition to the PATHS course, SMCC is offering an anatomy course at Portland High School this fall, and an introduction to psychology course at Deering.  Both of those courses meet after regular school hours and they are open to both qualified high school students and members of the community.

Portland high school students also can earn free college credit by taking courses at SMCC, the University of Southern Maine and other institutions, or by enrolling in some online courses.  Students can graduate from high school with up to six college credits that are accepted anywhere in the University of Maine system and by many other colleges, too.  That saves students money when they get to college.

At PATHS, students in the automotive and graphic arts and printing courses can earn college credit through a written agreement between the school and Central Maine Community College (CMCC).  Portions of those courses use CMCC’s curriculum and assessments.  Students who successfully complete the courses are awarded college credit towards their associate degree when they register at CMCC.

Five students in the Portland Public Schools have been named National Merit Semi-Finalists.  They are: Nathaniel Jewett, Brian Furey and Mark Kinner of Portland High School and John Clarke and Eric David Mason of Deering High School.

The students were chosen based on their scores on the Preliminary SAT exam.  Of the 1.5 million students who took the test, they scored among the top 16,000.  Finalists will be named in February 2009.  

National Merit also named the following Commended Students: Sidney Dritz, Nathan Buck, Eoin McCarron and Cathryn Cunningham of Portland High and Illaria Dana and Kevin MacDowell of Deering.

About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for exceptional academic promise.  Although they will not continue in the 2009 competition for National Merit Scholarships, Commended Students placed among the top five percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2009 competition.

Another Deering student, Adaline Lining, has been chosen as a qualifying student in the National Achievement Scholarship Program.  That program names the top four percent of the more than 150,000 African-Americans who requested consideration when taking the same qualifying examination.

Lincoln Middle School in Portland will be featured on WCSH6 during October as part of its Schools That Shine program.  Lincoln was chosen because of its innovative programming related to sustainability. 

During the past two years, Lincoln built a geodesic dome containing a pond ecosystem, installed solar panels and created vegetable beds to teach students about alternative energy, ecology, local foods and other topics related to sustainability.  The school has received grants from Toyota, Fairchild Semiconductor, National Semiconductor, the JTG Foundation, the Maine Public Utilities Commission and an anonymous donor, as well as many in-kind donations.

WCSH6 will begin airing a public service announcement about Lincoln this week.  The spot also will appear on the station’s Web site: www.wcsh6.com. 

As a Schools That Shine winner, Lincoln will receive $1,000 from WCSH6 and Dunkin’ Donuts.  The money will be used to support the next phase in Lincoln’s outdoor classroom project, including completion of planting beds and landscaping, purchase of composters and implementation of a school-wide recycling program. 

TV3, the educational access television station managed by the Portland Public Schools, will offer a free, two-hour video workshop for secondary students and adults who would like to volunteer for the station by taping events and activities in the schools.  The workshop will take place on October 29 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Portland Arts and Technology High School, 196 Allen Avenue, Portland.

Participants will learn how to operate TV3’s digital video cameras and audio equipment.  Those who successfully complete the course will be able to check out TV3’s equipment to tape events and activities in the Portland Public Schools for broadcast.

Space is limited at the workshop and pre-registration is required.  To reserve a spot, email TV3@portlandschools.org or call (207) 874-8173.

Deering High School has hired Michael Murphy as the new varsity girls’ basketball coach.  Murphy, a teacher at Scarborough Middle School, served most recently as the head girls’ varsity coach at Westbrook High School.  He previously coached the girls’ varsity team at Scarborough High Schools. 

Murphy has been director of the Winning Hoops Basketball Camp since 1987.  He coached Deering’s junior varsity and freshmen boys’ basketball teams from 1982 to 1985.  He was a standout player for the University of Southern Maine, earning first team New England honors in 1981-82.

“Mike has had tremendous success in every level of coaching and playing basketball,” said Deering Principal Kenneth Kunin.  ” He shows a keen understanding of building character while developing successful athletes.”

The Deering girls’ basketball team won state titles in 2004 and 2008.  Murphy replaces Michael D’Andrea, who resigned as coach last month.   

The Portland School Committee will decide between two names proposed for Portland’s new elementary school - Ocean Avenue Elementary School or Joshua Chamberlain Elementary School.

Those names were selected by the School Naming Subcommittee from dozens of submissions.  The subcommittee’s first choice, Elizabeth B. Noyce Elementary School, was eliminated because the foundation set up by the late philanthropist said Noyce did not want anything named after her.  Subcommittee members chose Ocean Avenue Elementary School as their second choice.  Their third choice was to name the school after Chamberlain, Maine’s celebrated Civil War general and governor.    

The finalists will be presented to the Ocean Avenue School Building Committee on October 2 at 5:30 p.m. in the Portland City Council chambers.

The Portland School Committee will receive the names for consideration on October 15.  A public hearing and final vote is expected on October 22.  Both School Committee meetings will take place at 7 p.m. in Room 250 of Casco Bay High School, 196 Allen Ave., Portland. 

Portland residents and former residents submitted 66 names to the School Naming Subcommittee.  The subcommittee will provide information about why each of the finalist names was proposed.

Criteria that were used in reviewing the names included preserving history, having a citywide focus, reflecting a specific place and honoring educators and education.

Portland School Committee member Sarah Thompson chairs the School Naming Subcommittee.  The other members are: Steve Morgenstein, a teacher and resident of the Back Cove neighborhood where the school will be built; Melissa Bourque, president of the Nathan Clifford School PTO; Michael Johanning of WBRC, the architectural firm hired to design the school; Doug Sherwood, the district’s facilities and property services manager; Assistant Superintendent Jill Blackwood and Teri Gilpatrick, a Presumpscot School parent.

For more information, please contact Sarah Thompson at thompsa@portlandschools.org.

Stephen Black, the Portland policeman who serves as the school resource officer at Portland High School, was honored at the September 17th Portland School Committee meeting as a local hero.

The Portland High Student Council nominated Officer Black for recognition during National Heroes Week, an event coinciding with the anniversary of September 11, 2001 that honors public safety officers and others who serve the community.

Black joined the Portland Police Department in 2000.  He served in the Munjoy Hill and Kennedy Park neighborhoods before being assigned to Portland High in the fall of 2006.

Jules Szanton, the Portland High student representative to the School Committee and a Student Council officer, wrote a proclamation that was read by Emma Wilson, another Portland High Student Council officer, at the September 17th meeting. 

“Officer Black works with students, parents, teachers, social workers and an occasional juvenile probation officer to ensure that Portland High School is kept safe, and its students are kept out of trouble,” Szanton wrote.  “Officer Black also works to develop positive relationships with students and improve cooperation between the police and the community.”

Black told Szanton that his job is “more to keep kids out of trouble than to get them into it.”  He added, “Most of the time the job is actually pretty boring.  I try to keep it that way.”

“Officer Black is respected by students as a trusted adult who is fair,
honest, helpful and approachable,” the proclamation states.  “The Student Council and entire Bulldog family would like to thank Officer Black for all he does, and declare Officer Black to be our Portland High School Hero.”

Officer Black attended the ceremony at the School Committee meeting and expressed thanks for the recognition.

English learners at Portland Adult Education found getting back to school a little easier when their teachers were able to provide free pencils, spiral notebooks, rulers and other necessities donated by a local family.

Portland Adult Education has no funds for school supplies for its nearly 1000 refugee and immigrant students from more than 54 nations, but it does have volunteers who care.  Denis and Connie Netto of Scarborough, along with their daughters Ann-Marie, of Old Orchard Beach, and Stephanie, of South Portland, wanted to make students’ back-to-school experience a little easier.  They donated supplies that were given to students on their first day of classes.

Adult Education students also found a huge bookshelf in the hall stocked with a wide assortment of books for them to take home for free, thanks to the Nettos.

While volunteering at the school last year, Denis Netto noticed that the bookshelf in the hall was messy.  He offered to cull outdated books, organize the rest and label the shelves so that students could have better access to the free books.

Denis took time off from work for that task.  He and his wife also spent the past few months shopping for books to donate to Adult Education students.
They purchased scores of books, ranging from children’s picture books to college textbooks.
 
Free books and supplies are no small luxury for the students at Portland Adult Education.  Most students are refugees from war and poverty in their homelands.  Adjustment to a new life, new culture and new climate takes so much out of them that struggling to keep food on the table for their families is overwhelming.  Portland Adult Education offers them the opportunity to better their lives by providing free English classes, as well as a high school diploma and GED program.

The Portland Public Schools participated this year for the first time in Maine Harvest Lunch, a program that brings local foods into the school lunch program.

On September 17, students in elementary and middle schools throughout the district enjoyed a school lunch that included locally grown greens, tomatoes and apples.  The lunch also featured milk from Oakhurst Dairies and burgers made from beef raised at Wolfe’s Neck Farm in Freeport, served on a whole-wheat bun made from flour provided by Aurora Mills in Aroostock County.

“The average bite of food travels 1,400 miles and uses up to 17 times more fossil fuel than food produced locally,” said Chanda Turner, the district’s school health coordinator.  “By participating in Maine Harvest Lunch, the Portland Public Schools can provide more nutritious food while at the same time supporting Maine farmers and the Maine economy and reducing our environmental impact.”

Students at East End and Reiche elementary schools received special Harvest Lunch funding thanks to a grant from Healthy Portland and the United Way’s Let’s Go! program.  Students at those schools also were served fresh corn on the cob from R. Belanger and Sons in Lewiston.

In many classrooms across the district, students learned about Maine’s agricultural resources, where their food might come from and the benefits of eating local foods.  Farmers and other local agriculture professionals were invited to speak in classrooms.  The manager of Wolfe’s Neck Farm attended  the Harvest Lunch celebration at East End Community School.

The Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) today announced the loan of a high-tech wind-measuring instrument called an anemometer to the Portland Public Schools for installation at East End Community School on Munjoy Hill.

The device will allow detailed measurement of wind direction and velocity in the area, with an eye toward eventual installation of an electricity-generating wind turbine.

“This is an exciting first step in our exploration of wind energy for our schools,” said Portland Superintendent Jeanne Whynot-Vickers. “It’s a rich learning opportunity for our students and it will build on our efforts to be a leader in energy conservation.”

Under the new program, the MPUC will loan two anemometers – one to the Portland Public Schools and one to the Auburn Water District - as well as the 100-foot towers which will raise them into the wind streams.  Data gathering and analysis will be provided by engineering students at the University of Maine in Orono.

“Valid scientific data about the most effective sites for small wind turbines will be crucial to establishing them as a viable energy source,” said Maine PUC Chairman Sharon M. Reishus. “As high energy prices and climate change concerns bring small wind into the public imagination, the Portland Schools and Auburn Water District are leading the way to wind that works for Maine.”

Portland school officials say the project will become a valuable educational tool in the “Expeditionary” learning model at the East End Community School.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) supplied the anemometers as part of a national program to help communities make accurate assessments of wind energy potential.

“The Department of Energy’s Wind Powering America program supports this effort because of Maine’s significant potential to contribute to the national goal of using wind for 20 percent of our energy supply by 2030,” said Dwight Bailey, project manager for the DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory.  “We also look forward to working with Maine on statewide outreach and education that will help grow the local wind industry.”