Third Trimester News

• 8 Strings & a Whistle • Jump Rope for Heart • Electricity Guest Speaker • Shrine Circus

Published by Room 213

Students from pre- k to 6th grade watched a musical group, 8 Strings and a Whistle, on Monday, March 17th. They asked if they could come play at the school, and music teacher, Mr. Josh Bosse, said yes. He organized the concert. There are three members in the band, all from New York, Ina, Matthew, and Suzanne. Ina plays the viola, Matthew plays cello, and Suzanne plays the flute. There was a concert in the morning for the high school and one in the afternoon for the elementary school. They played 4 or 5 pieces. The performers were interactive with the students. They enjoyed their time here and want to come back.

• Salmon Activities

June 2014

Mr. Dan Cyr, the physical education teacher, organized the Jump Rope For Heart event on April 17, 2014. The event took place in the elementary school gym. All grades from 2-6 participated in this event. Students were placed on teams of 5 or 6 members. During the event, each pair jumped for five minutes, 6 different times, for a total of 30 minutes. It took place so students could collect funds for the American Heart Association. They help fight heart disease and stroke. Mr. Dan Cyr added “This year we raised $9,291.65. The success of the program was due to the support of family and community members.

• Acadian Flag Presentation • Financial Fitness Fair • Children's Stage Adventure • Reading Programs • Bike Club • College Aspirations

On May 5, Mr. Peter Zack of the Maine Energy Education Program, spoke to fourth grade students about electricity and how to make it and conserve it. Students did hands-on activities like making an apple battery and a windmill. They were able to test materials to see how good they were at producing electricity. Mrs. Gina Jandreau, a 4th grade science teacher, invited Mr. Zack to come speak to the students because they were learning about electricity in their science class.

On Friday, May 9, 5th grade students attended the Shrine Circus in Presque Isle, Maine. The trip was organized by the 5th grade teachers, Mrs. Bonny Tingley and Mrs. Tina Albert. The Shriners invited the 5th graders to attend. They do it as a fundraiser. The money goes to children that have physical challenges. Mrs. Tingley’s sister got help from the Shriners because she was born with spina bifida. The 5th graders enjoyed the show. They ate cotton candy and popcorn while watching. The students saw different things like clowns, acrobats, a hula hoop lady, a man fly out of a cannon, and cute cats and dogs. While they were there, Evan Lagasse, a 5th grade student, won a brand new bike. Everyone was very excited.

Fourth grade students at Madawaska Elementary have been raising salmon in an incubation unit in their classroom since the end of February to help the salmon population. Students in Mrs. Gina Jandreau’s science classes learn about and take care of the salmon from the eyed egg stage to the fry stage when they are released. Students took a field trip to Dug Brook hatchery located on the Sheridan Road in Ashland, Maine on May 16th. This is the largest real life hatchery in North America. Students had a tour of the hatchery. It was led by Scott Thompson. After the tour, there was a question and answer period. Students ate their lunch in the beautiful lodge and returned home. Students released the salmon from the classroom tank on May 28th at Birch Point in Long Lake. Students took their salmon down to the shore and released them into the lake where they will continue their life cycle. Mrs. Jandreau stated, “Over 700 schools participate in the Fish Friends Program from Connecticut to Labrador. All of these schools, like ours do their part to conserve the salmon population.”

Mrs. Bonny Tingley’s 5th grade students had an Acadian flag presentation during the week of May 5th, 2014. The 5th grade students traveled to individual classes from grades K-6. Students spoke about the history and the colors of the flag and what it means to us. This took place because Mrs. Tingley wanted to teach the school about Acadian history and what the flag represents. All classrooms received blank flags with their last names on them to color like the Acadian flag. All of these flags are displayed in the elementary school lobby.

A few reading programs have been taking place at Madawaska Elementary School. One of them is the Maine Student Book Award. This library program took place from September to the end of March. Students from grades 4-6 participated. It was organized by the librarians, Mrs. Deb Lavoie and Mrs. Jeannette Michaud. The books that the students read were fiction and non-fiction books chosen by the Maine Student Book Award Committee. From that list of books, students must read a least 3 books to participate in the pizza party at the end of the year. This year’s pizza party was held on May 7th in the library. Brenden Simeone won an Amazon gift card for reading the most books on the list. Mrs. Jeannette Michaud said, “This program takes place to encourage students to read more and because the books that are chosen are excellent books.” There has also been a Safari Reading Program going on for students in grade 1. Mrs. Peggy Ruest, a first grade teacher, organized this program. Safari Read took place in the grade 1 classrooms. This program runs from May 1 through May 31. Students had to read 5 non-fiction animal books. When finished reading a book, the students got interviewed by either Mrs. Jen Mazo or Mrs. Peggy Ruest. Once the students finish reading five books, they got a reward, a safari hat, stickers, certificate, and a reading pamphlet. This program takes place to help students read and learn about animals and non-fiction.

On Thursday, May 21, 6th grade students attended a Financial Fitness Fair at the UMFK Gym in Fort Kent, Maine. It was organized by representatives and personnel from the Federal Credit Union in Fort Kent. Madawaska’s grade 6 students and 2 other surrounding schools attended this event. They participated in several games and activities. This event took place to teach students about money. They learned how to spend money wisely, how to share money, the importance of getting a job, how to invest money, life skills, and spending money. Sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Louise Albert, added, “The students thoroughly enjoyed their activities and they learned a lot about money.”

Students in grades 4, 5 and 6 were able to participate in Bike Club. It takes place on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:30 to 4:00 in the months of May and June. Mr. Dan Cyr organized this program and is the bike club coordinator. Mr. Cyr says he has this club because most students love to bike and it’s a life-long physical activity that you can do from the age of 3 to 93. Students bike on four wheeler trails and the secondary streets. Students learn about bike safety, including A-B-C check, following rules of the road and using vocal signals. Mr. Cyr stated, “We had a great turn-out so far and students are anxious to do the Tastee-freez outing on the last day of Bike Club.”

From May 19-23, students from grades 3-5 participated in Children Stage Adventures. Children Stage Adventures is a play performance that takes place every year in the Madawaska Elementary School café. The play for this year was The Emperor’s New Clothes. The students had auditions in the gym on May 19. They practiced in spare rooms around the school from May 19 to May 21. They also practiced in the café from May 21 to May 23. The last thing that happened was on May 23, the students put on 2 shows, one at 1:00 and the other at 6:00. The kids practiced all week long and so did the chorus. Mrs. Missy Morneault, an RTI teacher, organized this program. The staff and students attended the 1:00 show, and friends and family attended the 6:00 show. Mrs. Missy Morneault stated, “This program is really exciting and we are already planning for next year.”

There was a College Aspirations essay contest at Madwaska Elementary School. Students in grades 3-6 were asked to write an essay about their career choice and where they could go to college. Mr. Bob Stuart met with the guidance counselor, Mrs. Shirleen Gendreau, and they discussed when Mr. Stuart would meet with the students, when the essays were due, and they set the award assembly date. Mr. Stuart met with students on March 20th in the library. Students listened to Mr. Stuart talk about careers, college and doing something they like to do. Their essays were due by April 7th, and on June 3rd, the awards assembly was held. Mr. Stuart put together a committee of community members together to read and judge the essays. Forty students from grades 3-6 and one 2nd grader, each won a $100.00 scholarship. MES was the school that had won the most in the past 3 years and received a $200 bonus from the Maine Coalition and Perloff Foundation. Mr. Stuart, Mrs. Gendreau, and all the teachers feel it is important to plant the seed of going to college with our students as early as possible. Mrs. Gendreau stated, “This is a very important program and we hope the community continues to support it.