March 16, 2015 - Mt. Ararat High School

To:
Parents/Guardians & Students
From: Donna F. Brunette, Principal
Date: March 16, 2015
RE:
MTA Newsletter
It looks like the weather is finally easing up and mud season is upon us. The snow banks are beginning to melt but are
still an issue for parking and visibility as we move about our campus. I appreciate everyone being cautious given the
conditions and look forward to winter coming to an end.
I want to share that traffic through Wicked Joe's parking lot has raised some concerns about safety. Please understand that
Wicked Joe's has customers and employees moving about throughout the day and when people use the parking lot as a
throughway, safety becomes an issue. I understand that we did not have a business in that location for a couple of years
and people driving through the lot was not an issue at that time. Wicked Joe's moved into the former commissary space
last year, they are wonderful neighbors, and I am asking that we respect their business space. Thank you for your support.
Enclosed, please find your child’s progress report. If you have questions or concerns about the information in this report,
I encourage you to contact their teacher(s) directly. Please know if your child is struggling in any class, there are many
supports available if your child is encountering challenges.
Students have been working with teachers to complete the course sign up process as we begin to plan for next year. Your
children should have asked you to sign off on a course selection form. I encourage you to contact your child’s counselor
if you have questions about the courses your child has selected as he or she plans for completing course work aligned with
meeting high school graduation requirements.
MTA 2015 MPA Principal's Award
Rebecca Schuman has been named as Mt. Ararat High School's 2015 MPA Principal's Award recipient. Rebecca has been
recognized for her academic excellence, outstanding school citizenship, and leadership. Rebecca will attend the annual
banquet in Bangor with Mrs. Brunette on April 11th where she will be honored. Students attending the luncheon will have
the opportunity to win one of ten $1000 scholarships.
MTA Student Wins Maine State Poetry Out Loud
Congratulations to MTA junior, Rose Horowitz. Rose is the 2015 Maine State Poetry Out Loud champion. MTA Students
have been competing in Poetry Out Loud for the past 6 years; Rose is the first MTA student to win the state level
competition, which was held on March 11th at the Waterville Opera House. Rose will travel to Washington, D.C. to
represent Maine in the 10th Poetry Out Loud National Finals on April 28-29th, at George Washington University. In
addition, MTA is awarded $500 to purchase of poetry materials.
Mt. Ararat Science Club Competes in State Science Bowl
On Saturday, February 28th members of the Mt. Ararat Science Club traveled to the University of Southern Maine in
Gorham for the 2015 State Science Bowl Competition. Science Bowl uses a quiz show format to challenge team
members with biology, chemistry, physics, earth/space science, mathematics, and energy questions. Representing Mt.
Ararat as two five student teams were Ben York, Courtney Hall, Dominic Bobalek, Rose Horowitz, Matt Porter, Shiloh
Chambers, Sula Demers, Patricia Snape, Joe Beale, and Mae Flibotte. Mt. Ararat science teachers Glenn Evans and Jeff
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Davison attended as coaches. Both Mt. Ararat teams were competitive with one team finishing tied for seventh among the
seventeen teams competing. Mt. Ararat was recognized in the closing ceremony with the “Good Sportsmanship Award”
for their enthusiastic supportive spirit and unique hats. Congratulations Mt. Ararat Science Club for representing MTA
well!
Mt. Ararat Stage Company – “How to Succeed in Business…” – Well Done!!!
Congratulations to the Mt. Ararat Stage Company for your amazing performance of "How to Succeed in Business without
Really Trying". The production featured a large cast of students led by seniors Sam Allen and Charlie Gill and featuring
Juliet Williams, Kate Graeff, Daphenie Thenor, Cha Cha Jerome, Markis Larrivee, and Daniel Blake. The ensemble
included Kobi Appleby, Emelia Beattie, Jacob Bickford, Connor Bolduc, Bailey Charron, Sula Demers, Kelsie Dickey,
Macey Downs, Elyssa Eldridge, Garrett Gelwick, Jack Herard, Madison Leckbee, Temple Miller-Hodgkin, and Maddie
Plant. The back stage crew members were Maddy Wilson, Nichole Ricker, Ivy Dennen, and Lizzie Garver. The
production also featured staff and student musicians in the orchestra. The production was directed and choreographed by
Adam P. Blais, with musical direction by Kristen Thomas, costume design by Travis Grant, and technical direction by Jim
Alexander. Fabulous performance!
Important Calendar Dates – March & April 2015
3/14
UNH Band Festival
3/18
“Let's Get Ready To Crumble Bake-Off".
3/19
MSAD #75 Art Show at Mt. Ararat Middle School
3/20
Professional Development Day (No School for Students)
3/20 & 3/21
NHS Variety Show
3/23 – 4/3
Cram the Van (In school Food Drive to Benefit MidCoast Hunger Prevention Program)
3/23 – 4/7
MEA Testing Window at MTA for 3rd Year Students
3/27
Spring Dance
4/4
Cram the Van community event at Hannaford in Topsham (Food Drive to Benefit MidCoast Hunger
Prevention Program)
4/6
MTA Parents Invited to Budget Discussion with Superintendent (6:30pm)
4/10
Third Quarter Ends
4/14
8th Grade Parent Information Meeting
4/15
SAT Administration
4/15
10th Grade Campus Tours
4/17
Professional Development Day
4/20 – 4/24
Spring Vacation
4/29
Senior Capstone Presentations
Please Mark Your Calendars… 2015 – 2016 Budget Discussion with Superintendent
On April 6th at 6:30 pm in the Learning Commons at the high school, Superintendent Brad Smith and I will host a
conversation focused on the District budget and planning for next year. You are welcome to attend the meeting to hear
information and engage in the discussion.
Youth Art Month
Youth Art Month, observed annually in March, emphasizes the value of art education for all students and encourages
support for quality school art programs. This month, Mt. Ararat students are featured in special exhibits around the
state. Congratulations to students Katherine Trebilcock, Lauren Sturgess, and Ariel Miller, who have artwork on display
for the month of March at the Portland Museum of Art. Also congratulations to freshman, Carly Cornish, who has a piece
of artwork on display at the Maine Education Association building in Augusta for the year.
The K-12 district art show at Mt. Ararat Middle School is on March 19th, highlighting the strengths of our K-12 program.
At the event, senior students, Alyssa Scannevin and Alicia Thurston will speak about the impact that our district's visual
arts education has had on them. A good visual arts program develops divergent and critical thinking, multicultural
awareness, technical, communication, and expressive skills. We hope you will join us for this event to celebrate the work
of students and enjoy the display that is evidence of the quality of the visual arts program in MSAD #75.
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School Spirit Challenge Results
The final tallies for the School Spirit Challenge are in. We are proud to announce that MTA collected over 13,000 pounds
of food for MidCoast Hunger Prevention and the Good Shepard Food Bank and we are not done yet!
On March 18th at 2:30pm we are hosting the first "Let's Get Ready To Crumble Bake-Off". Anyone can enter the contest
by baking their best brownie, cupcake, bread or “whatever” baked goody. All items can be tasted and voted on for a $3
fee and the winner receives a $50 cash prize! Baked goods will also be available for purchase. All Proceeds will go to
MidCoast Hunger Prevention Program!
Our final event for MidCoast Hunger Prevention Program this year will be the 9th annual "Cram the Van" event at the
Topsham Hannaford on April 4th from 9-3. Canned goods and donations can be dropped off in the School Counseling
office. Everyone's help and support is very much appreciated!
Seniors - Capstone 2015 – April 29th
Seniors and Senior Parents, Capstone is fast approaching. All seniors should be bringing the work on their Capstone
project to a close and be developing his or her final presentation. Seniors should have submitted forms outlining needs for
space or technology; the information on the forms will be used to organize the schedule for presentations. (Seniors should
see their Advisor if they have not completed and submitted this information).
Seniors will present Capstone projects on April 29th; family members are both encouraged and welcome to attend the
presentations. Capstone Day will mark the end of an extensive self-designed inquiry process and we hope you can join us
for this celebration of learning. Also know that each year we look for community members who would be interested in
participating as judges for this event. If you or someone you know is interested in being involved, please email Evelyn
Barbour at barboure@link75.org. Thank you.
Seniors Students & Parents – Dates for your Calendar
Looking forward to seeing you in the upcoming months!!
- Spring Sports Awards Wednesday, June 10th
- Senior award night Wednesday, June 3rd
- Senior Prom Saturday, May 9th, 8pm-midnight, at the Bath Country Club
- Mandatory Marching Practice Thursday, June 11th and Friday, June 12th
- Senior BBQ- Friday, June 12th after the last marching practice around noon.
- Graduation- Sunday, June 14th at 1 pm - immediately followed by Project Graduation trip!!
There will be many opportunities for your help!!! Please be looking for emails in the near future!!!
Annual Maine Educational Assessments for 3rd Year MTA Students
The MEA testing for our 3rd year students is fast approaching. This year we will be administering the MEA online since
the State of Maine has selected Smarter Balanced as our state assessment. MTA is planning to administer the English
assessments on March 23rd and 24th, Math on April 6th and 7th, and Science on April 19th. As we prepare for this
assessment and consider the technical elements, we may need to adjust our schedule to allow time for training to support
administration. For 3rd year students and parents, please find the enclosed letter which provides more details about the
testing process.
All 3rd Year Students - Opportunity to Take the SAT - Free
On Wednesday, April 15th, all third year students will have the opportunity to take the SAT at no charge. The SAT is
designed to assess academic readiness for college and provide a path to opportunities, financial support, and scholarships
for all students. The SAT has been Maine’s state assessment for several years; this afforded our students the opportunity
to take this college readiness test at no cost. This year Maine is transitioning to the Smarter Balanced Assessment
Consortium program for the state accountability testing, and during this transition the State has decided to provide an
opportunity for all third year students in Maine high schools to take the SAT at no cost. We are encouraging all MTA
third year students to register and have distributed information to our students in Advisory. We hope every third year
student will take advantage of this opportunity.
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PSAT Score Review Information for Parents of 10th and 11th Grade Students
The PSAT booklets and the score reports were distributed to students during the early part of the 2nd semester. Students in
10th and 11th grade should have accessed the My College QuickStart program using the codes printed on each student’s
score sheet. Math and English teachers conducted a score review in class.
Parents are encouraged to go to: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/psat/about.html, the College Board website,
with your 10th or 11th grade student to access their scores and explore the My College QuickStart program. The My
College QuickStart program has a wealth of resources and targeted practice for students who took the PSAT. Using this
online program, students are able to:
 See their PSAT scores as well as their projected SAT score
 Review questions they got wrong along with explanations of these questions
 Practice for the SAT with hundreds of practice questions
 Save their college searches
 Take a personality test to find majors and careers
10th Grade College Visits - April 15th
All tenth graders, as part of their Advisory program, participate in a field trip to campuses in the State of Maine that
provide a variety of post-secondary education opportunities. These visits are designed to give students a chance to explore
a post-secondary campus; this exposure is not a commitment for any student to attend the campus he or she visits that day.
Janet Galle, MELMAC Grant Coordinator, has been visiting 10th grade Advisory groups to explain the purpose of this
experience and collect information from students. This will help organize the April 15th visits to community college
campuses, 2 and 4 year college campuses, or a large industry campus which offers explanations of apprenticeships and
certificate programs. The goal is to create awareness and promote thinking about education after high school. Parents
who have questions about campus visits are encouraged to contact a member of the Guidance Counseling Department at
MTA. Any parent who would like to join us as a chaperone on one of the college visits should contact our MELMAC
coordinator, Janet Galle, at MTA.
MTA Construction Project Update
The Designer Selection Committee is close to making a recommendation for an architect to the School Board. Members
of the Designer Selection Committee have interviewed architects, checked references, and organized site visits to look at
buildings designed by the firms we have zeroed in on. Members of the Designer Selection Committee: Brad Smith
(Superintendent), Chris Shaw (Facilities Director), Sarah Cowperthwaite (MTA Teacher), Dave Johnson (Board
Member), Kim Totten (Board Member), Scott McKernan (Board Member), Julie Booty (Board Member), Tom Saucier
(Community Member), and I will meet on March 19th to review all the information we have gathered so we can finalize
the selection process.
The Building Committee membership has been finalized and when the selection of an architect is finalized, we will begin
the design process. Emily Robbins, 8th Grader at Mt. Ararat Middle School, will be the student representative on the
Building Committee. Michael Chonko (Topsham resident, parent, MTA graduate from Harpswell, and mechanical
engineer) and John Hodge (Topsham resident, parent, Executive Director of the Brunswick and Topsham Housing
Authorities, skilled facilitator) will represent parents and community members. Krista Chase and Matthew Cook will
represent the faculty. Members previously confirmed by the School Board include: Brad Smith (Superintendent), Chris
Shaw (Facilities Director), Steve Dyer (Business Manager), Dave Johnson (Board Member), Kim Totten (Board
Member), Scott McKernan (Board Member), Julie Booty (Board Member), and me.
Educational Specifications will be the focus of the Building Committee’s work with the architect. The process for
gathering input and writing the education specs will be developed through our committee work. Please know that the
process will include opportunity for community input so please look for information about meetings in the near future and
bring your voice. The goal as we plan for the construction project is to have a high school that reflects the vision of our
MTA community.
Eagle's Nest-School Based Health Center (SBHC)
The SBHC had another successful interactive health day in the Commons to celebrate SBHC Awareness Month in
February. This year we had 4 students and members of the SBHC Advisory Group assisting with the celebration. The
interactive health fair took place on February 25th, during lunches. We had display tables with printed literature on health
related topics, give-away items (bottled water, calming stones, necklaces, and other trinkets), and door prizes. The SBHC
staff was available to meet and greet students. We were able to recruit 7 more students interested in the School Based
Health Center Advisory Group!
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The SBHC is open to ALL students! SBHC sign up packets are available for any student who would like to join.
Parent/guardian signatures are required for minors; students 18 years old can sign themselves up for the SBHC. We have
open enrollment ALL year long and the enrollment process needs to be completed each year. The Nurse Practitioner,
Nancy Porr, is available to see students on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. She can assess, diagnose, prescribe and
make health plans appropriate to support with a medical or health need. The nurse practitioner works closely with a
student’s primary care provider when applicable. There is also a Behavioral-Mental Health Counselor, Donna Bann,
available in the SBHC on school days.
Take advantage of getting your teeth cleaned at school! This is another service made available for All students from time
to time in the SBHC. On February 23rd, the SBHC was able to sponsor 2 dental hygienists. The Tooth Protector
hygienists saw 28 students! This service is available for students regardless of financial status; they bill your insurance as
appropriate.
Members of the SBHC are excited to have students who are interested in the SBHC Student Advisory Group! The second
meeting is scheduled for March. Students should watch and listen for the notice!
Access Health – Resources for Members of Our Community
Access Health has been creating opportunities for members of our community that support healthier lifestyles. The
resources available through Access Health focus on wellness related topics (physical activity, nutrition, tobacco, healthy
homes, substance abuse) that promote good health and personal safety. Some of the initiatives parents or students may
want to know more about include:
 Text-a-Tip – a service for community members that allows a person to anonymously report underage drinking
concerns to law enforcement
 Risk-reduction classes for area youth who have experiences with tobacco, alcohol, or drugs
 A network of medication collection boxes in our region
 Creating a walking map in Brunswick that highlights walking routes, bike racks, crosswalks, and other bike and
pedestrian safety features
 Work with two area Farmers Markets to install EBT machines that allow for use of food stamps, credit, and debit
card with the goal of increasing access to healthy local foods
 Healthy eating and cooking class programs for low income residents
 A district-wide landlord Healthy Homes quarterly newsletter
To learn more about these and other initiatives created and implemented by the Access Health program you can check out
the website accesshealth@midcoasthealth.com or call (207) 373-6995.
Parents – Are you interested in starting a MTA Parent Group?
I am exploring parent interest in forming a MTA Parent Group. As MSAD #75 works through a process of change that
will lead to implementation of a proficiency-based system, school construction, and accreditation, parent voice is
welcomed and encouraged. I would appreciate the opportunity to talk to parents as we explore programs, services, and
practices at MTA with the goal of supporting students as they develop the knowledge and skills needed to achieve postsecondary aspirations. Please let me know, call or email, if you are interested in starting a MTA Parent Group. Thank
you. Donna Brunette, Principal
Official MTA Gear – Show Your Eagle Pride
Show your Eagle pride in Official MTA gear from the MTA Spirit Store.
All profits directly benefit all MTA Athletic teams.
Check out http://mtasportsboosters.weebly.com/spirit-store.html to see all that we offer.
Questions? Contact: araratnation@gmail.com
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