Hawk’s Nest

By Nannette M. Mills
    Teachers at Hodgdon High School work diligently to guarantee all students the opportunity to learn the knowledge and skills essential for the future by staying on the cutting edge of educational  technology and accountability.  One innovative aspect of this endeavor has been  participating in The Maine Course Pathways Project.  This project is a collaboration between the Maine Department of Education and the Educational Policy Improvement Center(EPIC) to develop a system to determine that Hodgdon High School students are given fair opportunity to learn all of the standards of Maine’s Learning Results: Parameters for Essential Instruction.  The goal is to validate Hodgdon High School’s curriculum and academic programs, and maintain local control over the content of courses(EPIC).
    EPIC has conducted years of research on college and high school course syllabi and Hodgdon High School is creating a syllabus for each course  and identifying the Maine Learning Results (MLRs) components taught in each unit of each course.  Teachers are currently receiving feedback from trained experts in their content area to strengthen the curriculum and the educational experience for all students.   
    Teachers and administrators at Hodgdon High School are invested in our students and community and are proud to represent the high quality and caliber of our students.  The class of 2010 must meet the rigorous graduation requirement of an intensive Senior Portfolio and Project to be presented to teachers and administration.  The students have done an incredible job studying and researching such essential questions as, “What would it take to solve one of the Clay Institute’s Millennium Problems?” and “What alternative energy should we be using in Maine?”  The class of 2010 would also like to congratulate Wesley Heinrichs, who has been selected from his class to receive the Maine Principal’s Association Award in recognition of his academic achievement and citizenship. Wesley shared that his first choice will be to attend Yale University in the fall.  Be assured that Hodgdon High School students continue to meet the high standards of prestigious universities and  employment opportunities in our world at large.  
     When voices of doubt and criticism try to hamper your goals, always remember the wise words Christopher Robin whispered to Pooh,  “You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”