Catching up on happenings at Mill Pond School
On Wednesday, May 1, we participated in ACES Day (All Children Exercising Simultaneously) as an entire school body. From the youngest pre-K students to the oldest staff members, everyone got moving for half an hour as our contribution to this nationwide event. We had 100 percent participation!
Seventh-grade students and five staff members spent the week of May 6-10 at Camp Kieve in Nobleboro. As part of the Leadership Decisions Institute, students participated in daily classes such as relationships, skills, decisions, teambuilding, solo, and the ever popular adventure class.
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FIELD TRIP — The seventh-grade class from Hodgdon Mill Pond School recently traveled to Camp Kieve.
The kids learned about the guidelines for clear and effective communication following the LEADSTAR model. Students had many discussions regarding bullying — what it looks like, where it happens, and how to break down the problems of bullying in their own school.
Learning to juggle all the things in their lives was another important lesson touched upon at Kieve. All realized that, when you have too many “things” in your life, it’s very hard to maintain balance and to do all things well. Solo class involved the students taking a quiet break, isolated along the shores of Lake Damariscotta. Many enjoyed this quiet time, as they realized just how busy they are and how much “noise” surrounds them on a daily basis.
The high point of the week for most would be the time spent on the outdoor ropes course. Students acted as support teams for each other as they took turns challenging themselves with the various climbing elements. By far, the 50-foot telephone pole climb with a jump from the top to a trapeze bar proved to be the most popular and most challenging. Watching each other go up and jump for the bar was a great display of courage and trust. We ate well, played hard, and laughed much during the week. If you know someone who has attended, please ask them about their experience.
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PLAY DAY — Wyatt Henderson, left, and Landon Boxwell enjoy playing on the Hodgdon Mill Pond playground during ACES day.
Students in grades 5 and 8 are finished with their MEA science assessments and all students are in the process of completing their spring NWEA testing. Everyone has worked very diligently to do their best to prepare, so we are hoping for gains in all areas of academia.
Middle school students involved in band and chorus presented their spring concert on May 15. Thanks to Mrs. Kelly Ellis and Mr. Scott Walker for their hard work in preparing such a wonderful concert! All students involved should be very proud of this presentation and the hours of practice and preparation it took for a wonderful outcome.
News from afterschool:
Students and staff are finishing up this school year with extra help in academics, crafts projects, outdoor fun and activities, and special events. Our robotics team traveled to the spring track meet in Ellsworth for a day of competition and fun. We are proud of our students and their display of gracious professionalism! This team invited the team from Houlton’s Southside School to visit our after-school program on May 15. Both teams did demonstrations for students and staff based on their competing categories. Then, all attending students headed for the gym to make constructions out of marshmallows and spaghetti. Amazing what you can do with those two things! We finished up the day with “Make your own Sundaes” and called it a day.
Thursday, May 16, was the last day of regular afterschool programming for this school year. We spent time examining pond water under microscopes with Mrs. Sara McQuarrie. Students’ names were drawn for door prizes, and we ate pizza to our hearts’ content.
One more event is scheduled for early June when a group of middle school students and their chaperones will head to Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass. to attend a professional soccer game. We will be seeing the New England Revolution play DC United. We will be enjoying dinner at CBS Scene in Patriot Place, and the following day students and chaperones will visit Southwick’s Zoo before returning to Mill Pond School. Many thanks to Bangor Savings Bank, Donors’ Choose, and the Dunkin Kid Zone for their help in making this trip possible.
Until next time, enjoy the warm weather that is finally visiting us here in northern Maine!
