Thanks to a Lowe’s grant given to the Mapleton Parent Organization, the pre-K and Kindergarten students at Mapleton Elementary now have a few new sources of “entertainment.”
At the end of the school year this past May, members of the MPO, led by volunteer parent Renee Guerrette, selected pieces to add to the small playground behind the building. Keeping in mind requests from pre-K teacher Phyllis Hanson and Kindergarten teacher Nora Pangburn, several new attractions were unveiled at the annual Cookie Day held Aug. 20.
Two of the larger pieces included a castle with slide and a six-in-one “Town Center” which, when the sides are opened, reveals a store, workbench station, gas station, and gym end with a basketball hoop and soccer net.
Two new coil spring riding toys were also installed – a frog and a fire truck. An elevated sand and water table with an umbrella and four new sport cycle riding toys were also chosen for the playground. The MPO ordered two benches that have been installed for adults supervising the children during playtime, as well as a couple of child-size picnic tables.
The MPO would like to thank Lowe’s for the generous grant, along with the SAD 1 custodial and grounds crews for their hard work and dedication to this project! The children were certainly surprised and excited to see the new toys as they started a new school year!
Birthdays
Birthday wishes this week go out to Dakota Lance Lafland, Karson Eaton, Jessica Putnam, Lynn Boucher, Christa Galipeau, Bertha Skidgel, Mike Chasse, Bonnie Steeves, Valerie Grendell, Theresa Hoffses, Brittany Warner, Camdyn Putnam, Kim Wilcox, Eric York, Isaac Estey, Rachel Boulier and Tim Lafland.
Anniversaries
Happy Anniversary this week to Tony and Lynn Boucher on the 3rd; Ed and Laurie Christie on the 7th; and Kevin and Jeanna Carter on the 8th.
Welcoming a New School Year
What a difference a year makes! Last year, as faculty, staff and students gathered together at the Mapleton Elementary School to begin a new school year, the temperatures were barely in the 60s and a very cool breeze whipped around the building. What a pleasant change this year! Sun and much warmer temperatures greeted all Tuesday, Aug. 25.
Shortly after 8 a.m., teachers gathered their students in a line by grade, some walking hand-in-hand with their parents as they, along with other extended family members, paraded around the building to the flagpole.
Boy Scout Aaron Swanson and Junior Girl Scout Grace Player began the ceremony by raising the American flag. Presque Isle High School students and senior trumpeters, Josh Jones and Adam Scott, played “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “America the Beautiful.”
Following the musical entertainment, new Principal Dan Duprey addressed the students, faculty, staff and community members. After expressing his own emotions, similar to those he thought the students were feeling: scared, nervous and excited to be in a new school and a new school year; he thanked everyone for attending. He feels that Mapleton Elementary has the “best teachers” around! He welcomed the students to their new school year and led the group in “The Pledge of Allegiance.” After, students were dismissed to begin their day.
Looking back on the day, Duprey said, “”he large attendance at the ceremony shows the support of the community when it comes to education and the school, but more importantly they were here to help ensure the school year got started on a positive note.” He also noted that in the coming days, information will be sent home inviting families to attend an Open House that is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 6:30 p.m.
Little Known Holidays
For those of you who still have a newspaper carrier, you might be interested to know that Friday, Sept. 4 is Newspaper Carrier Day. According to holidayinsights.com, Newspaper Carrier Day honors everyone who is now, or once was, a newspaper carrier. Years ago, this job was primarily populated by kids, from pre-teen through approximately 16 (my husband included).
This day commemorates the hiring of the very first newspaper carrier. Newspaper carriers date back to the early 1800s. On Sept. 10, 1833, 10-year-old Barney Flaherty became the first newspaper carrier. Benjamin Day, publisher of The New York Sun, hired Barney Flaherty to sell papers for his penny press. The only job requirement was that he had to show that he could throw a newspaper into the bushes! (Imagine that job interview). So, if you still have someone delivering your newspaper, be sure to do a little something “extra” for them Sept. 4.
Mapleton Daze Meeting
The Mapleton Daze Committee is planning a follow-up meeting to their meeting last week TONIGHT (Wednesday, Sept. 2) at 6:30 p.m. at the Pizza House. Their immediate goal is to begin making phone calls to community members that are interested in purchasing the annual birthday calendars. Help is needed with this large fund-raiser.
If you have an hour or two to call committed customers to renew their orders for this year, your assistance would be greatly appreciated! Calendars arrive in November for delivery before Christmas. Would you consider helping the committee by making a few phone calls during the next couple weeks or deliver calendars in November? Please contact Secretary Julie Powers at greenbay04favre@yahoo.com if you would like to help, but cannot attend the meeting. The committee thanks you, in advance, for any assistance you may be able to provide!
Castle Hill Grange Hall Preservation Society
The Society needs new members. Membership dues are $10 for a working member, $15 for a non-working member, $100 for a lifetime member or $150 for a couple lifetime. Please consider becoming a member. The Society meets on the fourth Tuesday of the month February through November.
The Grange Hall is available for rent May 1-Nov. 1. Please contact any member if you are interested in renting the hall for your event.
Mapleton United Methodist Church Luncheon
The United Methodist Church luncheon will be held Friday, Sept. 4 at 11:30 a.m. All are welcome to attend.
Jennifer Buzza is the correspondent for Mapleton, Castle Hill and Chapman. She can be reached at 760-9115, or by e-mail at jbuzza@ainop.com.
Photo courtesy of Jennifer Buzza
THE MAPLETON PARENT ORGANIZATION spent a portion of a grant that was received from Lowe’s to purchase new playground equipment for the pre-K and kindergarten playground. During “Cookie Day,” when the youngest students of the school have an opportunity to meet their teachers and “try out” the playground toys before the start of the school year, the new equipment was unveiled. Pictured here are two boys peeking through the windows of the “Town Center,” one of the new larger pieces added to the playground.
Photo courtesy of Jennifer Buzza
THE PRE-K AND KINDERGARTEN students at Mapleton Elementary School have several new pieces of playground equipment to enjoy thanks to a grant from Lowe’s. The Mapleton Parent Organization ordered the new pieces this spring and they were added to the playground in time for the annual “Cookie Day” before this new school year began. Pictured is the backside of the “Town Center,” which has a basketball hoop and soccer net. In the background is a new fire truck coil spring riding toy, one of six new riding toys added to the playground.
Photo courtesy of Jennifer Buzza
THE CASTLE HILL ADVENT CHRISTIAN CHURCH hosted a picnic supper recently as part of its 100th anniversary celebration. Over 50 parishioners and members of the community enjoyed a barbecue supper that kicked off the weekend’s events. A service followed the meal with music, readings, and a message by guest speaker, the Rev. Dave Ross. (More photos and an article will appear in an upcoming edition of The Star-Herald).
Photo courtesy of Jennifer Buzza
BOY SCOUT Aaron Swanson and Junior Girl Scout Grace Player, students at Mapleton Elementary School, raise the American flag during the opening ceremony marking the first day of school. Faculty, staff, parents, and extended family members celebrated the first day of the new school year – Aug. 25 – with a parade around the building, music by Presque Isle High School students Josh Jones and Adam Scott, and words of welcome from new school Principal Dan Duprey.
