Happy Retirement

Maine is fortunate!

We know that what a teacher offers can have an enormous impact on students development day to day AND over their lifetime. As educators retire at the close of another school year, 2015-16, I know that you will join me in THANKING them for their years of service and dedication to students across the state. Maine appreciates the commitment of the following educators and wish you well and many healthy years of laughter!

Combined the following have taught for 503+ years. HAPPY RETIREMENT!

• BETSY ALLEN-McPHEDRAN, Visual Art, RSU #38, 29 years of service
• SARAH BARNUM, K-6 Visual Art, Augusta School Department, 30 years of service
• PIPER BOLDUC, Visual Art, Old Orchard Beach High School, 37 years of service
• LISE DUNN, Music, Mast Landing School, Freeport, 42 years of service
• MARY DYER, Visual Art, Winthrop High School,  40+ years of service
• ELAINE FLETCHER, Visual Art, Harrison Middle School, 30 years of service
• JULIE HAYES, Visual Art, Vine Street School, Bangor, 31 years of service
• KATY HELMAN, Visual Art, Deer Isle Stonington High School, 18 years of service
• KIM KRAMP, K-8 Visual Art, Conners Emerson School, Bar Harbor, 35 years of service
• JOHN NEAL, Music, Oak Hill High School, 38 years of service
• DIANE NOBLE, K-6 Visual Art, Saco Schools, 38 years of service
• BLAISE SPATH, Music, Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School, 33 years of service
• BETH WHITNEY, Music, Woolwich Central School, 34.3 years of service
• ROGER WHITNEY, Music, Wiscasset Schools, 35 years of service
• LINDA THORNDIKE WILLIAMS, Visual Art, Berwick Schools, 33 years of service

If you know of others retiring this year who are not on the list please email me at argy.nestor@maine.gov so I can add them to the list.

GT Art Seminar

District-wide in RSU#38

On May 15th a district wide Art Seminar was held for Gifted and Talented Art students in grades 3-12. A total of 22 GT Art students participated in the three art sessions presented by local artists at their studios. Christine Higgins and Thomas Higgins share a studio in Readfield. Christine creates sculptural forms and pulp paintings from her handmade paper. Thomas is a plein air oil landscape painter. Their website is http://christinejhigginsfineart.com. Melissa Fredsall is a glass artist and she teaches a variety of glass arts at the Stained Glass Express studio in Manchester. Their website is www.stainedglassexpress.com.

The students were divided into two groups: elementary students and middle school/high school students. Ms. Lord, the middle school art teacher, accompanied the MS/HS students as they started their day at the Dragonfly studio in Readfield. Students listened to a short presentation by Christine and Thomas about their art and how they communicate a message with their artwork and then they got right to work creating art. While high school students sat on the edge of the woods with Thomas and learned techniques to sketch a graphite landscape, Christine taught the middle school students how to screen and press pulp fibers into paper and dye the fibers to create a design. After an hour the two groups switched places, so that each group were able to work along side both artists.

Meanwhile at the Stain Glass Express studio, Ms. McPhedran, a district elementary art teacher, and the elementary students were working with Melissa Fredsall to create glass mosaic tiles. Each student selected colored glass pieces to form a design, which they glued to the tile and then grouted the glass pieces. Each student was able to finish their tile and bring it home the same day.

After students ate their lunches, they boarded the bus and MS/HS students traveled to the Stained Glass studio and Elementary students traveled to the Dragonfly studio. The elementary students received the same two presentations by Christine and Thomas and created their own paper and sketched landscapes with graphite and colored pencils. The MS/HS students spent the afternoon cutting glass and creating several glass design pieces, that were later fired in the glass kiln and made into beautiful magnets.

It was a wonderful day spent with great weather, talented artists, and creative students. On the bus ride back to school the students exclaimed what a great time they all had and were greatly inspired to use their new art skills.

Photos of the day can be viewed at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/ 0BxHQTmvxop2OTHR4RWwycEFTcEk/view?usp=sharing

Thank you to Hope Lord, Maranacook Middle School ART teacher for providing this great blog post.