Happy Retirement!

Maine is fortunate to have such marvelous educators!

We know that what a teacher offers can have an enormous impact on student development day to day AND over their lifetime. As educators retire at the close of another school year, 2016-17, I know that you will join me in THANKING them for their years of service and dedication to students across the state. I certainly appreciate the commitment from the following educators and I wish each of you a healthy retirement and many, many years of laughter and love!

• LINDA BABB, RSU#25, Bucksport, visual art, 47 years
• SUE BOISVERT, Scarborough, music
• JIM BROWN, China Middle School, music. 16+ years
• MARY DEVENNEY, Erskine Academy, visual art, 18 wonderful years
• DEBBIE DiGREGORIO, C.K. Burns School, Saco, visual art, 32 years
• WES FRANKLIN, Greely High School, visual art, 35 years
• PAUL GREENSTONE, Lake Region High School + other schools over the years, music, 40+ years of teaching
• SUSAN HANSON, Blue Point and Eight Corners School, grades K-2, visual art, 31 years
• KENNETH JONES, North Haven Community School, grades K-12, visual art, dance, theater, 24 years
• MARGIE LANDIS, Mt. Ararat High School, music, 30 years
• BETH LIBBY, Wentworth School, grades 3-5, visual art, 36 years
• ROBERT HELSTROM, Hodgdon, music
• CHERYL McGOWAN, Skowhegan Area Middle School, music, 36 very full years
• BETTY MCINTYRE, Windham High School, music, 32 years
• PAUL SCHNELL, George E. Jack and Edna Libby Schools in Standish (SAD/RSU 6), incredible music teacher, 40 years
• JOYCE St. PIERRE, Sanford Schools, elementary visual art, 40 years
• SARAH STUART, Mattanawcook Junior High School, Lincoln, visual art, 40 years
• PAM TURCOTTE, Winthrop Grade School, visual art, 37 years
• Wes Franklin, Visual Art, Greely High School, 35 years

Together these teachers have taught for over 500 years! WOWZER! If you or someone you know is not on the list and retiring please email me and I’d be glad to add them to the list. Thanks!

In and email from Joyce St. Pierre

Art in a room, from a box going floor to floor and room to room, on a cart and in a beautiful art room….all my experiences.

Taught from 6 to 12 classes a day, in 4 to 7 buildings a week, in 22 schools located by lakes, in mountains, towns and cities!

Students ranged from pre-K to K – 6, HS, college, adult ed, and an alternative school.

It’s been fun, frustrating, exhilarating, challenging, expected and unexpected…all over and more…

I’ve worked with some of the best people in the world!

Wouldn’t have changed a thing.

In an email from Kenneth Jones

I have been the k-12 Visual Art teacher from 1998 to 2010 and since then I’ve taught Visual Art k-4 and 9-12. During the entire time I was also the k-12 Physical Education teacher from 1993-2017. Inside of the P.E. job I’ve leaned heavily on my BFA in Dance and Theater. I choreographed all of the John Wulp productions on North Haven (including “Islands”) and produced a Circus Arts presentation every other year for the past twelve years that is full of dance. Every three years I’ve led an “Empty Bowls” fund raiser- focused on a different food bank in Maine or in the world.

Janis (my wife and the k-12 French teacher at NHCS) are off to Durres, Albania where she has accepted a job teaching 2-8 French and TEFL English on the high school level at the Albanian College- Durres. I’ve been promised that they will find a way to keep me busy. I’m taking my bike so I will, very happily, peddle Albania .

Thank you for all of your support over the years. I have benefited tremendously from the conferences I have attended over the years. They serve such an important role for any teachers in isolated positions. I remember your journey to North Haven when North Haven was recognized for Excellence in the Arts. As I recall, it was a bit of a sloppy day on the water!

It has been quite a run on the island but we are both excited for this next adventure.

Hungry for Art

RSU 23 art teachers come together for district art show

Not all the artwork in the annual RSU 23 art exhibit is related to art but many of the pieces have a direct connection. As you can see in one of the photos the giant sandwiches are ready for the eating! The art teachers work together to plan the annual event that is held at the Saco Museum. Artwork covers the walls from ceiling to floor.  The district has 7 art teachers and represents the collective work of nearly 2,500 students from Dayton, Fairfield, Jameson, Young and CK Burns elementary schools; Loranger and Saco Middle Schools, and Old Orchar Beach High School.

Camille Smalley, the Saco Museum collections and research manager said: “This year’s display really showcased the innovation and creativity of the teachers and the district’s art program. There are going to be a lot of people leaving here hungry because the installations look pretty lifelike”.

Congratulations to art teachers Joanne Matusko (Dayton and Young schools), Jessie Francis (Loranger Middle School), Dawn Strandburg (Jameson), Marie Hoyniak (Saco Middle School), Piper Bolduc (Old Orchard Beach High School), Debbie DiGregorio (Burns School) and Diane Noble (Young and Fairfield schools).

An article in the Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier tells the whole story which you can access by clicking here.

Thank you to Diane Noble for sending the information and the photos.