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.

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.