RSU 34 -

RSU #34 School and District Offices will be closed today (12/23/22). The National Weather Service is asking people to stay off the roads. If there are extended power outages into the weekend, and Public Safety Officials ask us to open up Leonard Middle School as a warming shelter, we will use social media, our websites, and school-based texting to communicate. Be safe everyone.

Feature Student: Noah G., VRS Grade 3 This month, I had the pleasure of meeting with Noah G., a 3rd grade student at Viola Rand Elementary School. Noah is a very cool kid with diverse interests including hockey, fishing and spending time with family. Our discussion started around what he likes most about school–he told me, “I like to write.” So I asked what he had been writing about lately, and we spent the next 10 minutes talking about fishing! “Over the summer at my camp, my Grampy caught a 17” bass right off the shore. My Grandmother caught a 20.5”, and I caught a 15.5”.” I was very impressed with his attention to detail. I asked if it was hard for a 3rd grader to reel in such a large fish, and he said, “It took a minute or two. My Dad said if the fish comes off the hook he was going to dive in and get it!” I could tell this was a memory he would cherish forever. Now I don’t call myself a successful fisherman, but I do enjoy fishing and am alway looking for ways to improve. I had to ask Noah what the secret was. Noah shared, “Use a red rubber lizard. The bass like red.” Thank you, Noah….I’m sending Santa a last-minute update to my wish list. Throughout all of our conversations, Noah talked about family. He enjoys spending time with his cousins. When asked if he was excited about this past weekend’s snow storm, he said “Yes! I played with my cousins and we all went caroling on a trailer! We had hot cocoa and HOMEMADE cookies" (he made sure I noted the cookies were homemade because they were very good green, Grinch cookies). Noah went on to tell me how much he loves playing hockey and riding 4-wheeler. I could have talked with Noah for the rest of the afternoon. I asked Noah, “If you were coaching a hockey team, and needed to pump up your players, what would you say?” Noah quickly smiled and enthusiastically said, “Get ready for the game guys. This is a tough team!” 🙂 Here are some fun facts about Noah: Favorite Sport: Hockey “I play forward and defense.” Favorite Teacher: “That’s a hard one….I like them all.” (good answer) Favorite School Lunch: Turkey and cheese sandwich Favorite book: ‘Fox in Sox’ by Dr. Seuss Dream Car: A Dually “I really, really, really love trucks. A dually is like a normal truck but it has two more tires on the back.” I really enjoyed my time with Noah. He lives his life by some pretty important rules: be active, be respectful and kind, enjoy the outdoors and enjoy time with family. I’m proud of you, Noah! I hope you and your cousins have an awesome holiday vacation! Happy Holidays! Sincerely, Matthew D. Cyr RSU #34 Superintendent

RFP Musical Instruments issued December 2022 Regional School Unit #34 (Old Town, Alton, Bradley Maine) seeks proposals to fund the following instruments: Qty 6, YTS-82ZII, Yamaha Tenor Sax Qty 4, YBS-62II, Yamaha Bari Sax Qty 2, YFL-200AD, Yamaha Student Flute Qty 1, YAS-200AD, Yamaha Student Alto Sax Qty 1, YEP-201, Yamaha 3-Valve Euphonium In your proposal, please include details regarding: *full purchase price (RSU #34 is tax exempt) *any shipping costs *warranty and return policies *any included maintenance and care *status regarding availability / backorder *If available, reference contacts for three Maine school districts your company has served in the past five years Please submit proposals no later than January 15th to: Assistant Superintendent Dr. Jon Doty 156 Oak Street Old Town, ME 04468 jon.doty@rsu34.org (207) 827-3932 Shipping Information: Regional School Unit #34 Attn: Dr. Jon Doty 576 Stillwater Avenue Old Town, ME 04468 (shipping details: ramp available, loading dock NOT available, deliveries accepted 7 AM - 3 PM on school days unless arranged otherwise)

The RSU #34 School Board will hold their monthly meeting on Wednesday, December 21, 2022 in the LMS Cafeteria beginning at 6:30p.m. https://networkmaine.zoom.us/j/89490729094

RSU #34 seeks two proposals from qualified bidders to remove and replace 1-2 playground structures at Old Town Elementary School. For details visit: t.ly/mOQZ

RSU #34 Student Spotlight: Travis H., LMS 8th Grade I had a great sit-down conversation in my office with Travis H., an 8th grade student at Leonard Middle School. Travis moved into our district in the 5th grade and very openly told me that prior to the current school year, he didn’t always make the best decisions, “I struggled when I was younger and got into a lot of trouble….more than I wanted to.” We had a great conversation about the choices we make in life and how they can have a lasting impact on ourselves and others. He wasn’t sure what clicked, but he really wants to prove to himself and others that he owns his missteps of the past, and is working very hard to improve his future, “I am working harder to get my work done on time, to make better decisions, to not get into trouble, to help my friends from getting into trouble.” And he is doing exactly this. He has grown into a good student and responsible school citizen, making some tough choices to do the right thing. Of course none of this is easy. Travis recognized that the responsibility falls on himself. Travis has grown to love coming to school. He enjoyed his final year of middle school football (despite hurting his knee), and looks forward to baseball season! Travis loves Art classes and used this time to become an incredible basketmaker. He also enjoys needle felting (I had to ask him what that even was!), “I learned all of this through LMS Art classes. I also enjoy woodworking at home.” Fun Facts about Travis: Favorite Sport: Football (favorite team-Patriots Note: Mr. Cyr’s favorite team in the background of our photo 🙂) Favorite Teacher: Mrs. Nickerson (LMS Art Teacher) Favorite School Lunch: Cheese Breadsticks at LMS (this is the second month in a row this meal was selected….looks like I’ve got a future meal nearby) Favorite Book: ‘Bob’ written by Rebecca Stead & Wendy Mass (“I like read it 7 times. It's great.”--Travis) Dream Car: 69’ Chevelle–dark, glossy purple (this guy knows his classics!) Personal message for the RSU34 community: “Stay in school, do your work, make good choices.” Guys like Travis really impress me. I walked away from our sit-down feeling optimistic and hopeful. Second chances can be life’s greatest gift, but it takes responsibility, courage, and perseverance to take advantage of these second chance opportunities. Travis, I’m proud of you for recognizing you can do better…but even more proud of the fact that you are not allowing your choices from the past to write your story for the future. Don’t stop believing in yourself, and stay on the path you’ve recently made for yourself! Happy Thanksgiving everyone! -Mr. Cyr

OTHS Robotics brought three teams and competed hard at Saturday's VEX Robotics Competition. In this year's game, "Spin Up", teams design and program a robot that scores points by gathering discs into a scoring zone, shooting discs into a basket, changing a color roller to their team's color, and by being over as many floor tiles as possible at the end of the match. Teams score bonus points by being the best in the autonomous (pre-programmed) round, then the human drivers take over the controls. Trouble-shooting on-site is key; each team has a "pit" where they can repair and adjust robots between matches. OTHS teams used a clever trick by deploying a weighted "tail" at the end of the match to be on top of more floor tiles than the robot's dimensions would normally allow. Congratulations to Saturday's crew of Cassidy, Dylan, Ian, and Kaegan - and many thanks to Coach Lewin!

The RSU #34 School Board will hold their monthly meeting on Wednesday, November 16, 2022 in the LMS Cafeteria beginning at 6:30p.m. https://networkmaine.zoom.us/j/89810257732

Parents / Caregivers of new students, welcome to RSU #34! We’re excited to have your child - and you - join our school community! You’re invited to join our Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Jon Doty, to one of the sessions below. The purpose is to meet you, welcome you to our school district, and answer your questions about who we are and what we do. Please attend whichever time is most convenient, regardless of which school your child attends! Even if your child is not new to RSU #34, if you have questions, feel free to join us! Monday, October 31st, 7:40 AM at Viola Rand School Tuesday, November 1st, 1:15 PM at Alton Elementary School Wednesday, November 2nd, 10 AM and 11:30 AM at Old Town Elementary School We also want to share this resource, our guide to communication: https://tinyurl.com/RSU34GuideToCommunication

The Old Town Elementary School 'Hallway of Flags' celebrates our diverse community! Check out the feature story on the Maine DOE Newsroom! https://mainedoenews.net/2022/10/19/old-town-elementary-hallway-of-flags-celebrates-diverse-school-community/

RSU #34 is in the process of revising federal grant applications (ESSER II, and ESSER III / ARP) to include new needs identified by community stakeholders. If you would like to provide additional input or be involved in this process please email our Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Jon Doty (Jon.Doty@rsu34.org).

The RSU #34 School Board will hold their monthly meeting on Wednesday, October 19, 2022 in the LMS Cafeteria beginning at 6:30p.m. https://networkmaine.zoom.us/j/88675390718

In 2018 through early 2019, a stakeholder group in RSU #34 led a community discussion about aspirations and opportunities for our community’s middle school students. This process included a community forum, community survey, and reporting to the School Board. This fall, RSU #34 is conducting a more compact process to confirm that these are still the priorities of our community. We will use this information to inform our planning/budgeting for future years, as well as to inform our applications for grant funds such as ESSER/ARP. We invite you to complete this brief survey, and/or to join us at an open discussion at Leonard Middle School on Monday, Oct. 24th, 5:30 - 6:30 PM. If you wish, please complete this survey by October 31st, 2022. https://forms.gle/kFYSYkuWgqCNjsuR8 If you would like to be more involved, please contact Dr. Gert Nesin, LMS Principal, at Gert.Nesin@rsu34.org !

Re-Affirming Elementary Stakeholder Priorities In 2019 through early 2020, an “elementary stakeholder group” in RSU #34 led a community discussion about opportunities and needs for our community’s elementary students. This process included a number of open meetings, community survey, and reporting to the School Board. The committee discussed what our community was proud of, what remained on our wish list for students, enrollment projections, facilities, and a variety of possibilities. This fall, RSU #34 is conducting a more compact process to confirm that these are still the priorities of our community. We will use this information to inform our planning/budgeting for future years, as well as to inform our applications for grant funds such as ESEA and ESSER/ARP. We invite you to complete this brief survey, and/or to join us at an open discussion at one of these times: *with Alton Elementary PTC, @ November meeting (date TBD) *with Viola Rand School PRIDE, Monday 10/3, 6 PM (email Heidi.Gifford@rsu34.org for Zoom link) *with Old Town Elementary School PTC, Nov. 2nd, 2022 If you wish, please complete this survey by November 3rd, 2022: https://forms.gle/FuvZHH8NEzbhCrVL9 We also invite you to complete this survey about our use of federal Family Engagement Funds: https://forms.gle/PXY7wo2xipzEaMCfA If you would like to be more involved, please contact your school’s administration or RSU #34’s Assistant Superintendent (jon.doty@rsu34.org)! Similar outreach will be coming out in the coming month for Leonard Middle School and Old Town High School.

It’s been a great day for RSU #34! This morning our grant application was approved for $70,000 in supplies to support Computer Science learning at all of our schools; this will support and expand our current coding and robotics efforts, and give us new capacities in virtual and augmented reality. Many thanks to our STEM specialists Mrs. Daniel and Mrs. Zabierek for their hard work in preparing the grant application. Our schools have been leading the way in robotics and coding since a 2012-era community fundraising effort! In addition to our in-school programming for all students, over the course of the past decade competitive robotics teams from LMS and OTHS have each earned their way to international competitions. Then at lunchtime, the Department of Education announced that RSU #34 is one of just four grantees statewide under the Community Schools program. This $50,000 grant will enable us to continue our existing community outreach efforts led by Mrs. Goodwin. Many thanks to her and Mrs. Wilcox for their hard work preparing that grant application. $120,000 total in grant awards is a great way to end a busy week!

RSU#34 School Board meeting tonight (9/21/22) in the LMS cafeteria beginning at 6:30pm. https://networkmaine.zoom.us/j/83267025282

September 17th (this coming Saturday) is Constitution Day and Citizenship Day in the United States. The 7th grade Puffin Team at LMS starts their year off with a unit on Civics and Government - which aligns with the Maine Learning Results. Our first effort is to establish a classroom constitution - where students have brainstormed ideas (much like our founding fathers!) on how to be a citizen in our school. From there, students explore citizenship and democracy as it connects to the Constitution. Students next explore how our branches of government were set up from the Constitution as well as case law that has been settled by SCOTUS. Constitution Day is celebrated every day during this unit, not just one day of the year. Our final lessons will be on the rights and responsibilities of citizens, which includes researching topics that are important to them as we head to the polls in November, in order to be an informed voter. More information about Constitution Day and Citizenship Day can be found at the National Archives: https://www.archives.gov/news/topics/constitution-day

RSU #34 School Board meeting tonight (8/24/22) in the LMS Cafeteria beginning at 6:30p.m. https://networkmaine.zoom.us/j/83918358505

RSU #34 School Board meeting tonight (7/20/22) in the LMS Cafeteria beginning at 6:30p.m. https://networkmaine.zoom.us/j/88120858634

The Science Lab at the University of Maine has some openings for PK - 3rd grade students from RSU #34 schools. This is an after-school opportunity once a month in the fall. To learn more please check out this link (https://5il.co/1ecxo ), and if you're interested in registering please contact Joanne Alex (her email is on the linked document). We're fortunate to have so many opportunities for kids in our community!