The month of January provides a unique opportunity to acknowledge a special group of volunteer elected officials in education. It is School Board Recognition Month, and it offers communities across Maine a way to acknowledge the continuing efforts of school board members in providing leadership and guidance to local school districts. These individuals dedicate countless hours of hard work to improving education for Maine children.
School board members take that responsibility and public trust very seriously, dedicating an enormous number of hours to their work both in and outside of board meetings. Attending school functions, preparing for board meetings, reading financial reports, agendas and proposals, and making a host of difficult and challenging decisions are just a few of the regular activities board members participate in through their service.
Today, more than ever, school board leaders are faced with the overwhelming charge of providing a quality education at a time when financial constraints weigh heavily on the health of school district budgets. In an era of unprecedented choice in education, school boards are also tasked with charting a course that provides long-term, sustainable success for current and future students in all of Maine’s public schools.
Board members come from all walks of life with diverse experiences and backgrounds, but working together, they make decisions in the best interests of Maine’s children. Eastern Aroostook RSU39 is honored with the most outstanding School Board Members. Thank you for all you do!
Please see RSU39 Back to School Letter.
Happy Holidays
This summer, Jonna Bouré attended a week-long trip around Acadian French sites in Maine with a dozen other French teachers. This experience motivated her to invite Noah Ouellette, a representative from the French consulate in Boston, to visit CHS and tour the region. Her AP students just completed a video short film about the Acadian experience and the French honor society students will be teaching French at CCS in January during Power Hour as part of their community service. Jonna's dedication to telling the story of Northern Maine Acadians caught the interest of the DOE who chose to interview her for the DOE Newsroom publication earlier this month.
https://mainedoenews.net/2021/12/03/celebrating-maine-heritage-through-a-love-of-language-meet-jonna-boure/
Bill of Rights Day-December 15, 2021.
The Bill of Rights Day is observed on December 15th in the United States. It’s an important day to celebrate America’s Constitution and the framework of society that ascribes rights and freedoms to society. Bill of Rights Day commemorates the ratification of the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution. The Bill was introduced by James Madison, who later became the fourth President of the United States. Now, The Bill of Rights is displayed in The Rotunda of the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C.
International Human Rights Day!
Human Rights Day is observed every year on the 10th of December — the day the United Nations General Assembly adopted, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The UDHR is a milestone document, which proclaims the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being - regardless of race, color, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Available in more than 500 languages, it is the most translated document in the world.
We're excited to celebrate our new mascot, who will make its debut December 14th at our first home basketball game at CHS. We need your help in choosing a name. Please select your favorite choice. Voting ends Friday, December 10th at 3:00 p.m.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfTPlaBB009bwfwrjFMVJcThYgfa_NCiKfTII3SbbBsc2u3iQ/viewform?usp=sf_link
We’re Celebrating Computer Science Education Week and our Computer Science Educator, Lisa Anderson!
During this pandemic, we have seen first-hand the growing importance of technology and computer science. Computer Science is a growing profession with opportunities for high-paying jobs. Learning computer science opens up a world of opportunities! Learning coding skills helps improve communication, creativity, math, writing, and confidence.
Students, please look for an email with links to apps created by this year’s CHS Computer Science students!
Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day!
Lest We Forget!
Each year on December 7th, Pearl Harbor Survivors, veterans, and visitors from all over the world come together to honor and remember the 2,403 service members and civilians who were killed during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. A further 1,178 people were injured in the attack, which permanently sank two U.S. Navy battleships (the USS Arizona and the USS Utah) and destroyed 188 aircraft. Today we honor all of the brave men and women of Pearl Harbor.
Maine Educational Talent Search Virtual Career Exploration Series
You are invited to join students from around the state of Maine in a series of career exploration sessions via Zoom. You can expect to see Representatives from various College Admissions Offices and Professionals in several careers. Please see below for details:
When? Thursdays at 4:00 p.m.
The first session will take place on Thursday, December 9th!
Where? Zoom
https://maine.zoom.us/j/87134074814
Who? Anyone interested! You do not need to be a METS student to participate.
If you are interested in applying, you can do so here: https://mets.maine.edu/application/
What? The first session will feature speaker Suzanne Graves Hall, an Advisor
from the Maine Educational Opportunity Center (MEOC). Suzanne serves northern Penobscot County and supports students in their educational journey, including financial aid, troubleshooting problems and concerns relating to school and referring students to community resources. She will introduce Career Interest Assessments, a website that can be used to learn more about an industry, and the importance of volunteer opportunities and organizational memberships.
Amy Hannah, METS Advisor at Lake Region Schools, will then lead students in an Interest Assessment, which is a great starting point in the career exploration process.
Starting in January, students can hear directly from professionals in
various careers and Admissions Officers from College campuses to hear about careers and degree programs. This is a great opportunity to learn more about careers, degree programs, and ask questions to those in the field. These sessions will continue on Thursdays through May.
Questions? Please reach out to your Talent Search Advisor!
Caribou: velma.murphy@maine.edu
National Special Education Day is celebrated every year on December 2. This day commemorates the anniversary of our nation’s first federal special education law, the Individuals with Disabilities Act, signed by President Ford on December 2, 1975.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act made public education available to all eligible children with disabilities across the nation and ensured special education and related services were provided for those children. This law was a critical and necessary step on the path to making education and resources equitable for all children – a goal we are still working toward today. This day honors the milestones that have been achieved for special education so far and reminds us of the continued progress to come.
Wishing our Viking Family a happy and safe Thanksgiving break.
Piano For Sale. Must be purchased and picked up no later than November 30th. Please contact Wayne at wstpierre@rsu39.org for more information.
Friday, November 19: Substitute Educators Day.
These professional educators provide a critical link in the education of public schoolchildren by serving as a bridge to provide continued quality education to children in the temporary absence of regular classroom educators.
RSU39 Thanks you!
National Rural Health Day is an important, once-a-year opportunity to showcase rural America while focusing on the unique healthcare challenges facing an estimated 57 million rural citizens.
Schools in rural and underserved areas play an important role in the health of students and the community. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has made a school nurse's role even more challenging.
On November 18th let’s take time to recognize and thank our school nurses and their commitment to the health and safety of our staff, students and community of Eastern Aroostook RSU39.
Educational Support Professionals Day was established to honor and recognize the contributions of Education Support Professionals (ESPs) to public education institutions and to give the support staff the much-deserved respect and dignity for the professional work they do to ensure our public schools run effortlessly and that learning happens.
Thank you for all you do for the staff and students of RSU39.
Vikings Celebrate World Kindness Day!
World Kindness Day is a global day that promotes the importance of being kind to each other, to yourself, and to the world. The purpose of this day, celebrated on November 13th of each year, is to help everyone understand that compassion for others is what binds us all together. It’s not only important to spread kindness today, but everyday!
Wishing this Viking the best of luck at New Englands! #vikingpride
Happy Veterans Day. Thank you for your sacrifice and service. RSU39 schools will be closed today in observation of Veterans Day.
Pediatricians Share- what parents need to know about the Covid-19 vaccination for their children. Link information on flyer.
