School Notes

Elementary school students move their hands to music from the Portland Symphony String Quartet.

Compiled by Carolyn Cadigan

Musical performance entertains and engages young students: The Portland Symphony String Quartet musicians visited Carl J. Lamb, Sanford Pride and Margaret Chase Smith Elementary Schools on May 9. The quartet brought the beloved story of “Swimmy” to life through music and interactive performances. Students listened as the violin, viola, cello and bass created the sounds of the deep blue sea. They even got to join Swimmy’s journey by moving their hands to the music. FMI, go here.

101 SRTC students honored: On May 8, 101 Sanford Regional Technical Center (SRTC) students were inducted into the National Technical Honor Society (NTHS). The ceremony, held at the Sanford Performing Arts Center, celebrated the students’ achievement in their Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses, highlighting their dedication to skill development and academic excellence. Each student was individually recognized for their outstanding contributions, symbolizing their entry into a community committed to excellence. Established in 1984, the NTHS is the premier honor society for CTE, extending its reach to high schools, career centers, community and technical colleges, and universities. FMI, go here.

Mark your calendar: SRTC Recognition Night is scheduled for May 23 at 6 pm at Alumni Stadium. This outdoor event will celebrate 2024 seniors and those who have completed 1-year programs.

Middle school students’ video wins top prize in Maine: Congratulations to Adeline Fraser, Joshua Fogarty and Allison Horton from Sanford Middle School for winning first place at the state level for their drug awareness video, “Be Kind to Your Mind.” They attended the state Elks Banquet in Augusta on May 4 to receive their awards and have their video shown.

Getting good dental habits to take root: Last week, St. Thomas School’s kindergarten class welcomed Dr. Paul Beaudoin and his assistant, Sarah Steves — both St. Thomas alums — to discuss all things dental. Students were reminded of the important habits of brushing and flossing properly in order to keep their teeth and gums healthy and strong.

Two SRTC students have strong showing in state auto tech contest: Last week, two Automotive Technology students from Sanford Regional Technical Center — Max Jones from Sanford and Dylan Baker from Massabesic — competed in the 2024 Maine Ford ACE State Competition at Central Maine Community College (CMCC) in Auburn. They placed third against eight other auto tech teams from around the state, each of whom had won their local contests a few weeks ago. The competition consisted of a written ASE technician exam and a troubleshooting skills test, where each team had to diagnose and repair as many issues as they could locate in identically bugged 2024 Ford Broncos. Although they missed out on the first-place prize of a 2024 Ford Mustang GT for the school, their third-place win got them each a set of their own professional mechanics tools. The competition was made possible by the support of the Ford Motor Company, CMCC, AAA Northern New England, the NAPA Network and local Ford dealerships. Instructor Richard Couture and the team extend their thanks to Frank Kendall and Arundel Ford for their support for this competition and over the years.

Dajuan Eubanks, president of the Maine Celtics, poses with Jobs for Maine Graduates students at a career day event in Portland.

A day of career exploration: Earlier this month, Jobs for Maine Graduates (JMG) students from Sanford High School (SHS) and Sanford Regional Technical Center (SRTC) attended a career day event at UNUM in Portland, where they learned about various careers and career paths from employees. Guest speaker Dajuan Eubanks spoke about the journey that led him to become president of the Maine Celtics. To date, 172 SHS and SRTC students have participated in the Maine Career Exploration Badge.

SHS students’ artistic talents on display: The Sanford High School annual art show, held on May 7, showcased the creative abilities of the school’s art students, who presented a wide range of media from different art classes, including ceramics, drawing, painting, photography, 3D design and more. An interactive poster was also available for families and community members at the event to color. In addition to the art show, the National Art Honor Society (NAHS) hosted an art sale where its members sold a variety of handmade items to support their organization. This was the NAHS’ first official fundraiser. Lastly, the high school’s choral and band ensembles performed their Spring Concert that same evening. (See the related story.)

Sanford resident joins the Legacy Foundation board: Warren Roberts has joined the board of the non-profit Sanford Schools Legacy Foundation. Roberts is the owner of Sanford-based Warren’s Office Supplies, which he founded in 1981 and is today owned and operated by the Roberts family. He adds to the diversity of residents who serve on the board, comprised of a mix of educators and residents who want to help elevate public education in Sanford.

SHS Concert Band premieres “The State of Maine March”: The Concert Band delivered the highlight of Sanford High School’s Spring Concert, held May 7 at the Performing Arts Center, with the premiere performance of “The State of Maine March,” arranged by Heather Hastings, music teacher at Margaret Chase Smith Elementary School. The original “State of Maine” song, which was adopted as the state song in 1937, was written and composed

by Roger Vinton Snow, who died in 1953. Hastings discovered the piece as she was researching whether Maine even had a state song. Over five days last summer, she arranged the “State of Maine March” by punching up the original work, developing it as a march and supplementing the source material with new composition to tie it all together. The Concert Band, directed by Hailey Francoeur, worked with Hastings to play the piece live for the first time at the concert. That evening, the Concert Band students became part of musical history.

Marine science field trip enhances classroom learning: On May 6, students in Sanford High School’s Alternative Education classes visited the Girard Science Building on the University of New England campus as well as the Saco Salmon Restoration Alliance and Hatchery. In the science building, the students saw pools that held hundreds of endangered Atlantic salmon. There were also tanks where the students could touch sea life, such as sea urchins, crabs, lobsters and more. The Alternative Education Marine Science class worked on a salmon restoration project, which enabled the students to monitor roughly 200 salmon eggs that were delivered to the classroom and watch them develop over the course of two months. The field trip enabled the students to build on their classroom learning by interacting with the college professor and graduate students who are doing real-time research in the field.

Are you up to the challenge, Sanford graduates? The new Sanford High School Banner Campaign, managed by the non-profit Sanford Schools Legacy Foundation, is now underway. Challenge your classmates to dress up Sanford High School by making a tax-deductible donation! Classes get their pick of two banner designs, and spaces for the flags in the high school parking lot are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. FMI and to donate, go here.