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Commencement Exercises, 2011 - Graduates Take Wing!

Class of 2011: Alexa Perkins, Leif Anderson, Ben McCrave,

Phineas Samuelson, Jeremy Colson, Rebecca Wildes

      Last Saturday, June 11, in a celebratory, yet intimate ceremony, Merriconeag’s second graduating class received their long-awaited diplomas. As is quickly becoming the tradition, each senior entered the Community Hall to live music he or she had specially chosen, from African drumming to a solo vocal rendition of the Beatles’ “Blackbird.” After introductions by various faculty members, each of the graduating seniors then gave a short address about one valued aspect or another of their education. Leif Anderson spoke about memorable class trips; Jeremy Colson about the arts and crafts they learned over the years; Benjamin McCrave characterized the importance of participating on the athletic teams, and how his experience abroad helped him understand the connection between language and culture; Alexa Perkins shared her experience of coming to a Waldorf school from the public sector; Phineas spoke about the challenges of learning German and Russian; Becca Wildes gave “appreciations” to each of her classmates, and extolled the virtues of attending a small school.
      After receiving their diplomas, Leif and Benjamin announced that for their class gift, they would donate the proceeds from their senior play to the fund begun last year by the first graduating class. The aim of the fund is to help finance a new high school on the Desert Road campus within the next few years.
      The keynote speaker, Jonathan Moore, former ambassador to the United Nations, invited the graduating seniors and the audience to consider the merits of public service. He offered several anecdotes from his many decades of work as a diplomat as evidence that, with the proper empathy, we can begin to heal the world.
      High School German teacher Eva McVicar, in her introduction of Phineas, shared a poem by Christopher Logue that perfectly captured the import of the ceremony.

Come to the Edge
Come to the edge.
We might fall.
Come to the edge.
It's too high.
COME TO THE EDGE!
And they came,
And he pushed,
And they flew.

Submitted by David Sloan

Merriconeag's Graduation Key Note Speaker, Jonathan Moore

     Jonathan Moore has worked for over 50 years in humanitarian action, publlic service and education. In Washington he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Counselor to the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Special Assistant to the Secretary of Defense and Associate Attorney General in the Justice Department. He served as Director of the Institute of Politics at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. As U.S. Coordinator and Ambassador at Large for Refugees, he directed U.S. assistance, resettlement and repatriation programs world-wide, concentrating on Indo-Chinese, Mozambican and Palestinian Refugees. As Ambassador to the United Nations and Representative to its Economic and Social Council, Ambassador Moore led negotiations against South African apartheid and to support African economic development.

    Jonathan Moore is currently Associate at the Shorenstein Center for the Press, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard's Kennedy School and is a Senior Fellow at the Center for Naval Analysis in Alexandria, Virginia.

It was after hearing Jonathan Moore speak at one of the high school forums this year, that the seniors invited him to be the key note speaker at their commencement. 

Key Note Address:                                                              

     Good afternoon. I am excited to be with you all on this wonderful day. It is a privilege for me and I thank you for my being here.
      In the early days of the popular uprising in Egypt, a demonstrator in Tahrir Square, in Cairo, a forty-year-old electrician from Alexandria, exclaimed: “All I cared about before was making a living, but now people have started to care about each other. I feel like I have been born again!” Another surprised and elated revolutionary, a citizen of Adabaneya, Tunisia, observed: “The crisis gives a real sense of unity.”
      Hearing these voices brought two thoughts to mind. These brave resisters not only were fighting to throw off entrenched dictatorship and oppression, but in so doing, in the midst of their ancient differences and separations, they were discovering solidarity and caring which stemmed from mobilization in common cause, for mutual interest. And I recognized this was something U.S. politics lacked right now—a sense of unanimity and consensus characteristic of societies which are committed to inclusiveness and accommodation, and which are seeking some cohesive whole by respecting the opinions and addressing the needs of its various parts. Not factionalism, negativism, division, polarization. And not by giving up individual and group rights and freedom. But comity, not anomie. . . To read the complete transcript of the remarks, please click here.

Congratulations to the Senior Class:

A big thank you to the Senior Class for their gift of the The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail. It was a real treat to see so many characters played by only six students creating scenes that were humorous and but also involving deep transcendentalist dialogue. Each senior shone in one of their final experiences at Merriconeag. Thanks also to Mr. Barham and Ms. Dettmer for helping the senior share this gift with us.  Submitted by Jeff O'Brien

A “Mystic-al” Experience:
      To culminate their study of their final block of the year—The Novel—the ninth and tenth graders traveled to Mystic Seaport last week. Just as they were finishing Herman Melville’s epic novel Moby Dick, the students had the opportunity to go aboard the only remaining whale ship in the world: The Charles W. Morgan, in dry dock at the Seaport shipyard. They received a guided tour from one of the country’s foremost Melville scholars, Mary K. Bercaw Edwards; they were able to go below deck to the cramped cubicles of the mates’ quarters, the blubber room, the forecastle where the common sailors shared a dank and crowded existence. They also went on a “knowledge scavenger hunt,” and in the process had to discover, among other indispensable facts, what a cooper’s “shook” is, and what the “W.” of the Charles W. Morgan stands for.
      As a fitting complement to the Mystic portion of the trip, the classes then drove to Gloucester, Massachusetts where, the next day, they went whale watching and spotted a humpback whale, feeding unusually close to land. Many students agreed that one of the highlights of the trip was the surprising moment that the humpback surfaced literally next to the boat.
      Many thanks to chaperones Regine Whittlesey and Johanna Flath, to the Cape Ann Waldorf School for allowing us to sleep in two of their classrooms, and to Jessica McCurdy’s parents, Bob and Judy Benton. They not only hosted all 18 of us the first night of the trip; they prepared a delicious lasagna supper, as well as a pancake and sausage breakfast the next morning. We couldn’t have been better treated at a four-star B and B! If you’re ever in Connecticut with 15 teenagers and looking for superb accommodations, I know the address. . .   

Submitted by David Sloan

Congratulations to the Merriconeag Ultimate Frisbee Team!  At the State Championship Meet on Sunday the Merriconag Ultimate Team made it all the way to semi-finals (the final four). They won an extremely hard-fought victory over Greely High School to make it to the final four where they lost a gutsy game to Fryeburg. In the game against Fryeburg, Merriconeag Ultimate (MU) did not give up! They were down 7-1 early and fought hard and with a lot of heart to end the season with a 15-10 loss. Best of all, for the second year in a row, Merriconeag won the Spirit of the Game award! Congratulations to Coach Young and MU for a great season.

To view a gallery of photos from the State Championships, please click here.

Poster by senior Jeremy Colson

Senior Class Play: The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail

This Thursday, June 2 & Friday, June 3, 7:00 PM

Community Hall

Admission is $5 at the door

On Wednesday, June 1, there is an open dress rehearsal at 9:30 AM in the community hall.

Grades 4 -11 will be attending. Parents and friends are most welcome to attend.

Senior Class Play: The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail

Thursday, June 2 & Friday, June 3, 7:00 PM, Community Hall

Admission is $5 at the door

     Merriconeag Waldorf School’s senior class is enthusiastically preparing to perform Jerome Lawrence & Robert E. Lee’s classic play, The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail. The play is a dramatic representation of a vital moment in our history, where the 29 year old Henry David Thoreau’s ardent refusal to pay his taxes- in protest to the United States government’s involvement in the Mexican War- landed him in prison in his home of Concord, Massachusetts. This famous act of civil disobedience- daring and unprecedented as it was- is merely the departure point in this celebrated drama. As the play progresses, we come to understand what motivates this brilliant, independent and ever-unorthodox writer and thinker.

     Written and first produced in the 1970s the play is a story of protest as well as of enlightenment. By turns wise, funny, perplexing and sad, The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail is much more than the ruminations of one man in one place in one night. The play explores the crossroads of responsibility, conscience and democracy: the self, the choices we make as human beings and the dilemmas we face as members of society.

     George Oppenheimer in Newsweek Magazine called it, “A Superior play, a literary work as well as a theatrical experience. Scene after scene moves you to laughter or close to tears.”

Submitted by David Barham

Seniors Present Fruits of their Internships:

     This year's seniors may be Merriconeag’s second graduating class, but they were the first students ever to go on three- or four-week internships. And did they ever go! Four of the Class of 2011 took advantage of the opportunity to travel—to Nevada, France, even Tanzania in Africa! Last Friday, these pioneering seniors shared their experiences with the rest of the high school. Leif Anderson spoke of his memorable time working at a Creperie in Divonne-les-Bains, France and living with long-time friends of Madame Whittlesey. For months before the actual internship, Alexa Perkins spent many hours fund-raising over $1000 for an orphanage in Tanzania. In mid-April, the entire Perkins family spent nearly a month at the orphanage caring for the children. For his internship, Phineas Samuelson worked at the Catholic Charities in Portland, assisting immigrants in obtaining employment. Jeremy Colson also remained local, writing an online user's manual for a local computer programmer who is writing software for bank managers. Benjamin McCrave and Becca Wildes each flew out to Nevada; Ben interned at a ski resort, and Becca worked at an animal shelter.
      From their presentations, often accompanied by photos, the audience could appreciate the richness of each senior’s experience. Next year’s twelfth walked out of the talks abuzz with possibilities for their own internships!

Submitted by David Sloan

Sophomore Brian Watko's oil pastel, Seascape 6: A Visual Opera of Soothing Delirium, to be exhibited in Augusta: The Maine Arts Commission, in partnership with First Lady Ann LePage, the Maine Art Education Association and the Maine Alliance for Arts Education issued a call for student art for inclusion in the Spring 2011 Maine Youth Excellence in Art exhibition at the Maine State Capitol Complex in Augusta. Brian Watko's oil pastel was submitted and chosen to represent artistic excellence from a K-12 student. Selected works will hang in various locations including the Capitol Building, The Burton M. Cross Building, and the Blaine House from late May until September/October. Selected artists, their families and teachers are invited to an opening reception at the Blaine House on Tuesday May 31st from 2-4:30 pm where student artists will receive a certificate and medallion in recognition of their artistic excellence. Congratulations, Brian!

An Electrifying Evening:
Congratulations and thank you to the 12th grade for giving us a wonderful evening of senior project presentations. The selection of projects this year ranged from the local--Leif Anderson's portrayal in photos and prose of the residents of Libby Road in Pownal--to the global--Ali Perkins' fund-raising and trip the an orphanage in Tanzania. Two projects worked with the idea of communication: Becca Wildes learned American Sign Language, and Phineas Samuelson started his studies in Russian. The remaining two projects presented last Thursday evening were Benjamin McCrave's work at Maine Huts and Trails, and Jeremy Colson's homemade Tesla Coil that convincingly displayed the transformation of 120 Volts to over 50,000 Volts. Great job seniors! Submitted by Jeff O'Brien

From Pinch Pots to Pageant: The High School's contribution to this year's May Celebration and Medieval Faire was a great success. Students acted in the pageant, helped with games and archery, provided music, and made and sold pinch pots. The Faire was enlivened with high school energy and humor.

     A big thank you to Mr. Barham for spearheading the pageant and to Ms. Burwell for her coordinating the making and selling of pinch pots.

Merriconeag Poets Honored at 2011 Poetry Festival

     Maine’s newest Poet Laureate, Wes McNair, visited Merriconeag on Sunday, May 1, to pay tribute to the twenty student finalists he selected for Merriconeag’s Fourth Annual Poetry Festival. Students from ten different schools received recognition, but only perennial “poetry powerhouse” Scarborough and North Yarmouth Academy fielded more multiple honorees than Merriconeag’s three finalists. Seniors Leif Anderson and Jeremy Colson were joined by freshman Emma Rhodes-Armstrong in yet another strong, host school showing. In fact, since the Festival began, only Scarborough and Merriconeag have had multiple finalists every year! Leif was a repeat finalist; he was awarded second place two years ago.
      Many thanks to Deeda Burgess, Gina Sawin and Johanna Flath for organizing the elegant reception after the program, to Christine Sloan, Lyn Baird and Greta Parsons for their invaluable assistance, to Jack Pierce, Skyler Samuelson and Ben Tindall for providing music both to begin and end the program, to alumnus Jake Lyscars for taking photographs, and to Matt Rawdon for once again volunteering his time to create the festival booklet and poster.
      To read Leif’s, Jeremy’s and Emma’s winning poems click here.

Submitted by David Sloan

High School Coffee House Soars on the Wings of “Merriconeag Air”
      At the Friday night Coffee House, a large and enthusiastic audience was treated to a delightful evening of entertainments aboard Merriconeag Air. The introduction by flight attendants, Liza Simmons and Tyler O’Brien primed us with its ingenuity and humor. Their recommendation to buckle up, partake of the savories and enjoy the performances to come was eagerly accepted.
      What followed was a truly inspiring illustration of the talent that fills the high school. In the tradition of a true variety show, there was poetry, prose, song, dance and eurythmy. Group poems were presented in German by students studying that language and in French by ninth graders. It was impressive that so many students in all grades had individual offerings with many sharing their talent on more than one occasion. Brian Watko’s Interviews With Brian scored a much sought after interview with Rudolf and Marie Steiner (channeled by Liza and Tyler), had the audience in stitches and has Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien concerned about their job security.
      There is a wealth of talent in this small school and it was evident Friday night. What we heard and saw (and ate) were a treat to mind, body and spirit. If this unfortunately brief summary of the evening’s events does not stimulate a measure of regret in the minds of those who did not attend, well, it should. Thanks are extended to all the faculty and parents who organized the event and especially to the students that created a memorable evening. Book your seats early for the next flight on Merriconeag Air.  Submitted by Jeff Tindall

Congratulations to the class of 2011!
The class of 2011 has received a record number of acceptance letters this year. Colleges do seem to be very interested in accepting Waldorf educated students as they try to build diverse freshman classes. The list of colleges that have accepted Merriconeag High School seniors has grown to 36 schools which is very impressive considering we have only had two small senior classes!

Colleges and Universities that have accepted Merriconeag seniors: Alfred University - School of Engineering, Antioch College, Bard College, Becker College, Bennington College, Centre College, Champlain College, Clark University, Colby Sawyer College, Colby College, Endicott College, Evergreen State College, Franklin Pierce College, Gettysburg College, Goucher College, Guilford College, Hampshire College, Hobart and William Smith College, Husson College, Kalamazoo University, Lasell College, Lewis and Clark College, Johnson and Wales College, Skidmore College, St. John’s College, (NM), St. Lawrence University, Roger Williams College, Rochester Institute of Technology, University of New Hampshire, University of Maine – Orono, University of Maine – Orono, School of Engineering, University of Maine – Farmington, University of Southern Maine, University of Puget Sound, University of Vermont, Warren Wilson College.

High School Students Garner More Literary Glory! 

       Two Merriconeag students have had their poetry accepted in a regional poetry contest sponsored by The Telling Room in Portland.  Junior Evelyn Pennoyer and senior Alexa Perkins, whose essay also recently won the high school division of the Slow Food Writing Contest, will be honored at a celebration of all of the contributing young authors at the Portland Public Library on Thursday, May 5, at 7pm.  Their winning poems follow:

Sailing by Evelyn Pennoyer

I sit, tied to the dock,
Waiting for someone to come along
To step into me and pull the
Ropes hanging from my mast,
To untie my bowline
And push me out onto the cold water.
To feel the slap of the waves beneath my stomach,
The wind, filling my rising sails,
Feeding them till they grow fat and
Round.
Dipping and gliding and leading me between
Geysers of white spray,
Letting the wind push me over and the water to
Bear me under, to hold me tightly,
Only to roll back up into the
Cold wind,
Pulled back up by the weight of a sailor
On my centerboard.
And then,
I would spread my sails out like a
Gull drying its feathers in the breeze and
Take flight.

11 Stages of Play by Alexa Perkins

1.
Cheeks are inflated,
Then stretched out from
The sides of a face.
Gooing and Gaaing,
Mommy stands over
The giggling baby below.

2.
She searches mom’s closet.
Finding lace ankle-long dresses,
Sun-stained straw hats,
And a pretty pink parasol.
She struts the empty kitchen
A simple game of dress up.

3.
Sandals and sun hats,
Lay in four corners
Of the well kept lawn.
Daddy tosses a
Puppy gnawed baseball,
With a WHACK!
It’s gone.

4.
Sit bones perched
On a cold rusted
Fold up chair.
Both feet flat on the floor.
She plucks away at a
Violin, until notes meet applause.

5.
Crinkling of paper programs,
Lights beat three times in warning.
Then all is dark.
Until the maroon corduroy
Curtains reveal her.
She stands in costume,
Ready to portray a part.

6.
Her vein-laced eyes, hold
Packed bags
Below them.
Clicking and shooting sounds
Fill the living room.
A crunched-up potato chip bag
Lies dead on the carpet floor.

7.
Fingers text.
Her pink bedazzled phone
Vibrates a town away.
The rest of the body
Sits between two
Short-skirted school girls.
And the eyes wink
At floozies flaunting by.

8.
Ping-pong balls fly
Through the dorm room,
Kur-Plunk into plastic red cups.
Hoots howl
From boozed breaths
And baked brains.

9.
Sitting at a park bench,
She unclips the leash.
Chasing each other,
Nipping at ears,
The hounds
Bark in laughter.

10.
Super bowl Sunday,
She sits beside her beau.
His voluptuous stomach,
Reaches towards a beer.
Cheering they watch the
Repeats.
Absorbed in the game.

11.
Taking her time.
Her aged hand shakes
As she twirls the spinner.
With grand kids
And husband beside,
She plays the Game of Life.

Dartmouth Model UN Conference, April 1 - 3

     Twelve students in the Model UN class headed out a day early and beat the snowstorm to Hanover, NH for the Dartmouth Model UN Conference 1-3 April. The students took advantage of the extra morning to have “skype” conversations with international experts in Geneva (on Sudan), Berne (on Swiss history), Nairobi (on the Horn of Africa and Uganda) and Costa Rica (on Panama and Trafficking in Women), and to finalize position papers for the event. The good folks at the Chieftain Inn turned over their common area to us (including the kitchen, living room, dining room and at one point the office!), and it became our own personal “delegates lounge”!
      The students all were engaged and did a fantastic job representing their countries, or their roles in special committees. They spoke clearly and well and maintained “decorum” throughout the whole event. They participated in the Disarmament and Security Committee (DISEC), the Social, Humanitarian and Culture Committee (SOCHUM), and the Legal Committee of the General Assembly; a special historical simulation on the Kellogg-Briand Pact and the Mosul Arbitration debates in the League of Nations; the World Trade Organization (WTO); the 17th Conference of the Parties on the environment (COP17); the International Court of justice; and special “crisis committees” – the United States Cabinet (as Director of National Intelligence) and the African Union.
      With over 400 student delegates from 27 schools, it was a challenging and exciting weekend, and the students did a great job! They participated in nine different committees, and out of the 16 awards given, they received four of them:

•  Devon Murphy Anderson won Best Delegate, the golden gavel award, for her work in in SOCHUM (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee)
• Andrew Hastings was given an Honorable Mention for his work in DISEC (Committee of Disarmament and International Security)
• Cyrus Fenderson was named Outstanding Delegate in the AU (African Union)
• Wyatt McCurdy was named Outstanding Delegate for his work in the WTO (World Trade Organization)

     And best of all, in the words of one of the delegates, everyone “had a blast”. From all reports, the Delegates’ Social on Saturday night was good fun, too!
      Special thanks to Johanna Flath who accompanied and assisted throughout the weekend with warm humor and efficient touch, as well as considerable culinary expertise.
      It was a fine weekend, and a fitting to this year’s Model UN Elective!  Submitted by David Whittlesey

A Student View of The Dartmouth Model UN Conference by Sophomore Brian Watko

       This past weekend, twelve MWHS students participated in the Sixth Annual Dartmouth Model United Nations Conference in Hanover, New Hampshire. Phineas Samuelson, Tyler O’Brien, Sophie Simmons, Cyrus Fenderson, Devon-Murphy Anderson, Wyatt McCurdy, Emelie Chace-Donahue, Connor Beckett, Carson Davis, Ben Tindall and I made up delegations of Uganda, Switzerland, Panama and Sudan in eight committees as well as a judge on the International Court of Justice and President Obama’s Director of National Intelligence.  

     Our journey began abruptly Thursday evening. Although we were scheduled to set off on Friday the 1st around midday, an unexpected April blizzard threatened to prevent us from reaching our destination. Taking the initiative, our fearless chaperones/supervisors David Whittlesey and Johanna Flath refused to risk the elements and instead brought us to the Dartmouth area the night before. By morning, the snowless New Hampshire landscape was transformed into a snowy scene straight out of winter. Friday was spent on the rapid completion of unfinished position papers, with trips to the college’s library and video conferences with subject experts around the globe.

     At six o’clock, all the participants convened in the Hopkins Center building. Representatives from twenty-five schools hailing from Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, California, and Osnabrűck, Germany were in attendance. After an opening speech by the University of Michigan’s Political Science Professor, Allan C. Stam, DartMUN was called to order. Soon, the crawling mass of students in Western business attire flooded the sidewalks of Hanover to reach their committees.

     The next three days were spent by all members of our two-year old club in fierce debate. Alliances were formed, rivalries brewed, resolutions were written, passed and failed. While the average hustle and bustle of any Model UN conference went on in General Assemblies, those in one of the two Crisis Committees had to deal with a new kind of stress. Delegates were “kidnapped” by men in black suits, received death threats via video conference and e-mail, , and were pitted against the inevitable outbreak of what was essentially a third world war.

     Andrew Hastings ‘14 received an Honorable Mention for his

representation of Panama in the Department of International Security, Cyrus Fenderson and Wyatt McCurdy, both ‘12, made out with the Outstanding Delegate award for their portrayals of Uganda in the African Union and the World Trade Organization, respectively. Finally, Devon Murphy-Anderson, ‘13, received the Best Delegate award (along with the prestigous Golden Gavel) for her representation of Panama in the Social, Humanitarian , and Cultural Commitee. All in all, it was an excellent turnout for all who participated; and not too shabby for a club that’s only two years old.

Merriconeag Poetry Festival Finalists Selected: Three Merriconeag Students are among the twenty finalists that Wes McNair, Maine’s new Poet Laureate, has selected from ten area high schools, in the contest portion of the Fourth Annual Merriconeag Poetry Festival. Freshman Emma Rhodes-Armstrong and seniors Jeremy Colson and Leif Anderson will be honored with the other student-poets at an awards ceremony and reception in the Community Hall on May 1. This is the second time Leif has been selected as a finalist during his high school career.
      The event, from 3-4:30 p.m., is open to the public and will feature the student-poets reading their prize-winning work. As Festival judge, Mr. McNair, nationally acclaimed author of eighteen books, will read his own work as well and speak briefly on the power of poetry. He will also reveal the first, second and third prize winners, whose poems will be displayed on a poster to be distributed to all high schools in the region. All finalists will receive gift certificates and a festival booklet containing all the selected poems.
      The Festival, announced in late January, invited all public and private high school students in Cumberland, Androscoggin and Sagadahoc Counties to submit their work, which could be on any subject and in any poetic form. It was a “blind judging”; entries were only identified by titles, so the judge had no idea about the identity or school affiliation of the poet. Of the schools whose students were selected as finalists, North Yarmouth Academy, Merriconeag Waldorf High School, Scarborough, Falmouth and Gorham High Schools all had multiple winners. Ex-Merriconeag student Aldis Gamble, currently a student at North Yarmouth Academy, is one of the finalists.
      The Festival was made possible, in part, by generous grants from the Maine Art Commission and the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation, as well as by donations of gift certificates from several local bookstores, including Longfellow Books in Portland, Sherman’s in Freeport, and Gulf of Maine Books in Brunswick.
Submitted by David Sloan

Congratulations to Zoe Chace-Donahue who was named to the Maine Sunday Telegram All State Girls High School Nordic Ski Team. To see the list, click here.

The Western Maine Conference All Star Boys' Nordic Team featured Merriconeag's Jack Pierce. The girls' team included Merriconeag's Emelie Chace-Donahue and Zoe Chace-Donahue. Congratulations to all of our all-stars for a job well done! Read the article in the Forecaster.

Monday, March 28th was the beginning of new Morning Lessons. We have two guest teachers for the next three weeks. Connie Gerwin is teaching "Probability" to the 9th grade and David Levi is teaching "Rise of the West" to the 11th grade. Mr. Sloan will be teaching Greek History to the 10th grade.

The 12th graders have embarked on their three week internships. Becca Wildes is working at an animal shelter in Nevada. Benjamin McCrave is job shadowing with the ski patrol in the Rocky mountains. Leif Anderson is learning how to flip crepes in France. Ali Perkins will be at an orphanage in Tanzania. Phineas Samuelson is working with immigrants in Portland. Jeremy Colson is programming computers locally. We are looking forward welcoming them back and hearing of their experiences. They return after April vacation.

What Does it Mean to be Free? Theme Week, March 21 through March 23:  Last week our high school students spent their second theme week of the year in a variety of activities, contemplating the question, What does it mean to be free? Teagan Wu (10th grade), Emma Rhodes-Armstrong (9th grade) and Wyatt Dowling (11th grade) write about their experiences below.

"There Is No Easy Walk to Freedom Anywhere” by Teagan Wu
     For theme week the high school explored the topic: What does it mean to be free? On Monday, we had the privilege of hearing a keynote speaker from the Universalist church in Yarmouth named Jennifer Lentz. We engaged in a deepening discussion on what it really means to be free. Freedom has always been a struggle, for as Nelson Mandela once said, “There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere.”
      We all agreed that with freedom comes responsibility. We were able to look inside ourselves and think about how freedom affects our lives and those around us. How is it living in a world where the media tries to control us? In the afternoon, a man named Drew Wing gave a workshop on the media and how it affects our freedom.
      Early Tuesday morning we drove to Boston for an exciting trip to a medium security prison. We had an inspiring and truly amazing talk with ten inmates from the prison. Throughout our discussion, we found that each prisoner was able to talk straight from his heart, despite their very difficult backgrounds. It was amazing how much they cared about educating young adults. We walked away from the prison with a greater appreciation for the people we love, and the freedom we have each and every day.
      In the evening, we enjoyed an exciting musical production of Hair, which gave us a picture of life as a hippie in the late 60’s. Not boring! After a long day, we stayed overnight at the Massachusetts Bay Waldorf School. Getting into the vans the next morning, all of us drove away with a new view of the world and a greater understanding of freedom.

Are We Really Free? by Emma Rhodes-Armstrong
      During this Theme Week, the topic we were looking at was freedom. What does it really mean? It is such an ambiguous term; it could mean physical freedom, psychological freedom, freedom to express oneself, freedom to do what we like… it means something different to everybody. On Monday morning, Jennifer Lentz, a Unitarian Universalist minister spoke with us about what freedom means to her, asked us questions, and had us debate related topics. Later, we split into groups and held brief discussions before lunch, after which another speaker, Drew Wing, talked to us about freedom within the media. He presented a short slideshow and part of a film about women and the ways they are portrayed in the media. He also brought up some questions. Are we really free? Are we really impervious to external influences telling us who to be, what products to buy?
      The next day we drove down to Shirley, Massachusetts and visited a medium-security prison. We spoke with ten of the inmates, heard their stories, and asked them questions. It was an amazing experience. While many of these men had been convicted for murder, they were incredibly insightful and aware of what they did and where they are now. It was very interesting to hear what freedom meant to them, and to hear the advice they had for us. Later that evening, we went into Boston to have dinner, and watched a fantastic production of “Hair.”

  Many of these experiences, particularly the visit to the prison, changed our views of what freedom can mean, and made many of us reconsider the truth of our preconceptions. Overall, from discussions and debates to prisons and musicals, the Theme Week has been an eye-opener, and a great success.

Enlightened Inmates by Wyatt Dowling
     For our second theme week of the year, we discussed what it meant to be free. On the first day, we heard from a couple of speakers and held discussions on what freedom meant to each of us. On Tuesday we drove to Massachusetts to visit a prison and to speak with a few of the inmates. This was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. There we were, sitting just a few feet from men who were serving life sentences for horrible crimes, and they seemed more enlightened then almost anyone you would meet out in the world. Now that they had lived out some of their punishment, some even for taking the lives of others, they had a stronger understanding of life than anyone I have ever met before.
      After this incredible experience, we went to Boston for another, very different one. We attended opening night of Hair, which has become my favorite musical, by far. The week as a whole was an unforgettable time. It makes me appreciate going to a school where we take time away from our studies to do things like this. This may have been the best theme week yet; I cannot wait for the next one.

Essayists impress in Slow Food Portland's inaugural Young Food Writers Competition: As we mentioned back on March 1, Merriconeag Senior,

Ali Perkins won the Grand Prize in the grades 9 - 12 Slow Food Portland Young Writers Contest. We are also pleased to report that Merriconeag Fourth Grader, Wilson Haims received Honorable Mention in the contest. Ali read her essay at a gathering at Space Gallery in Portland on March 10 and she was featured in the March 16 edition of the Portland Press Herald. To read the article which includes Ali's essay, please click here.

Model UN Conference in Wilton, NH:

On 19 March, 14 MWHS students participated in the High Mowing School Model UN Conference in Wilton, NH. The students made up delegations from 7 different countries, three in the Security Council Session that debated “ the situation in the Middle East: the Palestinian-Israeli Peace process”, and “UN Security Council reform”; and four in the General Assembly that tackled “making International Aid more effective” and “improving the International Criminal Court”.
      The students did an excellent job addressing the issues and representing their country positions. They were active in drafting, sponsoring and supporting resolutions to respond to the issues, and in debating the drafts that were presented. The students worked very well in pairs, and were at the heart of the conference the entire day.
      Special thanks to the High Mowing School for hosting the Conference,

and for making us welcome for the night as well. After dinner and the conference closure, we joined some of the High Mowing students around a fire pit for “s’mores” under a huge full moon. We closed the long day watching the movie “Inception” – all in all, a fine day!

Submitted by David Whittlesey

High School Forum - Ambassador Jonathan Moore
      Last week, the high school was very honored and privileged to host Ambassador Jonathan Moore who came, invited by M. David Whittlesey, to participate in the Model UN class. We took advantage of this opportunity to invite Ambassador Moore to our monthly Forum as well as have a conversation with the 9th grade class who had recently studied US government.
      Ambassador Moore came through to the students as a man of high probity, in quest of truth and integrity through his understanding of world affairs. He approached his talk with kindness and lucidity, explaining for example how everything is interrelated such as pessimism and optimism, when it comes to world affairs. Read more.

We are so grateful for the visit to Merriconeag School by this highly respected international diplomat!
Submitted by Regine Whittlesey

A Student Perspective on the forum:   Don’t let his age fool you. Ambassador Jonathan Moore’s mind is sharper than most others you will encounter. This becomes clear as soon as he begins speaking and presenting his ideas coherently, lucidly and without hesitation. In addition to, and perhaps because of, his great experience on both the domestic and international level, Ambassador Moore provides startling insights of our world today and what steps must be taken to live in a healthy and sustainable manner. One of the most surprising parallels he drew was between the rich-poor gap and the speed and ease at which information travels. He pointed out the effect on poor people of having ready access to images and videos depicting lives of opulence and waste. This appears blatantly obvious but it is an aspect I, and I know most of my peers, never thought of before. Ambassador Moore’s main point, one he came back to again and again, was that we Americans, as individuals and as a nation, need to accept a role of responsibility, not entitlement. We as individuals rely on all the members of our community, whether it be our family, neighborhood or the planet, and we must think of our communities in return, not only of ourselves.
      Many thanks to Ambassador Moore who took time to travel to Maine in order to speak to the Model UN class and to the whole High School in our Forum. Ambassador Moore also shared some insights with the 9th grade class after their work on US governement. We all profited greatly from his wise and interesting insights.

Submitted by Ben Tindall, Grade 10

The following thank you letter from some of our students in our high school's Model UN Club recently appeared in the Maine Chapter of the United Nations Association Newsletter:

On January 15, it was a great a great pleasure for us to attend the luncheon and talk by Edward Elmendorf which was part of the UNA annual meeting. The four of us are part of a class of 14 students at the Merriconeag Waldorf High School in New Gloucester who are participating in a Model UN class, and will attend MUN Conferences at High Mowing School and Dartmouth later this year. This was a real opportunity to get a first-hand view about the role of the UN from someone who has been directly involved for several decades, and to meet and talk with UNA members about the UN today. (We also had a delicious meal for which we are most grateful!)
      The Model UN process is exciting and informative, as it brings us face to face with many of the difficult issues facing the world today, not from our somewhat isolated perspective from small towns in Maine, but by putting us in the shoes of delegates from countries around the world and debating in a setting that closely follows the United Nations reality. In addition, meeting and discussing with people who have personal experience with the UN, including Mr. Bradley Babson and Ambassador Jonathan Moore who will be joining our class in March in addition to Mr. Elmendorf, makes the experience that much more real and alive.
Again, many thanks to UNA Maine for inviting us to attend!
Cyrus Fenderson, Wyatt McCurdy, Phineas Samuelson and Brian Watko

David Sloan has more poems published:

     As you may recall, David Sloan, Merriconeag High School’s Humanities and Drama teacher, is an accomplished poet. He recently had two poems, The Spaces Between and The Fire Starter published in the Winter 2011 edition of The Cafe Review.

   In the fall, David's poem, Lines in Algonquin, won Honorable Mention in Carpe Articulum Literary Review’s 2010 Poetry Competition. David has also had poems

published in the Northern New England Review, and was a prizewinner in the Friends of Acadia Nature Poetry Contest.

Merriconeag Waldorf High School Cross Country Coach, Tom Ryan has been named Coach of the Year by the Maine Track and Cross Country Coaches Association. This is in addition to his being named Girls XC Coach of the year by the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram in November. Coach Ryan will be presented the award at the annual luncheon of the Maine Track and Cross Country Coaches Association on March 19th. Congratulations, Coach!

Merriconeag Girls are Class C Nordic State Champions

     At the Class C State Championships in Rangeley last week, Merriconeag Girls came in first to become the Class C Nordic State Champions. Placing the top four in places 1-7 in the classic race was a real accomplishment.

     Zoe Chace-Donahue became Class C State Champion in both Classic and Freestyle. A great performance!

     Emelie Chace-Donahue and Teagan Wu raced well with Emelie runner up in both races and Teagan getting just blocked out of a third place in the classic race. Carlin Tindall saved her best race for the classic to seal the win for the girls. Strong performances by Sierra Jeffers and Lily Tupper rounded out a great week in Rangeley for the Girls Team. Congratulations to our State Champs and their wonderful coach, John Tarling!

High School Nordic Skiing

Merriconeag High School's Nordic Ski Team in Rangeley on Thursday

     Congratulations to our Nordic Skiers! The High School Nordic Ski Team capped off another successful season last week. At the Class C state championships in Rangeley, the Girls came in first to become Class C State Champions and the boys team also skied very well finishing 4th in Class C (out of 14 teams).

    Jack Pierce, the boys pace setter all season, scorched the freestyle with a second place finish and was close to a number of racers in finishing eighth in the classic race. Eli McCurdy skied two solid races. Ben McCrave had a solid skate race and John Burgess had his best race all year in the classic race. Ben Tindall closed his first year at MHS in fine fashion and Phineas Samuelson closes his last year out with two hard efforts.

     Our seniors, Phineas Samuelson and Ben McCrave were the first skiers when I came on board and we owe them much appreciation for hanging in as the team developed. Their hard work and dedication to the team will be missed.

     We thank Soren Donisvitch for attending the States as an alternate in place of Brian Watko, who was unable to attend due a schedule conflict. Brian earned a spot as alternate but, unfortunately, could not be with us in Rangeley. Hadi Jacobs also earned a spot on the girls team but was unable to be there as well. Soren, Brian and Haydi all played an important role and contributed to the team's year long success.  Coach John Tarling

     For high school race results, go to Maine High School Skiing.

Merriconeag Senior Wins Grand Prize in Writing Contest: Congratulations to Senior Ali Perkins whose essay won the grand prize for grades 9 - 12 in the Slow Food Portland Young Writers Contest. Ali won a full CSA share (up to $500 value) for her family from the CSA of her choice for the 2011 growing season. She has been invited to read her essay at the upcoming Slow Food Writers Night Event at the Space Gallery in Portland on Thursday,March 10. Ali's essay will also be published in an upcoming edition of the Portland Press Herald.

Congratulations, Ali!

High School Nordic Skiing

Merriconeag High School's Nordic Ski Team at Starks Hill in Fryeburg on Saturday

The Western Maine Conference nordic skiing championships were held this past week. The skate race was last Wednesday in Gray and the classic race was Saturday in Fryeburg. All of our skiers skied very well. The boys finished 6th overall (3rd in class C). They finished ahead of Greely, Waynflete, Cape Elizabeth, and Gray/New Gloucester. The Girls finished 3rd overall (1st in class C). They finished ahead of every school except Yarmouth and Falmouth.

From Coach Tarling: We were very fortunate to have two great days of racing for the WMC Championships. Saturday at Starks Hill in Fryeburg was cold at the start. First up the boys race: The boys have been working hard all year and given the youth on the team they can look forward to a bright future in HS Skiing. Saturday the team was again led by Jack Pierce. He has led the team all year and finished again in 12th place, matching his finish in the skate race. Eli McCurdy and Ben Tindall continued their season-long battle and Eli ended up just edging Ben. John Burgess and Phineas Samuelson both skied with effort and helped the boys to a respectable 6 place. Considering the teams ranked behind the boys, this is a good sign for the future.
      For the girls: their 3rd was not really a surprise, they have showed good form all year competing with the top girls teams overall. Zoe Chace-Donahue showed she is rounding into form at the right time with a podium 3rd place finish, followed closely by Emelie Chace-Donahue in 6th and Teagan Wu in 16th. Teagan had trouble on one of the downhill sections yet she was able to get up and finish strong. Carlin Tindall has proven to be the dependable fourth skier for the girls team followed by Sierra Jeffers, Hadi Jacobs and Lily Tupper. The depth on the girls team is improving as the newer racers are gaining experience each race start.

     The food on Saturday was a real treat, thanks to all who pitched in with food and transportation. This week we will ski Tuesday, skate, and participate the the Yarmouth Fun Relay (skate again) at Pratts Brook on Wednesday.

    A special thanks to Adele Espy for all her waxing help and support on Friday and Saturday. Her help is greatly appreciated.

The team will be participating in the Class C State Championships in Rangeley the week of school vacation.
For race dates and maps, visit our website's Google Calendar. For high school race results, go to Maine High School Skiing.

Recap: Geezers Versus Students II

Student Version by Brian Watko:    

     Last Friday, a frenzied crowd of basketball enthusiasts watched as a conflict of epic proportions unfolded before their very eyes. Two teams met on the court for the second time with some unfinished business. Only two years ago, a squad of intrepid geezers clashed with a horde of vicious high schoolers, only to depart the Freeport Junior High School Gymnasium crushed. A debt unpaid, both sides were ready to play once again, and this time it was personal.

     Eager to retain their glory, the students put together a commendable force of high school players: Cyrus Fenderson, Sophie Simmons, Tyler O’Brien, Devon-Murphy-Anderson, Connor Beckett, Emma Dolan, and Wyatt Mccurdy. If this wasn’t enough, an equally powerful lineup of middle schoolers joined the team, to ensure certain victory: Jacob Haldeman, Natalie Murphy, Joe Armstrong, Bekah Rhein, Lincoln Samuelson, Phoebe Dolan, Josh Dow, Anna Evans, Hugh Voorhees, Lily Kolle, and Gaby Gaspardi. Prior injuries kept Haley Johnson and Peter Watko from playing, but their teammates were trained to the peak of perfection by coaches David Sloan and Richard Evans. Read more.

Geezer Version by Michael Fenderson:

     Merriconeag's faculty basketball team, warmly dubbed "The Geezers", came back in the final minutes to pull out the winover the students in the second annual Student-Faculty Basketball Game. The non-stop action was, according to many an appreciativefan of both teams, great fun and a 'most amazing game'! The student team, made up of high schoolers and players from 7th and 8th grades, coached by David Sloan and Assistant Coach Richard Evans, led most of the way and kept the scrappy, well seasoned Geezersguessing right down to the last baskets. 

     Cheering the efforts of all players, the gym resounded with "Go Students" and "Go Geezers" throughout the contest. Both benches were filled with many new players this year but in the end, it was Nancy 'Downtown' Roderick, the Geezer backcourt specialist who sank final running jumpshot. Read more.

High School Forum — 350 and Counting: The 2011 High School Forum season opened with a conversation on

Climate Change. Jesse Pyles, sustainability director at Unity College and a Senior student, Jean, came to our High School Friday January 28th to talk about 350.org.
      The number 350 is what scientists say is the upper limit for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The planet faces both serious human and natural disasters if atmospheric concentrations of CO2 remain above 350 parts per million. At the present moment, the number is about at 388 and is on the rise. 350.org is an international campaign that tries to inspire and unite the world around solutions to the climate crisis.
      Jesse and Jean talked with great enthusiasm to our students about the road trip they took last year from Unity College in Maine to Washington DC. They were planning to return solar panels that Unity College had bought from the White house after the Reagan administration had put them in a warehouse. The intent was to encourage the present administration to put solar panels back on the White House, thus being a model for the whole nation. Their visit inspired the White House to plan the re-installation of solar panels.
      The students were impressed with Jesse and Jean’s passionate and determined enterprising spirit as well as their strong motivation to make a difference and have an impact on the future of the planet. We hope our students will follow their lead in taking action for their future! Submitted by Regine Whittlesey

Don't Miss Merriconeag's Only Basketball Game This Season!
     The Second Student-Faculty Basketball Extravaganze is just days away - this Friday, February 4, 6:30 p.m. in the Freeport Jr. High School gym. The student team, led by wily high school "veterans" Cyrus Fenderson, Tyler O'Brien, Connor Beckett, Wyatt McCurdy, Sophie Simmons, Devon Murphy-Anderson and Emma Dolan, will be ably reinforced by eighth graders Jacob Haldeman, Lincoln Samuelson, Natalie Murphy, Anna Evans, Gaby Gaspardi, and Lily Kolle, and seventh graders Joe Armstrong, Phoebe Dolan, Josh Dow, Bekah Rhein and Hugh Voorhees. Fortunately for the faculty, Haley Johnson will be away, and Peter Watko won't be able to play, due to a broken digit.
      Will the faculty find that old magic, when they were younger, fleeter, friskier? Can they overcome gravity, rust, creaky joints, oxygen deprivation? There's only one way to find out--Come to the game! Game? It's going to be a spectacle!
      Admission is free, but donations at the door will be gratefully accepted. With the proceeds from admissions and the refreshments for sale during the game, the high school hopes to raise funds for its Model UN program. Be there, or be square! Submitted by Coach Sloa

Our Town - Our Community

      The high school plays are always a highlight of the year, a time when we join together as a whole school and see old friends. It is a time when we open ourselves up to being carried into another world. I find that I don't want to miss a single performance.
      How did those boys turn into men, those girls into mothers? How did they gain the capacity to change a mood from a hectic morning to a moonlit night; from an important encounter at a soda shop to a scene from a world very near and yet very different from ours? The eternal was present in our Hall. The mood was rich and warm with the presence of friends and teachers - Diane Geist, Cynthia Taliafero, Ron Richardson and Pat Siviski - who joined many others in our hearts. The children constantly change and grow as they go through the school, and we continue to grow our Merriconceag Waldorf community year after year. Submitted by Barbara Richardson  

Our Town is Coming to This Town

     Merriconeag’s freshman and sophomore classes are enthusiastically preparing to perform Thornton Wilder’s classic play on Thursday and Friday, January 27 and 28. Wilder sets his masterpiece in a seemingly undistinguished, small New Hampshire town at the beginning of the twentieth century, but he fills the play with the vast, heart-wrenching themes we all encounter in life. As the all-seeing Stage Manager/Narrator says, explaining why he’s going to bury a copy of the play in a time capsule, “People a thousand years from now’ll know a few simple facts about us. . .this is the way we were: in our growing up and in our marrying and in our living and in our dying.”
      The play chronicles a more innocent time in American life, when boys really could grow up and marry the girl-next-door. Wilder’s great innovation is how he makes the everyday lives of Grovers Corners’ residents so universal, even as he follows those lives over the threshold of death. Nearly seventy-five years after the play was first produced, we still recognize the truth of Wilder’s vision about the human condition.
      In addition to the evening performances, for which tickets will be available at the door for $5, the cast will be offering an Open Dress Rehearsal on Tuesday, January 25, as well as daytime school performance on Wednesday, January 26.

Is There Life After Waldorf: Alumni Panel Discussion

Friday, January 7, 7:00 p.m., Community Hall

Is There Life After Waldorf? On Friday, January 7, meet four fascinating Alums from Waldorf high schools across the Northeast as they relate how Waldorf education made a difference in their lives. By popular demand, Dr. Trevor Braden, a veteran our last Panel Evening two years ago and graduate of Garden City Waldorf School in Long Island, NY, is back! He will be joined by Leila Forman, Theodore Groh, and Brooke Adams, who submitted brief autobiographical sketches below. The evening begins at 7 p.m. in the Community Hall, and any current or prospective parents and students are invited. Bring along any friends who want to know more about Waldorf high school education!

Theodore Groh was born and raised on a organic/biodynamic farm in Wilton New Hampshire and attended Pine Hill Waldorf School, and High Mowing Waldorf high school. Theodore just finished a run for the New Hampshire State Legislature, and is currently pursuing a degree in Political Science from Saint Anselms College in Manchester New Hampshire.

Brooke Dennee-Sommers attended Lake Champlain Waldorf School in Shelburne, Vermont from pre-school ("morning garden") through eighth grade and High Mowing School in Wilton, New Hampshire for eleventh and twelfth grade. Brooke currently works as a project manager for a health research consulting company in Boston, Massachusetts.

Leila Forman attended Green Meadow Waldorf School in Chestnut Ridge, NY from 6th grade through senior year of high school. She loved her experience in the Waldorf school and felt like it was her second home. So much so, in fact, that after graduating from college with a degree in French Literature she decided to return and spent a year on the faculty teaching French to 10th-12th graders.
Today, twelve years after graduating from Green Meadow, after a brief career as a french teacher, a lot of worldwide traveling, and a Master's degree in Nursing, she has settled in Cambridge, MA where she works as a Certified Nurse Midwife at Mt. Auburn Hospital.

Food Drive this Week

The High School is sponsoring a food drive to benefit area food pantries. Please bring in donations of non-perishable foods. Collection boxes have been placed in the upper grades building, the lower grades building, the early childhood center, the office, and the community hall. The food drive ends this Friday, December 17th.

Fall Cross-Country Kudos Continue: An article David Sloan submitted to the national AWSNA

site about the girls' cross country championship is running on the front page of Why Waldorf Works.org.

Click here to read the article.

Fall Cross-Country All Stars Honored: Merriconeag runners were in the news again as the Forecaster reported on the fall cross-country all stars. The Western Maine Conference boy’s first team featured Merriconeag’s Jack Pierce. Zoe Chace-Donahue qualified for the girls’ second team and Phineas Samuelson was included in the the All-Academic team line up. The Maine Track and Cross Country Coaches All-State boys’ team named Jack Pierce as an honorable mention. Congratulations to all! To read the article in the Forecaster, click here.

The Race to Nowhere

December 2, 7:00 pm, Community Hall

Click on image below to view the movie trailer.

     Merriconeag Waldorf School proudly presents the Maine premiere of the documentary, The Race to Nowhere. Tickets are $10 and available only online at rtnmerriconeag.eventbrite.com.  This movie is being promoted to the general public, so be sure to buy your tickets soon.
      Vicki Abeles, a concerned mother turned filmmaker, aims her camera at the high-stakes, high-pressure culture that has invaded our schools and our children's lives. Race to Nowhere points to the silent epidemic in our schools: cheating has become commonplace; students are disengaged; stress-related illness and depression are rampant; and many young people arrive at college and the workplace unprepared and uninspired. Race to Nowhere is a call to action for families, educators, and policy makers to challenge current assumptions on how to best prepare the youth of America to become healthy, bright, contributing and leading citizens.

    Please help us promote this movie far and wide. Who should see this film? Anyone who shares a stake in the future of education, which means everyone! The film is appropriate for parent groups, school faculties, student groups, participants in education conferences, PTAs, health care organizations, universities, business groups, faith-based or interfaith organizations,media/film centers, civic groups and policy makers. The film can raise powerful conversations and lead to action among these groups. Following the showing on December 2nd, there will be a discussion of the film fascilitated by David Sloan and David Barham.

Please note that the movie is PG13. We believe it is appropriate for high school and up.

See the reviews and praise for Race to Nowhere.

Shepherds Play: The play, usually performed by members of the faculty and adults in the community, will be presented with a unique twist this year. We warmly invite the entire community to join us at 11:00 - 12:00 on December 17, 2010 in the Community Hall to witness this simple, yet profound offering which speaks to what it means to be truly human. Read more. Submitted by David Barham

Au Revoir Jehan et Constance:

     Friday night, ninth and tenth graders and their families gathered at the Murphy-Anderson’s Community House in order to say Au Revoir to our French exchange students Constance Fayol and Jehan Foulke, returning to their home in Lyon, France, after 3 months at Merriconeag Waldorf High School. A delicious,s generous potluck was shared, followed by piano duets with Devon and Constance, (who had just completed her first 3 months of piano lessons with M. Seavey!), and Augustine Hoffmann our French Student recently arrived from Avignon. Augustine delighted us with her self- composed French song and guitar solo.
      Judging from the number of hugs and kisses exchanged, I gather these students were well-integrated and well-loved by their American peers. Both Jehan and Constance had tears in their eyes as they bid farewell, hearts full of gratitude for the wonderful care and love they received both in their family and at school. Jehan is Emelie Chace-Donahue’s French brother and Constance is Devon Murphy-Anderson’s French sister. Devon will go to the Lyon Waldorf School in March, 2011, and Emelie will leave in April to go to the same school.
      It will be their turn to experience a home away from home, strange food, new school rules and the challenge to do homework in a language they haven’t yet mastered. But they will have the comfort of meeting again their foreign siblings who will understand well where they come from!
      As our High School students recently explained to Merriconeag Middle school students, our Foreign Exchange program, open to any tenth or eleventh grader desirous to try it, is an opportunity not to be missed. It opens new vistas; it helps students mature and learn independence, master a foreign language, understand a new culture from daily living and open hearts to others. Merriconeag education is spreading peace and tolerance, one exchange at a time!  Régine Whittlesey

Québec City, S’il Vous Plait:

     From the ninth to the thirteenth of November, 2010, our eleventh graders said more often “merci, excusez-moi, and s’il vous plait”, than “thank you, excuse me and please!” That’s because they were living in the Francophone world of nearby ancient Québec city.
      The whole junior class, French and German students together, went to discover the history, culture, gastronomy and way of life of this 400-year-old North American City, where most everyone speaks French. Accompanied by Madame Whittlesey, Frau Mc Vicar and Svenja Dettmer, our Amity intern, the students quickly learned their way through the cobblestone streets of the old city, as we stayed in the Auberge Internationale, conveniently situated within the ramparts, near the busy rue St. Jean in the old town. Daily activities ranged from historical museums and cultural teachings, to a visit of the imposing Château Frontenac, where a lively “200-year-old” chambermaid guided us through the secrets of this famous historic hotel (did you know there are three third floors in the Château?). Outdoor excursions took us once on a fiercely windy day to the Plains of Abraham and the ancient Citadel; on a lovely, sunny, (almost) warm day, we drove to the Montmorency Falls and pondered about the force of nature from a suspended bridge over the raging waterfall, which is 30 meters taller than the Niagara Falls!
      Another visit invited meditation and reverence as we strolled through the magnificent Neo-Romanesque Basilica of Ste Anne de Beaupré, a resplendent cathedral built on the site of a 1658 chapel. Magnificent mosaics and stained glass windows, carved stones and an exact replica of La Pieta by Michelangelo are some of the treasures our students respectfully admired.
Free time left students to go enjoy a variety of activities in small groups—ice skating on the public skating ring in front of the illuminated ramparts, dancing on ice to loud French Music, shopping in the numerous boutiques of the old town or just sitting at a warm café drinking sumptuous hot chocolate while eating flaky pains au chocolat or croissants. What choices! No wonder we did not hear any complaints!
      We spent one evening with a Quebécois musician-storyteller, Pierre Leclerc, who engaged us all in call and response French Québecois songs, foot tapping, spoon playing and spontaneous dancing. As he said himself: “C’est l’fun!”
      At our last elegant dinner in the Basse Ville restaurant “Chez Rabelais,” some students rose to give toasts of thanks for the wonderful time had by all. Now tenth graders look at the photos of our trip displayed in the high school and dream … Will we also go to Quebec with our class? I certainly hope so!  Régine Whittlesey

Fair Composting

The high school composting and recycling team under the guidance of Cordelia Lane, Lucy Ahearne and Ian Gamble composted 69 pounds of compost at the Fall Fair and recycled 21 pounds of waste. There was still 61 pounds of trash. So 60% of our waste was either recycled or composted! This is a great first step as we explore ways to reduce our waste at events. Special thanks to Cordelia, Lucy, Ian and students and parents from the high school for making this an easy and fun task.

High School Theme Week 2010 - Maine Diversity

       For three days, October 25^th-27th, the High School lived “to the beat of a different drummer”…literally! Our eighth grade guests joined high school students in learning skills quite different from what Merriconeag usually offers. Under the umbrella theme of Maine Diversity, the students were able to choose two workshops from a wide spectrum.

       The week started with a presentation by Adelaide Manirakiza, a war widow refugee from Burundi now living in Portland and working for Living with Peace. This non-profit organization helps orient immigrants, recently arrived in Maine, to various social, economic and cultural aspects of life in Portland and Lewiston. Mrs Manirakiza brought a family portrait of her four daughters whom she succeeded in bringing to Maine out of war-torn Burundi after she herself received her asylum. She talked of her struggles as a war widow who eventually succeeded in changing the status of war widows and orphans in her own country. She talked of the importance of learning the new language of her host country, and of her strong faith, both helping her to slowly put her family life together and find a job in Maine.

After this strong and moving presentation, the students went to experience their workshops. The first set of workshops offered a choice between improvisational drumming with our ever energetic Rick Cormier, learning the technique of Shibori Japanese stitching and dyeing with Kelley Barham, carving wood totems with local craftsman Eric Ritter, or experiencing the joyful movements of African dance with Regina Kusche, accompanied on the drum by Annegret Baier.

        The second set of choices led some students to practice Capoeira, offered by Mastre Joao Carlos Bordallo from Brazil. Capoeira is an ancient Brazilian martial art/dance initially started by the slaves. Other students chose wall mural painting with our very own artists Rosemary Burwell and Johanna Flath. In another workshop, Colombian Maine resident Adelaida Gaviria invited the students to understand the tragic effects of the Drug Trade on Columbian families as well as American families. Shamou, an impressive Persian drummer renowned in Maine musical circles, led his workshop acquainting the students with Samba rhythm.

       For three days the very full High School vibrated with colors, movements and music coming from all directions. Huge thanks to all the workshop leaders for their wonderful participation in our Theme Week!   Regine Whittlesey, High School French                                                                                       

Knock, Knock, Knockin’ on Steiner’s Door…

      It might seem like a stretch from reality, but even the brick high school building at Pineland seemed to come alive with an ancient, tribal air last week in Rick Cormier’s drumming class during Merriconeag High School’s International Theme Days. A truly devoted musician who heads the Different Drummers Drum Circle in Yarmouth, the agelessly energetic Rick Cormier has been teaching improvisational drumming at Merriconeag since the high school’s establishment. The group was a varied one: some members had been practicing percussion with him for up to four years, while others had hardly ever drummed in their lives. Yet skill level does not prevent one from drumming; as Rick was told was by an eminent African drummer, all drumming consists of is “finding a beat, losing it, and finding it again.”

     In order for an improvisational drum circle to sound complete, it needs three components: the heartbeat, embellishment, and a lead. Of these three, the heartbeat is the most crucial; a simple, spacious beat of few notes. The spaces left by the heartbeat are filled by the more elaborate embellishment beats. The lead beat goes over these two, connecting them while also creating a totally new sound.

During the three days with Rick, the group also practiced creating the varied tones of the drum and the different playing styles of various cultures. Everything was incorporated in the group exercises, most often taking the form of alternating triads, which were then performed for the pleasure of the whole high school community. Brian Watko, 10th Grade

Capoeira—Cartwheels for Kicks

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from the Capoeira workshop. I knew a little bit about Capoeira, but not much. Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian art form, which combines elements of dance, music, as well as martial arts. It was created by African slaves in Brazil, with the purpose of teaching other slaves how to fight, and in doing so, escape. However, the slave’s masters did not let these slaves train, so the

slaves disguised their training as a dance. Many of the moves use the feet; there is, in fact, a style of Capoeira in which arms and hands are not used at all in order to replicate bound arms. Several moves we learned involved cartwheels, spins and other acrobatic moves. The result is a very beautiful, very fun art form. By the end we had all learned a lot and were very, very sore. Tyler O’Brien, 11th Grade

African Dance and Drums

     I could not have been happier that I chose to do the African Dance elective for this year’s “theme week.” It was a very energetic fun class and all the participants seemed to really enjoy themselves. We learned some traditional dance moves, starting with the right posture, then adding steps and arm movements. For the second two days we had a live drummer accompanying our dance routine, which added so much. We also learned a children’s game and song that seriously challenged our multitasking skills. A big thanks to our teacher, Regina Kusche, and our drummer, Annegret Baier, for such a fun part of our “theme week.”  Evelyn Pennoyer, 11th Grade

Another Reason to Say No to Drugs

        In nearly all drug talks that are given by parents, teachers, policemen or social workers, the reason not to become involved in any sort of drugs is all about you.  Don’t do drugs because they are bad for you.  Don’t do drugs because you could become addicted.  Because they could lead you to harder, more dangerous drugs.  Because you could get suspended or expelled.  All of these scenarios, which are recited countless times every day to teens around the world, deal with all the reasons drugs can ruin your health, reputation, etc.  In our workshop on the Colombian drug trade, Adelaida Gaviria gave us a different perspective on drugs and reasons to refuse to participate in the use of these drugs.  Adelaida grew up on a farm in Columbia and experienced drug violence first hand as did many, many other individuals just like her.  Two of her friends’ brothers were killed as teenagers after becoming involved in the drug trade.  Her neighbor was killed for refusing to cooperate with the drug lords and her old boyfriend was killed for refusing to stash cocaine in flower packages being sent to the United States.  

       This view is one that the vast majority of drug consumers never dream of; that their actions have consequences thousands of miles away.  That buying a joint in Freeport, Maine directly contributes to violence and death in places like Colombia.  Only a small percentage of drug money goes to the actual product; the vast majority goes towards buying weapons that incite fear in those who oppose the drug trade.  The hope is that when we are in a situation where we may be tempted to buy or accept drugs from someone, may it be a friend or not, that we will think not only about ourselves, but also of the lives of people we could save by refusing. Ben Tindall, 10th Grade                                                                  

Shibori—An Art to Dye For   

      Shibori is the Japanese art of stitching and dyeing fabrics. The result of Shibori looks very much like an intricate form of tie-dye. During the High School Theme Week, Kelly Barham guided a group of students through the process to eventually dye beautiful kerchiefs, shirts, bags and pillowcases. The group started by making their own brew of indigo dye. We then stitched patterns into the cloth and pulled tight. String was also used to wrap tightly around sections of the cloth. After we dyed and rinsed the cloth, we took out the stitching and the group was able to exclaim over the beautiful patterns that we had  created. The Shibori group also came up with song lyrics and other words that reminded them of blue, further expanding on their three-day-long study of the color blue, indigo and dyeing cloth. Lily Tupper, 9th Grade

The Colors of Diversity

    During Theme Week at the high school, each student from the high school and eighth grade chose two workshops to participate in.  One that I chose was the “Wall Murals” workshop.  I don’t consider myself the best artist (despite going to a Waldorf school) but I enjoy painting so I thought I’d give it a try.  The workshop leaders’ (Rose Mary Burwell and Johanna Flath) goal was to create a full six-panel wall mural in a meager five hours spread out over three days.  The first day, all 15 people who were taking the workshop sat down at a table together to discuss what we wanted to do with our time.  Since the theme of the week was “Ethnic diversity in Maine,” we decided we wanted something at least somewhat representing this idea.  We agreed upon some common factors that needed to be in each panel, such as a railroad, some overarching themes such as going from dull colors to bright colors, and we decided to leave the rest up to smaller groups.  We divided these groups randomly and started sketching out what would go on the murals.  After the first hour, we were given the plywood that the finished product was to be on.  We began to try to find ways to connect our ideas at the edges.  The second day, we started right in with paints and experimented with mixing and matching different colors.  Each group worked separately on their panel.  By the end of the session, we could see where this whole project was going and I, for one, liked what I saw.  The third day was a frantic rush to finish everything in just one hour.  Much of the time was spent on making the continuity between panels work out.  With completely different color schemes used by different groups, this part proved difficult indeed.  With the paint still wet and finishing touches being added on the fly, we presented our artwork to the rest of the high school on the third day.

Cyrus Fenderson, 11th Grade

High School Theme Days Celebrate Ethnic Diversity in Maine: The high school students are enjoying a 3 day week of theme days entitled, Ethnic Diversity in Maine. The eighth graders joined the high school for this session which began on Monday and will end at 12:30 on Wednesday.

     The keynote speaker for the Theme Days is Adelaide Manirakiza. Mrs. Manirakiza is a war widow from Burundi. She works for an organization called Living with Peace. Living With Peace addresses issues and concerns that affect the ability of immigrants to acculturate to their new lives in Maine and to successfully orient to the social, economic and cultural aspects of life in Portland and Lewiston. Living with Peace is a dynamic, community organization that seeks to invest in the future of our immigrants by building and sharing resources with a coalition of support providers. Living with Peace is a network of resources to ease and smooth the way in this new world for all newly immigrated people to Maine from any country.

     In addition to the keynote speaker there are eight workshops with an international theme (each student will be taking two). The workshops are:

• Carving Totems with Eric Ritter (Art Room)
• Improvisational Drumming with Rick Cormier (French Room)
• Shibori, Japanese stitching and dyeing, with Kelley Barham (Science Room)
• African Dance with Regina Kusche and AnneGret Baier (Sage Room)
• The Effects of the Drug Trade on Columbian Families with Adelaida Gaviria (Science Room)
• Capoeira (Brazilian Martial Art) with Joao Carlos Bordallo (Sage Room)
• World Drumming with Shamou (French Room)
• Wall Murals with Johanna Flath and Rosemary Burwell (Art Room)

Seniors Study Transcendentalists: As part of their study of the American Transcendentalists, the senior class sauntered down to Concord, Massachusetts on Sunday, October 17 through Tuesday, October 19. Meeting up with their senior compatriots at the Waldorf High School of Mass Bay, the students explored the haunts and homes of two of the more famous of the nineteenth century writers, Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson. 

              Stepping into the recreated cabin in the parking lot of Walden Woods on Monday morning, the students were instantly transported back to the year 1846 and a young Henry David, one year into what would become his two year, two month and two day sojourn at the pond, met them and engaged them in discussion and question answering. We followed Mr. Thoreau into the woods and to the actual sight where his cabin had been built 165 years ago. At that point the historian playing Henry broke character and answered a wider range of questions about Thoreau and his times. This was followed by the reading of a children's book at the actual cabin sight (Henry Builds a Cabin by DB Johnson) and a period of quiet contemplation and journal writing. Few things in life are as pleasant as a walk along the shores of Walden Pond on an autumn afternoon... To read the whole article & see more photos, please follow this link.

Passamaquody Lives:  In our first high school forum of the year, students had the great honor to welcome Passamaquody Storyteller, Allen J. Sockabasin, author of An Upriver Passamaquody  and of the delightful children’s book Thanks to the Animals.  Mr. Sockabasin started by showing our high schoolers a 30-minute film on the history of Native Americans, particularly of the Passamaquody people of Maine, stressing the importance of language preservation. The Native Americans for centuries lived in villages that depended on subsistence living through gathering, hunting, fishing and working in the woods, with an emphasis on sharing and helping one another. They met many hardships through racism and dubious “progress” that brought an end to their traditional way of life, especially their language, their religion and their self-governance.

       Mr. Sockabasin’s spoke with great sadness as he talked to a subdued audience about his life-long struggle to try to preserve the traditional language and cultural way of life of his Passamaquody ancestors.

     After an hour of reflecting and answering numerous questions asked by the high school students, who seemed

very moved and keen to understand his struggles, Mr.Sockabasin grabbed his mandolin and invited our students to join in an impromptu musical fest... To read the whole article & see more photos, please follow this link.

Auto Mechanics at Portland Motor Club was a Hit: A group of students from Merriconeag Waldorf High School chose what must have been one of the coolest electives ever at a Waldorf school — “Introduction to Auto Mechanics” taught by Portland Motor Club owner, muscle car enthusiast and Merriconeag parent, Bill Waldron. Read more at the Portland Motor Club Blog.

     To learn more about Portland Motor Club watch their new video.

Please click on the image below to read the latest edition of The Masthead,

our high school newsletter:

Click here for Masthead Archives.

New High School Boarding Option with Tuition Discount

If you live too far away to commute to Merriconeag Waldorf High School, call the Admissions Office today, 207-865-3900 Ext. 103, to find out about this exciting new offer for the 2010-11 school year.

Auto Mechanics at Portland Motor Club was a Hit

     A group of students from Merriconeag Waldorf High School chose what must have been one of the coolest electives ever at a Waldorf school — “Introduction to Auto Mechanics” taught by Portland Motor Club owner, muscle car enthusiast and Merriconeag parent, Bill Waldron. Read more at the Portland Motor Club Blog.

     To learn more about Portland Motor Club watch their new video.

Merriconeag's Historic First 12th Grade Graduation

James Black Lyscars, Lily Call O'Brien, William Baxter Morse, Norajean Ferris and Zakary Asher Konstantino

     Merriconeag Waldorf School’s celebration of 25 years as a Waldorf school culminated on Saturday, June 5, 2010 with the historic graduation of its first 12th grade class. As the first seniors walked down the aisle in the Community Hall, they realized the dream of the school’s founding board and parents who shepherded the school through humble beginnings in 1984 and nourished the seed that has flourished and grown into an accomplished Early Childhood through Grade 12 school.

Thoughts From a Parent on our First 12th Grade Graduation

     As with so many aspects of Waldorf Education, Merriconeag's historic first high school graduation was far too beautiful to put into words.  As each student entered into the community hall, to music chosen by him or her self, we all realized that this was going to be an extraordinarily special graduation.  To give one example, each graduating senior was introduced by a different member of the faculty.  The introductions were incredible.  The teachers truly knew these students, cared about them, cried for them.  What a gift it was for these students to have these faculty members in their lives. To have teachers that knew them so well, could speak about them so eloquently, is a truly unique gift that Merriconeag has given to these students!

     The Key Note Speaker, Douglas Gerwin, spoke of the “fork in the road” and the choices that lie ahead for our graduates. He used the Robert Frost poem, “The Road Not Taken” as his inspiration, and during his talk gave each of the graduates a compass to help them “chart their course.”

     William Morse and Lily O’Brien presented their Class gift to the school at the end of the ceremony. They spoke of the strength of the Merriconeag Community, the depth and richness of their Waldorf High School experience, and their longing to see the whole school united on one campus. They bore witness to the fact that a Waldorf School is committed to the education of the whole child, from Kindergarten through 12th Grade. They have a dream of seeing the two campuses united on Desert Road, and as their gift, the Class of 2010 has started a building fund for Merriconeag High School.

It was an honor to be present at the graduation and it is a gift to be part of this community.  Margaret Samuelson

"Bridge School"

     Four of the five graduating seniors on stage, last Saturday, were in the original “Bridge School.” They were a hopeful group of about 9 students and their parents who started a 9th grade class in 2006, trusting that the Merriconeag Waldorf High School would be forming the following year, and that somehow their class would be incorporated into a combined 9th and 10th grade. There were no guarantees or promises that this would come about as they hoped. Many people discouraged them from holding on to the idea of a combined 9th and 10th

grade start to the new high school. It was a huge leap of faith for those pioneering parents and these students.
      It reminds me of the signs near bridges in the winter…
                                                             “Warning! Bridges Freeze before Roadways”
Bridges can be risky…they often span rushing water or deep gullies; they can be quickly covered in ice, or enveloped in fog. They take imagination, ingenuity, and courage to build. They need extra maintenance! But

they do allow one to travel from where you are to where you aspire to be.
      These five seniors were asked a last week, what gifts their Waldorf Education had given them. One replied

that being a pioneer had taught patience…everything was for the first time, you were part of the creating, and

you had to respect the pace that each one needed, in order to get to where they needed to go, together.
      In their 12th grade play “The Good Doctor” by Neil Simon, these five seniors portrayed over 20 characters

in seven delightful vignettes, beautifully staged, impeccably timed, with rich characterizations. But what stood

out for me was the amazing ensemble work that one usually sees in well rehearsed repertory groups. This can

only be accomplished with the deepest trust, understanding and appreciation for each other. This class has

built more than a bridge; they have built a community and pioneered a high school.             Christine Sloan

The Doctor Is (Finally) In!

     The Class of 2010 has a full plate this week. Today after school they will meet with faculty members to receive Rudolf Steiner's "leaving verse." On Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the Community Hall, they will perform an open dress rehearsal of Neil Simon's The Good Doctor, which students and their parents are invited to attend for free. The seniors will also perform the play on Thursday and Friday evenings at 7 p.m. The suggested donation for those performances is $5 ($15 for families). However, two scenes in the play involve the theme of seduction and a "lady

of the night," which might not be suitable for younger children. The play runs just under two hours, with a ten-minute intermission.
      On Saturday, the school community is invited to attend Merriconeag's first high school graduation. The Commencement Exercises will begin at 2 p.m. in the Community Hall, with Douglas Gerwin serving as the keynote speaker. A reception will follow the ceremony. David Sloan

A Thing of Beauty

     The Community Hall is the gathering center, the performance hall, the festival host, the celebration heart of our campus. This past weekend, another amazing addition, thanks to the generous and artistic contributions of Cindy Thompson and Matt Rawdon, was designed and installed on our stage.
      Our stage has been enhanced for years with Cindy’s beautiful fabric stage pieces created by Transformit. The hope had always been to include a proscenium arch and stage curtain to enhance the space and create more theatrical options in the room. Thanks to extra 8th grade class funds over the past five years, and Cindy and Matt’s extraordinary gift of design and installation, we now have a magnificent setting for future plays, concerts, talks and performances.
      Please don’t miss a chance to pop into the Community Hall this week…maybe see the 4th grade strings concert, (Tuesday evening), the 12th grade play, (Wednesday dress rehearsal and Thursday and Friday

Productions at 7:00), or the 12th Grade Graduation on Saturday at 2:00! Or just slip in at the end of school

and see the magnificent change to our stage!
      Thank you, Cindy and Matt, and the families of the past five eighth grades, who have made this improvement happen in the Community Hall. Look for fresh paint in the Hall and Gallery this summer! Christine Sloan

The Doctor Is (Almost) In

     Merriconeag’s first senior class warmly invites the school community to attend performances of The Good Doctor, by Neil Simon, next Thursday and Friday evenings, June 3 and 4, in the Community Hall. The play, loosely adapted from several Anton Chekhov short stories, is really a series of vignettes related only by their Russian character. Although none of the scenes contains objectionable content or language, parents of children younger than sixth grade or seventh grades should use discretion; one vignette is about the world’s greatest seducer of married women; in another, a father’s birthday gift to his nineteen-year-old son is an encounter with a “lady of the night.” Tickets will be on sale at the door for $5. One other opportunity to see the play will take place at a free “open dress rehearsal” on Wednesday evening, June 2, also at 7 p.m.

  Ultimate Team Receives Spirit Award   

     Congratulations to the Merriconeag Ultimate Frisbee Team for competing in the Maine High School Ultimate Frisbee Tournament. The team had a very unlucky draw having to play last year's champion Cumberland and perennial powerhouse Brunswick very early in the tournament. Despite the unlucky draw, the team won two games in the tournament (last year they only won one game). The team however did not come home empty handed, the Merriconeag team received the Spirit Award for the Tournament for their joyful play and outstanding sportsmanship. In my humble opinion, this award is more valuable than a state championship as it recognizes the true value of athletic competition. The foundation for high school athletics at Merriconeag is laid by Mr. Saccone with the fifth grade pentathlon where students compete with grace and beauty for pleasure. This tradition continues to live in Merriconeag students and is fostered by the middle school and high school coaches. It is great to see our students recognized for this principle which our whole school so highly values.

     Seniors Make the Most of Montreal

     Merriconeag’s soon-to-be graduating twelfth graders class found Montreal the (nearly) perfect setting for their senior trip. Norajean Ferris, Zak Konstantino, Jake Lyscars, William Morse, Lily O’Brien and their chaperones Ms. Buck and Mr. Sloan enjoyed three sunny, unseasonably warm days as they biked up to the top of Mont-Royal, sampled a variety of international meals, ooh-ed and aah-ed at the impossible theatrics/acrobatics of the Cirque du Soleil, visited the Botanical Gardens and Biodome, and rehearsed their senior play in a conveniently empty amphitheater in the Parc du Fontaine. The only small shadow over the trip—aside from Lily being questioned by the metro police after she innocently jumped one of their non-working turnstiles, and nearly losing Norajean when the metro doors closed prematurely, which would have left her on the platform—was the huge, jackhammering, monster machine that workers used to tear up the sidewalk directly beneath our hostel windows. . .at 6:30 a.m.! All in all, le voyage a été magnifique! David Sloan

Monday, May 17: Final Morning Lesson Blocks of the Year Begin

 9th Grade: Probability & Statistics, taught by Mrs. Connie Gerwin

10th Grade:  Embryology, taught by Dr. Douglas Gerwin & Ms. Buck

11th Grade:  The Rise of the West, taught by Mr. Levi

12th Grade:  Senior play block for Neil Simon's The Good Doctor

Tyler O'Brien Published

Tenth grader, Tyler O'Brien's writing is included in The Telling Room's 2010 anthology: Can I Call You Cheesecake?: 35 Stories & Poems about Food. The young authors were celebrated by the greater community at the newly renovated Portland Public Library on Tuesday, May 11, at 7 pm.

Cafe Plate to Open in The Commons at Pineland

     On Wednesday, May 5 a new tenant at The Commons at Pineland, Cafe Plate, will begin serving breakfast and lunch on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Since there will be no food served on Mondays and Tuesdays, and The Market is not equipped to handle a large volume of people all at once, students will need to bring a lunch on those two days. The current plan for Mondays and Tuesdays is to eat the lunches from home on the lawn outside of the high school or in the Sage Room if the weather is messy.

Zak Konstantino Runner-up in Poetry Festival

     For three consecutive years, Zak Konstantino's poetry has earned him a place among the finalists in Merriconeag's annual Poetry Festival, a feat no other student in the entire region has replicated. Last Sunday, however, judge Gibson Fay-LeBlanc announced to the over 100 people in attendance that Zak's peice "Uncle Billy's Funeral" had been selected as the second place poem in this year's competition. In addition to receiving a gift certificate from a local bookstore, Zak also had his poem displayed on a poster-- alongside the other two top prize-winning poems--that will be sent to all of the more than forty public and private high schools in the Mid-coast area.     Two other Merriconeag student-poets were among the twenty-one finalists. Tyler O'Brien, also a finalist last year, was chosen for his poem about the phases of life entitled "Growing." Skyler Samuelson, the only ninth grader selected to be a finalist, was honored for her poem "The Crime." Skyler also played a cello piece to begin the program, and the "Bluegrass Boys," comprised of Jack Pierce, Juan Mesones, Jacob Kolda, Dan Pierce and special guest Ben Tindall concluded the ceremony with some rousing, foot-stomping music. Many thanks to judge Gibson Fay-LeBlanc, Regine Whittlesey, Rose Mary Burwell, Sarah Buck, Greta Parsons and Eva McVicar for helping welcome invitees and prepare a delectable reception. Special thanks to Matt Rawdon, who donated his time to design the Festival booklet and poster. David Sloan

           Uncle Billy's Funeral by Zak Konstantino                  

The disaster it was, on my tenth birthday,

When you walked in holding that ice-cold beer.

party hat and smile slanted when I opened...

three blind mice?

a smile, a wink.

It wasn't the last, you taught me everything.

"Now this is how a professional does it"

even the little things, the weird trick with

arms like you're receiving a hug.

my first cigarette, I credit you

and the right way to drown.

Though sometimes I was probably

a good reason you don't have a gun.

In the end, friend. I never forget the

day I turned ten.

Another Senior Moment

     In 1985, a senior at Green Meadow Waldorf School in New York, asked me to be her mentor for her senior project. She wanted to act in a one woman show, “A Lovely Light” the story of poet, Edna St. Vincent Millay. We spent months meeting on Sunday mornings, to explore the poetry and life journey of this amazing poet from Maine. Debbie is now 43, lives in Germany, the mother of twin girls, and is a radio journalist, writing and broadcasting in German! We are still friends.
      Over 20 years I watched many senior class projects that ranged in interests as diverse as building boats to sky diving, from dancing the Tango to demonstrating Tai Chi, from designing and constructing shoes to performing aerial acrobatics. The common thread through all these years has been sharing the excitement of a young adult ’s individual exploration of a subject or experience.
      On Friday night, Merriconeag ’s first graduating class, all five of them, presented their projects to classmates, teachers, mentors, parents and friends. The range of interests covered five unique areas of life pursuits….Culinary Arts and Photography, Writing and Drama, Aeronautic Engineering, Social Service and Artistic Movement through Eurythmy.
      Driving home after the event, I was struck by the rich variety of interests in this delightful and articulate group of seniors. You couldn ’t have intentionally designed a more diverse set of presentations: William Morse’s almost airborne glider, Jake Lyskar’s photographic presentation of food preparation at his workplace, “Pat’s,” Zak Konstantino’s community service at “Jump Start,” Norajean Ferris’s writing and performing in her own one-act play, and then finally Lily O’Brien’s penetrating description of the art of eurythmy using Sun Bow students to portray the sounds and gestures…a Waldorf dream come true!
      Thank you, Senior Class, for collectively presenting your individual pursuits, passions and insights and beginning, what we hope will be a long tradition of Senior Projects at Merriconeag.      Christine Sloan

Monday, April 26 - New morning lesson blocks begin.
  9th grade has Geology with Mr. Thurrell in the Sage Room

10th grade has The Odyssey with Mr. Levi in the French Room (Mr. Sloan will be teaching until the Italy trip            returns)
11th grade has Cell Biology with Ms. Buck in the Art Room
12th grade has Optics with Mr. O'Brien in the Science Lab

Friday Night Lights—See Merriconeag’s Seniors Shine

     Merriconeag’s first graduating class will present their senior projects on Friday, April 30, at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Hall. Each of our pioneering twelfth graders will share a slice of their intensive work over the past year: Norajean Ferris has written, acted in and filmed a short one-woman play; Zak Konstantino will speak about becoming a mentor in Jump Start, a program for at-risk youth; Jake Lyscars will share his experiences—through photography and some sample cuisine—of working at a Portland restaurant; William Morse will enlighten the audience about how to build a robotic glider; and Lily O’Brien will perform—with the help of Sunbow—eurythmy she has choreographed. The entire school community is invited, most especially sixth, seventh and eighth graders and their parents. David Sloan

Merriconeag Reaches Out Through Poetry

     Three Merriconeag high school students—Skyler Samuelson, Tyler O’Brien, and Zak Konstantino—will be among the twenty-one finalists to be honored at the Third Annual Merriconeag Poetry Festival this Sunday, May 2, in the Community Hall at 3 p.m. For Zak, this is the third consecutive year he has been selected as a finalist—a feat matched by no other student in the region! What makes his streak even more noteworthy is that each year a different Maine poet has served as judge. Tyler was also a finalist last year.
     The Festival is one of the school’s biggest outreach events of the year; each of the past two years, more than a 100 poetry lovers from outside the school community have come to hear the finalists read their work. This year’s judge, Gibson Fay-LeBlanc, Executive Director of the Telling Room in Portland, will also read some of his work and announce the top three prize-winning poems. All finalists will receive gift certificates from area bookstores, as well as a booklet with all of the finalists’ poems. A reception hosted by the high school will follow the program. All community members are warmly invited to attend—especially those who love the Word!
     The Festival is being funded, in part, by a generous grant from the Maine Arts Commission. The bookstores contributing gift certificates include Longfellow Books in Portland, Sherman’s and Annie’s Book Stop in Freeport, and Gulf of Maine in Brunswick. David Sloan

Local Ultimate Frisbee Clubs get Free Press

     Click the following two links to read the Tuesday, April 13th article in the Sports Section of the Portland Press Herald entitled League of their own. The article includes several photos of Merriconeag Waldorf High School students. League of their own page one.  League of their own page 8.

Merriconeag's Historic First Twelfth Grade Graduation

     Merriconeag's historic first twelfth grade graduation will take place on Saturday, June 5 (NOT June 12, as previously noted on the Community Calendar) at 2:00 p.m. in the Community Hall. All members of the school community who feel a strong connection to this pioneering class are warmly invited to attend both commencement exercises and the reception to follow.  The five graduating seniors--Norajean Ferris, Zak Konstantino, Jake Lyscars, William Morse, and Lily O'Brien, will each give short addresses as part of the ceremony.  Douglas Gerwin will be the graduation speaker, a fitting choice since he has served as long-time mentor of Merriconeag Waldorf High School, and since he was the keynote speaker at the high school dedication ceremony when it first opened its doors in September, 2007.

It is that time of the year when seniors are hearing

admission decisions from colleges...

     So far, members of the Merriconeag Waldorf Class of 2010 have been accepted to Colby College, Warren Wilson College, Mount Holyoke College, Franklin Pierce College, University of Vermont, Merrimack College, University of New Hampshire, Bennington College, Colby-Sawyer College, and the University of Southern Maine. Congratulations to our Seniors. We will keep you posted as we hear more.

Ultimate Frisbee practices start this week.

     The first practice will be on Thursday, April 1st from 3:00-4:30.  The tentative practice schedule is that practices will be after school on Tuesday, Thursdays, and Fridays. There is a game every Wednesday after school at the Cumberland Fairgrounds starting next Wednesday, April 7.

High School Week - March 15 - 19th

     We will be suspending many of the classes and holding workshops and having speakers all of which fall under the theme of the week "Ways of Seeing". 

     Our keynote speaker will be Greg Rec who is a photojournalist for the Portland Press Herald.  Greg has covered Iraq, Afghanistan, and most recently Haiti for the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram.  While living in Missoula, Montana, Greg also captured the first photos of the unibomber. He will be speaking on the morning of Tuesday, March 16th.

    We will be offering five workshops. Each workshop meets on 4 days and meets for 90 minutes each day.  Each high school student will be participating in two workshops.  Electives, music and movement classes will continue to meet during high school week.

     The five workshops being offered are:

               Yoga - developing inward and outward seeing

               Stage Combat - The Art of Illusion

               Astronomy - How to see the planets constellations, black holes and super novas

               Film – Seeing how the language of film has evolved

               Graphic Design - seeing through advertising and creating a personal logo

     In addition to the workshops and keynote speaker, Thursday, March 18th will be a day dedicated to Field Trips.  The high school will be taking the train to Boston. There will be a choice of field trips within Boston. The MIT Museum, Harvard Museum of Natural History, the Fogg Museum at Harvard, Museum of Fine Arts, Isabella Stuart Gardener Museum, Aquarium, Science Museum, The Atheneum, and the Freedom Trail are all possible field trip choices.

     On the afternoon of Friday, March 19th, there will be "a sharing" as each workshop group and field trip group shares its experience with the greater high school.

Successful Second Annual Coffee House

     The High School musical, literary and culinary talents were on display last Friday night at our second annual coffee house.  Thank you to the standing room only crowd, who purchased an abundance of overpriced baked goods raising over $700 in support of Haitian relief, as well as a student scholarship to the Siddhartha School in Ladakh, India.

Merriconeag High School Welcomes New Exchange Student

We welcome our newest exchange student from Germany, Rafael Schiafone. Rafael comes to us from the great city of Freiburg, Germany (close to the French and Swiss border).  Rafael will be joining the junior class. He is staying with the Kolda/Gillespie family until early/mid May. Jake Kolda will be going to Germany to stay with Rafael in late May through July. Welcome, Rafael!

Teagan Wu, Juan Mesones, Ian Moore, Emelie & Zoe Chace-Donahue Qualified for the State of Maine J2 Nordic Team at the Sassi Race

on Saturday, January 30, 2010

    Twenty-five teams, including 293 boys and 167 girls from schools across the state, competed this past Saturday in a 5 km Nordic skate race at Black Mountain, in Rumford, ME, and there was great representation from both Merriconeag middle school and high school teams.  Under the direction of our high school Nordic coaches (John Tarling and Henry Heyburn), with the high school team skiing in their new, beautiful spandex racing suits, Merriconeag skiers definitely made an impression on the many spectators, and the experience of skiing in such a large race on a very challenging 5 km course, under frigid conditions, made an impression on the skiers!  Merriconeag boys placed 14th overall and the girls placed 13th.

     This race also served as the qualifying race for Maine's J2 Team (skiers aged 14-15) that will compete in a 3-day event in early March in Jackson, NH, against the best 14 and 15 year old skiers from VT, NH, MA and NY.  Five Merriconeag Nordic ski team members qualified for this prestigious State of Maine J2 Nordic Team. They are: Ian Moore, Juan Mesones, Emelie Chace-Donahue, Teagan Wu, and Zoe Chace-Donahue. Congratulations to the 2010 J2 Team and all of the other Merriconeag skiers, each of whom demonstrated strength, speed, and endurance: Ben McCrave, Phineas Samuelson, Tyler O'Brien, Brian Watko, Kellan Humphries and John Burgess.

    For more results and photos you may visit: mainehighschoolskiing.com and click on Sassi Race, Black Mtn, Rumford.   

Poetry is in the Air

     Poetry seems to be everywhere in the high school these days.  Students are actively preparing to share original music and verse at the high school Coffee House on Friday, February 5.  Sweet songs, sweet words, and sweet desserts will "feed" everyone present.  Part of the proceeds will benefit the student that Merriconeag sponsors at the Siddhartha School in Ladakh, India.  The rest will go to help the relief effort in Haiti.

       A second poetic event took place last week, when the ninth and tenth grades participated in the nationwide Poetry Out Loud recitation contest.  Our representative to the state regionals next month will be Skyler Samuelson, who earned top honors with her renditions of "If" by Kipling and Shakespeare's sonnet "Let Me Not to the Marriage of True Minds."  Tyler O'Brien was a close second, and will serve as Merriconeag's alternate.

        Finally, last week students in fifty public and private schools in Cumberland, Androscoggin, and Sagadahoc Counties were invited to submit their work to the Third Annual Merriconeag Poetry Festival.  The contest portion of the Festival ends on March 1, and the Festival itself will be held in early May.  This year's Festival is being funded, in part, by a generous $1000 grant from the Maine Arts Commission.

      This year's Festival judge, Gibson Fay-LeBlanc, is the director of Telling Room in Portland.  He will be speaking this Thursday to the high school students about the work of his organization, which encourages literacy and storytelling among youth, particularly among the immigrant population.  David Sloan

Exchange Program Update

     Our pioneer students, Liza Simmons and Cyrus Fenderson, MWHS grade 10 students, say "Bonjour!" from Paris, France, where they are presently attending class 10 at Ecole Perceval, the oldest Waldorf School in France. They are doing very well, both with their French family and with their classes. They get a lot of help from Babeth Johnson, the local teacher in charge of the Exchange Program over there. She is most pleased with them both and praise their wonderful attitude, work ethics, level of French language preparedness and happy disposition. Ms Johnson said to me that she goes around her school praising this Merriconeag High School which has such wonderful, well prepared students. She is looking forward to future exchanges. Quite a few French students are in the starting block for future exchanges, especially now that they hear about Liza and Cyrus' positive and exciting experience. Here is an excerpt from one of Liza's recent email letter:
     "My French family is very fun to live with! My parents are always very cheerful, happy and excitable!! My brothers like to try to speak in English to me, so I am not the only person who gets laughed at for talking and you will meet my sister Estelle, who is absolutely wonderful!
      We all eat dinner together every night which is generally very loud as they all like to speak at once and have very strong political opinions. But it's still very fun. My mother makes all the food and usually I do not know what it is but it always tastes amazing. We always have a salad and cheese after dinner, there is a huge platter of cheese that they have, and they all like to eat yogurt and fruit for dessert."
     On this side, Adrien Strasburger is very much enjoying is own experience in Maine living with Ben McCrave's family. He is enjoying the beauty of the snowy landscape and plans to learn cross country skiing. He recently did a presentation for the advanced French class, presenting modern French music to his peers. Merriconeag parents should feel free to invite him in your homes for a visit or a dinner, so he gets to have different American home experiences. Contact Ben Mc Crave or Susie Peirson.  Régine Whittlesey

High School Nordic Ski Team News

    There are two nordic ski races this week. On Wednesday, at 3:30 the girls and boys teams race at Pineland.  On Saturday, they travel up to Rumford to participate in the Sassi Memorial Race (Girls at 10:00, Boys at 12:00).  If you have never been to the Sassi race it is a great event at a site that is very rich in Nordic Skiing History.  Very few people know of the rich Nordic skiing tradition in Maine. There is a downhill skiing facility at the site so if you are a downhill skier come and watch the nordic race between runs down the mountain. I believe we are looking for a volunteer to drive the van. Let Greta know if you are available.

     For more news and updates about Merriconeag's High School Nordic Ski Team, you may visit the Merriconeag High School Nordic Ski Team Blog.

01-06-10 News Flash from Anchorage, Alaska, Nordic National Championships

Two Merriconeag Alumni Make the Nordic World Junior Team

     Adele Espy and Sam Tarling

      Adele Espy and Sam Tarling (who are both 8th grade graduates of Merriconeag’s Class of 2005) made the Nordic World Junior Team tonight at the National Championships held at Kincaid Park in Anchorage, Alaska and they will represent the US Ski team in Germany in late January.

     Adele and Sam will be heading to southern Germany next Sunday for 2 weeks of races with the best junior skiers in the world. Only six men and six women in the Junior Class (age 19 and under) qualified for this team.  Adele and Sam are the only ones from Maine - in fact, they’re the only New Englanders on the team.  

    Adele and Sam, both 19, first skied together on a middle grades team at Merriconeag. Sam's dad, John Tarling, was their first coach and is now the nordic coach for Merriconeag's high school. Last spring Sam graduated from Burke Mountain Academy and Adele from Waynflete High School. Adele is currently taking a gap year from Middlebury College and is training full time with the Sun Valley Nordic Olympic Development Team and Sam is a freshman at Dartmouth College.

     Congratulations, Adele and Sam!  We wish you all the best in the coming weeks. We'll all be cheering for you.

Waldorf International!

      Never has it been truer that Merriconeag Waldorf High School is part of a vibrant, international movement.  Merriconeag's exchange program is breaking new ground this winter, beginning December 30 when Liza Simmons and Cyrus Fenderson become our first-ever exchange students to France.  They will attend the Ecole Perceval in Chatou, near Paris, for a two-month sojourn, and then will host Amelie Martineau and Estelle Douchet this spring.  In addition, when we return from the holidays, Benjamin McCrave and his family will host Adrien Strasburger until mid-March, at which time Benjamin and Adrien will travel together back to France, where Benjamin will also attend Ecole Perceval until late May. 

    Then in February, Jacob Kolda's family will be hosting Rafael Schiafone for three months, after which Jacob will fly to Germany towards the end of the school year and spend much of the summer with the Schiafones.  Another German student--Axel Richert--will be following in the footsteps of his sister Frederike, who visited Merriconeag last year. Axel will be staying with the Waldrons, who are once again generously sharing their home from February into April.  Finally, Tyler O'Brien, whose family hosted Maurizio Bundgen last year, will spend three months in Germany from mid-February to mid-May.  This flurry of exchanges is, we hope, only the beginning of ongoing opportunities for future generations of Merriconeag high school students to experience the riches of another culture first-hand. 

David Sloan

Merriconeag Waldorf High School Students Partner with the Franco-American Heritage Center in Lewiston on Oral History Project

     Eleventh and twelfth grade French class students at Merriconeag Waldorf High School have just completed an oral history project.  In the context of their semester-long study of French America, the students have learned the history of the Acadians, of Quebec (including a 5 day exploration of Quebec City) and then focused on the history of the Franco-American population in Maine.

      Thanks to Rita Dube at the Franco-American Heritage Center in Lewiston, the students were able to pair up with a person of Franco-Canadian origin. Each student met twice with their generous and willing partner and interviewed them, in French, on their family history. What started out for the students as a simple, though unusual, class project quickly turned into a very personal, often poignant testimony of personal history lived by French Canadian families. The Franco-American partners talked about how their families moved to Maine from Canada in the early 1900’s to work, most often in the textile mills and shoe factories. Their French way of life was challenged and very soon most of them changed their language and customs in order to better integrate in their new homeland. The students heard some sadness as their partner talked of early childhood French upbringing that was not passed on to their children or grandchildren.

     This project offered not only an unusual  linguistic challenge for the students, but also allowed for a very personal, affectionate connection to arise between each young students and an older Franco-American happy to share some of their interesting history.

     Much credit for this successful venture goes to Rita Dube who facilitated these encounters, to the students for their respectful and attentive attitude and their excellent follow-up work and, most particularly, to each Franco-American partner who kindly and patiently shared a bit of their lives with the students.

 Régine Whittlesey, Merriconeag Waldorf High School French teacher.

Khen Rinpoche Geshe Kachen Lobsang Tsetan Returns to Merriconeag

        We were honored to have Khen Rinpoche Geshe Kachen Lobsang Tsetan, whom we affectionately call “Rinpoche,” return to Merriconeag's high school for a forum in November. He is a Tibetan Buddhist monk of the Geluk-pa lineage (same as the Dalai Lama) with the highest degree of Tibetan Buddhist metaphysics and philosophy. He is also the founder of the Siddartha School, serving over 200 children in Ladakh, India.  After Rinpoche's visit last year to our school, our students were so impressed  that they decided to sponsor a child.  A dollar a day is what it costs to offer a complete year of education, housing and food for a child at the Siddhartha School.

        Rinpoche's most respectful audience of 8th to 12th graders was captivated and charmed by his communicative smile. The students were encouraged to fully appreciate the enormous opportunity education offers them and to not squander it. Rinpoche's concluding words were that in order to bring peace to the world, we must first bring peace to ourselves.  

Merriconeag Runners Take Fourth in the State!

Merriconeag Ninth Grader, Jack Pierce

        At the beginning of Maine's Class C Cross Country Regional Championships held last month, the announcers didn't know how to pronounce “Merriconeag.”  They called our school “Mur-RICK-cuh-neag,” and “Merri-CAHN-egg,” and other jumbled variations.  However, by the end of the event, they, and everyone else in attendance, knew how to pronounce the name of the tiny school that had played David to a number of Goliaths, as Merriconeag's fledgling team finished runner-up to powerhouse Freeport.  In the process, led by our two gritty freshmen—Jack Pierce, who finished fifth, and Juan Mesones, ninth—Merriconeag defeated ten other far larger and more established programs, including Boothbay, North Yarmouth Academy, Monmouth, Telstar, and Waynflete. 

        At the State Championships, Jack and Juan both finished in the top twelve as the team raced to a stunning fourth place finish.   And while the girls never had enough runners to compete as a team, Teagan Wu and Zoe Chace-Donahue both placed in the top fifteen at the state meet.  With fellow freshman Emelie Chace-Donahue joining Teagan and Zoe as the foundation of next year's team, the girls are excited about prospects for the 2010 season.  Congratulations to them, to Coach Tom Ryan and to all the members of the  boys' team, who improved dramatically over the course of the season: Phineas Samuelson, Tyler O'Brien, Jacob Kolda, Cyrus Fenderson, Wyatt McCurdy, Wyatt Dowling and Benjamin McCrave.      David Sloan

Big Strides for Tiny School

A new Cinderella has emerged in Maine’s high school cross-country running competitions.

Read the article in The Times Record.

High School Teacher, David Sloan, Featured

   in the 2009 5th Annual Belfast Poetry Festival     

     David Sloan will be among fourteen poets, ten visual artists, and four performing artists who will participate in the 5th Annual Belfast Poetry Festival, October 16 and 17, 2009 in downtown Belfast, Maine. One of the only community-based, non-academic poetry festivals in the country, the event features established, professionally recognized poets and artists from throughout Maine along with emerging poets to create a lively mix. A unique feature of the Festival all five years has been the Gallery Walk, in which the audience moves among seven downtown galleries to view the collaborative exhibits by artist/poet teams and hear the accompanying poetry.

     David Sloan helped found, and is the lead teacher at Merriconeag Waldorf High School - Maine's only Waldorf high school. He graduated from the Stonecoast MFA program in poetry, and is the author of two books on Waldorf education—Stages of Imagination: Working Dramatically with Adolescents, and Life Lessons: Reaching Teenagers through Literature. He has also had numerous articles published in Renewal, and poetry in Western Poetry Quarterly and Infinity Limited.

     Please click here for more information on the festival: Belfast Poetry Festival.

Eleventh & Twelfth Graders Travel to Quebec City

     Bonjour! We are now back from our 4 days in Québec and I want to say that I just keep being impressed, over and over, with our high school students! Everywhere we went, they behaved with great poise and polite demeanor, appreciative of what was offered to them and grateful for any new experiences. Every one of our 11th and 12th grade students proved to be a pleasant, fun, responsible and easy travel companion.

     On arrival, Wednesday evening October 7th, after settling at the very well kept Youth Hostel (Auberge Internationale de Québec) conveniently situated in the heart of the old town, we walked down the Rue Ste Ursule to a lovely crêpes dinner served by a lady in traditional Brittany costume. A very efficient crêpe chef was admired by all, especially by our own professional crêpe-making Leif.

     The next morning, gorgeous sunshine greeted us on the boardwalk of the Promenade des Gouverneurs, in front of the spectacular Château Frontenac, overlooking the majestic St Laurent River with its barges, tugboats and cruise boats. The light was beautiful and the view lifted all our spirits! We attended a historical presentation at the Musée du Fort which gave the students an introduction to Québec’s 400 years of history.  Our tradition of picnic lunches began on top of the Plains of Abraham where at 12:00 sharp, we all jumped to our feet at the firing of cannon a few feet away from us! Mid day is celebrated seriously there.

     We then separated in language groups to walk around in “Deutsch” with Frau Mc Vicar and Mr. Levi or “Français” with Madame Whittlesey, before reuniting at the Auberge for quiet time, journaling and reading.  After a delicious Italian dinner where many students practiced ordering in French, we walked back to the Basse Ville. There, in the vaulted stone cellar of one of the most ancient Quebec houses, la Maison Chevalier (1752), we reunited with musicians Guy Bouchard and his wife Laura Sadowski . They both work for the Centre de Valorisation du Patrimoine Vivant and their web site Thirty Below is devoted entirely to promoting and distributing traditional Québécois folk music. They gave the students a musical workshop: fiddle tune learned by ear, call and response French Quebecois song, foot tapping and countra-dancing: 2 hours of wonderful music and fun! Our students proved to be rapid learners and energetic dancers. Guy and Laura complimented them!

     To ease our tired feet, we climbed back the cliffs of the old town in a couple of minutes thanks to the “funiculaire”, a steep glass elevator built in 1879, originally steam powered. We got back to the Auberge, singing and dancing along the way, even serenaded by our own upbeat musicians along the road!

     The next day led us on an excursion about 30km away from Québec. The softly rainy day found us trotting through the magnificent fall foliage of the forest of the Canyon of Ste Anne.  In 1999, Canyon Ste-Anne received the award of ''Responsible and Durable Tourism'' for the quality of its investment and development in a spirit of ecological and geological preservation of the natural beauty of the St Anne river’s gorge.  The students were in awe of this magical and spectacular site as they walked on suspended bridges balancing over raging waters.

     On the way back, we visited another wonder, built by humans this time, the Neo-Romanesque Basilica of Ste Anne de Beaupré. We admired silently the series of beautiful mosaics in the high central nave and in the vault as well as the numerous stained glass windows.   It was a day charged with beauty and reverence that brought some tears of emotion to some overwhelmed students....

     The last full day in Quebec was indeed a full day!  After a delicious breakfast in the Basse Ville where unfortunately the steady rain prevented us from playing music at the foot of Louis XVI statue as we would have loved, we walked around discovering the ancient low town, its Place Royale, the oldest church in America, Notre Dame de la Victoire (renamed Notre Dame des Victoires after victories over British troops), the huge Fresque des Québecois  (mural fresco) painted by French “ trompe-l’oeil”  artists . We decided to take a ferry boat across the river to explore the quiet town of Levis and admire Quebec from the river.  In the afternoon, the Musée de la Civilisation kept us for hours exploring different exhibits especially one on the 11 First Nations. A certain huge birch bark canoe, a splendid 11-meter long rabaska is on display. A video shows its builder at work, the late Cesar Newashish of the Atikamekw Nation. This will probably stay imprinted in our memory together with the impressive making of an igloo by a couple of efficient Inuit builders.
      Our last dinner "Chez Rabelais" was memorable! Delicious food, lots of laughter and when suddenly the Quebecois hymn  “Gens du Pays” resonated, sung by restaurant guests, Merriconeag students immediately joined in, proudly, as they had all learned the words to the chorus. What a great improvised moment!

     As we left Chez Rabelais and night was engulfing the city, a tall gentleman awaited us. Dressed in black, with a tall hat and a black cape, he was holding a lantern and invited us to follow him.  Some trembling girls were not too sure about this, right Ali? Lily?…  We proceeded to follow this story teller who took us around the old cobble streets, on the quay of the old port and in ancient courtyards, telling us with his deep dramatic voice REAL stories of ghosts and past murders. Brrrrr…We ended up in an old church, lit only by the vacillating flame of his lantern and the diffuse lights from the street coming through the stained glass windows to hear the last tales about this haunted church. I have to admit it was really creepy... I was eager to get out! Certainly a memorable way to end our Quebecois discovery!

     I believe our students have been greatly enriched by this cultural, historical and linguistic experience. Cultural ?  For example, while crossing the border, a 1st time experience for some students. The US border can certainly be an experience as we found out on our return to the US! While walking in an ancient French city where signs and stores are revealing a different culture and way of life; while watching the Quebec people walking around, in their city clothes where people wear elegant winter coats and not parkas and women wear boots with high heels; while shopping in the oldest grocery store in North America offering a fabulous display of goods; while eating and dining in restaurants where food is reverently handled and served…

     Historical? For example while walking on 400 year old ramparts; while hiking through the site of ancient battlefields that are the Plains of Abraham; while visiting the oldest church in North America; while walking on ancient cobble-stone streets that spoke of years passed; while observing medieval looking shop signs; while listening to the dramatic historical events depicted by the story teller.

Linguistic? While hearing and reading the French language everywhere; trying to communicate in stores, restaurants and in occasional encounters with this language they have been exposed to for years, making it real and useful.

     Many students fell in love with this beautiful city and its way of life and a few are already dreaming of returning there soon; hopefully, they can serve as guides to their families if they do that!

     I would like to sincerely thank every one of our students for their cooperative, positive and pleasant behavior during our Quebec trip; I also would like to thank Eva Mc Vicar and David Levi, my colleagues and friends for their efficient and helpful chaperoning skills. I could never have done this trip without their help. I also would like to thank Greta for her invaluable help with logistics, paper work and her constant positive support while preparing this trip. A big hug to all!  Gratefully yours, Régine Whittlesey, High School French Teacher

High School Community Service Trip

     On Thursday, October 8th, the ninth and tenth grade piled into three cars and a van and headed north to do some community service as is our tradition around Michaelmas. After an hour and a half drive we pulled up to a mysterious wooden sign on a dirt road that read “Koviashuvic Local Living School”. We walked about a quarter mile down a path that ran into the woods, after a short while we emerged from the woods into a large clearing. Here we met Chris and Ashirah Knapp, their two children, Owen and Bonnie Bee, and two apprentices, Ethan and Deborah. They took us on a tour of their homestead which they have been clearing and building for the last five years. They live off the grid and grow all their food themselves. Their school includes a root cellar, a green house, a cabin, a yurt, and a large garden. After the tour we ate a quick lunch and proceeded to get to work. Two groups stacked wood, while another moved stones. After a few hours of work we brushed ourselves off and walked back to the cars, wondering what it would be like to live off the land.      Tyler O'Brien, Tenth Grader

Smooth Sailing

     The Merriconeag High School Sailing Program, now in its second year, is off to a great start!  We've had beautiful weather and nine enthusiastic sailors. We are sailing in two groups; one group is focused on learning the skills of recreational sailing, and the other group is focused on racing. The recreational sailors are learning knot tying, rigging, sail trimming, tacking, jibing, and, yes, capsizing! The racing team learns all the rules and techniques of fleet and team racing. (Sometimes they capsize too!) Several team members have had the opportunity to race in weekend regattas. More regattas will be held in October.
   Also, in October we will have a fund-raising dinner at Flatbread in Portland and half the proceeds for the night will benefit Sail Maine/ MWS Sailing program. Come support our sailors and sailing in Maine. You may visit MWSSailing.wordpress.com for more information.

High School Students Camp, Hike, Canoe, Laugh, Eat, Sleep (Sort Of)!

     As we have done each of the last two years,  Merriconeag's entire high school went camping last week to mark the opening of the school year.  Mt. Blue State Park was this year's locale as the high school students hiked Tumbledown and Bald Mountains, learned how to rescue capsized canoes and canoeists, and participated in a uniquely Merriconeag tradition called "The Wilderlympics."  Seniors planned, announced and judged such creative events as a "human-knot-untying" contest, a Frisbee "Tip-it" competition, and a "Fairy House Building" challenge. 

       Another Merriconeag tradition has been the high school's deepening commitment to community service.  Towards the end of the trip, the students and teachers alike provided over sixty people-hours of assistance to the Mt. Blue rangers by staining amphitheater benches and picnic tables.  Many thanks to our newest colleagues--to Sarah Buck for securing tents for our whole high school, and to David Levi, who cooked a delicious chili dinner, made granola from scratch and, with Regine Whittlesey, also prepared a delectable variety of salads for lunch.  Thanks David, Sarah, Regine, Rose Mary Burwell, and Jeff O' Brien for chaperoning with such a sense of fun, finesse, and flair!  David Sloan

NEWS FROM OUR 2008-09 SCHOOL YEAR:

Merriconeag High School Wins its First Interscholastic Athletic Competition

    Merriconeag High School Untimate Frisbee Team participated in the Maine State High School Championship Tournament on Sunday, May 24th. After playing five games in eight hours, the team finished sixth in the state.

Association of Waldorf Schools of North America Film Project

     Merriconeag Waldorf School has been chosen by the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA) as one of three schools to participate in their video project to promote the vocation of Waldorf teaching. This project has been in development for two years in an effort to make more visible the remarkable life path of working in a Waldorf school and to interest individuals in becoming teachers. AWSNA intends to use this video as part of a series of community evenings in schools across the continent and to make it available to audiences through their web site and other web locations.

     Merriconeag Waldorf School was chosen based on the beauty of our campus, the quality of our faculty and the overall atmosphere of our school community.

     Karl Schurman, our high school history and social studies teacher and a veteran filmmaker, will be doing the filming for this project. The focus of the filming will be on the teacher and their collegial life in the school, and will include an interview with them, a view of their work with their students, and a view of their work with their collegial group.

Scarborough Students Take First, Third Place at Merriconeag Poetry Festival

     Over 100 people gathered at the Second Annual Merriconeag Poetry Festival on Sunday to witness two Scarborough High School students receive top honors for their poems.  Tenth grader Caitlin Sackville earned first place for her poem “Speaking of the Wind,” while Ryan Mancini took third prize for “Waitress.”  Merriconeag sophomore Leif Anderson won second place for “The Ship.”  

     The event, held at Merriconeag’s Community Hall in Freeport, celebrated twenty-one high school finalists from six different public and independent schools in the area, all of whom were selected by Festival judge Betsy Sholl, Maine’s Poet Laureate..  Despite the “blind judging”—the submissions had no identifying features other than titles—Scarborough and Freeport High Schools placed seven and five students, respectively, among the finalists.  Three other schools also had multiple winners:  Yarmouth High School, Windham Christian Academy, and host school Merriconeag Waldorf High School.

     During the program Festival judge Betsy Sholl, Maine’s Poet Laureate, encouraged young poets not to rely on contests or critics to unduly influence their sense of self-worth as writers.  “Nobody can decide better than you whether you can write or not,” she said.  “Don’t give that up to anyone.” 

Scarborough and Freeport High School Poets Dominate Merriconeag Poetry Festival

     Twenty-one high school student-poets have been selected by Maine Poet Laureate Betsy Sholl as finalists in the Second Annual Merriconeag Poetry Festival.  Five area high schools qualified multiple finalists, led by Scarborough High School’s seven honorees.  Five Freeport High School students also earned finalist slots, followed by three students each from Yarmouth High School and Merriconeag Waldorf High School.  Windham Christian Academy had two students’ work chosen, and Greely High School one. The Festival will culminate on Sunday, May 3, from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m., at the Merriconeag Waldorf School Freeport campus (57 Desert Road, off I-295, exit 20), to which the public is cordially invited.

      At the Festival, finalists will read their winning poems and receive gift certificates from area bookstores.  Betsy Sholl will also read some of her work and announce the top three prize-winning finalists, whose poems will appear on a poster to be distributed to all area high schools.  She will also conduct a brief “seminar” with the audience on the “Power of Poetry to Effect Change.”  A reception serving light refreshments will follow the readings.

      The 21 finalists include, from Scarborough High School: Alex Colville, Melanie Grover, Natalie Jones, Sophia Malayev, Ryan Mancini, Kevin Philbrick and Caitlin Sackville; from Freeport High School: Amanda Adaime, Erin Dillon, Hannah Melville-Weatherbee, Mia Taggart, Greg Townsend; from Yarmouth High School: Erica Paul, Anne Strand, Phoebe Walsh; from Merriconeag: Leif Anderson, Zak Konstantino, and Tyler O’Brien; from Windham Christian Academy: Connor Briggs, Joe Trefethan; and from Greely High School, Nikola Champlin.  Hannah Melville-Weatherbee and Zak Konstantino are repeat finalists, having been selected last year as well.

      The Second Annual Merriconeag Poetry Festival was financially supported, in part, by a generous grant from the Maine Humanities Council, and by a number of area bookstores that donated gift certificates, most notably Longfellow in Portland, Books, Etc. in Falmouth, and Gulf of Maine in Brunswick.

Forging Ahead: Blacksmithing at Merriconeag Waldorf High School by Dereck Glaser, Director of the New England School of Metalwork

    Although often overlooked in today's world, only 100 years ago the blacksmith was the most common craftperson around, long known as the hub or center of communities, and responsible for the success and development of every other craft in our society. Consider the items which not only ordinary citizens needed (nails, hinges, latches, etc), but those needed by other craftspeople - carpenters and woodworkers, mechanics, agriculturalists, manufacturers and many others all relied on the blacksmith to furnish them the tools and equipment for their jobs.

     With manufacturing providing all craftspeople with an ever-increasing amount of the metal items necessary for everyday tasks, why do we still hand-forge? It's simple: it is the core craft, and it needs to be sustained and passed along. Crafting metals transcends that of crafting all other materials in its ability and characteristics to move between utility and art, utilizing all of the core elements of our planet. We use earth both in the form of iron as well as coal (to heat), fire to make that metal malleable, air to make the fire hot and the power of water to cool the heat-treated metals. As with many other manual crafts, some of which I practice on a daily basis (woodworking, leatherworking, etc.), blacksmithing forges connections between hand and mind - I like to refer to it as hand-mindedness. This working union, in real time, results in a kind of bio-feedback to oneself, and is the strongest trigger for developing coordination and dexterity. Blacksmithing pulls us inward, to the depths of our being, drawing the elements of nature into the realm of crafting and working with a natural material.

     That is why we introduce blacksmithing to 9th grade students - the fire lures some, moving metal intrigues others. It's not for everyone but, once exposed to blacksmithing, there is no denying the internal satisfaction that students derive from crafting something out of metal. Strong relationships are created in each individual young person exposed to blacksmithing. Even with these students practicing this craft for a brief amount of time, one can see the connections forming between: their minds, processing amazing amounts of information, pulling knowledge forth from every aspect of past academic skills (physics, math, chemistry, art); their eyes and ears, watching and listening for the cues and hints of how things are going; and their bodies like a choir directed by mind and senses into how to move and how strong or gentle to be. It's a craft all-inclusive of self. Bring into the mix sharp points, jagged edges, skin-blistering heat, flying ash, filthy conditions and sustained physical demands tiring out muscles students never knew they had, and it's obvious why they can't stay away from it.

     It is in a human's very nature to craft; to use natural materials and our hands - directed by our minds and senses - to fashion something we need. Even a brief moment spent with any craft yields a lesson that will last a lifetime. Who knows, perhaps another craftsman will be born to forge ahead?

Ninth Grade Art History - a Gem in the Curriculum by Alex Christofides, a visiting Morning Lesson teacher from Green Meadow Waldorf School in Chestnut Ridge, New York

     This block is one of the many gems in the crown of the Waldorf high school curriculum. One of its purposes is to maintain a "balance of soul" by presenting the developing adolescent with the beauty of art, offering a counterpoint to the students' developing intellects. For the young person looking out into a complex, troubling world, or with new eyes and attitudes into their own developing selves, the richness, truth and timelessness of great art thus may provide some solace in the face of new uncertainties.

     It was a pleasure for me to share this block with Merriconeag's 9th graders from March 30 - April 17. Their excellent artistic skills and their collective senses of curiosity and wonder have made them a delightful group to teach. We began in the Paleolithic caves of Lascaux and caught a glimpse of Impressionism before the third week was out; we took quite a voyage through time, as well as undertook a substantial inquiry into the mysteries of artistic creation.

High School Hosted Holocaust Survivor, Judith Isaacson, as Part of Monthly Forum Series

     Merriconeag Waldorf High School and Eighth Grade students had a rare and wonderful opportunity when Judith Isaacson visited on April 3rd. Ms. Isaacson, a resident of Auburn and former Dean of Students at Bates College, is a Holocaust survivor and author of the memoir, Seed of Sarah.

     Judith Isaacson was born Jutka Magyar in Kaspovar, Hungary. On July 2, 1944, after years of increasingly severe restrictions placed upon Hungary's Jews, and the day before her 19th birthday, the Nazis gave Jutka and her mother, two grandmothers, and two aunts four hours to pack and be ready for deportation. They were then herded into horse stables. The men in her family had already been taken to German army labor camps, hostly at the Russion front.

     On July 5th, packed with 74 others into railroad cattle cars, the women departed for an unknow destination which turned out to be the infamous Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp in southern Poland. There Jutka spent 3 weeks before being transported to a forced labor camp.

     Jutka was officially freed from the Hessisch-Lichtenau section of the Buchenwald concentration camp on April 20, 1945 after 8 months of forced labor in an enormous underground munitions factory. Less than one month later, she met among her liberators a young U.S. Army captain from Auburn, Maine. On her 20th birthday, one year after her deportation, they became engaged and in 1945, married and settled in Auburn. Jutka did not return to Kaspovar fro 33 years.

     With the opportunities to hear directly from eye-witnesses to this horrific era rapidly dwindling, Merriconeag students were fortunate that Ms Isaacson agreed to come share her moving story with them and to read from her book.

The Jabberwock Electrifies

     The ninth and tenth grade students joined forces in late February and March to work on an exceedingly complex production of Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee's Jabberwock, a period piece set during World War I, focusing on the wacky antics of the Thurber family in Columbus, Ohio. Written during the Viet Nam war, this otherwise light and breezy comedy also carries a strong anti-war message. Students read the play in English class, had two or three weeks to learn their lines, and then plunged into an intensive three-week rehearsal schedule. As has become the tradition here, students were not solely actors during this process; they also assumed responsibilities for much of the complicated technical work behind the scenes - costuming, lighting, props, sound effects, sets, etc.

Love Thyself, so You Have Love to Give! by Karl Schurman

     On March 6th, Oscar Mokeme, the Director of the Museum of African Culture in Portland presented a lively and fascinating program of West African masks, the traditional values they embody and the message those values carry for modern western culture. For two hours he enthralled the high schoolers and eighth graders. Gently and with much good will and humor, he challenged the students with a vibrant give-and-take. In all his words and in the beauty and power of his art and his very being, Oscar provided us with a glimpse into a sacred and mysterious world, one he warmly invited the students to explore for their own self-knowledge. Among his many messages was: Love thyself, so you have love to give abundantly!

      Two weeks later, the High School had the opportunity to repay Oscar for the gift of his time. Having recently suffered some serious water damage at his museum in Portland, students worked painting walls, cleaning, and moving and storing artifacts.    

High School Receives Grant for Poetry Festival

     For the second year in a row, the Maine Humanities Council has awarded Merriconeag Waldorf School a $1,000 grant to support the second annual Merriconeag Poetry Festival. The grant will help to cover the administrative costs associated with this spring's competition and festival.

     Merriconeag invites high school students from Cumberland, Androscoggin and Sagadahoc Counties to submit poems for review by Maine's current Poet Laureate, Betsy Sholl. The due date for submissions is March 1, 2009. The Festival, to be held at Merriconeag's Freeport Campus on May 3, 2009, will culminate in a reading of the winning entries by the 20 finalists, as well as selected works by Ms. Sholl. All finalists will receive gift certificates and a booklet of the winning poems.

     For more information on how to enter the competition, please contact David Sloan, Merriconeag Waldorf High School Faculty Chair. Mr. Sloan can be reached at 207-688-8989, or by email at highschool@merriconeag.org.

Waldorf Alumni Panel Supreme

     An audience of over 60, including a healthy number of seventh and eighth graders, braved the snow on Tuesday, February 3rd, to hear Waldorf alumni share perspectives on their high school education. After introducing themselves, the panelists responded to a number of probing, audience-generated questions, ranging from how they would describe eurythmy, to how prepared they felt for college, to what they believed was most distinctive about their Waldof education. When asked for impressions of the panelists, audience members pointed to their "fearlessness," as well as their "global sensibility."

     Many, many thanks to the panelists, one of whom drove six hours to participate in the event - to Christina Mesevage, who works at the Space Gallery in Portland; to local physician Trevor Braden; to Ian Chittenden, Waldorf class teacher at the Bay School in Blue Hill; to Bates sophomore, Danielle Scherer; and Marika Ramsden, a student at the University of Saint Andrews, Scotland, for their thoughtful, articulate, appreciative remarks about their education. They certainly lent credence to the adage that the best advertisments for Waldorf education are the graduates themselves!

David Sloan, High School Faculty Chair

High School Visited Green Meadow Waldorf School in New York, January 19 - January 23, 2009

    The high school visited Green Meadow Waldorf School in New York for a week of activities that focused on the theme, "How Do We Find Common Ground?" In addition to watching the Presidential Inauguration, they visited the Metropolitan Museum of Fine Art, attended a Broadway show, heard from a global activist, and participated in a variety of workshops: Global music, belly dancing, Arabic calligraphy, activism, and Chinese culture.

The Story of Drama by David Sloan

     Drama plays a key "role" through Merriconeag's curriculum, from the imaginative play of the

Nursery - Kindergarteners to the culminating senior play. However, dramatic productions are not the only avenues open for students to learn about the theater.

     The ninth grade spent the month of December exploring the Story of Drama. They read three plays, Oedipus the King, by Sophocles; Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream; and A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry.

In addition to tracing the development of the theater from Ancient Greece through Elizabethan England to the modern day, students were also introduced to the key elements of classical tragedy and comedy. They participated in dramatic readings from the plays, composed their own block books, and had the opportunity to artistically represent some aspect of the course for a final project.

     Many of the projects were extraordinarily inventive. Liza Simmons sang an original song inspired by one of the lovers' scenes from Midsummer; Haydee Jacobs, Evelyn Pennoyer, and Sierra Jeffers created theatrical masks; Owen Deady, Wyatt Dowling and several classmates reenacted the death of Oedipus' father in a Monty Python-esque video; Will Fischman painted an impressive, large-scale "Oedipal eye"; Wyatt McCurdy and Carson Davis created homemade reproductions of a Greek amphitheatre and Shakespeare's Globe, respectively; Cyrus Fenderson and Alden Porter made a video of themselves impersonating stuffy theater critics reviewingOedipus; and Tyler O'Brien used stick puppets to perform a fairy scene from Midsummer. It was a rich harvest of ninth grade creativity!

Beethoven Backwards by Nancy Roderick

     High school students and faculty were treated to an intimate chamber music performance when Maine's DaPonte String Quartet performed for them in mid-December. The Quartet was formed in Philadelphia in 1991 and came to Maine in 1995 on a rural residency grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. The group fell in love with Maine and has been here ever since. The group performed beautifully, taking students on a musical journey through time, playing works of Henry Purcell, Haydn, Bach, and Beethoven.

     Chamber music is a small musical ensemble in which players perform one to a part, generally without a conductor. At the heart of this art form is a spirit of collaboration. Chamber music demands that each individual engage in a close musical dialogue with the other performers, even breathing together at times. When asked if the Quartet could perform as well without seeing each other, members agreed to experiement by playing a movement of Beethoven facing out with their backs to the other three musicians. Incredibly, the group not only stayed together, but also truly wowed their audience with their musical excellence.

Roger Doiron and "Eat the View!" by Karl Schurman

     The incredibly energetic and motivated Roger Doiron, who founded Kitchen Gardeners International, generously spoke at the high school's last forum in 2008. With humor, he presented his "Eat the View" campaign. It seriously urges the Obamas to make a statement by replanting a large organic Victory Garden on the First Lawn, with the produce going to the White House kitchen and to local food pantries.

     Roger found a receptive student audience for his message that we all need to plant home gardens. When done with care and love, they are truly a gift that keeps giving: to the planet (1/3 of human-related greenhouse gas emissions are due to our long-distance, large-scale, industrial agriculture system); to our families and neighbors who get to share in their many healthy flavors, colors, and natural wonders; and, of course, to the gardener who finds comfort, peace and healthy recreation in them.

     Be sure to visit Roger's fascinating and useful website, www.kitchengardeners.org, and to vote in the campaign while there!

Community Service: Wayside Soup Kitchen by Karl Schurman

     In November and December, the high school worked in several ways with Wayside Soup Kitchen in Portland. Just before Thanksgiving, high school students and faculty prepared and served 325 meals to Portland's most needy, sorted and stacked in the food pantry, and heard presentations from the staff about hunger issues in Cumberland County. Students served with smiles, interacted with clients, and tackled enormous piles of dishes with determination and focus.

     In early December, high schoolers led a successful school-wide food drive, collecting and delivering over 1800 lbs. of food to Wayside's pantry, which in turn serves over 40 other pantries throughout Cumberland County. The food filled 66 banana boxes.

     Despite a mid-December ice storm, another small group of students and faculty returned to Wayside to help serve their traditional holiday meal of turkey and stuffing. Again, we received far more than we gave.