As we look ahead, the future of education is always changing and continues to be exciting! New courses also lend students to focus on their needs beyond graduation. Courses like forensics, AP History, Earth Science, Biology II, Physics, anatomy, kinesiology, and students and the law are frequently added to the master schedule pending student interest and need. Students graduate with 25 credits and maintaining interesting electives is a big part of what keeps students craving more learning!!
In the new world of one-to-one technology, every student in the middle and high school has had access to a laptop which may go home daily if parents allow it. We have introduced the newest technology in the form of iPads to several staff throughout the District as well. The iPads, similar to the iPod touch, have greater functionality and allow the teacher to use many of the same applications that an Apple laptop computer does. High school teachers are using Moodle regularly and students are accessing this online interactive learning tool to stay in touch with their teachers and missing work. Web2school has been helpful to keep parents and students informed about progress in each of their child’s classes. Since grades are available anytime, progress reports are no longer being sent home except by parent request. Most classrooms have mounted projectors and things look quite different than they did years ago! Teachers no longer have overhead projectors to write notes or draw on the day’s lessons. Documents are created prior to teaching and shared with students by projecting and/or posting it to the Moodle learning environment mentioned above. Teachers and students are excited about this new learning and keeping up with the 21st century!
To continue to peak interest, Wisdom has added two new ventures for students this year.
The first is a Healthy Cooking Club. This is a group of students, teachers, and parents who join together one night a quarter to meet and discuss healthy food choices, share recipes, and actually prepare a healthy meal to eat together. Members bring Tupperware dishes to take leftovers home, choose the theme for upcoming meetings (breakfast, Italian, Mexican, etc…). The club focuses on healthy choice meals and even how to transform “favorites” to “healthy favorites” knowing that eating healthy equals feeling good. The goal of the group is to learn healthy habits and improve overall health and to make pre-packaged food occasional; not the norm. The group also demonstrates how cooking healthy meals can be a family fun activity all the while incorporating healthy habits to our children that last a lifetime. Advisors vary throughout the year. The second is
a dance team! In the last eight years here, I have yet to see a cheerleading team. However, student interest in a dance team has led to a trial year of performances at the boys and girls basketball games. The team this year was comprised of 5 girls grades 9-12. The girls are hoping for an earlier practice season next year to learn more dances and increase their half-time performances for the community!
The Thomas Aquinas Chapter of the NHS has been working hard year round to complete community and school-wide service projects. In November, the members held a food drive at school and the food was donated to a local parish food bank. Shortly after, members cut boughs, made, and decorated wreaths that were delivered to families going through a hard time or in need of some Christmas cheer. The NHS is getting ready to attend the State NHS Convention in Bangor. The members have decided to use money raised to purchase $250 worth of material to make blankets for Project Linus. The blankets will be presented at the convention to the Maine Chapter of Project Linus, which will in turn distribute them statewide to children in need and hospitals. Members of NHS also volunteer during the Can Am sled dog race the first weekend of March. In May, the members of NHS will spend an exciting day volunteering at the Special Olympics held annually in Presque Isle.
Prom time this year brings juniors very busy planning! The class has been making and selling a healthy version of whoopie pies at Twin Rivers in Madawaska as a fundraiser towards this year’s prom. There are several students who are pumped up and energetic about making this prom the best one ever! They are trying to make it as unique as possible while being as innovative as they can. The red carpet event this year is May 28th!! This year’s advisors are Mrs. Maggie Guimond, French teacher and Mrs. Leslie Marquis, math and science teacher.
Twenty-three students competed in this year’s SkillsUSA competitions in Bangor, and thirteen returned with medals. Students from Wisdom who won bronze medals included: Sarah Paradis, Nurse Assisting; Kyle Daigle, Welding; and Kendall Voisine, Carpentry. Silver medals were won by Mathew Lavoie, Automotive Service Technologies and Devin Michaud, Cabinetmaking. Gold medals were won by Hillary Lavoie, Basic Healthcare Skills; Jeremy Pelletier, Diesel Equipment Technologies; and Dustin Guerrette, Masonry. In addition, Sarah Paradis brought home many medals in the HOSA competition as well as Hillary Lavoie. They were the only HOSA students to compete in multiple events.
This year has also been successful for our students. The Maine Principal’s Award went to Krystal Paradis this year. Anyone who knows Krystal certainly understands the reason for her well deserved nomination.
Honor parts were announced in April with Sophie Ouellette earning valedictorian, Sarah Albert, salutatorian, and Hayley Cyr, honor essayist. Congratulations to these three young ladies for their perseverance and hard work throughout their four years at Wisdom!
Rejoicing in the culture of the French, Mrs. Guimond’s students participated in the Concours Oratoire Français. Wisdom’s participants were: Krystal Paradis, Claudia Fournier-Bourgoin, Chantal Bernier, Crystal Tardif, and Elisabeth Guimond. Representing Wisdom, Krystal Paradis took 3rd place at the Superior level. Thanks to Cleo Ouellette for all her hard work and volunteer hours spent helping students again this year!!
Happy Spring!
