Millinocket School Department

Just a reminder that next Wednesday, January 29th, is an early release day Pre-k through 12th grade. High School will do blocks 3 and 4. Region III students will have a full day.

Our Katahdin Where Ideas Meet Action wants your help with a project to benefit Granite Street Elementary School Library! At Granite Street Elementary School, we believe in providing our students with the best resources to support their learning and creativity. This year, we have an exciting opportunity to enhance our library by updating two vital collections: our State Books and Presidents series. Our 4th-grade students embark on a fascinating journey each year, exploring the 50 states for their project. This hands-on learning experience is a cornerstone of their curriculum, sparking curiosity and fostering a deeper understanding of our country's diverse landscapes and cultures. However, our current collection is outdated, and some states are missing, limiting our students' access to comprehensive and accurate information. Similarly, our collection on U.S. Presidents needs a refresh to reflect the most up-to-date historical data and insights. Keeping these resources current is crucial in helping our students grasp the evolving story of American leadership and governance. Why This Upgrade Matters: Comprehensive Learning: Providing all 50 states in our library ensures that every student can dive deep into their chosen state, enhancing their project and learning experience. Accurate Information: With updated books, students will access the latest facts and developments about each state and president. Inclusivity: No student will have to worry about missing resources or incomplete data, leveling the playing field for all learners. How You Can Help: We need your support to bring these updated collections to Granite Street Elementary School. Your donation will directly impact our students by giving them the tools they need to succeed in their studies and projects. Every contribution brings us closer to making our library a treasure trove of knowledge and exploration. Together, we can ensure that our students have the best possible resources at their fingertips. Let’s invest in their future and keep their passion for learning alive! Donate today and help us build a brighter, more informed future for our Granite Street community! Happy New Year! Michele McInnis Operations Manager & Community Development Coordinator PO Box 293 245 Aroostook Avenue Millinocket, Maine 04462 (207) 249-8578 www.ourkatahdin.com

A free early childhood fair will be in Lincoln April 5th. They are looking for schools and businesses in the area who provide services to children from ages 0-8 in Penobscot county to participate.

To honor the death of President Jimmy Carter, each class watched short videos about his life, a few fifth graders shared facts about him during morning announcements, and the fifth grade students shared what they learned about President Carter with PK students.

 Officer Edison and the 4th graders engaged in the first lesson from the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education Program) at Granite Street. The new curricula, Keepin’ it REAL, centers around teaching students to apply a decision-making model so they can develop their own unique ways of positivity addressing high-risk situations in their lives. Students will spend time engaged in small cooperative learning groups and will have their own workbooks to use as they apply the decision-making model to address various situations such as bullying, safety, responsibility, safety and risk associated with medicines and other substances, and conflict management.

Today at Stearns High School we honored former President Jimmy Carter with a moment of silence and a brief write up to help explain to our students who Jimmy Carter was. President Biden has declared today a National day of mourning for the death of former President Jimmy Carter. President Jimmy Carter was the 39th President of the United States. He came into office after the end of the Vietnam War and President Nixon's resignation, a time to heal this divided nation. He served in the Navy as a Nuclear Submarine commander and after his discharge he continued to find ways to serve his fellow citizens.He was a champion of Human Rights around the World. He had Israel and Egypt agree to and sign the Camp David Accord bringing peace between the two nations. After his Presidency was over he continued to find ways to serve us. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his continuing work internationally toward peaceful resolutions to conflicts. In his elder years he continued on with building homes for the homeless through Habitat for Humanity, and never stopped teaching Sunday School at his local church in Plains, Georgia.

Attached is a new form that Stearns High School plans to use going forward for students missing an extended amount of school due to vacations, etc. Please make sure to have your child stop by the main office prior to their absences to get a form and have it filled out by you as the parent/guardian and all of their teacher's before handing in to the principal's office. This is to help ensure that your child doesn't fall behind in their classes. If you have any questions, please us at 723-6430.

Thank you to our local Hannaford store for supporting our schools.

Stearns Menus for January

Granite Street Menus for January

The first and second graders visited the residents at the Katahdin Health Care and sang Christmas carols.

Santa and his elves visited Granite Street yesterday and gave each student a craft to take home and assemble. Santa told the students he likes sugar cookies with frosting and the reindeer like carrots.

Our annual Christmas concerts were a great success. The students were stupendous!. Thank you to Mr. McEwen and Mr. Scally for all you do to make these concerts a success. A big shout out to the staff for supporting the students during the practices and performances.

Congrats to our December Students of the Month

If you already have filled out our survey, thank you for sharing your feedback regarding your student-led conference experience. We value your insights and are still seeking additional input. If you have not yet completed our brief 8-question multiple choice survey, we kindly invite you to do so by clicking on the link to help inform our future initiatives. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLServz6KALTynAY2pZpTmqAQO1gbvxYj8wysQ3WH1m6I-No5Aw/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0

Unfortunately the PCMS games scheduled for 12/17 has been rescheduled for 1/8 due to lack of officials. With all the changes here is an updated schedule. GO BLUE!!!!!

Next week is Holiday Spirit Week! Please note that some days are different for various grade levels due to Christmas Concerts attire.

Thank you to Cody McEwen from the Millinocket Recreation Department for the wreath, candy canes, and gingerbread cookies. Thank you Zach McEwen for leading everyone in singing Christmas carols.

Congratulations to the following students selected for November Student of the Month! 6th- Allison Reece 7th- Jake Robbins 8th- Mackenzie Botson 9th- Ava Andersen 10th-Tristan Shafer 11th- Ben Waite 12th- Beckett Brown

Unfortunately due to no officials the Junior High Basketball games vs SA for this Thursday have been cancelled. There will not be a makeup date.