Please join us tonight!

We hope to see you tonight at the District Budget Meeting! The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Orion Performing Arts Center in Topsham.

Thursday, May 15 2025

Happy Vacation Week

HAPPY VACATION WEEK! April 18, 2025     As we wrap up this portion of the school year, I want to extend my warmest wishes for a truly happy and restful vacation week! The forecast is calling for spectacular weather, and I hope you all have the chance to get outside, enjoy the sunshine, and have some fun. Speaking of getting outdoors, I'm also sharing several articles that highlight just how important outdoor play is for all of us. So, let's take advantage of this beautiful weather – get off those devices and play outside! Whether you're planning adventures, relaxing at home, or spending time with loved ones, I hope this break brings you joy and rejuvenation. We look forward to welcoming you back refreshed and ready for the remainder of the school year. Heidi   The Weather, At least it's not Snow!     Why Outdoor Play Matters!   Outdoor Play Playing Outside   Speaking of the Outdoors   Recreation Departments It's fantastic that all four of our towns have such vibrant recreation departments! To see the exciting lineup of activities planned for the upcoming vacation and the wonderful summer recreation programs available, please follow the links below. You won't want to miss out on these awesome opportunities for fun and engagement in our communities!   Topsham Recreation Department Bowdoinham Recreation Department Bowdoin Recreation Department Harpswell Recreation Department   Outdoor Fun Sun warms skin and smiles, Running free on grassy fields, Joyful laughter rings. Author Unknown   Athletic Schedules https://www.mtaeagles.com/

Friday, Apr 18 2025

Music Performances this Week!

Happy Monday, We have some wonderful music ​performances coming up this week! I hope you ​have the opportunity to attend. Mr. Cox sent this invitation!  On behalf of the Mt. Ararat Music Program I would like to invite you to attend our upcoming performances this week.  Our Spring Band Concert will be Tuesday, April 15th at 7pm in the Orion Performing Arts Center. Come see works from a variety of styles and time periods, along with one of the first High School Band Performances of "Wild Maine" by local composer Heather Hastings. We will also be performing a piece by Kathaj Copley that was inspired by and written in the style of Studio Ghibli's famed Joe Hisaishi, along with some other great band pieces. Then on Thursday, April 17th at 7pm in the High School Forum we will be hosting JAZZ Night at MTA. Featuring the MAMS and MTA Jazz Bands fresh off their performances at the State Jazz Festival.  Our students have been working hard to prepare two exciting and diverse programs, we hope to see you at one (or both!) of these events. Your support means a great deal to our students and the music program, and we would love for you to experience their dedication and hard work first hand. 

Monday, Apr 14 2025

Spotlights and Reminders

Superintendent News Innovators and Shining Stars     Spotlight: Sandy Bickford: STEM Educator     Kids Wind Challenge At Mt. Ararat Middle School, innovation is in the air—literally. What began as an after-school club inspired by a hands-on workshop has grown into a cornerstone of the STEM curriculum, energizing students through creativity, collaboration, and clean energy. The Wind Turbine Challenge, rooted in the national KidWind Project, invites students to design and build their own functioning wind turbines, combining real-world problem-solving with cutting-edge science and engineering concepts. Now in its ninth year, the program has not only captured students’ imaginations but has also propelled MAMS teams to both statewide and international recognition. With two teams invited to compete at the global level in Arizona this spring, MAMS teacher Sandy Bickford—the visionary behind this inspiring initiative—shared her insights on the origins of the Wind Turbine Challenge, how it integrates core STEM principles, and what students are gaining from this dynamic, hands-on learning experience. Sandy responded to a series of interview questions to help tell the story behind the challenge’s success and impact. Can you describe the inspiration behind the wind turbine challenge? What led you to design this specific activity for your students? The inspiration for the wind turbine challenge came from the KidWind Project. Back in 2016 I attended a KidWind workshop where we built working wind turbine models and tested them in a wind tunnel. It was very fun and engaging for all participants. The engineering design, hands-on project element evokes engagement from most students. I also believe that learning about/having agency in clean energy development is so relevant to this generation. The first year there was going to be a State KidWind Challenge (2016), I offered an after school club and brought a few teams to it. It was such a great experience for the students and such a fun and creative project that I decided to incorporate it into the STEM curriculum. Since its inception, I have brought many teams from MAMS every year (2020 it was cancelled). MAMS has had state winners 3 times including this year. Two years ago I brought the winning team to the Nationals in Colorado. The name has changed to Worlds since there are teams from all over the world. This year, Worlds will be happening in Arizona in May. Two MAMS teams have been invited and will need to fundraise if they want to go. How did you incorporate STEM principles—science, technology, engineering, and math—into the challenge? This project has many STEM principles and skills needed for future success embedded in it. Students use the engineering design process (plan, build, test, modify & evaluate) to design and create a wind turbine that generates electricity. They create wind blade models to generate data and then analyze in order to choose the best solution. Students collaborate and are expected to do a fair share of the work, perform specific group roles and write in a digital engineering log on a daily basis. They also learn to critique their group’s solutions as well as other group’s solutions based upon specific design criteria and determine ways to improve the solutions. Students use measuring devices, pitch protractors, make and read data graphs, learn about renewable and non-renewable energy sources, testing procedures, and changing variables. How did students respond to the challenge? What kinds of designs or problem-solving strategies did they come up with? Students get very excited about the possibility of their team being invited to the Maine KidWind Challenge. We’ve had some successes over the years and that has powered excitement for the event. To qualify they know that it's not just about their turbine’s performance but also about evidence of their engineering process and clean energy knowledge that will get them to states.  Throughout the project, students do a lot of testing and modifying to get the best results from their turbines. Often groups decide to replace their drive system or completely change their blade design and size. Sometimes the successful smaller sized blades used for testing with a box fan and direct drive to the generator ends up needing to be upsized for the large wind tunnel and turbine with a gear or pulley system to get better results. This is the part of the project that I enjoy observing the most. Students making connections and figuring things out for themselves. My standard response to modification questions is “I don’t know, try it and see”. What materials and tools did students use to build their wind turbines? Students use chipboard, recycled cardboard, wood, plywood, dowels, screws, recycled bits, foam core (pulley), elastics, 3D printed gears, wood putty, paint, epoxy, steel rods, KidWind generators and lots and lots of hot glue. For tools they use the bandsaw, handsaw, drill press, hand drill, box cutter, awl, L-square, measuring tape, protractor, rulers, C-clamps, parallel clamps, files, sandpaper, pliers, wire strippers/cutters & screwdrivers. What skills—academic and soft skills—did students gain by participating in this challenge? The academic skills students strengthen with this project are; writing, researching, technology, engineering, math and science skills. Softer skills are enhanced by their opportunity to present their work in front of a panel of judges (and/or the class), being creative, collaboration, communicating effectively, getting along with others and working as a team to accomplish their goals. Students work on improving their problem-solving and critical thinking skill set in order for their turbine to succeed. Were there any unexpected outcomes or particularly memorable moments during the project? I was delighted when one of our teams got a very high power score and another team scored the highest in the judging. How do you assess student learning and engagement in a hands-on project like this?  The learning assessment comes from observation and evidence of the engineering process. Each student is expected to design blades and test them and also design a turbine, compromise on style then create it. They need to take turns writing in their group’s engineering log and are expected to do a fair share of the group work. Students self-assess prior to my final assessment. What advice would you give to other teachers who want to implement a similar STEM challenge in their classrooms? Go for it! You don’t need to know everything to get started. Start small and continue to improve your process each year. Turbines can be made out of cardboard or PVC pipe, you don’t need a woodworking shop to do this project. Attend a workshop when it's offered, you’ll leave with everything you’ll need to get started at your school. The turbines from MAMS this year are the best ever, this is our 9th year making them:) Do you want to include a few comments from students that I could use as quotes?  I talked with first place winners Sophia Massey and Morgan Stromgren, here’s what they said. “We felt really good about our interview but were surprised that we won. We thought the team with the highest wind tunnel performance was going to win”. They were both very happy about their results and are excited to go to worlds in Arizona in May! Attending KidWind Worlds is free but getting there and staying in a hotel will be their biggest expense. They have started fundraising campaigns to get the money they need for travel and lodging for both MAMS teams of 5 students and 2 parent chaperones     Watch the News Center Story Below Kid Wind Challenge News Center 6   MAMS STEM BLOG             Congratulations to SRO Matthieu   SRO Mathieu Recognized! Congratulations to School Resource Officer Gabrielle "Belle" Mathieu for being recognized for all of her hard work in teaching the Law Enforcement Against Drugs (L.E.A.D.) program at the Mt. Ararat Middle School. SRO Mathieu was called up to the stage, with a number of other instructors from across the country, at a recent L.E.A.D. conference. Job well done!     Reflection & Reminders As we head into the week before spring break, I want to take a moment to recognize the incredible dedication of our teachers, staff, and all MSAD 75 employees who work tirelessly each day to create meaningful learning experiences for your children. Across every school in our district, students are engaged in projects and opportunities that allow them to explore, grow, and shine. It truly takes a team—and a community—to make this possible, and I am deeply grateful for all who contribute to the success of our students. Have a wonderful week! Heidi   Mt. Ararat High School Athletic Hall of Honors - Mt. Ararat High School Athletic Hall of Honors - NOW ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR INAUGURAL CLASS   Mt. Ararat High School is now accepting nominations for their Athletic Hall of Honors inaugural class of 2025. The nomination window will open for the next few weeks.The Hall of Honors is meant to recognize outstanding Mt. Ararat individuals and teams who have achieved at the highest levels and/or made a significant impact on Eagles athletics. Nominations are being accepted in the following categories:Student-Athlete – Must have graduated from Mt. Ararat High School in 2015 or before.Coach ...   https://www.parentsquare.com/feeds/49912983   PreK Registration is Closing Soon We have had an overwhelming response to applications for PREK! We are so excited to have the opportunity to offer these programs! We will be closing the portal for applications on April 18, 2025. Below are the instructions to fill out the registration and other details: Pre-K Applications: We are so excited to announce that we are moving forward with an additional 2 PreK programs in our district. We will be adding PreK at Woodside and Harpswell Community School! We currently have PreK in Bowdoin and Williams Cone School. Eligibility: Children must be four years old by October 15, 2025. Program Details: Our Pre-K program offers two classes, each accommodating 16 students, totaling 32 spots. Classes follow the district calendar, running five days a week for approximately six hours per day. Currently, one class is held at Williams-Cone School in Topsham, and the other at Bowdoin Central School. Please note that registration and screening do not guarantee a spot in the program.  We are exploring the possibility of adding two additional Pre-K classrooms to better serve our community. To assist us in this planning, we encourage all interested families to complete the Pre-K application as early as possible.  How to Apply: Interested families may use the online registration form, which begins the application process. We encourage all eligible families to complete this process as early as possible to ensure timely participation in the screening process. For more information, please visit our PreK Informational page.   Special Board Meeting: Strategic Plan Agenda for Board Meeting: April 16th LINK to meeting. Check out the Website Information   Find Agendas to School Board Meetings and Committees Below School Board Meeting Agendas/Link

Sunday, Apr 13 2025

Solar Panel RFP

Please visit our Facilities Department webpage to learn more about our  Solar Panel RFP  that is open for applications until April 16th:  https://www.link75.org/departments/facilities-grounds

Thursday, Apr 10 2025