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Engineering and robotics

BANGOR – Fifth- to eighth-graders are invited to participate in hands-on science and mathematics in the Junior Engineering and Mathematics Program, at 3:30 p.m. Tuesdays, beginning Sept. 20, at Bangor Public Library. Lego robotics, mathematical puzzles and problems, and modular origami will be featured. Participants will work in appropriate age and experience groups.

Program leaders are Dr. Rick Eason, University of Maine professor of electrical and computer engineering, and Dr. Eva Szillery, representative of the American Mathematics Competitions and the Maine Engineering Workforce Commission.

Registration is required. Call 947-8336, Ext. 111, or stop by the children’s department at the library to register.

Bangor High School

BANGOR – While students enjoyed their last few days of summer, Bangor High School teacher Margaret Chernosky prepared to return to classes by attending NASA summer school. As part of the MY NASA DATA Teacher Workshop at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., Chernosky spent part of her summer vacation learning about clouds and atmospheric science data. She was one of 17 teachers from 12 states and Puerto Rico who talked with scientists, did hands-on activities and made plans to bring new knowledge back to school.

During the workshop teachers met with and learned from scientists, computer programmers and other teachers. They toured NASA facilities and used NASA equipment while learning to integrate the data into class curricula. To obtain more information about MY NASA DATA, visit www.nasa.gov/langley/.

Brewer High School

BREWER – Brewer high school art students and art teacher Randy Menninghaus will take part in Pinwheels for Peace on Wednesday, Sept. 21.

Brewer art students will create pinwheels of all shapes and sizes. On one side they will write their thoughts about war, peace, tolerance and living in harmony with others. On the other side they will paint, draw or collage to express their feelings. The pinwheels will be “planted” in front of the high school on Parkway South.

To obtain more information, call Randy Menninghaus at 989-4140, or 942-1295, or visit www.pinwheelsforpeace.com.

Center Drive School

ORRINGTON – The Orrington School Committee met Sept. 7. New staff members were introduced. They are: Charles Colson, sixth- and seventh-grade math and social studies teacher, math team coach; Debra Colson, special education teacher grades three, four and five; Carla Magoon, seventh-grade science teacher, eighth-grade math teacher and lead teacher for the Maine Laptop Program; Anna Watkinson, sixth- and seventh-grade math teacher, sixth-grade science teacher and cheerleading coach; and Larry Ring, custodian.

The committee made the following appointments: Debra Colson, special education; Carla Magoon, middle school science and math; Larry Ring, custodian; Thomas Frisk and Janice Levesque, photography; Mark Reed, boys baseball; Bob Phillips, girls baseball; Kevin Allcroft, boys soccer; Benny Veenhof, girls soccer; Rick Cortis, cross country; Rick Cortis, Pauline Dickey and George Doughty, track; Sherry Phillips, yearbook; Pauline Dickey and Philippa Harvey, drama; Nancy Swanson, chess team; Phillipa Harvey and Sylvia Williams, humanities; Mark Reed, graduation; Leah Olsen, art club; Bob Phillips and Sylvester Pearsall. boys basketball; Larry Burke and Rick Cortis, girls basketball; Thomas Frisk and Mary Proulx, Maine studies director; Nancy Swanson, Maine studies assistant; Terri Crandlemire, student council adviser, and Pauline Dickey, band and chorus.

Frankfort Elementary School

FRANKFORT – Frankfort Elementary School will hold an open house 5:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 20, at the school, North Searsport Road.

The PTG will hold a Book Fair starting Thursday, Sept. 15, and ending the day of the open house.

To raise funds, the school is collecting Campbell Soup labels, Box Tops for Education coupons, Hannaford Helps Schools coupons, ink jet and laser jet cartridges, and cell phones.

John Bapst Memorial High School

BANGOR – This past summer, 11 faculty and staff members from John Bapst Memorial High School in Bangor attended workshops at the Institute for Global Ethics’ United States headquarters in Camden.

The nonprofit institute is an independent, nonsectarian and nonpolitical organization dedicated to elevating public awareness and promoting the discussion of ethics in a global context and focuses on ethical activities for corporations, educators, professionals and communities.

The mission of the Institute for Global Ethics is to promote ethical behavior in individuals, institutions and nations through research, public discourse and practical action.

Those attending the summer workshop from John Bapst Memorial High School were Jennifer Babcock, Jeremie Day Glider, Landis Green, Colleen Grover, Betsy Hudson, Kim Jones, Ron Schwizer, Audrey Swanton, Sue Sheren, Walt Sheren and Liese Wood. Unable to attend, yet participating in the early stages of the work, were Tandy DelVecchio and Scott Burgess.

Later this school year, faculty and staff at John Bapst plan to engage the student body in ethics-related discussions and workshops based on the model used by the Institute for Global Ethics.

Head Start programs

BANGOR – Penquis CAP is accepting applications for its child care programs. Head Start and child-care services are available for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years old. Before- and after-school care is available for children ages 5-8 years old.

Children are provided developmentally appropriate classroom activities to increase skills in learning, thinking and doing, social interactions, large and small muscle development, and daily health and nutrition routines.

With permission from parents, Penquis CAP Head Start and Child Care Centers offer health screenings for vision, hearing, speech and language, and growth measurements.

Meals and snacks are provided to the children at no extra cost to families.

Penquis CAP Child Development is designated a Quality Program by the Federal Head Start Program and the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The Quality Program designation allows families of enrolled children to receive a double tax credit on the State of Maine Income Tax Child Care Credit.

Full-day, full-year care is available at centers in Bangor, Exeter and Old Town. Part-day, part-year care – September to May – is available in Bangor, Brewer and Newburgh.

Before- and after-school care is available in Exeter.

Child-care subsidies are available to eligible families on a sliding scale. For more information, call 973-3567 or visit the nearest center.

Penobscot Job Corps

BANGOR – The Penobscot Job Corps Center held its fall graduation ceremony Sept. 1 The ceremony marked the completion of either a Maine state certified high school diploma, or GED, and certifications in career occupational areas for 49 students. Four years ago the standards to graduate were raised to include both an academic completion and a vocational completion. It was the largest graduating class since that change.

Steven Richard of Presque Isle was the featured speaker at the ceremony. Richard is the executive director for an association in Aroostook County whose mission is to enable people with mental retardation and developmental disabilities to reach the highest level of personal development.

Student speakers were Matt Guerra of Bangor and Cheryl Trott of Providence, R.I. Guerra is employed by Reed and Reed Co., and is working on a large construction project in Old Town. Trott, a Culinary WOKS Enterprise student, plans to pursue a career in the culinary field.

Lindsey Porter, a student studying business at Job Corps, sang the national anthem.

The event featured a flower ceremony in which graduates honored and recognized center staff or family members who contributed to their success.

Community members, staff and students joined family friends to mark the occasion.

The Job Corps national office has taken “character” as its theme for this quarter of its 40th anniversary celebration. The Penobscot Job Corps graduating class also chose “character” as its theme.

To learn more about Job Corps, visit http://bostonregion.jobcorps.gov/.

Colleges

St. Lawrence University

CANTON, N.Y. – Logan Rich of Glenburn is participating in St. Lawrence University’s international study program for the fall 2005 semester.

Rich graduated from John Bapst Memorial High School and is studying in Kenya.

University College

BANGOR – The University College of Bangor, a campus of the University of Maine at Augusta, is organizing a relief drive for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The Student Government Association, along with the Office of Community Engagement, will organize the effort.

There are four ways to donate to the relief effort. One may donate money, a flood bucket, a health kit or any of the individual items needed for the flood buckets or health kits. UCB students will assemble the kits.

The flood buckets include items a person would need to aid in the cleanup of a home, such as gloves, household cleaners and clotheslines. The health kits include basic hygiene items such as toothbrushes, washcloths and soap.

Lists of items for the flood bucket and the health kit are available at the UCB Student Government Association office, Room 100, Eastport Hall, or the Office of Community Engagement, Room 137, Eastport Hall. Eastport Hall, 128 Texas Ave. on the UCB campus.

E-mail Melissa Cormier at melissa.cormier@maine.edu to receive a list of needed items. Donations should be dropped off at Eastport Hall. Flood buckets, health kits and monetary donations will be forwarded to disaster relief agencies helping those directly affected by Hurricane Katrina.

For more information, call Suziette Coffey at 262-7992 or Melissa Cormier at 262-7824.