BLACK BEAR BULLETIN - Maranacook Community High School

Principal’s Message by Dr. Carol Fritz
Greetings,
The high school staff
members began the accreditation
process with
a review of our mission
statement, making revisions
and it is now our
core values and beliefs
statement. We also with
the help of two students
identified student expectations
for learning that
every student will meet
prior to graduation. We
will be implementing the
new expectations in the
fall 2012. We wanted to
share this information
with you as we plan our
next steps in the implementation
of the learning
expectations. There are
school-wide rubrics that
will measure each student’s
performance and
we will report their progress
to you and the students.
We were recently identified
as a high performing
and highly efficient
high school, one of ten in
the state of Maine. Now
we are committed to
helping each of our students
meet or exceed the
standards set in the learning
expectations.
CORE VALUES AND BELIEFS
MCHS WEBSITE: HS.MARANACOOK.ORG
BLACK BEAR
BULLETIN
The purpose of Maranacook Community High School is to
create an environment where every individual can flourish
academically and socially. Through respect, knowledge, and
responsibility, the school community promotes character
building, 21 st century skill development, and personal fulfillment.
Student Expectations for Learning
� Students will be responsible, trustworthy, and honest
citizens.
� Students will be effective, fair, ethical, and skilled
collaborators.
� Students will be clear and effective communicators.
� Students will be creative and innovative learners.
� Students will be active, engaged, and motivated
learners.
� Students will be rational, explorative, and creative
problem solvers.
We will be hosting a visiting
team from the New
England Association of
Schools and Colleges in
the spring 2014. There is
a great deal of work to
prepare for that visit and
we would welcome your
participation. If you
would like to be part of
one of the standards
committees as we complete
the self-study,
please contact me; your
assistance would be appreciated
and helpful.
VOLUME 6 ISSUE 4
FEBUARY 2012
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Guidance 2
Health Center News 3-5
Dates to Remember 3
Note from Supt. 6
Adult Ed Classes 6
PLC ONE-HOUR
DELAYED START
DATES
HIGH SCHOOL ONLY
February 29
March 28
April 25
May 23
CONGRATULATIONS
TO
CHARLES WEINSTEIN, Grade 9
Winner of the young adult free style
archery State competition
On January 15, 2012
Charles shot a perfect score of
300 53x in the a.m. and
300 53x in the p.m.
out of 300 60x
Charles will compete in the National
competition in Massachusetts in
February 2012

PAGE 2
GUIDANCE
NEWS
Testing:
SAT January 28
deadlines have
passed and students
may only
take this test by standby. See
www.collegeboard.org for
more information on standby
testing.
SAT March 10 registration
deadline is February 10. For
more information or to register
f o r t h e t e s t s e e
www.collegeboard.org.
ACT February 11 late registration
deadline is January 20. For
m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n s e e
www.actstudent.org.
Many students take the SAT
more than once. The registration
fee is $49 and fee waivers
are available for students with
financial need. Senior year gets
very busy and some students
benefit from getting all testing
out of the way by the end of
junior year. Also, spring of junior
year is a good time to take
subject tests if you think that
you will be applying to highly
selective schools, which require
these tests (usually two subjects).
If parents or students
have any questions about testing,
please contact guidance.
All Juniors will take the SAT on
Saturday, May 5th. This is a
state mandated test and not optional
even if you’ve already
taken the test. You will have
the following Monday off.
With the new semester comes a
great time for a fresh start. If
your student didn’t do as well
as he/she wanted first semester,
all slates are wiped clean
with the new semester. If your
student didn’t pass a class first
semester, we can set him/her
up with a credit recovery program
so that your student doesn’t
fall behind with credits.
Please call or have your student
come in to guidance.
Seniors: Many of you have
been getting acceptance letters
during this very exciting time.
Please let guidance know all the
schools to which you’ve been
accepted. We use this information
for grant reports.
Also, if you haven’t started
your FAFSA, you should begin
asap at www.fafsa.ed.gov. If
you haven’t applied for your
PIN yet, that can be found at
www.pin.ed.gov
Scholarship information is
posted on the guidance page on
the school website; please check
often for updates. We also have
a hard copy of many scholarships
and scholarship websites
VOLUME 6 ISSUE 4
in guidance. Later this spring all
seniors will receive a simple application
form for local scholarships.
Please fill it out and return
to guidance in a timely
manner so that you don’t miss
this opportunity for free money!
Sophomores and Juniors:
Stepanie Turgeon, who represents
the Capitol Area Technical
Center (CATC), will be at Maranacook
during lunchtime at the
end of January. Students who
are interested or curious about
the CATC programs, should
take time to stop by and chat
with her. All interested students
will have the opportunity to
spend a morning at CATC shadowing
current students. More
information will be available on
the website.
Sophomores: You may have
heard about your job shadow
and ISearch paper coming right
up. The job shadow will be in
March (date to be posted soon).
You will spend the day shadowing
someone in a field that you
are interested in pursuing after
high school or college. Setting
up the job shadow is the student’s
responsibility, but advisors
and guidance may be able
to help. We ask that you don’t
shadow your parents. Please
don’t wait until the last minute.

PAGE 3
Movement Matters
VOLUME 6 ISSUE 4
On February 9th, there will be a weekly after school fitness group starting for middle and high
school girls. The group will run from 3:00 PM—4:30 PM for 6 sessions. Each week there will be a
sampling of different kinds of exercise, together with healthy snacks and nutrition tips. To sign up,
students should ask their school nurse for a permission slip. Should parents have questions, please
call Sandy at 685-4923, x1033 (at the high school) or Vicky Gabrion at 685-3128, x1120 (at the middle
school). There is no charge for participation is this group.
"NOT on Tobacco" Group
This group is for students who are considering giving up tobacco products. This group meets once
a week for 45 minutes. Nurse Practitioner, Alberta Messer, Kennebec Behavior Health Counselor,
Lynn Murphy, and School Nurse, Sandy Hunter, coordinate efforts for this group. Education about
the health dangers of smoking are discussed, as well as techniques to positively handle stress.
Should you have any questions about this group, please call 685-4923, x1033 or have your student
stop by the Health Center. There is no charge for participation.
DATES TO REMEMBER
FEBRUARY 1 RSU 38 Board Meeting at 6:30
FEBRUARY 3 Course Registration for 2012-2013 courses—extended homeroom
FEBRUARY 4 Community Blood and Bone Marrow Drive
FEBRUARY 8 Early Release at 11:30
FEBRUARY 11 Eurosphere Dance at 8:00 p.m.
FEBRUARY 14 Senior forms for caps & gowns due
FEBRUARY 15 RSU 38 Board Meeting at 6:30
FEBRUARY 16 Spain trip departs
FEBRUARY 18-26 Vacation Week
FEBRUARY 27 Winter Carnival Week
HEALTH CENTER NEWS
FEBRUARY 29 Late Start for Professional Learning Communities—students arrive at 9:00
CATC students depart for CATC at regular time (8:25 a.m.)
MARCH 2 Course registration forms due to guidance for 2012-2013 classes
MARCH 15 &20 PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES—on-line scheduling will be available
starting February 27. Families who do not have internet access may contact
Carol Labbe, 685-4923 ext. 1038 for assistance with scheduling.

Page 4 VOLUME 6 ISSUE 4
The Southern Kennebec Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP)
In Partnership With the Maranacook Schools, RSU #38
Sharing information gathered locally to help prevent substance abuse in our communities.
What You NEED to Know About Marijuana
For those who DO choose to use, there are short and long term risks:
Short Term Risks Include: Impaired Cognitive Skills; Acute Psychiatric Symptoms (especially new users)
Long Term Risks, especially for regular users): Impaired brain functioning; mental health problems, respiratory problems, dependence
See next page for details.
Across Southern
Kennebec County,
SOME youth
choose to use marijuana.
MOST youth
choose NOT to use:
Data Source:
Bi-annual survey
of Maine students
(MIYHS, 2009)
Marijuana Use: Past 30 Days
120%
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
USED in the Last 30 Days 6% 11% 14% 25% 27% 30%
Did NOT USE, Past 30
Days
What Youth Can Do To Stay Free of Marijuana and It’s Risks:
Do your homework: learn what the risks are of using marijuana and
other drugs. Consider both the short term and long term risks.
Make the choices about use that work best for you, and help you stay
healthy.
Make a list of ways to say “No thanks,” if someone offers you drugs or
alcohol
Seek out and connect with other youth who think the way you do about
substance use
7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th
94% 89% 86% 76% 73% 70%
By Grade
What Parents Can Do To Help Teens Stay Free of Marijuana
and It’s Risks:
Share your concerns about drug use.
Reduce access: do not allow non-medical marijuana in your home
Enforce the family rules about substance use
Connect with the parents of your teen’s friends; share your rules with
them
Check in often: Know where your teen is. Make sure they have supervision
and support when needed. Talk to them when they arrive
home; see how they are doing.

Page 5 VOLUME 6 ISSUE 4
What You NEED to Know About Marijuana, Continued:
For those who DO use marijuana, there are both short term and long term
risks of use:
Short Term Risks Include:
Acute psychiatric reactions-most commonly in
new users: 22% of new users have reported
acute anxiety or panic attacks immediately following
use (Hall and Degenhart, 2009)
Impaired Driving: Use impacts many of the
skills needed for safe driving, including tracking,
reaction time and attention (MacDonald,
2003; Kalant, 2004).
Data Sources: Go to this web link
www.healthycommunitiesme.org for more information
about the sources of the facts above.
Maine Law and Non-Medical Use of Marijuana
In the State of Maine, it is illegal to possess or use marijuana, unless it has been prescribed by a doctor for a
medical condition.
� A person who possesses a useable amount of marijuana is subject to a fine of $350 to $1,000, for a first
offense.
� A person who transports marijuana in a vehicle is subject to additional fines and license suspension.
Want more information? Here are some links and resource people:
http://www.abovetheinfluence.com/facts/drugsmarijuana
http://www.nida.nih.gov/infofacts/marijuana.html
http://theantidrug.com/
Long Term Risks Include:
Cognitive Impairment: Heavy adolescent users
experience problems with attention, learning,
memory and how fast the brain works (Jacobus
et al. 2009).
Mental Health Problems: Marijuana use increases
the likelihood of psychosis and depression
(Moore et al., 2007). It increases the likelihood
of schizophrenia in individuals predisposed
to it (Degenhardt & Hall, 2006).
Effects on the Respiratory System: Regular,
heavy smokers of marijuana report chronic
cough, throat irritation and other symptoms of
chronic bronchitis (Kalant, 2004).
Dependence: 1 in 6 (17%) of those who begin use
in adolescence will go on to become marijuana
dependent (http://www.drugabuse.gov).
Neill Miner, Project Director, Southern Kennebec Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP), 36
Brunswick Ave., Gardiner ME 04345 nminer@mcd.org 207-588-5027

PAGE 6 VOLUME 6, ISSUE 4
Maranacook RSU 38 Adult Education
Maranacook Adult Education is kicking off 2012 with new courses, especially in the area of professional
development for businesses, teachers and medical office professions. The following are courses only through
February 15. Online registration is underway at http://maranacook.maineadulted.org. Please visit the web site
for class details and new class listings. For more information, email us: adulted@maranacook.org or call 685
-4923, ext 1065.
Intro to Tai Chi/Qi Gong, 8 Wednesdays, 7-8 p.m., begins
February 1.
Out the Door Basket, 2 Wednesdays, 6-8:30 p.m., begins
February 1.
Medical Terminology, 16 Wednesdays, 6-8 p.m., begins
February 1.
Medical Billing/Coding, 20 Mondays, 5:30-8:30 p.m. & 20
Wednesdays, 6-8 p.m., begins February 1.
Certified Medical Administrative Assistant, 16 Wednesdays,
6-8 p.m. and 16 Mondays, 5:30-8:30 p.m., begins
Feb 1.
Driver Education, Mondays, Wednesdays & Thursdays,
begins February 2.
Medical Transcription Certificate, 16 Thursdays, 6-8 p.m.,
begins February 2.
Dear Community Members,
Stained Glass, 8 Mondays, 6-8:30 p.m., begins February 6.
Supervisor and Leadership, online course, February 6-
March 30.
Recruiting and Retaining Gen X and Gen Y, online course,
February 6-March 2.
Reiki Level 1, 5-9 p.m., Tuesday, February 7.
ServSafe Training, Wednesday, 9 a.m.- 5 p.m., February 8.
College Goal Maine, 6-8 p.m., Wednesday, February 8.
Free Technology Resources, 6-8 p.m., Thursday, February
9.
Laptop Tune Up Clinic, 6- p.m., Wednesday, February 15.
Yin Yoga: Loosening the Core, 4:30-6 p.m., Thursday,
February 16.
MESSAGE FROM SUPERINTENDENT ABRAMSON
I have been asked by the RSU Board to see if there is any interest in forming a District Communications
Committee that will be comprised of staff, parents, community members, and Board members.
Their role will be to review our current plan (now several years old) as well as explore new and
innovative ways to keep our staff and public aware of the business of the District. If interested,
please email Donna Foster at donna_foster@maranacook.org in the Central Office with your interest.
The Board will decide who, from the list of interested individuals, will serve on this committee as well
as clarifying the Committee's role. Thank you for your interest.
Richard A. Abramson
Superintendent of Schools
CONGRATULATIONS
BRANDON MITCHELL
STUDENT OF THE MONTH AT CATC
Brandon, is a senior enrolled in the graphic design and printing
program at Capitol Area Technical Center. Brandon is described
as a talented artist and exceptional student. He often
arrives early to work on projects and frequently helps his classmates.
Brandon plans to attend the Maine College of Art.
ATTENTION
SNOWMOBILERS
Students riding snowmobiles to school
are required to register the snowmobile
in the front office.