Greetings Mustangs!
Welcome to the first edition of The MA Express!, the weekly newsletter I will be sending out to students, parents, and staff at the beginning of each week to highlight events from the previous week and to inform you of upcoming events. Communication is key to a successful high school experience, and I hope you find these newsletters informative.
My First Two Days (10/28 & 10/29): I’d like to thank our students and staff for making me feel at home from the time I arrived this past Thursday morning. I was greeted by welcoming posters, coffee, homemade cookies (which were awesome!), and a cutting/bread board made by a MA student. Students went out of their way to say “Hi!” and to welcome me to the school. I had the chance to see the Student Government in action at 7:00am Friday morning which was great to observe; and to see the many pumpkin carvings as well as those who participated in the Halloween dress-up day on Friday. I was able to pop into a few classrooms and to visit the Cafeteria during a couple of lunch blocks, which I plan on doing more of in the coming weeks. Thanks again for welcoming me to MA!
Mask Wearing: As you are all aware, we are required to wear masks while in school. It is extremely important that your mask is covering both your mouth and nose. I’ve asked staff to help enforce this expectation; and I want to thank everyone in advance for your cooperation with this request.
November 2nd: MA will be having a remote learning day for students on Tuesday - 11/02 as our facility will be used as a voting site. Staff will use Google Meets to broadcast classes and will take period attendance based on who logs in. They will incorporate engagement activities to make sure the students are present. Students do not need to log into study hall, lunch or advisory. Students are asked to connect with their teachers if they have any questions/concerns about the expectations for Tuesday - 11/02. Thanks!
Attention Seniors: A survey link was emailed to all members of the Class of 2022 that must be completed ASAP so we can order your cap and gown for graduation. Please see Ms. Hewitt in the Main Office if you have any questions or if you need assistance. Also, Seniors are asked to please bring in copies of your acceptance letters so we can make you a flag, put them on the school counselor's Facebook group page, add them to the announcements, and include them in this newsletter. So far we have Connor Harding accepted to SMCC and Taylor Truman accepted to Husson University, Mount Aloysius College, University of Southern Maine, Wesleyan University, and Northland College. Seniors are reminded that they should be filing their FAFSA if they haven’t done so already. Please connect with Ms. Knowlton in the Guidance Department if you have any questions or need assistance.
Thank You!: A special thanks to the students who make up our FBLA & MASG for sponsoring the Wear Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness activity this past Wednesday. Students collected donations which will go towards breast cancer research. A special thanks to the FBLA for sponsoring the Trunk or Treat on Sunday (10/31) from 4:00pm-7:00pm.
Dates to Note:
11/02 = Remote Learning Day (for MA students)
11/05 = 1st Semester Midpoint for Progress Reports ends
11/07 = Daylight Savings Time (don’t forget to set your clocks back one hour!)
11/10 = 1st Semester Midpoint Progress Reports should ready to be mailed out
11/11 = No School - Veterans Day (Thank you Veterans for your service to our GREAT country!)
11/12 = No School - Workshop Day
11/18 = Parent/Teacher Conferences (info about this event will be out soon)
MA Athletics: (from our Athletic Director - Mr. Bell)
The Fall Sports Season is winding down. We’d like to congratulate our student athletes on a great fall sports season; and we’d like to thank our coaches, parents, and community members for your continued support of our student athletes and our athletic programs. Job well done, Mustangs! We are proud of you!
Boys soccer made it to the semi-finals, losing a tough one in double overtime to Mt. Abram. They finished with a 12-3-2 record. Hayden Fletcher was named the MVC Player of the Year and finished his career with 110 goals! Girls soccer also made it to the second round of the playoffs but lost to Traip Academy. They finished with a 9-4-1 overall record.
Golf finished 2nd in MVCs, 9th in the States, and Averi Beaudoin was named top female golfer in the MVC.
Cross Country (XC) girls won the MVC and took 3rd at the regional championships. Alexa Allen was named Runner of the Year in the MVC; Regional Champion; and took 5th in the States. XC Coach Tom Menendez was named the girls MVC Coach of the Year! The boys took 2nd in the MVC and 3rd in the region. Bronsan Comeau won the MVC, won the regional, and is the State Class "C" Champion, the first time a MA boy has won the States!
Football is currently 5-1 and the #2 seed heading into this Saturday's (11/06) home playoff game against Bucksport. They have outscored their opponents 231-88 in the regular season. Junior Dominic Trott leads the team in rushing with 627 yards and also has a team-high 11 touchdowns. Junior Owen Harding has been proficient with his place kicking as he has successfully converted 25-of-30 points after touchdown tries. Defensively, Trott leads the team in tackles (45), assisted tackles (19) and tackles behind the line of scrimmage (15). Senior Ethan Neal leads the team with a pair of quarterback sacks while classmate Jake Umberhind has totaled 18 tackles, including 10 behind the line of scrimmage from his nose tackle position. Umberhind, Neal and Senior Liam Burgess have started every game on the offensive line as has Junior Isaac Oliveira.
Looking ahead to the Winter Sports Season: Sign-ups started already and the numbers are looking strong in all of our sports. Basketball begins practice on 11/22; cheering and wrestling are still waiting for an official start date, but will be shortly after the basketball date. Parents: Please make sure that your student athlete's health physical (from the doctor) is up to date. Also, as of this communication, masks will be mandatory for all athletes. Fans will not be allowed for any of the sports; however this will be reevaluated periodically during the season.
That concludes this week’s edition of The MA Express!. Have a great week, take care & stay well.
Mr. Ted Finn, Principal