First day at CHS comes with $1000 bonus

FORT KENT - University of Maine at Fort Kent President Wilson Hess told an assembly of Community High School freshmen that the university would provide a $1000 scholarship to all freshmen who graduate on-time from CHS and qualify for entry into UMFK.

Hess made the announcement at the beginning of an orientation program that the ninth grade team of teachers had designed for the first day of high school.

Ninth grade team leader Brigitte Morse said, "That's awesome."

The announcement was only one of many experiences the new high school students underwent as they spent the day at the university, which is next door to the high school.

UMFK INVITES THE FISH - Freshmen students from Community High School spent the day at UMFK as part of an orientation and team building exercise to ease the transition into high school.  UMFK President Wilson Hess told the students that UMFK would provide a $1000 scholarship to all the freshmen who graduate from CHS on time and who meet the requirements to enter UMFK. - Birden photo

Calling it "Extreme Makeover - High School Edition", students spent their first day engaged in team-building exercises, orientation programs, and sessions to help students cope with bullying.

Morse said the program is "...to help the students to connect to their class in a different way and to connect with their teachers and support staff."

The organizers gathered upperclassmen volunteers to act as team leaders.  The 78 freshmen formed four groups and each group had two team leaders.

TRAIL BREAKERS - These upperclassmen acted as team leaders for the incoming freshmen. Shown here are Renee Morse, Carrie Levesque, Spencer Levesque, Dante Naranja, Natalie Michaud, Garrett Albert, Kate Morneault, Alex Chasse, Daniell Duperry and Jessica Sirois. - Birden photo

UMFK personnel Scott Voisine, Lisa Roy, Blair Pelletier, Alicia Gould and Heather Young helped the group from the adjacent campus.

Dean of Students Scott Voisine circulated through the active young people, helping out and listening.  He said, "There's something cool about high school kids."

Jessica Sirois gave a presentation on bullying, developed by the Aroostook Mental Health Center and entitled "Flirting Not Hurting".

Danielle Duperry is the CHS student council president.  She is part of a panel of support services at the high school.  She said she hopes the freshmen will "...do everything that you possibly can because high school is so short.  High school is one of the greatest four years of your life."

Duperry, a senior at CHS, said she wished there was a freshmen program like this when she entered high school.

One freshman remarked, "It was pretty fun."

A freshman girl said, "I guess it was pretty good."  She said that after experiencing the program, "I don't think it (high school) will be too bad."  She said the program helped her "not to stress about it and not be scared."

Ninth grade teacher Don Chouinard said he was looking forward to the coming year.  Of the incoming freshmen he said, "I'm excited.  I think they are competitive in a healthy kind of way and it will work in their favor."

Brigitte Morse said freshmen need a program like "Extreme Makeover - High School Edition".  She said, "We are finding that students may not be as invested in their school as they should be.  We're hoping by having this connections day...we can supply some of the physical and emotional tools they need so they can be more successful in the coming year."

Morse said the first day of high school is just as important as the day a student graduates.  She said, "How that day goes could impact whether they make it to graduation day."

Morse said, "If it makes just one student not as wary and afraid to reach out for help, then it's worth it."