The Navigator - February 2023

I hope this edition of the Navigator finds you well and ready for a change of pace as Morse’s February vacation is upon us. Morse’s students and staff have been busy in the weeks since our holiday break with the completion of our first semester, mid-year exams, and the beginning of the second semester well underway. Most of Morse’s winter athletic programs are nearing completion and we will soon be looking forward to the start of spring athletics.

The semester change is a great time for students and families to celebrate successes of the hard work that students have put in this school year and look for areas of improvement for the remainder of the year. This is a good time to set new long and short term goals for academic success, personal wellness, and/or social goals. Morse just held our semester-one recognition assembly that was a great demonstration of success in a variety of areas. High school is a challenging and potentially rewarding time of life and many of the experiences are new to our students. Open conversations about goals and achievement are very helpful to support the work that we are doing at school. As always, do not hesitate to reach out to your students’ school counselor to help your student explore their goals for the future.

Although it does seem counterintuitive, I do find that successful students tend to stay busy, packing their days with a variety of experiences and outlets. Athletics, clubs, part-time employment and healthy social activities are good options to help create a fulfilling high school experience. Morse has over 30 active clubs currently, with more in the early establishment phase. Additionally, our state-of-the-art fitness center is open after school for an hour and a half on most days. Staying active and involved is so important to high school success.

The approaching weeks have many exciting events to be involved in. Morse’s Unified Basketball season is just getting underway. These games are just a wonderful and exciting way to come out and support our students.

The Montgomery Theater is also a busy place this time of the year. Morse is hosting our first musical in decades and the cast and crew are hard at work on a daily basis creating our own rendition of The Addams Family. The directors of the show report that they are making good progress and that the show will be very fun to watch; we have so much talent at Morse! So mark your calendars; The Addams Family will run on April 6th and 7th in the Montgomery Theater.

You may recall that Morse is in the middle of a three-year accreditation process with the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (or NEASC). Morse is in year two of this program, which has been helpful in defining our school goals for the long and short term. As part of this process, we are developing a guiding document that is our Vision of a Graduate to help guide our daily work. Look out for an opportunity to offer feedback on the development of this document this spring.

Spring Parent-Teacher Conferences are just around the corner on March 23rd and 24th. Morse families will receive invitations via email in early March to participate either in-person or online.

As the Morse Class of 2023 starts to formalize their plans for next year, I encourage students to place their finalized plan on the board in Student Services. Whether students are planning to attend a two or four-year school, move directly to the workforce, or enlist into military service, we all love to see your plans!

Our underclassmen are also starting to look ahead; Morse teachers have made recommendations for their current students and individual meetings are occurring between students and their school counselors. The process of turning student requests into a master schedule of courses is a large endeavor; students will have their class schedule for next year before the end of this semester; however, we need to start this process now in order to put all of the pieces together.

Did you hear that Morse was the recipient of a sizable grant to create a health center at Morse? It is true, Morse is partnering with Maine Health and will soon have a part-time health center within the high school. The health center will provide access for an additional social worker and a health care provider. Families will be able to make an appointment for their student to be seen by the Nurse Practitioner within the school for healthcare needs. We are hopeful that this will be another opportunity to remove barriers for students to have access to healthcare. More information will be forthcoming regarding this new program.

We are more than halfway through the school year and the spring semester always moves very quickly. Although it is easy to look ahead to warmer days, don’t forget to enjoy the year before it flies by!

Sincerely,

Eric Varney

evarney@rsu1.org

Hello from the Athletic Department at Morse High School!

We are heading into the winter sports championship season here at Morse! Our swim teams have continued their success with another strong campaign. The boys went 6-0 in the regular season and the girls went 5-1. The boys won the KVAC Class B Championship, their 23rd in school history. The girls finished 2nd overall. Andrew Leighton won co-swimmer of the meet for the boys and Eliza Marco won the award for the girls.

Cheering finished 10th at the MPA Class B State Championship. Our indoor track and field team has had success as well. The girls finished 4th at the KVAC Class B Championship and we have seen numerous individual school records set this year.

Kaidin Webster, Sean Bonzagni, Jacob Ouellette, and Ashford Hays all placed at the regional wrestling championship and qualified for the state championship.

We plan to celebrate our success this winter during the Winter Sports Awards Night, which is scheduled for Thursday, March 9th from 6:00-7:00 PM in the Montgomery Theater.

The spring sports schedule is still being built and our Spring Sports Info Night is on March 13th at 6:30 in the Montgomery Theater. Signups are open. Please click on this link to register: https://www.familyid.com/morse-high-school/spring-2023-athletics-morse-high-school

Athletes must have an updated physical on file in order to participate. Please keep an eye on our Morse Athletics website, where you can find all forms, schedules, addresses for our opponents, boosters information, and more. To take a look at the website, please visit.

Athletics is an extension of the classroom. It is a privilege to participate on a high school sports team. At Morse, we strive to provide the best possible interscholastic athletic experience to student-athletes that we can. Student-athletes who have the privilege of participating on a team learn different skills than what they would in the classroom.

There truly is an extracurricular activity for everyone here at Morse. If sports don’t interest you, I encourage you to become involved in one of the many clubs that are offered. Regardless of what you might want to achieve, I encourage all students to come out and become part of a proud tradition that is the Morse High Shipbuilders!

Please feel free to stop by the Athletic Department office or catch up with me at any of our events throughout the remainder of winter and this spring.

GO SHIPBUILDERS!

Nate Priest

Visit us online: http://bit.ly/MHSstudentservices

Course Registration: School Counselors will be meeting with students on an individual basis for 2023-2024 course registration beginning the week of February 13. Bath Tech applications are available in Student Services and completed applications are due by March 11, 2023.

FAFSA: Seniors are encouraged to complete their 2023-2024 FAFSA online now at www.fafsa.gov Students who complete their FAFSA now increase their chances of accessing grant, scholarship, and need-based financial aid.If you have questions about the FAFSA or about filing procedures, please contact Student Services at 443-8250.

Senior Meetings: Current seniors will meet with their assigned School Counselor beginning the week of April 5th. The purpose of this meeting is to review post-secondary plans. Seniors should bring copies of their financial aid award letters from colleges, a copy of their FAFSA with EFC, and any questions about their post-secondary plans.

Testing for Juniors: All juniors will take the MEA Science Augmentation this spring. Students have been registered for these state-required exams and will receive more information about both closer to the testing dates.

SAT PREP will be provided after school by Mr. Foster. You can also link your Khan Academy account to your College Board account to create free practice sessions that are designed to focus on your areas of concern.

SASSMM: During the months of February and March an educator from Sexual Assault Support Services of Midcoast Maine (SASSMM) will visit grade 10, 11, and 12 classes to highlights the importance of consent in all digital interactions. Students will explore scenarios related to navigating online interactions with peers & strangers and will learn about laws and resources relevant to nude-image sharing." SASSMM educators will discuss these topics in a trauma-informed and age-appropriate way, helping students walk away with new skills & knowledge to navigate conversations or situations relating to consent and sexual violence prevention. SASSMM’s lessons meet key learning requirements set by the Maine Department of Education and serve as part of our student services curriculum. Students will also be able to request a conversation with the SASSMM educator. These conversations will be kept confidential within the limits of mandated reporting. This opportunity is intended to provide an additional avenue of support to students. You can learn more about SASSMM’s work at sassmm.org.

Hands on Botany ~ Plants & Pollinators .5 Credit

This course takes an innovative experiential approach to the cultivation of plants and pollinators. Students will gain foundational information and hands-on experience with classic soil propagation as well as hydroponic and soilless cultivation of horticultural crops through different types of growing systems. Additional topics may include the production of symbiotic fungi, seaweeds, vermiculture (worms), microgreens, cuttings, tissue cultures, and sprouts. Become a steward of local pollinator species and learn how to identify, sustainably harvest, and sow (plant) native plant species. Explore the basic aspects of honey bee ecology through beekeeping. Experience “Bee TV” as you study honey bee behavior, anatomy, and caste systems (jobs within the hive). Students will participate in citizen science projects associated with plants and honey bees in order to create an herbal apothecary garden for honey bees. Learn basic herbal medicine recipes by combining phytochemicals (plant chemistry) with beeswax, and honey. Prerequisites: Completion of or currently enrolled in Biology

Unified Science I and Unified Science II (pending school board approval) .5 credit

The course uses an inquiry and phenomena based approach with an Every Science Every Year curriculum. Orientation and training are provided during the first week of the first semester. This course will provide mentees in the functional life skills program an opportunity to learn life (Biology) and physical science (Chemistry, Physics, and Applied Science) along with peer mentors.

SOCIAL SCIENCES ENRICHMENT OPEN TO ALL GRADE LEVELS

Comparative World Governments (pending school board approval) .5 Credit

World Governments will examine the purpose of government and compare the basic philosophies and structures of government in five countries--the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Nigeria, and the Islamic Republic of Iran (all part of the Advanced Placement Comparative Government curriculum). We will explore the rights and responsibilities of citizenship and the relationship between governments and citizens in each of the places we study. We will look at geography, history, and current issues in each of these places.

ENGLISH ENRICHMENT OPEN TO ALL GRADE LEVELS

Advocacy for Change: Read. Think. Care. Act. (pending school board approval)

.5 credit

In this co-taught English and Library project-based course, students will learn about local, state, national, and global social issues; advocacy for change; and community and civic responsibility. Through reading, research, and self-expression, students will create school and/or community action projects based on personal interests. Students will develop strong voices as writers and become critical thinkers and problem-solvers to promote positive change. They will practice civil discourse and engage in respectful dialogue to encourage life-long community engagement. Possible community action projects might include topics such as LGBTQA+ awareness and inclusion, climate change, animal rights, peer mentorship, antisemitism, racism, support for the elderly, and food and economic insecurity. *Note: Due to the nature of this project-based course, students may repeat the course for additional credit based on teacher approval.

Creative Nonfiction (pending school board approval) .5 Credit

True stories, well told. Creative nonfiction can cover everything from “true crime” to journalistic pieces about contemporary social issues. Students will read across all of these genres to understand how they are considered Creative Nonfiction. Students will also write their own short works of Creative Nonfiction.

Dramatic Literature (pending school board approval) .5 Credit

This elective focuses on reading contemporary plays. Students will read a selection of plays that have been extremely influential in theater over the past 100 years. This includes plays that disrupted the traditional form of theater as well as playwrights who put "radical" topics onstage. Students will read, watch and discuss these scripts.

Indigenous People Storytelling (pending school board approval) .5 Credit

This course is a mix of poetry, novels, and some film/TV. Students will engage in stories from Indigenous writers from across the continent and from a variety of different tribal nations. The class will connect with Wabanaki storytellers, focusing on some of the traditional oral tales of the Wabanaki people here in Maine. How do Indigenous People take ownership and redefine their historical narrative through storytelling?

READ. THINK. CARE. ACT.

How Do Diverse Voices Foster Inclusion and Build Strong, Vibrant Communities?

Morse High School Library is hosting the Maine Humanities Council Discussion Project.

Join us on March 30, from 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm, in Library Classroom 109, for the fourth discussion in this year’s series. The featured book is Living Nations, Living Words: An Anthology of First Peoples Poetry, edited by Joy Harjo, the first Indigenous poet to serve as U.S. Poet Laureate.

The Discussion Project is grounded in compelling readings that invite reflection on the topic of inclusion and building a strong community. Hilary Eslinger, our discussion facilitator, will guide the discussion.

Plastic Bottle Caps and Lids Needed

The Morse High School Library is collecting plastic bottle caps and lids (food and home products) for a student and community collaborative mural project. This art project is sponsored by our Unified Literacy class.

We need your help. Please save your washed caps and lids for this upcycle art initiative. Caps and lids can be dropped off at the Morse Library. Every cap and lid counts! Thank you!

Serving students for 15 years, the Morse High School Food Pantry is located in the Library.

We are in need of canned goods and snack foods (individually packaged). If you would like to donate to the Morse High School Food Pantry, the following is a list of suggested food items:

• Applesauce

• Canned Fruit

• Canned Vegetables

• Pretzels

• Nutri-Grain® Bars

• Granola Bars

• Peanut Butter Crackers

• Goldfish®

• Cheez-Its®

• Animal Crackers

Questions? Please contact Dawn Lee (dlee@rsu1.org) or Brenda Fagan (bfagan@rsu1.org), Morse High School Library, 443-8250, extension 1080. Thank you!

Congratulations to the following Concert Choir singers who auditioned and were accepted to the District Three Honors Festival! The festival took place the last weekend of January at Mt. Ararat HS, in the Orion Theater. Kiley Bouchard and Abigail Hinds sang Alto in the Treble Choir, singing with a group of 75 other High School students from the surrounding area. Connor Chatfield and Keith Libby also participated as Bass singers in the Honors Mixed Choir under the direction of Dr. Dewan from the University of Maine music department. We are proud of their accomplishments!

Please mark your calendars for the following concerts coming up in the Montgomery Theater in March and April. On Wednesday, March 1st, various musical groups and soloists will be performing at the annual Fine Arts Night. Groups performing include the Rock Band, Jazz Band, the Musical Theater class singing selections from Mamma Mia and a few selections from the upcoming Addams Family Musical as a preview. On April 12th, the annual Jazz Night will take place featuring groups such as the Mixed Choir and the Morse Jazz Band. We would love to see a theater full of music-loving Shipbuilders to support our performers!

Congratulations to Alexis Keifer for being a 2023 Scholastic Art Award winner this year. Scholastic offers students all over the country an opportunity to submit their work against peers in their region. This year there were approximately 800 submissions to the very competitive competition. Only 5-7% of submissions may receive Gold Keys. Our very own Alexis won not only a Gold Key for her Intaglio print titled “Watching the Birds”, but she also won 3 Silver awards for drawings and digital work she submitted. We are so lucky to have an artist as talented as Alexis in our school and encourage all the other art students to consider submitting their own work next year.

Maria Morris has been teaching for 17 years, and 15 of them have been at Morse High School as the JMG Specialist. She attended college at SMCC, UMF and UNE.

Maria is married with two grown step-daughters and four grandchildren. Her two favorite names are Mrs. Morris and Gram! In her spare time she enjoys reading, yoga, photography, and hiking. She loves to travel--exploring and experiencing new places.

When asked what she loves about teaching, this was Maria’s response. “I enjoy being with students and watching them evolve. Each step forward they make is a cause for celebration. I also enjoy connecting my students to businesses, both for profit and non-profit, and opening them up to opportunities they never considered.”

John Dever has been teaching since 2000 and has been teaching at Morse High School since 2019 in the Social Studies department. He attended college at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

John has two sons, one who has graduated from Morse and one in the class of 2023 at Morse. He enjoys traveling and his favorite places he has been to are Ireland, Paris, and Quebec City. John likes to sketch and read, and he enjoys board games. His favorite food is Indian food.

When asked what he loves about teaching, this was John’s response. “I love working with young people. It is great to get to know the students and hear their views on the subjects that I have been learning about my whole life.”

On January 21, Morse Debate traveled to Bangor to participate in the Maine State Debate and Speech Championships. The Public Forum team of Eric Ensel & Olivia Drewniak (both MHS 2026) debated the topic of whether American diplomatic efforts in West Asia should be increased to facilitate peaceful resolution of conflict. Due to decreased participation due to the pandemic, the Public Forum division was collapsed into a “varsity” level. Simply stated, this year our public forum duo was competing against teams with significantly more experience. In early January at Cape Elizabeth, Eric & Olivia won half their rounds, losing only to the two teams that debated for the state championship last year.

Joining the fray after running for Morse Cross-Country, Ren Kauffunger (2026) competed in the Lincoln Douglas (Novice) division on the topic of whether justice requires open borders for human migration. Ren was fully prepared to debate both sides of this resolution, not an easy task. Ren’s special gift is his ability to research important topics…He was perusing the internet to find which local eateries featured two-star Michelin ratings (as we pulled into Mickey Dees).

I started the current incarnation of Morse Debate in 2000-’01…During the years 2008-2021, my original assistant Larry Bartlett took over the reins of Morse Debate in my absence. During that time I was honored to assist him occasionally, usually helping him fill his judge quota at State Championships. In September 2021, Larry started the smooth transition of Morse Debate back to me. Larry provided invaluable help with the technical end of things, as competition was virtual and I am a Luddite. My only goal this year was to not really mess up…

Aurora Guzzetti (2025)...Last year, Aurora represented Morse in the final round of the L-D Novice State Championship. She lost a 2-1 split decision ballot. This year, I humbly offered her advice and verified that her arguments were solid and logically complete. During this year’s final round, I paced like an expectant father…It was and is my distinct honor to announce that Morse High School’s newest State Champion is Aurora Guzzetti.

JUDGES!!! Next year, I would love to double this team to eight debaters. That simply will not happen unless I can convince a few other adult members of the Morse community to join our team. Back in the “olden days”, there were judges available for hire at tournaments (former debaters/college students)...Sadly, that availability is now rare. Interested individuals have seven or eight months to consider this request. Pay is nonexistent, and we always play on Saturday, but benefits include: free breakfast and lunch depending on the host school, and watching some of the most eloquent, engaged, intelligent young people you’ve ever encountered. FREE TRAINING! You will never judge a MHS student. You will not be expected to serve for two decades like Larry Bartlett did, honest!

I’m easy to find here at Morse…jhahn@rsu1.org.

Mark your calendars!

Morse Drama presents The Addams Family!

Book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice

Music and Lyrics by Andrew Lippa

April 7th and 8th, 2023 at 7pm

Montgomery Theater, Morse High School

Tickets: $5 for students / $10 for adults.

Help support Morse Drama's production of The Addams Family! A musical (the first at Morse in years) is a big undertaking and we are looking for volunteers to help with set building, set painting, sewing costumes and finding props. If you are interested, please email Sarah Coleman at scoleman@rsu1.org. If you or your business is interested in supporting the production by buying an ad in the program, please email sforeman@rsu1.org.

Wondering what CPP has been up to? Check out their January newsletter!

Have you started the Let’s Go! Move More Challenge? There is still plenty of time to join the MOVEment! Get moving with us and earn a free ticket to a 2023 Portland Sea Dogs game.

Need ideas on how to get one hour of physical activity in each day? We can help.

• Check out our tips to understand how to achieve your goal.
• Visit out our website for information about the benefits of movement and individual needs.

We hope you will join us and Move More! Make sure to follow Let’s Go! 5-2-1-0 on Facebook!

To the Class of 2023,

The Bath High School Alumni Association would like to wish you the very best as you finish the remaining weeks at Morse High School.

We are proud to be one of the oldest and largest active High School Alumni Associations in the United States. This year, the Association will be celebrating its 132nd Alumni Weekend.

We are excited to invite you to the Senior Tea on May 18th from 5:00-6:00 PM in the Culinary Cafe. This year marks the 70th anniversary of this traditional graduation kick off event. We will send out an electronic invitation in late April with a link to RSVP. All seniors are encouraged to attend and to invite your mother and/or grandmother.

Alumni Weekend June 9, 10, 11

Check out the store window displays downtown decorated by the classes celebrating their 5 year reunions and the senior class is also invited to participate.

Friday, June 9th

Early Friday morning the Morse band will kick off the "Blue and White Golf Classic" hosted by the 50-year Class of 1973, at the Bath Country Club. Seniors awarded Morse High School Scholarships will also be recognized during the opening ceremony.

Saturday, June 10th

We encourage everyone to register for the Shipbuilder Sprint at 8:30 AM. The event is open to anyone young and old, walking or running. All proceeds go to the BHSAA to assist with banquet costs. (We're working on getting the registration link up and running-check bathalumni.org for updates)

The Alumni Room will be open from 10:00 AM -12:00 PM to visit our collection of Morse Memorabilia. We will be offering guided tours and this is a great opportunity to bring your extended family to show off the new school. The Alumni store will be open to purchase BHSAA merchandise.

Saturday night we will be hosting the 132nd Annual Alumni Banquet and you are invited to be our honored guests. The evening will be one you will never forget - a "must do" Senior year event! We look forward to introducing you to our eldest alumnus in attendance, the classes celebrating their reunions and officially welcoming you into the Association.

The Banquet will be held in the Morse High School Gymnasium. The banquet starts at 5:00 PM, and we ask seniors to arrive by 4:30 PM. You will be escorted as a group into the gym to take your place as our newest members. We will have tickets available at the Senior Tea and they will be available in the office after the 18th. Parents wishing to attend the banquet can purchase banquet tickets at the tea or on line. We hope to see you at the Banquet. You’ll get to see first hand what Morse High PRIDE is all about, and you’ll also see that no matter what you do, no matter where you roam, for Alumni Weekend, you can always come home!

The weekend will be full of events for all Morse graduates and guests from near and far. For a complete schedule and FMI, check out our website bathalumni.org or find us on Facebook - Bath High School Alumni Association.

Please call 443-8250 (option 1) to speak with the Attendance Secretary, Heidi Levasseur. You may also send an email to hlevasseur@rsu1.org.

February 20-24: School Vacation Week

March 1: Fine Arts Night @ 6 PM

March 17: Professional Development Day, no school for students

March 23: Parent/Teacher Conferences, ½ day of school

March 24: Parent/Teacher Conferences, ½ day of school

March 30: Career & College Fair

March 31: Mid-semester grades close

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