HT Newsletter of May 9, 2008

Principal’s Corner
It’s hard to believe, but we’re actually heading into the home stretch of the 2007-2008 school year! The coming weeks are filled with activities here at school, field trips, and continued academic expectations. Can we really be busier than we’ve been all year?

Of course, with Spring come school budgets, a difficult, sometimes heart-wrenching process. Our “new” road to budget approval is a two-step process.

At this point, HT has a 4-year old program (with a teacher and an EdTech to be hired to run the program) in the works for next year and another 3rd grade class. We have maintained a very reasonable budget for our school as a whole. Your willingness to attend the validation and referendum meetings may be what makes or breaks our plans. Please consider making time in your busy schedules to be part of this democratic process that decides the funds available for your child’s education.

Let me just share a few quotes about this privilege called voting:

“We preach the virtues of democracy abroad. We must practice its duties here at home. Voting is the first duty of democracy.” Lyndon B. Johnson

“An American will cross the ocean to fight for democracy but won’t cross the street to vote in a national election.” Harry S. Truman

Voter: “I wouldn’t vote for you if you were St. Peter himself!”
Candidate: “If I were St. Peter, you wouldn’t be in my district!”

“The number one problem in our country is apathy - but no one seems to care.”

Please care about the budgeting process for MSAD # 11 and vote!
Donna McGibney

Dates to Remember

May
11th: Happy Mother’s Day!
13th: Grade 4 to Farnsworth Museum, 8:30 - 2:00
13th: Rehearsal for K-2 concert in gym, 10:00
13th: K-2 Spring Concert at HTS, 2:00
13th: PTA meeting, 6:30
16th: District Art Show at GAHS 3:30-7:30
17th: Peter Pan Fair
20th: Grade 5 to Chewonki
20th: Orientation for new K-students, 6:00 - 6:30
21st: Fifth Grade band to HS rehearsal, 9:00-11:00
21st: Early Release - students dismissed at 12:30
23rd: Hampstead Players visit HTS
26th: No school - Memorial Day
27th: Budget Validation at GAHS, 7:00 pm
28th: Title 1 parent breakfast
28th: Fifth Grade band to HS rehearsal, 9:00 - 11:00
28th: District-wide All Bands Concert at GAHS, 7:00
29th: Mrs. Jessop’s class play, 6:00 pm

June
3rd: PTA meeting, 6:30
4th: Grade 4 Lighthouse field trip
5th: Officer Phil visits K-4, 10:45
6th: K to D.E.W. Animal Farm, 9:30 - 1:30
10th: District Budget Vote

MSAD 11 Arts Extravaganza
The Best of the Best Art Work by K-12 students of MSAD11 will be on exhibit in the
Gardiner Area High School Cafeteria
on Friday, May 16th, 3:00-7:30

Fifth Grade Fundraiser
It’s our last chance to help the 5th graders as they raise funds for their field trip to Chewonki. Thanks so much to all of you who have supported their popcorn sales, bake sales and 50/50 raffle to date. The last opportunity to provide your support is to bring your returnable bottles to Tiger Town and ask that the proceeds be donated to HTS 5th graders. They will accept bottles through the end of May -- and every little bit helps!

PTA News
It’s crunch time for the Peter Pan Fair! Every contribution is appreciated. This is a highlight for HTS students so let’s work together to make the 58th annual fair the best one yet.

Keep the Peter Pan Fair checklist handy as a reminder to try and sell raffle tickets, make cakes and other contributions for the dessert cafe, send in non-perishable food with your child, and dig up those perennials to share in the plant room. We’re looking forward to an excellent day and hope to see you on May 17th.

Join us for a PTA meeting on Tuesday, May 13th at 6:30 for fair planning and getting ready to nominate PTA officers for the next school year. Call Susan at 582-8658 of you have any PTA questions.

Get Ready for the Peter Pan Fair!
Saturday, May 17

Grocery Raffle - The P.T.A. is once again having the grocery raffle at the Peter Pan Fair. We are now collecting non-perishable food items. The class that collects the most grocery items will win a prize.

White Elephant Table - We are now accepting donations for our White Elephant Table at the Peter Pan Fair. Good quality books, toys, kitchen items, pictures, glassware, etc. are welcome. Keep us in mind when doing your spring cleaning!

Plant Room - Each year the Peter Pan Fair features a Plant Room. If you have some plants you would like to donate or you know of someone who will donate plants, please contact Pat Goggin at the Thompson School. We need all kinds of indoor, outdoor, flowering, and vegetable plants to sell. We also have a perennial table (plants that come up every year). Please keep us in mind when you are working in your gardens this spring!

Raffle Ticket Sales - Please send a note to school if you are in need of more raffle tickets to sell. Tickets are $1.00 each or 6 for $5.00. As always, there are lots of great prizes that you could win, as well as prizes for our top sellers!

MSAD 11 Budget Process
Please mark your calendars for these important steps in
the budget process:

Tuesday, May 27th, 7:00 pm at the GAHS gym -
Budget Validation Meeting
MSAD 11 residents are encouraged to attend this meeting and vote on each budget article.

Tuesday, June 10th -
Referendum Vote
MSAD 11 residents visit their local polling places to vote.
Be sure to cast your ballot at the West Gardiner Fire Station.

“Big Cat” Field Hockey Clinic
at Gardiner Area High School
for students entering grades 2-8
June 23rd - 26th, 8:30 - 2:00
Interested students can pick up information in HTS lobby. (This is not an MSAD 11 sponsored event.)

Rotary Club Rail Trail Walk-a-thon
The Rotary Club of Gardiner will hold its first annual Kennebec Rail Trail Walk-a-thon on Saturday, May 17th. Regisration begins at 9:30am at the Gardiner Hannaford Parking Lot. All participants will be bused to Hallowell to begin the 4-mile walk back to Gardiner. The walk will begin promptly at 10:30am. Pledge forms will be available for anyone who has not received a form prior to the walk. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. A minimum of $20.00 is required for registration. Conact Dale Staples at 582-8458 or dalestaples03@aol.com for more information or for a pledge sheet. All proceeds will go to the Rotary Club of Gardiner Scholarship Fund. (This is not an MSAD 11 sponsored event.)