Lynx tracks The Newsletter of the Lincolnville Central School

http://www.fivetowns.net/lcs

February 28, 2020

Volume X, Issue #18

Dates to Remember:

03-06 - After School Skiing 03-11 – PTO Meeting 03-12 – Early Release – Parent/Teacher Conferences • Our doors open early.

• Busses arrive by 8:20 AM.

• Classes begin at 8:30 AM.

• Our school day ends at 3:00 PM

• Staff members are here before and after school and are happy to set up times to meet with students and parents.

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Intercultural Opportunities at CHRHS for 2020-2021 The CHRHS Intercultural Program will host an informational meeting for all parents and students on Tuesday, March 17, at 6:00 pm in the CHRHS Lecture Hall, to introduce intercultural opportunities for the 2020-2021 school year and beyond. After a brief overview of the program as a whole, information will be available regarding specific programs, including overseas exchanges and cultural trips, that will be available next year. At this time, the Five Town CSD Board has approved renewals of our regular exchanges with Edinburgh Academy in Scotland (host during fall 2020; travel to Scotland during fall 2021) and Gregor-Mendel Gymnasium in

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Maine Delegation Calls on Department of Education to Reverse $1.2 Million Cut for Maine’s Rural, Low-Income Schools Washington, D.C.—In response to the Department of Education’s decision to cut $1.2 million from Maine’s rural, low-income schools made available through the Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP), U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden sent a letter to Secretary Betsy DeVos urging her to restore this vital funding. Senator Collins coauthored the law creating REAP in 2002 as well as the reauthorization in 2015. REAP established the Rural Low-Income Schools Program (RLIS), which is critical to ensuring rural districts are able to overcome the unique challenges associated with geographic isolation and poverty. Last year, 149 Maine schools were eligible for the RLIS program, but an abrupt decision by the Department of Education to change its criteria will eliminate from eligibility more than 100 of those schools in Maine. Senator Collins first raised this problem with the Secretary of Education last week. “We are writing to express our strong opposition to the decision by the Department of Education to alter the eligibility determination of the Rural Low-Income Schools Program (RLIS) this year,” Senators Collins and King and Representatives Pingree and Golden wrote. “This change in methodology, implemented without consultation or prior notice, will reduce significantly the number of Maine school

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districts eligible to receive funding under the RLIS program and result in a $1.2 million reduction in funding. We are deeply concerned about the significant and sudden financial strain that this change will impose on Maine’s rural schools and students and urge the Department to prevent these cuts from taking effect.” For 16 years, Maine has qualified for RLIS because the Department of Education has measured school district poverty levels by the percentage of students receiving free lunch. Although free lunch data is an important measure of poverty for rural districts, this year, the Department decided that it will no longer allow Maine to use this data to determine eligibility for the RLIS program. The Lincolnville Central School has received funding from this program for the past sixteen years and was scheduled to receive a grant of roughly $16,000,00 next school year.

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Germany (travel during Summer 2021; host during fall 2021). Several other potential opportunities are awaiting Board approval and will hopefully be ready to present at the meeting on March 17. Parents or students who would like further information, or who cannot attend the meeting on March 17, may contact Mr. Tom Gray, Intercultural Program Coordinator, at tom.gray@fivetowns.net.

Coming to the Camden Opera House Saturday, “The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Other Eric Carle March 7, at 3 p.m.: Favorites,” featuring innovative black-light puppetry and evocative original music! Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia's unique adaptations of children's literature have delighted more than five million young people in 16 countries on four continents. This production includes three beloved stories: “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”; “Little Cloud”; and “The Mixed-Up Chameleon.” Adapted, designed and directed by Jim Morrow, with music by Steven Naylor and narration by Gordon Pinsent, the hour-long hit show has had presentations in Dutch, English, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, French and Mandarin. No-fee tickets are $17 for adults/$8 for kids age 6 to 18/$2 for younger children in advance; $20/$10/$2 day-of-show, available at camdenoperahouse.com, by calling 236-3154 and at box office an hour before show time. Owl & Turtle will have Carle books for sale.

Grades 3-6 attended a performance at the Strand Theater. Jazzy Ash and the Leapin' Lizards provided great music, including a song in French Creole, as well as information about the culture and history of New Orleans and its jazz music. Students (and teachers) were invited to dance and sing along, and many did just that.

TikTok and The High of an Audience

Recently I was with a teen who was jumping up and down as she exclaimed how she now had 10,000 followers and some 400,000 views on a video she had posted on TikTok. What does this increased chance of quickly getting a massive number of followers and views mean for our youth? Could it be that soon, 10,000 will lose its power, just like the once exciting 100 views did in the past? Or maybe not — maybe even if it is common, we will all be seduced by the high of a truly impressive sense of eyeballs on what we are doing. Being seen does feel good. Teens tell me that being seen (getting views and likes) makes them feel appreciated. They say that if so many people see what they post, it implies that what they are doing is worth the other person’s time — and that can feel great. What are the upsides and downsides of striving for online attention? Why do some kids and teens spend so much time posting for online attention while others do not? Today I'm sharing two stories of teens that I think will make for good conversations with young people in your lives. Both of these teens talk about the pros and cons of getting attention online. A high school girl’s views on the pros and cons of online attention Taylor Fang, a senior girl at Logan High School in Utah, recently won a writing contest. MIT Technology Review asked people 18 and under to respond to this question: "What do adults not know about my generation and technology?" Fang writes, "Social-media platforms are among our only chances to create and shape our sense of self. Social media makes us feel seen. In our ‘Instagram biographies,' we curate a line of emojis that feature our passions: skiing, art, debate, racing. We post our greatest achievements and celebrations. We create fake "Finsta" accounts to share our daily moments and vulnerabilities with close friends." She goes on to say, "When I got my first social-media account in middle school, about a year later than many of my classmates, I was primarily looking to fit in. Yet I soon discovered the sugar rush of likes and comments on my pictures. My life mattered! ...I was looking not only for validation, but also for a way to represent myself. ...Our selfies aren't just pictures; they represent our ideas of self. Only through "reimagining" the selfie as a meaningful mode of self-representation can adults understand how and why teenagers use social media." Fang then writes about the cons of her online life. She says, "Yet by high school, this cycle of presenting polished versions of myself grew tiring... I was tired of adhering to hypervisible social codes and tokens." So for her, she started to do more things to foster her self identity like creative writing. A high school boy’s experience of the pros and cons of online attention Not long ago, I read in The New York Times another teen's story about getting attention online. A 15-year-old boy from Pennsylvania, Rowan Winch, had been an avid social media user since middle school. He had big followings on several accounts, including his Instagram account @Zuccccccccccc with 1.2 million followers. It took many hours a day to create these accounts – he started at 6 am, continued on the school bus, between classes, at lunch, during study hall, he would keep his social media empire running with new, memes, images and videos trying to get to 100 posts a day. Rowen’s primary motivation for building these popular sites was to develop his "clout." He explained to the reporter that this social currency is useful in ways like opening doors for jobs, getting internships, meeting a potential girlfriend, and more. Another benefit Rowen discussed was the money generated from ads hosted on his accounts from other teens looking to garner more followers. Some months he made as much as $10K. A third reason he said he loved the attention was "with @Zuccccccccccc, it felt like I had a purpose and was doing something that benefited a lot of people". We, parents, worry about the many downsides of a story like this i.e., Rowan’s life was ruled by his obsession with clout, he wasn’t interacting much in person with people, mostly just online, and the list goes on. The news story highlighted another big downside of Rowan's story, which was he was completely dependent upon one company. If that company suddenly decided to stop his accounts, there might be nothing he could do. That happened. One night he was trying to refresh his @Zuccccccccccc account when he got a message that it had been disabled. Instagram gave no reason other than the vague notice that he was “violating a policy.” Rowan was devastated when his account shut down. "A lot of my friends think I've become depressed, and I think that's right," Rowan said. "I've been feeling insecure about a lot of things, like how I look and act and talk. I talk a lot less than I used to. I'm a lot less confident. Losing my account is the main reason I feel like this." These teen stories bring up rich discussion points. So much of why teens are driven to post stems from this very basic human need to be seen. This reality warrants talking about personal values. For instance, what ways of being seen align with one’s core beliefs and which ones do not? As a society, how do we feel that we direct so much attention to people in entertainment, and far less to those who do amazing things to help people and help the planet, for example?

BE A ����� OF NATURE __________________________________________ Come as you are. Become part of a unique team of girls. Unlock your amazing poten9al. Join Heart & Sole, an a?er school program for 6th to 8th graders where you can cul9vate your strengths and be your best self. How it Works

At Heart & Sole, we provide you with the tools and the space you

need to help you learn more about yourself, explore new ideas,

meet other girls as unique as you, and develop skills that will help

you now and in the future.

What to Expect Heart & Sole focuses on the five key parts of who you are: your

body, brain, heart, spirit, and how you connect with others. Learn

more about yourself as you work on communicaCng your goals

through exercises and discussions that help you reflect on who you

want to be and where you want to go.

Running At Heart & Sole, you can run, walk or skip…as long as you’re moving

forward. Our goal is for each girl to learn, have fun, and challenge

herself – which looks differently for everyone! The season

concludes with a Girls on the Run 5k, an event that celebrates

everything that you’ve accomplished.

Lincolnville Central School (Girls from all area middle schools are welcome!) Start Date: March 16 10 weeks, excluding April vacation Mondays 3:15 pm – 5:15 pm Site Contact: Caroline Moore Caroline.moore@girlsontherun.org

Note: I’ve talked with

Coach Morse, who is

more than happy to have

girls parCcipate in Heart

and Sole on Mondays

(you’ll be running, aTer

all!), and join for track

the rest of the week.

Register Here: Girlsontherunmaine.org Program Fee offered on a sliding scale from $20-$145

Our full registration fee is

$145, however, through

our fundraising efforts,

we offer financial

assistance based on

annual household income

as part of your registraCon.

The sliding scale can be

viewed on our website:

hWps://www.girlsontherun

maine.org/Financial-

Assistance

DATES:Tuesdays, March 17 - April 7

TIME:3:00 - 4:00 p.m.

LOCATION:Lincolnville Central School,523 Hope Rd, Lincolnville

COST:$20 for 4 sessions

(Family discounts and scholarships available upon request)

REGISTER BY MARCH 16:journeytohealth.coursestorm.com

or call 301-3950

Just for Kids Yoga

Traditionally, children are introduced to yoga through stories, songs and games. We will continue this practice in a four-week class, where your children will move in and out of yoga poses while exploring stories that teach us about happiness, anger,love and much more. This class is appropriate for children ages 6 - 11.

Pen Bay Medical Center | Waldo County General Hospital

DATES:Thursdays, March 19 - April 9

TIME:3:00 - 4:00 p.m.

LOCATION:Lincolnville Central School,523 Hope Rd, Lincolnville

COST:$20 for 4 sessions

(Family discounts and scholarships available upon request)

REGISTER BY MARCH 18:journeytohealth.coursestorm.com

or call 301-3950

Just for Kids Yoga

Traditionally, children are introduced to yoga through stories, songs and games. We will continue this practice in a four-week class, where your children will move in and out of yoga poses while exploring stories that teach us about happiness, anger,love and much more. This class is appropriate for children ages 6 - 11.

Pen Bay Medical Center | Waldo County General Hospital