The Navigator - December 2024

December 23-January 1: Holiday Break - No School

January 20: MLK Jr Day - No School

January 21-24: Midterm Exams

January 24: Semester 1 grades close

I hope that this edition of the Navigator finds you well on the last week before the holiday break. This time of the year is always exciting, but also a bit stressful for students and staff members. This season feels particularly quick, with only three weeks between breaks.

Winter athletics are in full swing, with season openers occurring across all programs last week and this week. Student involvement in winter athletics is higher than we have had in recent years and we are looking forward to successful seasons in swimming, basketball, wrestling, indoor track/field, and hockey. Go Shipbuilders!

Morse Music had a wonderful winter concert last week, with outstanding performances from our chorus, symphonic band, and musical theater groups. Congratulations to these musicians and vocalists and a special thank you to Sandy Foreman, our choral director, and Matthew Gordon, our band director. The theater program has already held auditions for the spring musical, Puffs, and rehearsals are underway. Theater Director, Sarah Coleman, is looking forward to an uplifting, funny, and entertaining play. This will be a departure from the full-scale musical that we have conducted during the last two school years, giving students an opportunity to participate in a different type of production that is focused on the acting components of the production.

The conclusion of semester 1 will be here before we know it. When we return from holiday break we will have a little more than two weeks before our midterm exams. It is not too early to start talking to your students about these exams and even starting to review material from the semester. Teachers will review exam materials and format in class after we return from holiday break; it is helpful to ask your students about their exam preparation plans at home as well. Here is the exam schedule:

• Every Morse class will meet at the designated time on schedule for an exam or culminating activity for the semester.

• Attendance is only required by students when they have an exam. Students who have a study hall or GP are not required to attend.

• Students must remain in their class for the entire exam block, even if they complete their exam early. Please do not call to dismiss your student unless it is absolutely necessary.

• The building must remain quiet during this week of testing. Students who are not in an exam block have the following options:

• Leave school grounds

• Go to the 1st floor student commons and check-in with study hall monitor

• Go to the library and check-in with library staff

• Students may not stay in the halls or upstairs student commons during an exam block

• The first day of exams includes three scheduled sessions. No student is required to take three exams on one day; however, students must speak with their teachers to make a plan to reschedule one of these exams before the day of the exam.

• In the event of a snow day during exam week, the schedule will be pushed-back. Example: Wednesday snow day = Wednesday schedule on Thursday, Thursday schedule on Friday, etc.

• Buses will run normal morning and afternoon schedules on Tuesday - Friday. In addition to the normal morning and afternoon buses, First Student and Bath Bus will offer a 12:30 bus to each town (except Woolwich, Arrowsic, and Phippsburg) on Wednesday and a 11:30 bus to each town on Thursday and Friday.

I wish you all a happy and restful holiday break.

Eric Varney

Principal

Please call 443-8250 (option 1) to leave a message with the Attendance Secretary. You may also send an email to Ms. Orr at korr@rsu1.org.

LincolnHealth’s School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs) are permanent health centers within schools offering convenient and confidential primary health services including integrated medical and behavioral health and prevention services. They are a collaboration between the school, the community and LincolnHealth. SBHCs may also provide care to school staff.

SBHCs are staffed by licensed behavioral health clinicians, nurse practitioners, certified medical assistants and a physician serving medical director.

To enroll: LincolnHealth School Based Health Center Enrollment Form - Formstack

FREE COVID TESTS AVAILABLE! To request an appointment: Call 207-443-8250, stop into one of our office locations, or click the link LincolnHealth School Based Health Center Appointments - Formstack

The students in the Credit Pathways Program (CPP) have been investigating the brain/body connection, brain development, and our nervous systems. In our interdisciplinary investigation, we have also explored healthy coping strategies and opportunities for connection and wellness in our community.

On December 6th, Courtney McDonald, owner of Ebb and Flow Yoga studio, welcomed our class to participate in two yoga sessions. We are so grateful to Courtney for donating her time and space to our students so that we could experience yoga in an actual studio. The students felt that the studio space was very calming and immediately noticed the physical and mental benefits of practicing restorative yoga. Thank you, Courtney!

SEED (Students Empowered to End Dependency) is an organization the students in CPP have been collaborating with. The organizers of SEED are participating in an upcoming webinar, entitled Cannabis Use in Adolescence: What Parents Need to Know, on December 17th. For more information and to register, please click here.

Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic by Matt Cox.

For seven years a certain boy wizard went to a certain Wizard School and conquered evil. This, however, is not his story. This is the story of the Puffs... who just happened to be there too. A tale for anyone who has never been destined to save the world.

Performances are Friday, March 21 and Saturday, March 22, 2025

If any of our community members are interested in helping with set construction, costumes, props, box office, programs, etc. please reach out to Sarah Coleman (scoleman@rsu1.org). Morse Drama would love your help!

Gentle Yoga & Relaxation for YOU, RSU1 Parents!

149 Front Street Ebb & Flow Yoga

Please email Johnna Stanton:

jstanton@rsu1.org to reserve your spot

Mondays 5:00-5:45 PM

January 6, 13, 20, 27 and February 3

You will receive a mat & blocks to keep at the first session.

There is some childcare available; first come first serve

All available clothes have been washed cleaned and are FREE. Need something? Swing by Room 615 and check it out.

If you'd like to donate to our Clothing Closet, please reach out to Charlie Bingham at cbingham@rsu1.org or Jonathan Fisk at jfisk@rsu1.org.

Two options for ordering a yearbook:

• Online through Jostens until February 28, 2025
• Cash/Check made payable to Morse High School by visiting Mrs. Barter in the Health Center

SCLC was busy in December. Between various fund-raising activities and generous contributions from the Bath Police Department’s Benevolent Fund, we were able to sponsor a couple of RSU 1 families via Adopt-A-Family. To add to the seasonal excitement, several of our members were able to join the Unified Literacy group in going to Augusta to put wreaths on veterans’ graves for Wreaths Across America. Once again, great leadership was displayed by this group of Morse leaders!

​As we look ahead to 2025 we are busy making plans for all of the Alumni events in June. Reunion classes are booking event spaces, reaching out to classmates near and far, and we look forward to welcoming the Class of 2025 to our 134 year old Alumni Association.

From the "Ship's hold" aka the archives: Our latest project in the archives has been capturing class lists from graduation programs dating back to 1894. We have programs that date back prior to 1894, however, they did not list the graduates in the programs prior to that date. Visit bathalumni.org, class statistics page for a link to the lists.

We are missing programs from 1900, 1902, 1910, 1914, 1977, 1978, and 1981. If you have access to any of these years we would be grateful for the original or a high resolution digital copy of the entire program.

FMI contact morsealumni@gmail.com.

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