By students of the Pequawket Valley Alternative School

FRYEBURG — In May of 2012, 12 students and the two faculty from the Pequawket Valley Alternative School at Fryeburg Academy planted over 2,500 trees and shrubs in the Ossipee Pine Barrens in Bartlett.

This year the class received the report that 86 percent of the plants had survived the year; an amazingly high survival rate for any new planting.

This spring, Wink Lees, of The Nature Conservancy, called alternative education director Dede Frost to see if the group would be interested in planting another 1,000 trees in the Pine Barrens again this year.

The group was undaunted by another planting project.

"We planted more than twice as many last year, we can certainly plant a thousand trees," said senior Gus Mailo.

So for six days, under the supervision of Lees and Ryan Bushnell of Burnt Meadow Nursery, the group travelled to the Ossipee Pine Barrens where they dug, composted, planted, watered and mulched one thousand pitch pines. The group also mulched several self seeded plants in the area in hopes of increasing their chances of survival as well.

"Some of us did this last year so we already know how to do it and we can show the rest of the class. It's really not that hard, it just has to be done right," said Carissa Bumbacca, a returning junior in the program.

"We've worked really well together on other community service projects this year, so it wasn't hard to figure out an effective plan to get the job done" added senior Donny Piawlock.

In addition to the reforestation project in the Pine Barrens this spring, the students of the Pequawket Valley Alternative School travelled to Union Beach, New Jersey in April to participate in a disaster relief effort after Hurricane Sandy, and have continued to maintain the children's play park Bretton's Woods, abutting the athletes fields at Fryeburg Academy.

John Allen (left) was honored recently for his commitment to education. (COURTESY PHOTO)CONCORD – White Mountains Community College and the Community College System of NH (CCSNH) recently honored John Allen, a teacher at Kennett High School for his work promoting the Running Start program, a partnership between the Community College System and New Hampshire high schools that enables high school juniors and seniors to get a jump start on their college education.

The award was presented May 3 at a ceremony in Concord by Congresswoman Ann McLane Kuster and Community College System leaders.

Allen, who is also a selectman for the Town of Jackson, has taught mathematics for over 25 years and was selected for his commitment to the program including teaching courses, engaging teachers and administrators in the program, and encouraging students to benefit from the program's educational and economic opportunities.

Running Start is an enrollment partnership that enables high school students to take courses at their schools that satisfy both high school and college requirements.

Course credits through the Running Start program are accepted at NH's community colleges, as well as many other colleges and universities in and outside New Hampshire. Each course costs just $150, providing substantial savings to NH students and their families from the cost of a college education. 71 New Hampshire public high schools participate in the Running Start program, which has grown to over 5,000 course enrollments annually.

Congresswoman Kuster, CCSNH Board Chairman Paul Holloway and System Chancellor Ross Gittell presented the awards, with NH Department of Education Commissioner Virginia Barry in attendance.

"There has never been a more important time for the Running Start program," Holloway said. "With the budget challenges faced by public education, finding strategies to make college affordable for our New Hampshire students is critical. Running Start enables students and their families to save thousands from the cost of college."

The Community College System of NH consists of seven colleges, offering associate degree and certificate programs, professional training, and transfer pathways to four-year degrees. The system's colleges are Great Bay Community College in Portsmouth; Lakes Region Community College in Laconia; Manchester Community College; Nashua Community College; NHTI – Concord's Community College; River Valley Community College in Claremont and Keene; and White Mountains Community College in Berlin and Littleton.

FRYEBURG — The Fryeburg Academy Class of 2013 Awards were held last week. Award winners were as follows:

The Bill Sayles Award — Patrick Moody

The Oliver Award — Van Tuong Nguyen

Senator George J. Mitchell – Michelle Boucher

The Rachel M. Osgood Scholarship — Mahina Gardener

The Richard Denney Scholarship — Tyler Saunders

Susan Souther Page English Medal — Kiley Jolicoeur

Elizabeth W. Tinker Prize – History — Allie Gagnon

Elizabeth W. Tinker Prize - Math — Yueyi Sun

George Haley Prize — Logan Gerchman

Major Clayton Warren Pike and Margaret E. Pike Science Prize — Yueyi Sun

Elizabeth W. Tinker Prize - French — Shannon Friberg

The Priscilla Higgins Merrifield French Award — Catherine Gillette

Walter A. Robinson Classical Prize — Isaac Rader

The Fryeburg Academy Spanish Award — Kendra Fox and Kallie Moulton

Elizabeth W. Tinker Prize - Business — Jacob Thurston

Theodore P. Blaich Social Studies Award — Christina DiPietro

Andrew B. Welch Life Science Award — Christina DiPietro

John F. Weston Award — Jennifer Perry

Ralph M. Larrabee Award — Jamie Gullikson

The Lester W. Hammond Jr. Award — Kyle Barboza

Eleanor P. Andrews Award — Gefei Li

Philip G. Andrews, Jr. Award — Walker Day

Barbara Douglass Intercultural Ambassador Award — Van Tuong Nguyen and Norbu Samphel Sherpa

Fryeburg Academy Teachers Association Scholarship — Megan Cavanaugh and Jennifer Perry

The Priscilla MacGillivray Goff Award — Megan Cavanaugh

The LaCasce Award — Jamie Gullikson and Cailyn Ludwig

Dean's Cup — Ting-wei Lee

Senior Esprit de Corps Award — Erfei Zhao

Ruth Shaw French Award — Jennifer Perry

The Graustein Awards — Bright Amoako and Kendra Fox

Robert S. Crabtree Service Award — Connor Sheehan

Erickson Award — Silas Eastman

The Gibson Memorial Medal — Michelle Boucher

The Fryeburg Academy Alumni Association Awards — Michelle Boucher and Conner Sheehan

Bretton Frost Memorial Award — Tyler Saunders

Marjoray "Dolly" LaCasce All-State Music Awards — Steven Flaherty, Allie Gagnon and Hunter Lyons

The Fryeburg Recreation Department's Dick Cote Community Service Award – Kendra Fox

National Society Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizens Award — Michelle Boucher

Grover Women's Athletic Scholarship — Ellen Bacchiocchi

Reny's Scholarship — Mahina Gardener

Constance Warren and Henry Warren Andrews Award — Paul Dostie

Dollars for Scholars of Mount Washington Valley Scholarship — Michelle Boucher, Walker Day, Christina DiPietro, Steven Flaherty, Kendra Fox, Jamie Gullikson, Laura Lewis, Kelsey Liljedahl, Rebecca Mann, Hannah Plowden, Ian Shea and Megan Vitters.

Chatham Historical Society — Silas Eastman, Michael Fournier and Jennifer Perry.

The Charles G. Rutter Industrial Arts Award — Silas Eastman

Dorothy P. Ingraham Award — Samantha Sgroi

Charles E. and Blanche M. Fox Award — Silas Eastman

Stella Nickerson Gray Award — Allie Gagnon

Madeline A. Savard Medical Award — Michelle Boucher

The Stella N. and Lawrence M. Gray Award — Silas Eastman

The Class of 1950 Award — Michelle Boucher

John Fordyce Prize — Bright Amoako

The Cal and Sally Harnden Award — Michelle Boucher

The Kendal C. and Anna Ham Charitable Foundation Scholarships – Shannon Friberg, Alexis Delacruz, Steven Flaherty, Kelsey Liljedahl, Tyler Saunders and Dennis Skillings.

Harry G. True Memorial Scholarship — Jordan Parker

Brian (BJ) Day Award — Rebecca Mann

Colin Hurd Memorial Award — Jacob Thurston

Maine Principals' Association Principal's Award — Michelle Boucher

The John Freeman Memorial Award — Christina DiPietro

The MELMAC Education Scholarship — Steven Flaherty

Virginia Lee Nixon Award — Christina DiPietro

Wallace Blake Scholarship — Logan Gerchman

Nancy Brooks Heath Nursing Award — Hannah Plowden

The Frank Petillo Memorial Fine Arts Award — Allie Gagnon

The Drama Award — Lake Phillips and Ashanah Tripp

New England Science Teachers Award — Michelle Boucher

Vincent Manoriti Memorial Book Award — Michelle Boucher

Raiders Booster Plaques for Outstanding Athletic Performance — Christina DiPietro and Silas Eastman

Fryeburg Academy Soccer Award — Paul Dostie

Paul "Skip" McBride Memorial Award — Madeline Pearson and Jacob Thurston

Joseph R. Austin Football Award — Kyle Bonner

Clifford L. Gray Baseball Award — Tyler Hill

Eldon W. Heartz Track Award — Jamie Gullikson

Harry G. True Basketball Award — Tyler Saunders

Susan Harnden Fox Wrestling Award – Jacob Thurston

Jay Boschert Memorial Award — Tyler Saunders

Katelyn Dagan Scholarship — Jennifer Sundgren

Fryeburg Lions Club Scholarship — Kelsey Liljedahl and Courtney McGrath

Fryeburg Fish and Game Association Scholarship — Walker Day and Jacob Thurston

Mount Washington Valley Old Car Club — Cody Smith

The Frank W. Shaw Post #137 American Legion Award — Jacob Thurston

Alumni Association Book Awards — Kyle Barboza, Kallie Moulton, Jennifer Perry, Cody Smith and Carla Tripp

The Denmark Lions Scholarships — Megan Cavanaugh, Logan Gerchman, Jamie Gullikson, Michael LeGoff and Tyler LeGoff

Campbell Conference Football Award — Kyle Bonner

The Lovell Lions Scholarships

The Malcolm Wilson Memorial Scholarship — Ashanah Tripp

David Mason Recreational Scholarship — Ellen Bacchiocchi

Chester Adams Memorial Scholarship — Kallie Moulton

Winfield Adams Memorial Scholarship — Patrick Moody

David G. Fox Memorial Scholarship — Walker Day, Kallie Moulton, Samantha Sgroi

Fryeburg Area Rotary Scholarship — Michelle Boucher, Kendra Fox, Logan Gerchman, Jennifer Perry and Connor Sheehan

Raiders Booster Club Book Award — Kyle Barboza, Michelle Boucher, Walker Day, Silas Eastman, Kendra Fox, Logan Gerchman, Jamie Gullikson, Haley Kollander, Kelsey Liljedahl, Jennifer Perry, Hannah Plowden, Connor Sheehan, Jacob Thurston and Carla Tripp

The Pingree-Trumbull Scholarship — Mahina Gardener

Poland Spring Good Science Scholarships — Sasha Azel, Kendra Fox, Jamie Gullikson, Kelsey Liljedahl and Ian Shea.

The Knights of Pythias Award — Tyler Saunders

Joan Irish Award — Sasha Azel

Marion Rodgerson Scholarship — Megan Vitters

The Western Maine Conference Citizenship Award — Christina DiPietro and Silas Eastman

Settlers' Green Outlet Village Scholarship — Hannah Plowden

Oxford County Education Association Retired Educational Award – Megan Cavanaugh

Stephen E. Smith Memorial Scholarship – Tyler Hill

Girl Scout Gold Award – Jennifer Perry

CONWAY — The NH Music Educators Association holds a statewide conference for teachers in association with the student-centered All State Music Festival every year. The conference is attended by several hundred music teachers for professional development. Each year, a few ensembles from around the state are selected to perform during the conference's Showcase series.

For the second time since the Showcases were reinstated in 2010, Kennett High School music students were awarded a slot and performed in Concord on April 12.

In 2010, The KHS Drumline performed. This year, the Mineral Springs Brass Ensemble of Kennett High School, under the direction of Randy Ouellette, performed a variety of pieces.

Mr. Ouellette also spoke with the teachers in attendance. "It's important to stretch the students. I give them material that is just a little too hard for them. It's one way to help them improve, as I am sure you do as well" said Ouellette.

Ouellette went on to explain some of the selections shared at the conference.

"One of the ways that directors can utilize their small ensembles is to have them play a pre-concert on large ensemble night. We did that this past year for the Kennett High School Holiday Concert. We played in the lobby area of the auditorium as people were waiting for the house to open. It was great experience for the students, and got people in the mood for the main event. The ensemble then played 'Carol of the Bells' and a classical arrangement using the melodic theme of 'Jolly Ol' St. Nicholas.'

"These pieces seem particularly appropriate due to today's weather," Ouellette joked in reference to the hail, sleet, and rain that menaced the Granite State that day.

Next, the group performed an intricate arrangement of the crowd pleaser, "Linus and Lucy" of Charlie Brown fame. The group ended their session with a challenging rendition of "The Doctor," arranged by senior Sean Racicot-Psaledakis, who hopes to major in music therapy next year at St. Lawrence University.

"I was very happy to work with Randy so that the students had the opportunity to experience a conference," said Dr. Therese Davison, band director at Kennett High. "It's important to provide students with these types of quality, extended-learning opportunities."