Quick, What’s the only statewide program in Maine that recognizes middle level scholars and leaders?

2011 Scholar Leaders From Sugg Middle School Lisbon

If you responded the Scholar Leaders Awards sponsored by MAMLE and NELMS, you’re right! This year’s Scholar Leaders banquet will be held at the Augusta Civic Center on Thursday May 17th. The deadline for nominating 2 students from your school is coming up Thursday May 3rd. This is the perfect opportunity for schools, students, and their families from across the state to gather and celebrate what’s great about middle level education in Maine. Here are some of the key reasons schools have given for participating in the Scholar Leader program:

positive recognition for students
positive recognition for and supports parents of young adolescents
promotes scholarship and leadership for middle level students
one of the few positive statewide events for the middle level for young adolescents
one of the few state wide events for middle level students
recognizes students beyond the school community
brings recognition to our school
students, parents, school officials and administration all sit together for a great evening of fun and recognition
it reflects well on all middle school students, not just the two that are recognized
it supports our school goals
promotes dignity and respect for all
a way to show pride in our students
it helps support the mission of MAMLE and NELMS organizations

For more information including a list of the many Maine schools who participate, guidelines for selecting students, and photographs from previous ceremonies across New England just click on this link!

http://www.nelms.org./pages/awards/scholar_leader.html

Teacher and Students Collaborate

Maine Scholar Leader Dinner

This post was written by and photographs taken by Lisa Gilman, art teacher from Winthrop Middle School.

Attending the Maine Association for Middle Level Education (MAMLE) conference every Fall gives me a morale boost about working with middle school students. At one of the conferences I learned about the Maine Scholar Leader Dinner. The event happens annually each Spring and Maine middle schools are invited to send two students for recognition.  I learned that the two students contend for the one table favor. In a moment of sentiment, I offered to make pottery for each of the 80 students. That was two years ago and 160 pots later.

Seeing all the work has generated interest from students in my own school. They want to know how they can get this coveted recognition. This year, on the next day after the banquet, the students representing my school let me know  how thrilled they were about the recognition. They couldn’t wait to tell me which color pottery they had taken home.

I throw all the pottery and my middle school students glaze them. After the work is glazed I use a glaze pen and write the words, “Laugh, Dream, Create, Imagine” on each piece. I include a card with a poem with the following for each student.

Laugh today

Dream for tomorrow

Create without worry

Imagine your possibilities

Scholar Leader Dinner

Just a reminder…

A reminder that the Maine Scholar Leader Dinner is quickly approaching and the registration deadline is today, 
Friday, May 6, 2011.

This program is intended to give public recognition to the two representative students from each middle level school in Maine who has distinguished themselves in terms of outstanding scholarship and leadership. The selection of these two students will be the responsibility of each school in accordance with the Selection Criteria available at http://www.nelms.org/pages/awards/scholar_leader.html.
Please visit http://www.nelms.org/pages/awards/scholar_leader.html for more information and/or to register.  Hope to see you and your 
students there!