13/07/2025
New Post: School Notes Diana Allen, life and environmental sciences teacher at Sanford Middle School
Photo: Sanford School Department
Compiled by Carolyn Cadigan
SMS teacher embarks on expedition of a lifetime: Diana Allen, a Sanford Middle School life and environmental sciences teacher, set off on July 6 for a seven-day expedition to Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve in Costa Rica as an Earthwatch teacher fellow. On this expedition, Allen will participate in hands-on research with pollinator preservation, which she plans to bring back to her middle school science classroom. Students and colleagues alike will benefit from her field experiences with Earthwatch, as she hopes to create pollinator gardens with her students.
While in Costa Rica, Allen will examine the crucial role pollinators such as bees, butterflies and hummingbirds play in healthy ecosystems. She hopes to support researchers in a one-of-a-kind field experience collecting and identifying pollinators; planting trees to increase biodiversity; and observing and counting pollinators. This research could prove critical. More than three quarters of the crops we rely on require pollination, so threats to pollinators from climate change, pesticides, and habitat loss can be detrimental to humans.
St. Thomas School seeks to fill available teaching positions: St. Thomas School is seeking Catholic teachers to instruct students for the coming school year. Current openings are for elementary school teachers (two positions), middle school math teacher, part-time art teacher, Pre-K ed-techs, and afternoon staff and substitutes for the Extended Day Program. FMI, email Principal Madigan at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]).
It’s time to sign up for fall sports: Sanford-Springvale Youth Athletic Association (SSYAA) has opened up registration for fall sports. School-age kids may choose from field hockey (for Kindergarten through Grade 6), flag football (for Grades 1 and 2), football (for Grades 3 to 8), and cheerleading (for Kindergarten through Grade 8). The last day to register is July 31. FMI, and to sign up, go here (https://buff.ly/ZjUrw1G).
Calling all wiffle ballers: The organizers of Sanford Christian Academy’s (SCA) inaugural Wiffle Ball Tournament, to be held on Saturday, July 26, at 9 am, are seeking wiffle ball teams to participate. Players should be age 11 to adult. All proceeds from the event will support the SCA basketball team. FMI, email Caleb Raines at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]).
Area residents named to UNE Dean’s List: The University of New England recently released its Dean’s List for the spring semester 2025. Named to the list from Sanford are Colby Bartlett, Richard Bond, Hannah Brown, Connor Curcio, Owen Harding, Callie Huppe and Samantha Ryea, and from Springvale are Jaylyn Bartolome, Ailey Mann and Sarah Shaw. Dean’s List students have attained a grade point average of 3.3 or better out of a possible 4.0 at the end of the semester. https://buff.ly/EJnEX7p