DEERING HIGH SCHOOL’S QUARTERLY COMMUNITY MAGAZINE FEBRUARY, 2015 CLOCKTOWER

From left: Orey Dutton, Stephen Ochan and Izzy Muse See story, page 19

Mark your calendars February 16-20: February Break February 27 & 28: Deering Drama presents “The Canterbury Tales”, 7 p.m. in DHS Auditorium March 7: “The Canterbury Tales” Regional Drama Competition @ 3:15 p.m. at Falmouth High School March 16: Ruchira Gupta, Justice for Women Guest Speaker March 18, 19 & 20: Parent-Teacher Conferences April 20-24: Spring Break April 30: National Honor Society Convocation, 7 p.m. in DHS Auditorium May 9: Junior/Senior Prom at Holiday Inn by the Bay 6 p.m.-11 p.m. June 2: Senior Last Assembly, 7 p.m. in DHS Gymasium June 3: Graduation at 10:30 a.m. Cumberland County Civic Center FROM THE PRINCIPAL...

Dear Clocktower Reader, I am proud to write that we have a student that has been named a 2015 National Merit Finalist. The finalist from Deering High School is Olivia Blom. Approximately 1.5 million juniors entered the 2015 National Merit Scholarship Program. To become finalists, students must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay and earn SAT scores that confirm their performance on the qualifying test. They are among approximately 15,000 finalists nationwide who have an opportunity to continue in the competition for 8,000 National Merit Scholarships.

Give us several minutes of your time and we will give you an even better high school experience:

Survey Seeks Parents’ Feedback about the Portland Public School

Parents with children in the Portland Public Schools are invited to participate in a new survey about their experiences. The survey was created to enhance parent and community voice in our school.

The survey is posted online: http://www.portlandschools.org/cms/one.aspx? portalId=1094237&pageId=7114043 It is available in all of the major languages spoken by district families. Paper copies are available. The survey will close in April.

The survey seeks parents’ views on topics such as whether schools provide a rigorous curriculum, whether children feel engaged by school, whether teachers set high expectations and whether parents would recommend their school to others.

The survey asks several questions about my leadership of the school. Parents also have a space where they may write additional comments. Please share any kudos, concerns. Questions or suggestions in this space.

The survey is voluntary and anonymous. Parents are asked to submit one survey for each child attending district schools. All parent feedback will be reviewed.

I also invite you to join us at the Cumberland County Civic Center on June third for our “Class of 2015” commencement beginning at 10:30 AM. You do not need tickets for this event. Please consider joining us to celebrate the achievements of these fine young men and women.

Respectfully,

Ira

2 Superintendent’s Corner by Showing the Community Its ROI on Student Achievement Portland Superintendent Emmanuel Caulk

This is the time of year when Maine school exams taken that resulted in a score of 3 or districts begin the school budget process, asking higher also increased, from 60 percent to 64 our communities to show their support for public percent. And Black/African American and education by investing in it. But when economically disadvantaged students in grade 5 community members back our public schools, made solid gains in reading and writing and also how do they know what ROI – return on boosted their performance in math. investment – they’re getting? But the scorecard also indicates areas where The Portland Public Schools is a trailblazer in the we’re not growing as much as we’d like. For state in providing an answer to that question for example, the scorecard showed that scores for members of our community. We’re using two third graders in the Black/African American and important new metrics to show how we’re economically disadvantaged groups trailed well utilizing their investment: the District Scorecard behind total scores for district third graders in and a survey of parents’ and high school reading and math. students’ perspectives on our schools. Third grade reading ability is considered a key As we deliver on our pledge of having all indicator of future academic success, so that students graduate from high school prepared for data shows us we must do more and invest more college and career, the scorecard and survey give to ensure our students’ demography does not parents and other community members a robust determine their destiny. picture of student achievement and school The results of our survey were very positive. For climate. instance, when parents were asked to agree or The District Scorecard gives data on student disagree with a statement saying they felt performance on state assessments in reading, welcomed and respected at school, 95 percent of writing, math and science and for English those who expressed an opinion on that language learners’ performance on the ACCESS statement agreed with it. test. It also sets performance targets and Also, when our high school students were asked includes data about student attendance, high to agree or disagree with a statement saying school graduation rates, enrollment in AP that they expected to graduate, 95 percent of classes, PSAT and SAT scores and other those who expressed an opinion on that indicators of college readiness. statement agreed with it. And the results are not just reported for the We’ll be conducting additional surveys but are district as a whole but also for subgroups: White; already using the information from this one to Asian; Black/African-American; Hispanic/Latino; inform decision-making and improve our schools. economically disadvantaged; students with The Portland Public Schools is blazing a trail identified disabilities; and students with limited when it comes to showing the community its ROI English proficiency. in our schools. But really, you don’t need a If that sounds like a lot of data, it is. Our District business term to describe what we’re doing. Scorecard isn’t just based on one point in time or We’re simply putting students and families first – a single assessment but instead looks at where and this is what that looks like. students are growing and other indicators of As we move into the FY 2016 school budget student success. The Portland Public Schools is a process, the scorecard will help us identify key leader in the state in using multiple measures to areas where we’ll be investing in strategies for look at our data. improvement. And we invite community Tracking all this data allows us to be transparent members to give us input on the budget at a about the return on the investment to Town Hall meeting on Thursday, Jan. 29, at 6:30 community members who support our schools. p.m. at Lyman Moore Middle School. The scorecard data shows areas where we’re We’ve also created an online Neighbor-to- making gains and moving in the right direction. Neighbor Budget Toolkit to encourage public For example, there was positive growth in SAT participation in the budget. The toolkit is at scores, with an increase districtwide in the percentage of students who scored 1550 and www. portlandschools.org. above. The percentage of Advanced Placement

3 Annual Talent Show Showcases Deering’s Finest by Isabelle Weyl On the evening of Thursday, January 29, 2015, I had the pleasure of being a guest judge at the 5th annual Deering Talent Show, sponsored by Deering Drama. A special thanks to Kathleen Harris who hosted the event and excellent emcees: Kerry Randazzo and Anthony Cavallaro.

The night included seventeen student acts which ranged from original raps to modern dance. The student choice winner Ismael Solo, who performed an original rap, entered minutes before the competition was scheduled to start!

Other judges included Tracey Menard and Liz Koharian, who cheered and clapped loudly as the students performed.

The winners were the final act to take the stage: Sophie Episcopo and Jean Wakati performed an original hip hop dance to the enthusiastic roar of the audience. This was a second win for the pair, who also took the title their Freshman year.

The runner up was Danielle Rafferty who performed a Anthony Cavallaro (above) emcees the soulful rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” There Talent Show. were some first time performers featured as well, including Krystal Ryan, singing “Try” by Colbie Caillat.

It was a “Ramtastic” evening, showing the diversity of talent and interests at Deering HIgh School.

DEERING’S FIRST STAR - MARISA POLK!

Much like workplaces across the country, Deering’s faculty recently decided to recognize one of its own each month for contributions above and beyond the norm. While everyone works hard, there are times when individuals step up and take responsibility for specific circumstances, like Guidance Counselor Marisa Polk.

Marisa took primary responsibility for coordinating the shadow days for each of the three Middle Schools in January, working with those teachers most affected, training the student ambassadors who escorted them around the school and answered their questions, and liaising with just about everybody else to ensure the visits ran smoothly. This was a mammoth endeavor, with many moving pieces. Somehow she managed to do this with a smile on her face, as per usual, even when microphones disappeared and other things didn’t go to plan.

Marisa received the award from Mr. Tim Eisenhart, who came up with the idea, and last year’s Russell Award winner, Mr. Larry Nichols, who gave one of his usual interesting speeches. Congratulations Marisa!

4 DEERING’S 9TH GRADE COLLABORATIVE EXPLORES HUNGER THROUGH INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDY

The 9th grade Collaborative of Teachers (COT9) continues to build the foundation and develop the processes to support our new students – socially and academically – to become prepared and engaged citizens of their school and world. In the pursuit of this end, we have set goals that include student-led, portfolio based conferences, interdisciplinary learning, and a Points of Pride presentation at the end of the year.

Our work in December and January focused primarily on planning the Hunger Project, an inquiry unit where students will investigate how access to food shapes our lives, state, nation, and culture. English, Math, Science, and Social Studies teachers will focus on this essential question through their respective courses. This project supports Deering’s larger, yearlong theme of poverty and hunger. Throughout this unit, students will apply the four domains of global competence (investigate the world, recognize perspectives, take action, and communicate ideas). To kickoff our unit, students will hear local and state policy makers, experts from the agricultural sustainability field, and community organizers who work in the field of food sustainability. We are targeting March 27th for a celebration of learning at Deering High School - parents and community will be welcome!

Deering’s Robotics Team Excels at Regional Competition

Tommy Nguyen, Sadie Rhindehardt, Nolan Cyr, below, display the Judges Award which the Deering Team was awarded at the recent VEX competition.

Members not pictured are: Jason Cheng, Justin Cheng, and Jessamyn Brewer

5 Climate Change Expert speaks to ELL Global Issues Class Bonnie Frye Hemphill recently visited ELL Global Issues classrooms to discuss climate change and global warming with Deering students. A graduate of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Bonnie has previously worked for the White House Council of Environmental Quality and the Natural Resources Council of Maine. Students were able to clarify, discuss and comment on global topics such as drought, migration, freshwater scarcity, deforestation and sustainability. Students finished the day by creating posters related to climate change which are currently posted on the bulletin board in World Language wing on the 3rd floor.

Deering High School’s World Language Department is offering two courses this year to accommodate its Heritage/Native speakers. Abdullahi Ahmed and Carlos Gómez are teaching Arabic for Native Speakers (embedded in the current Arabic course) and Spanish for Native Speakers. The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) notes that providing native/heritage speakers the opportunity to continue to develop their heritage linguistic and cultural skills is an asset to those students in our increasingly global environment. Native speakers are defined as those who are raised in an environment where English is not the primary language. Heritage speakers are those speakers for whom their first language is most often spoken only in their homes. Both types of speakers can benefit from classes that enhance their language skills and cultural knowledge, building their multilingual literacy. Additionally, research shows that English language proficiency is acquired more rapidly when a school supports instruction in a student’s native/heritage language. Deering’s current World Language offerings include Spanish, French, Arabic and Mandarin Chinese.

6 Engineering and Robotics Kicks Of its First Quarter!!!!! by Dan Legage

The Introduction to Engineering and Robotics course kicked of its inaugural quarter with the start of the second semester on January 26th 2015. Mr. LeGage and Mr. Cobleigh will lead this engaging program to teach STEM concepts utilizing the LEGO Mindstorms NXT Robots. Students learn how to program basic robot behaviors using motors and rotation, sound, light, touch and ultrasonic sensors. Twenty three students have come together to collaborate and communicate as engineers with the NXT robots.. They are learning the many facets of 21st century skills and use them to create a machine and a team that solves a given challenge

Deering students Jackson Perkins and Austin Tracy (above), Hoa Nguyen and Sofia de Oliveira (below left) and Tucker Pullen (below right) in the new Engineering and Robotics class.

t the DHS Coffeehouse

7 Literature The Ribbon Corner By: Evelyn Randazzo ‘17

Lana sat on a wooden stool in a dark corner of her mother's bedroom. The room was large with ceilings that touched the sky. The giant windows that stretched from the floor to the ceiling were covered with heavy, plum colored curtains. The house was built in the late eighteen hundreds. The dark hardwood floors sang with each step. Fully blossomed roses, dispersed across the floor, were knots in the old warped floorboards. Every minuscule aesthetic of the house had been planned meticulously by Lana's mother. One of the four legs on the stool where Lana sat was slightly shorter than the others, which caused it to tip back and forth as her mother worked out the knots in Lana's hair with a plastic comb. Lana's limbs were long and awkward; she seemed to have no control over them, knocking things over left and right. She had long graceful fingers with which she would constantly fidget. No color showed in her cheeks. Her flesh had only just passed the age of twelve, but looked as if someone had washed it out a thousand times over. The musty perfume and oxidized pages of her books were Lana's escape. She enjoyed nothing more than absorbing the rich poetry of a good story. With each attempt to glance down at her captivating read, Lana's head was pulled back with the comb. "All through!" Lana's mother rejoiced as she set the comb down on her vanity. Lana fingered at the blush pink ribbon tied snugly around the waist of her white dress. She looked up at her mother through the thick lenses of her oversized glasses. "It's too tight, Mother. I can't breathe," Lana commented, gesturing to the pink ribbon. "Sit up straight, Dear. A lady never slouches." Mother disregarded the complaint. At this, Lana undid the bow. She looked down at her fingers. She first squeezed them at the knuckle, then pushed them back, cracking each finger in two places. "Darling, you must stop with the fidgeting," Mother demanded as she retied the ribbon around Lana's waist, even tighter this time. Lana picked up her book and began to locate the page where she had left of while pinching at the knot of the pink ribbon. "Put the book away, Dearest, we can't see your beautiful face if it's always hidden behind those old smelly pages," Mother protested, "and would you stop fussing with that ribbon?" Lana looked up at her mother and flashed her a sarcastic smile. "Oh, Dear," Mother sighed at the sight of her daughter's colorless face. Mother extended her arms and gave each of Lana's cheeks an abrasive pinch, and she lifted the spectacles of of Lana's nose and placed them in the pocket of her coat. She looked up at her mother through pinched eyes, so that only tiny slivers of her green irises were visible. She attempted to decipher the blurry expression on mother's face. Knots twisted in Lana's stomach. Each organ intertwined with its neighbor. She sat without defense, stripped of the bind of printed papers that held her neglected sorrows and her hopeful acceptance. She sat deprived of the lenses that protected her pale emeralds from shedding tears. "All right, time to go, we're going to be late," Mother said as she proceeded out the door. Lana followed her out, leaving the pink ribbon on the stool, twisted and bound in the tightly coiled knots of a tangled serpent, her copy of Little Women stufed into her coat pocket.

8 World Quest Competition at Deering by Andrew Gordon WorldQuest came to Deering for the first time on Wednesday February 4. The annual quiz event, organized by the World Affairs Council of the University of New England, brought a healthy number of teams at both the High School and corporate levels to the cafeteria, and resulted in an entertaining evening and a close contest. The council is a partner of Deering in our mission to graduate students who are globally competent, and organizes a number of educational events during the course of the year. ! The quiz consisted of six rounds with ten questions each, on themes like Africa Rising, Current Events, and Youth and Social Unrest. Deering was represented by a team of students, Alex Smith, Jade Bucha and Spencer Todd, and by another of teachers, featuring Mr. Borland, Ms. Platt, Mrs Wilson, Mr. Nichols, Mrs Dixon, and Mr. Gordon. The students performed admirably, but some of the many teams were brought down by Lake Region (who obviously take this event very seriously) who took all top three places in the High school division. The teachers were tied for second at the halfway point, led by Mr. Borland’s all round magnificence and Mrs Dixon’s geography skills, but could not catch up with the team from Unum, who took home the trophy for their second year running. It was still an enjoyable occasion, and thanks are due to the WAC and to Mrs Wilson for all her work during the evening.

Incidentally the contests came down to a playoff between Unum and Lake Region A, which was decided when Unum came up with the right answer to the following question - do you know it too (Mr. Gordon did)? Who was Time Magazine’s Person of the Year for 2014? ! Answer on page 10.

9 FROM THE ART DEPARTMENT

STUDENT ARTISTS GIVE BACK TO THEIR COMMUNITY

Deering's school wide theme for the International Schools Studies Network is poverty and hunger. We want students to experience the ways in which artists contribute to society by helping the needy. Many artists donate their work to charitable organizations for auction or sale, with the proceeds going to improve the lives of those less fortunate. With support from the Portland Education Foundation, Deering art students will be selling artwork during parent, teacher conferences March 18, 19 and 20. Proceeds from the sale will be given to the Preble Resource Center soup kitchen. Finally, you will be able to purchase the work that so many of you have admired!

Avery Donovan

Grace McMahon World Quest Answer: The Ebola Fighters

10 March is Youth Art Month at the Portland Museum of Art

For over 20 years PMA has collaborated with the Maine Art Education Association to bring National Youth Art Month to Maine. This annual observance emphasizes the value of art education and encourages support for quality school art programs. At the PMA, this annual event comes with a reception and an exhibition that showcases artwork in a variety of media by K-12 students throughout the state.

The exhibition will be on view from February 28 through March 29. The opening celebration will be held on Saturday, March 7th, 2015 from 4pm to 7pm.

Admission to the museum is free every Friday night from 5pm to 9pm.

This year, Deering will be represented by Theo Howe and Kayla Thoits.

Portrait by Theo Howe Still Life by Kayla Thoits

11 Breccia Wins National Award

left to right: Ann Hall, co-advisor; Dan Marean; Catherine Bart; Ryan Bickel; Olivia Blom; Christopher Weaving; Mary O'Rourke; Joel Kahn; Will Mathis; Emma Alcorn; Alexandra Green; and Shana Genre, co-advisor.

Congratulations to Breccia, Deering High School's literary magazine since 1879, for its 2014 edition being ranked as "Superior--Nominated for Highest Award" by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)! Breccia is the only student literary magazine in Maine to receive this designation, which is the highest ranking the NCTE offers. Last year's student editors included Emerald Stewart ('14), Orkhan Nadirli ('14), Taryn Brennan ('14), Olivia Blom, Catherine Bart, Eilish Carpenter, Joel Kahn, Nathan Mathis ('14), Mary O’Rourke, and Kera Pingree ('14). The cover art for last year's edition was by Jackson Bizer, and the layout design was by Orkhan Nadirli.

The 2014 edition of Breccia features writings and art work by Ryan Murphy ('14), Jackie Dunphe ('14), Sahara Hassan ('14), Tailor Jordan, Zachary Duperry ('14), Berta Lindos, Kinyaa Josephine Luka ('14), Lucas Raine ('14), Taiylor Wing ('14), Nathan Williamson ('14), Patrick Dunbar ('14), and many more students. Purchase your copy from Ms. Genre in Room 216!

Breccia's next fundraising event will be a school open mic on Friday, March 13th. Stay tuned for more details!

12 Deering Drama Prepares for Upcoming Drama Festival

The Deering Drama Club is busy rehearsing THE CANTERBURY TALES for the Regional Drama Festival. Senior, Kerry Randazzo and club advisor, Kathleen Harris have written and directed a family friendly version of the hilarious adventure stories written in the Middle Ages by Geofrey Chaucer. The 35 minute play consists of four stories: "The Knight's Tale", "The Franklin's Tale", "The Wife of Bath's Tale" and "The Nun's Priest Tale". A large cast of 30+ and crew will perform the play at Deering H.S. February 27 & 28 at 7:00 P.M. in preparation for the festival at Falmouth High School on March 6& 7. Tickets for the Deering performances are $5.00 and may be purchased the evenings of the performance. The Falmouth performance is at 3:15 on March 7th. Senior, Maddy Reid is costumer; junior Ashley Ament, is make-up designer; senior, Natalie Veilleux is music director; and junior Cyrus Barker is designing lights for the production.

Photo (above): Chaunticleer, Pertolet, and the chickens in the Nun's Priest's Tale on bench: Kayleigh Doten, Abbe DeLuca, Elsa Heisler, Maddy Reid playing chickens on table: Evan Cavallaro as Chaunticleer and Helen Bellafiore as Pertolet

Photo (right): Kerry Sullivan as the fox Evan Cavallaro as the rooster, Chaunticleer Natalie Veilleux as Pertolet, Chaunticleer's favorite wife

13 DHS Student Projects Win Painting for a Purpose Grants

Three projects proposed by Deering High School students recently won grants from Painting for a Purpose, an organization that funds youth-led initiatives that make a diference in the community.

The awards ceremony took place Dec. 17 at the school. The three winning projects involve a total of 13 students and focus on service learning.

In one of the projects, junior Matthew Mikkelsen will use the $500 grant he was awarded to build a mobile library for special education classes at Deering. The library will have portable audio books, e-readers and popular magazines to encourage students to take an active part in their education.

In another project, three students in Audrey Rolfe’s art class will use the grant funding to create original bookmarks. The bookmarks will be donated and sold to support literacy in South America.

Students from Ann Hall’s ninth-grade English class plan to use their $500 award to paint the school’s first floor walls purple and white with the school motto, “All One School,” to promote school spirit and community among all students.

Deering High School is in a partnership with Painting for a Purpose this year.

The philanthropic organization brings people together to create hand-painted “whimsical” furniture, then hosts an annual auction to sell the items and uses the proceeds to fund youth-led service learning grants for students in the Portland Public Schools.

Students are invited to write grants about how they want to make a diference in the community.

They must identify a community need, conduct research, propose a plan, devise a budget and document their learning as part of the grant writing process.

Over the past four years, Painting for a Purpose has provided more than $13,000 to fund 25 such projects.

14 First Ever Fashion Show By: Kate Rogers ‘15

Show time! Last month the Deering JMG class put together their very first fashion show. The show had included students, parents, and even teachers and their kids as models. The show was not only an event to raise money for JMG, it was also an event to raise money to give to Big Brothers Big Sisters. The show made every model feel like a real star!

Frankie Alvarez and Lyly Oum model prom attire donated by Men’s Warehouse and David’s Bridal.

Krystal Ryan glitters in a gold dress on loan from David’s Bridal.

JMG Students, with the assistance of teacher Gretchen Scales, help set up Deering’s new Food and Clothing Pantry in room 401 of the high school.

15 The Conclusion of the Debate 2014-2015 Season by Brian Dodge

It has been my great pleasure to coach the Deering High School Debate Team for a second year. We were faced with many challenges this year but have persevered to find solutions. We built on our successes from last year and broke new ground in our competitions. Our ofcial season came to an end on Saturday at Lewiston High School where the Maine Forensics Association held its annual state tournament for speech and debate. Spencer Todd came in third for Junior Varsity Lincoln Douglas and Chris Sheehy received an honorable mention for finishing 4th in Novice Lincoln Douglas. Lincoln Douglas Debate is our event of choice. It is debate at its purest: one-on-one competition where students present a value- based case that is a fusion of philosophy, facts, and logic. Each round lasts about 45 minutes and tournaments take place almost every Saturday from 9am-5pm where students compete in 4 rounds. Since October our team has competed in 10 tournaments where Deering students took first 11 times!! As a team we collectively finished in second place in our division at the tournament in Brunswick. We look forward to heading back to Brunswick on the 28th of February to compete in the National Qualifying tournament for a chance at a spot to compete against schools from across the country. I am honored to be surrounded by such a fine, hardworking, bright, and studious team and look forward to our future.

Important Dates for Seniors:

February 26th Applebee’s Fundraiser March 11th Project Graduation Meeting Room 219 @ 6:00pm April 15th Project Graduation Meeting Room 219 @ 6:00pm April 26th Purple Madness Race (changed from March 8th) May 1st Completion of Senior Survey May 9th Sr & Jr. Prom – Holiday Inn by the Bay Mid May Delivery of Cap & Gowns June 2nd Senior Last Assembly Deering High School 6pm June 3rd Graduation - Cumberland County Civic Center 10:30 June 3rd Project Graduation – Bath YMCA 8pm – 6am

16 Future Teachers of America by Christopher Richardson ‘15 Since the first semester of my freshman year at Deering, I have been involved with the Future Teachers of America volunteer program. Future Teachers, as it is often called, distinguishes itself from other clubs at Deering, in my perspective, mainly because its impact extends into the surrounding community. Students interested in a career in education, or those that simply like helping younger students expand their educational opportunities, are given the opportunity to volunteer in a classroom at many of the local elementary schools. Whilst there, students assist teachers in classroom activities and/or work on-on-one with students in a variety of academic subjects. Personally, I have volunteered in a kindergarten classroom for the past four years at Longfellow Elementary School, often the most accessible school to Deering students, and have loved every minute! Twice weekly I help teach the students how to read and write, how to perform simple addition and subtraction, and I assist by preparing lesson materials for the upcoming week. Through my experiences, I have seen struggling students suddenly excel after having worked with them on reading or math; and have heard personal accounts of the same thing happening with the other Future Teachers.

Students, left to right: Chris Richardson Mia Thurston Jessamyn Brewer Kim Trinh Natasha Richardson Mohammed Shati

Since the work we Future Teachers provide has greatly assisted many teachers in the past few years and we have gained an excellent reputation, teachers are always actively seeking Deering students to come help in their classroom. The best part: the volunteering schedule is highly flexible, usually going anywhere from 2:00 - 3:00 PM, and can even be accommodated into an existing study hall. For current and incoming Deering freshman who are now required to complete community service before graduating, this is a fun and relatively simple way to help your community and fulfill your service requirements! If you think the Future Teachers of America volunteer program sounds interesting and you would like to get involved, simply contact Ms. Brown for more information.

17 PURPLE MADNESS

5K Benefiting Deering High School Graduation

SUNDAY BACK COVE REGISTER APRIL 26 PARKING LOT TODAY! 10am

Early Registration: $20.00 Same Day Registration $25.00

See Gloria Miller in the Deering Athletic Office to register. 18 Music Update The Deering music students just finished their two concerts for the District II Instrumental and Choral Festival.We are planning for a concert by members of the world famous New Orleans Preservation Hall Jazz Band on Feb. 11 at Deering. We are also preparing for our yearly All City Concert on March 17 where the high school and middle school musicians join forces to present a concert. This concert includes band, chorus, jazz band, handbells and orchestra. We are still in the planning stages of publishing the "Cooking to Beat the Band" cookbook that was published in 1946. Anyone interested in helping out please see Mr. Peltola.

Preservation Hall Jazz Bank visits Deering by Andrew Gordon

Three members of the world famous New Orleans Preservation Hall Jazz Band came to Deering on Wednesday February 11 to stage a workshop for an enthusiastic group of students. They were in town to play at Merrill Auditorium that same night, and Deering music teacher Gil Peltola jumped at the chance to have them play and talk to some of the school’s own musicians. The trio played a few numbers that had the audience smile, and explained that their style of traditional jazz is also known as ‘Happy Jazz’, rather than the more intellectual style that one needs to wear a tie to go see. It was immediately obvious that all three were incredible musicians as well as entertainers, with Ronell Johnson on the tuba being a true virtuoso. The trumpeter Kevin also sang a couple of songs including some ‘call and response’ tunes, while Joseph Lastie Jr on the drums talked about his 35 year career playing on Bourbon Street. They left no doubt that New Orleans is the place to go to hear music like this, and I’m sure that several students now have that city on their list of places to visit at some point. Thanks go to Vanessa Romanov from Portland Ovations for arranging the workshop, and to the Preservation Hall Jazz Band for braving the cold to warm the hearts of many Deering students.

19 As Deering grows into its identity of being an International Studies School, International we have been able to provide our students and teachers with amazing opportunities to Investigate the tudies World, Recognize Perspectives, S Communicate Ideas and Take Action.

Schools Our students have been invited to participate in the Global Navigators Scholarship Program with the Council Network on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) to study and participate in service-learning abroad this coming summer (deadline to apply is March News 1). Deering also hosted, and Deering students and teachers participated in, the World Afairs Council’s WorldQuest Global Knowledge Competition in early February. Later this month, our teachers will have an opportunity to visit and learn about interdisciplinary and global studies from other ISSN schools (Winton Woods HS and Oak Hills HS) in Cincinnati, OH.

On March 16, Deering will welcome Justice for Women Guest Lecturer Ruchira Gupta of Apne Aap to speak with our students about her eforts to combat human trafcking in India and around the world.

Please follow the latest news on our “Learning Without Borders” blog. http://blogs.portlandschools.org/

20 National Events Spur Local Rally and Conversations about Race by Mohamed Nur ’15

On December 12th, 2014, students at Deering High School became some of many people around the country to participate in civil demonstrations around the events in Ferguson, MO and New York City, NY. On a cold Friday, students were able to organize a rally and dialogue to address the issues of racism and discrimination which have become more prevalent because of Ferguson and New York. Deering is one of the most diverse schools in New England, with over 54 countries represented and 27 languages spoken. Racism and discrimination is an issue at Deering and across the state. We wanted to organize a rally to recognize the tragic events and spark a conversation at Deering about these issues which have become social taboo. We cannot become a better school and community without addressing issues which impact our students so greatly, we wanted to give them a platform to articulate what they felt and what we as a school should do in the months ahead. We had over 100 participants, some from Scarborough High, Portland High, Catherine McAuley, and Waynflete. We had great support from the Portland Police Dept. and Seeds of Peace. This was just the first of many conversations that need to happen at Deering. These issues will continue to draw strength if we remain silent.

21 DEERING HIGH SCHOOL also named Southwestern Maine Athletic Association Offensive Player of the Year and Western Maine STANDOUT NAMED Board of Soccer Officials Player of the Year. GATORADE MAINE BOYS Ochan has maintained a B-plus average in the classroom. President of his senior class, he has SOCCER PLAYER OF THE volunteered locally on behalf of a soup kitchen and YEAR youth soccer programs. CHICAGO (February 12, "Ochan stands out because 2015) In its 30th year of he controls play at both ends of honoring the nations best the field," said Ben Deschene, high school athletes, The head coach at Marshwood High. Gatorade Company, in "He dominates the game in collaboration with USA every aspect. Everything TODAY High School Deering did ran through him." Sports, today announced Ochan continues to process Stephen Ochan is the through offers for his collegiate first Gatorade Maine destination. Boys Soccer Player of the The Gatorade Player of the Year to be chosen from Year program annually Deering High School. recognizes one winner in the The award, which District of Columbia and each recognizes not only of the 50 states that sanction outstanding athletic high school football, girls excellence, but also high volleyball, boys and girls cross standards of academic country, boys and girls achievement and basketball, boys and girls exemplary character soccer, baseball, softball, and demonstrated on and off boys and girls track & field, and the field, distinguishes awards one National Player of Ochan as Maine’s best the Year in each sport. The high school boys soccer selection process is player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade administered by the Gatorade high school sports National Boys Soccer Player of the Year award to be leadership team in partnership with USA TODAY announced in May, Ochan joins an elite alumni High School Sports, which work with top sport- association of past state award-winners in 12 sports, specific experts and a media advisory board of including Abby Wambach (1997-98, Our Lady of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to Mercy, N.Y.), Derek Jeter (1991-92, Kalamazoo HS, determine the state winners in each sport. Mich.), Candace Parker (2001-02, Naperville Central Ochan joins recent Gatorade Maine Boys Soccer HS, Ill.), Alexi Lalas (1987-88, Cranbrook HS, Players of the Year Wyatt Omsberg (2013-14, Mich.), Heather OReilly (2001-02, East Brunswick Scarborough High School), Matt Saunders (2012-13, HS, N.J.) and Mark Sanchez (2004-05, Mission Viejo Lawrence High School), Robby Lentine (201112, HS, Calif.). Windham High School), Fazal Nabi (201011, Portland The 5-foot-10, 181-pound senior midfielder scored High School), Gabe Hoffman-Johnson (2009-10 & six goals and passed for six assists this past season, 200809, Falmouth High School), Oliver Blum leading the Rams (13-2-1) to the Western Class A (2007-08, Greely High School), and Jordan Hale semifinals. An All-American selection by the National (2006-07, Falmouth High School) among the states Soccer Coaches Association of America, Ochan was list of former award winners.

22 COACH AL KIRK - THE DEAN OF DEERING Kane, who became a state champion and then ATHLETICS wrestled at the Naval Academy, as an example of a student-athlete who listened, sucked up the knowledge that was being transmitted, and then out it into action. Al has seen the work ethics and interests of his wrestlers change over the years - when he started kids would finish their classes for the day and simply head for practice, but now they have far more options and different ways to spend their time. He said that wrestling as a sport hasn’t changed much over the years, the moves outlined in the old coaching books still work, even if they’ve been refined over the years. He gave me the names of four stand out Deering wrestlers that he has coached over the years - Brent Blackmer, Scott Milliken from the 80’s who lost by Andrew Gordon one match in three years, Jon Kane from the Wrestling is a sport that does not grab too 1990’s, and Chris Smith who in more recent years many headlines in the Portland Press Herald, nor was a four time state champion, and wrestled at does it have too many column inches devoted to the Division 1 level. it. In some ways it’s a timeless sport, it’s the same I spoke to Matt Krusiec, a four year wrestler in essence as it was in the ancient Olympics, and and an outstanding student, who is now one of young men and women continue to work hard in the captains of Coach Kirk’s squad. He speaks stuffy gyms around the state so they can perform very highly of his coach, saying that he is on the mat. Also apparently timeless, at least at prepared to give his athletes his undivided Deering, is wrestling coach Al Kirk, who believes attention, and will do anything to help them out, he’s in his 38th year of coaching the sport at the including writing college recommendations. Matt home of the Rams, and his 49th year of coaching says he has been given discipline and a sense of in total. pride in himself and the school, and that Coach Just a few minutes with Al makes it clear that Kirk’s emphasis on integrity and character will he retains his love and enthusiasm for wrestling serve him well in the years to come. and for its traditions, and that he approaches the Al Kirk estimates that over 50 of his athletes job with the same energy he did half a century have gone on to wrestle in college, and even ago. He came into the sport because of a strong more tellingly that at least 25 have gone on to mentor, a coach who wrestled in the Oslo become coaches. Clearly he has paid it forward - Olympics of 1952, and has remained in it ever he learned from a great mentor, and has become since. His philosophy of coaching is relatively one to hundreds of young men, many of whom simple, and hasn’t changed.over the years. He are now occupying the same role themselves. He wants to develop solid young men who are good still loves coaching and is in no hurry to vacate students and athletes, who respond to structure his position, although he does have a transition and have a good self-image. he says that the plan for the program. If I call Al ‘old school’ it’s the wrestlers who succeed in high school are those highest of compliments, for he remains a hard- with a good work ethic, who have self- discipline working role model to his fellow coaches and and above all a willingness to listen. He used Jon athletes alike.

23 News from the Guidance Department

Intern Joins Guidance Department for the Semester

Deering High School welcomes a new intern, Rachel Hasty, as she completes her master’s degree in School Counseling at the University of Southern Maine. Rachel will be working alongside the guidance staf, assisting in guidance classes, co-running groups, and helping to support Deering High students as needs arise. Her direct work with students will be under Deering's guidance staf support and supervision as she transitions to more independent work with students. Rachel will be with us on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays. We believe that with successful internships, our students are the ultimate beneficiaries by having the added support of another professional to enhance their learning. Please contact Deering with any questions.

Seniors, remember to complete your financial aid application (www.fafsa.gov) this month. You do not need to have been accepted to to college to apply. Do it now, so you can get as much financial assistance as possible. If you need help filling out the fafsa, call FAME at 1-800-228-3734 or email: [email protected] Good luck!

24 PATHS (Portland Arts and Technology High School) offers 19 interesting programs from Dance to Welding. Visit their website: paths.portlandschools.org to learn about the different programs and the careers opportunities for which you will be trained. There is something for everyone! You must visit the program or programs you want to join. See your guidance counselor to set up a visit this spring.

On Wednesday, April 15, juniors will take the SAT. This is a real, official SAT with scores that can be sent to the colleges you will apply to next year -- and it is FREE (the test usually costs $54). Practice for the test using your PSAT score report and the College Board website: www.collegeboard.org. Guidance counselors will help you register for the April 15 test after February break.

The CLOCKTOWER is an official publication of Deering High School EDITOR: Andrew Gordon ([email protected]) GRAPHICS: Anne Dixon ([email protected]) Contributors: Isabelle Weyl, Jana Boody-Billings, Libby Heselton, Dan Legage, Gil Peltola, Kathleen Harris, Mohamed Nur ’15, Carlos Gómez, Chris Richardson ’15, Kate Rogers ’15, Tina Mikkelson, Shana Genre, Audrey Rolfe, Kathryn Robertson, Evelyn Randazzo ’17, Karen Shibles Anne Dixon, Andrew Gordon

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