Portland mathletes excel at S. Maine meet

Lyman Moore Middle School won a first-place award and several students also earned top-tier honors at the Southern Maine Math Meet on Dec. 13 at Holiday Inn by the Bay.

Awards were given to the following sixth-grade students: first place, Ronan Mas, Lyman Moore Middle School; second place, Cedar Levin, Lyman Moore Middle School; third place, Yiyang Liu, Lyman Moore Middle School; fifth place, Josslyn Philbrook, Lyman Moore Middle School.

Fifth-graders who finished on top included fourth-place winner Alma Wallace, Longfellow Elementary School, and Ethan Sweeney, Lyseth Elementary School, who earned fifth place. 

Falmouth High named a Blue Ribbon School

Falmouth High School has been named a National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education for 2018, Principal Peter Badalament announced last week. 

“The National Blue Ribbon Schools Award is a coveted recognition based on a school’s overall academic achievement,” said Badalament in a Dec. 14 email.

Out of 98,000 public and private schools in the United States, Falmouth High School was one of only 349 schools nationwide, and one of only three schools in Maine selected to receive the award this year, according to Badalament.

“Every year the U. S. Department of Education seeks out and celebrates great American schools, schools demonstrating that all students can achieve to high levels,” the principal said.

He added that The National Blue Ribbon Schools award “‘affirms the hard work of educators, families, and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging and engaging content.'”

Falmouth student serving as senate page

Falmouth native John Bishop Wahlig III has been appointed to the Senate Page Program for the spring of 2019 by U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, following a competitive selection process. 

The son of John and Jennifer Wahlig of Falmouth, Wahlig is deeply involved in his community and has received awards for his leadership and entrepreneurship. He is a junior at Falmouth High School, where he serves as the student advisor to the Maine State Legislature. In addition, Wahlig is founder and president of the Falmouth Computer Programming Club; CEO of Itvara LLC, an iOS development company; and president and teacher at Falmouth Girls Code, an eight-week course on the basics of computer science and programming for elementary school girls. 

Senate pages must be high school juniors, at least 16 years old, and attend school. Their duties consist primarily of delivery of correspondence and legislative material within the Capitol complex.

“John is a highly motivated student with an impressive record of academic achievement and involvement in extracurricular activities,” said Collins. “This opportunity will provide him with a unique opportunity to witness the legislative process firsthand.”

A sculpture now in place in front of the Falmouth High School is being used by teachers district-wide as a centerpiece of an extensive and diverse curriculum. Thanks to over 80 donors, the fundraising goal was exceeded and an endowment fund has been created that will allow the sculptor, Jesse Salisbury, to give an annual lecture to Falmouth students.

South Portland High School National Honors Society members Kiley Callow, Britni Cole, Aaron Matthews, Grace Flaherty and Max Gailey with toys they delivered to Brown School students last week. “This is our first time doing a toy drive in recent years,” said Matthews. “Small toy drive but it makes a difference! Award-winning Portland Public Schools mathletes Xavier Bradford, Yiyang Liu, Ronan Das, Cedar Levin, Josslyn Philbrook and Madeline Butters received accolades Dec. 13 at the competition held at Holiday Inn by the Bay.

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