Social Emotional Learning educators Krista Cote, left, Clarissa Fish, center, and Kasey Flagg address Regional School Unit 10 directors Monday night at Mountain Valley High School in Rumford. Cote said the program is “teaching how to be yourself and how to learn about yourself and those around you.” Marianne Hutchinson/Rumford Falls TImes
RUMFORD — The Regional School Unit 10 board of directors Monday approved hiring Troy Eastman as principal of Buckfield Junior-Senior High School and Craig Milledge as assistant principal of Mountain Valley High School in Rumford.
Eastman has been principal of Cape Elizabeth Middle School for the past five years and was previously principal of Oxford Hills Middle School in Paris. He may begin duties for RSU 10 on July 1, but no later than Aug. 1, Superintendent Deb Alden said Tuesday.
Eastman succeeds George Reuter who is retiring Sept. 7 after 27 years at the school.
Milledge most recently served as an assistant principal for the Mountain Valley Middle School annex, a yearlong position, and has taught social studies at the middle school for the past eight years. He begins his duties at the high school July 1.
He succeeds Tom Danylik, who was hired as principal in March, following Matt Gilbert’s retirement in September.
In other staff news, directors accepted retirement letters from middle school Principal Ryan Casey and Assistant Superintendent Leanne Condon. Casey has been employed in the education field for 27 years and will retire in August. Condon has served in the field for 25 years and will retire in November.
In other business, directors approved a revised student dress code policy.
At a prior board meeting in April, members of Mountain Valley High School Student Council told directors they had been working since November 2021 on revisions to the school’s dress code.
At Monday’s meeting, Director Janet Brennick of Mexico said the Policy Committee “did a couple of little tweaks” to the policy. They added language that only Rumford and Buckfield high school students are allowed bare midriffs, and have “no more than two inches of midriff/torso showing.”
Directors also added that strapless garments are prohibited at district schools and torn clothing must not expose skin above the short/skirt level.
An overview of the Social Emotional Learning program was presented by Clarissa Fish, director of special services, Kasey Flagg, district mental wellness coordinator, and Krista Cote, social emotional learning coach at Meroby Elementary School in Mexico.
According to a video shown, the program asks, “How can we intentionally create learning experiences that will help all young people develop and maintain positive relationships, become lifelong learners and contribute to a more caring and just world?” The video continued that it “is the process through which young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills and attitudes that help us to understand ourselves, connect with others, achieve our goals and support our communities.”
Cote, who uses puppets in her work, said the program is “teaching how to be yourself and how to learn about yourself and those around you.”
Paul Bickford, director of Career and Technical Education for Region 11 and Oxford Hills Technical School in South Paris, said the school is well represented by students from Buckfield, Hartford and Sumner” which are three of the seven towns in RSU 10.
He said there are 583 students from Buckfield Junior-Senior High School and Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School in Paris fully enrolled in programs, and another 140 or so who experience some classes.
Bickford also displayed a video of students in the building trades and plumbing programs building a modular home.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
