Pilates at sunset

Did you have the opportunity to enjoy the beauty and serenity of Tassel Top Beach this summer? Accessible from Route 302 across from the Raymond Shopping Center and situated on the east shore of Sebago Lake, sunsets at Tassel Top are spectacular. It is not too late to experience its peaceful setting while creating a long, lean, and strong body.

Local pilates instructor Janice Hutchinson will be leading group sessions Mondays and Fridays at 6 p.m beginning Sept. 29 and ending Oct. 24. Pilates is a form of exercise that emphasizes the balanced development of the body through, flexibility, and awareness in order to support efficient, graceful movement. Cool down with Qigong’s gentle stretches, movements, and breathing.

The fee per session is $15 or you can save by prepaying for all eight weeks at $12.50 per session. Space is limited so register today by contacting Hutchinson at jannaj711@yahoo.com or 653-9922.

School news

Next week, school districts across the state will participate in Maine Harvest Lunch, a day to celebrate the bounty of Maine’s harvest by featuring local foods on the school menu. Efforts have been made to make this not only tasty, but also an educational and community-building annual event.

The Raymond schools will participate Thursday, Sept. 18, by offering a lunch including a wide selection of delicious, fresh and nutritious foods provided by our local food sources.

Short days

For years, the Raymond Elementary School has released its students at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesdays to give the teachers an opportunity for training and planning without requiring full days off for teacher workshops.

Once a month, the students of the Jordan Small Middle School are also released early so the staff at the middle school level can participate in this training. The first early release day for the middle school is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 17. The students will be released at 11:30 a.m.

Due to the rescheduled open houses at both schools, the first meeting of the PTO has been postponed to Tuesday, Sept. 16, at 6:30 p.m. Come join the members who meet in the library at the Raymond Elementary School to discuss ways to bring valuable programs to the Raymond school district and support the teachers and staff.

Joining together

Full of concerns for the future of the education our town will offer, I took the opportunity to go to the public forum recently held on school consolidation.

Raymond School Superintendent Sandy Caldwell and Windham Superintendent School Sandy Prince, along with several members of the consolidation committee, provided a presentation of the plan they have developed. At the conclusion of the presentation, they opened the meeting to questions from the audience and a lively discussion ensued.

According to the state mandate, the Windham School District is not required to consolidate, however the Raymond School District must do so. Having a long relationship with Windham and because 60 percent of our students attending Windham High School, this union seems like the logical step to take.

After a year of extensive work, a plan has been developed and residents from both Raymond and Windham will vote on it on Nov. 4. If the proposed plan is approved by both towns, the new regional school unit will form.

The first action item will be to elect a new school board. Current school boards will be replaced with a board comprised of three Raymond representatives and six Windham representatives. This ratio is a reflection of the student population, with 19 percent of the student body from Raymond and 81 percent from Windham. This election will be held on Jan. 27 and paid for by the state.

Next, a new superintendent will be appointed. This could be Caldwell, Prince or an altogether new superintendent. With the new superintendent and school board in place, immediate focus will be placed on building and recommending a school budget to be approved and become effective July 1, 2009.

Throughout the night, the metaphor of marriage was used in discussing how each town is bringing strengths to the whole. A resident then asked if the consolidation did not seem to be working, could the two towns choose to “divorce.” This will be nearly impossible, much like a portion of one town seceding.

Parents expressed concern with Raymond students representing such a small number in the school. Given our total student population of 762 students compared to Windham’s population of nearly 2,800, it is difficult for many to believe that our voice will be heard in the decision making process. Others thought consolidating with Windham would provide countless opportunities for our students and a chance for both schools to share ideas and successful programs.

School choice was also discussed and residents voiced their opinions. Choice remains a very passionate debate and will also be voted upon on Nov. 4 but is a separate item from consolidation, and one is not dependent upon the other.

It was clear that a lot of hours have been spent developing the plan but concerns from more than one parent seemed to be justified. With so much talk about finances, the driving factor in state wide consolidation, questions regarding curriculum, classroom sizes and educational philosophies still linger. Details regarding combining sports and extra curricular activities have not yet been addressed. We were assured that not much will change for the first couple of years and emphasis has been placed on the positives of this action.

If you were unable to attend this meeting, I encourage you to watch the recording on the cable channel. It will be shown repeatedly and a videotaped copy can also be borrowed from the library.