Crafters Wanted

Crafters are wanted for the upcoming Holiday Artisan Show at Center Stage Performing Arts on Main Street in Raymond. The show is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 8 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The show will feature handmade crafts in jewelry, pottery, artwork, hand-knitted items, seasonal decorative ornaments, candles, etc.

Contact 761-2938 for more information, or e-mail susancloutier@maine.rr.com.

Happy Halloween

Decorations are lining our streets, costumes are being made and candy is being bought and consumed in large amounts. It must be Halloween. I often hear people say it is their favorite holiday, partly because there is no gift-giving obligations involved but mostly for the sheer fun of it.

Although my childhood Halloweens were always fun, I have never enjoyed it as much as I do now. My first experience taking my children trick-or-treating on Main Street, a.k.a. The Village, was overwhelming. I could not believe what I was seeing. Each year, the village receives more than 300 visitors in a matter of an hour or two. Beyond candy collecting for my children, it is also the perfect opportunity to see so many friends in one place. Residents take great pride in decorating their houses and we all look forward to the best spooks of all. I hope you will treat yourself to a wonderful experience of friendship, laughter and scares. Bring your children to the village, a safe and friendly place to celebrate the holiday.

Haunted Happenings

The Raymond Fire and Rescue Association, with support from Troop 800 Boy Scouts and the local community, are proud to offer their annual Haunted House and Hayride on Saturday, Oct. 27. A kid-friendly spook will take place from 5-6:30 p.m. and Scare Time is schedule for 6:30-9:30 p.m. Candy and refreshments will be served and costumes are welcome. The popular event is free although donations are always appreciated. The rain date is Sunday, Oct. 28 at the same times. For more information, please call 655-1187.

The members of the Raymond Village Community Church are excited to decorate their church steps with lit pumpkins on Halloween night and make Main Street spookier than ever. The church invites you to drop off a carved pumpkin with a candle in it on Oct. 28 from 9:30-11:30 a.m.; Oct. 29 from 10 a.m. to noon; and Oct. 30 from 8:30-11:30 a.m. Main Street is already a wonderful place to be on Halloween, Raymond Village Community Church’s spirit will only add to the festivities. Also, should you wish to contribute, the church is accepting donations for UNICEF. Please join me by dropping off a carved pumpkin to add to this wonderful display.

‘I Care CATs’

The Raymond Elementary School “I Care CATs” have had an exciting start to the new school year by undergoing training, learning more about their roles and making bracelets to be distributed during Anti-Bullying Week. Several years ago, Raymond schools adopted the Peace Education Foundation’s I Care Rules, which reinforce positive attitudes and behaviors.

The students in the Raymond schools abide by the following rules:

1. We listen to each other

2. Hands are for helping not hurting

3. We use I Care Language

4. We care about each other’s feelings

5. We are responsible for what we say and do.

Raymond Elementary School reinforces the I Care rules every morning during announcements. Each day, one of the rules is recited and all students are expected to know and abide by them.

Three years ago, Guidance Counselor Deb Hutchinson saw a need for a peer helper group and implemented the I Care CATs program. CATs, an acronym for Caring Assistance Team, is a highly respected group of students in the school. An I Care CAT is a fourth-grade student who follows the I Care rules and helps to make their school a safe, friendly place by rewarding positive behaviors.

Hutchinson had 17 CATS the first year and 25 the second year. This year, she has 32 CATs. This is exciting because more and more fourth-graders are interested in making their school a better place.

To become an I Care CAT, students have to apply to be in the program by filling out an application form and getting signatures from three teachers. Hutchinson believes everyone deserves a chance to be a CAT and is very excited by the number who apply.

CATs meet one day a week with Hutchinson during lunch and recess. During this meeting, she provides training for them and problems are discussed. The CATs also go into classrooms each Wednesday morning and observe students. Students who are observed following the I Care rules receive tokens.

Each CAT is given five tokens to distribute if they witness a good behavior. The recipients, kindergarten through third-graders, then place the tokens in a jar that is kept in the office. Once the jar is full, the entire school is rewarded with an incentive decided by the CATs. Past incentives include having a hat day, red-white-blue day, and wacky Wednesday. The positive behavior of all students at the Raymond Elementary School is indicative by the fact that it only takes a month to fill the jar.

CATs also earn awards for their good behavior. Hutchinson awards miniature wooden hands that are hung on a pin which is attached to the sashes the CATs wear on Wednesdays. This is part of the Helping Hands program and after receiving 10 hands, the CATs receive a special pin for their sashes. The sashes are quite decorated and the CATs are proud to wear them.

This is a wonderful program that teaches children to have pride in themselves, to expect and demand the best of others and to enjoy the benefits of positive behavior. I will keep you informed of all CAT happenings as they are a busy group working hard to keep Raymond Elementary School a wonderful place in which to learn.

Triumphant Trail Rider

Raymond Town Clerk Louise Lester has just finished another season of competitive equestrian trail riding with a 50-mile ride in Vermont. This is an impressive accomplishment in itself, but more so since she just completed a three-day, 100-mile ride on Labor Day weekend.

Competing since 1972, Louise rides hundreds of miles each season and participates in several competitions. Competitive trail riding measures the fitness of a horse as it travels over a marked trail of 20 to 120 miles. Horses are examined thoroughly by qualified judges and veterinarians before the competition begins, on the trail and after finishing. The events are strictly timed and penalties are given for finishing too early or too late. Points are deducted for any signs of distress and the horses who show the highest level of physical fitness win. Louise discovered the sport in 1972, and did her first 100-miler in 1974. She has been competing ever since and looks forward to many more years of riding.

Anti-Bullying Week

Raymond schools are taking a progressive approach toward bullying. Oct. 22 kicked off anti-bullying week and many activities have been taking place this week to acknowledge its importance. Even the lunch menu has been converted to include items such as Friendship Fish Sticks and Helpful Ham.

Raymond Elementary School is decorated with a wall of kindness, anti-bullying bracelets, bully-free buttons, bookmarks and posters. By engaging in games, reading and art work, the students are learning what should be done if they feel bullied.

Jordan Small Middle School community service class students made posters and performed skits to display positive proactive behavior. Celebrating anti-bullying week is another example of how Raymond schools excel in all areas of learning.

Box Tops For Education

Did you realize how profitable it is to cut out a one-inch square logo from many of your cooking products? The Raymond Parent-Teacher Organization collects box tops and receives cash back for each one submitted.

Box Tops contests are held twice each year and the classes who collect the most, earn prizes. This fall, the class that collects the most box tops from both Raymond Elementary School and Jordan Small Middle School will receive free funky hats, which can be worn in the school all day long. If you do not have a child in the schools, please cut those box tops anyway. You can drop them off in locations around town including the town office, Raymond Village Library and either of the schools. All money received from the box tops is used by the PTO for enrichment programs in both schools.