School registration opens

Pre-K and kindergarten registration is now open. To register for kindergarten, students must be 5 years old by Oct. 15. To register for pre-kindergarten, the student must be 4 years old by Oct. 15 and not of kindergarten age. Register at rsu14.org by April 1. A screening questionnaire via phone with school staff must be completed by Aug. 1. Pre-kindergarten placement is done by lottery. Visit the RSU 14 website for more information.

Community gifts

Raymond Village Community Church’s community knitting and crocheting group has made hats and mittens for Raymond school children. Contributed / Brenda Olsen

Raymond Village Community Church has a community knitting and crocheting group that meets twice a month at the church from 2-4 p.m. the second and fourth Tuesday of the month. The group is open to everyone, regardless of skill. Last year the group made a number of hats and gave them to the Seafarer’s Mission, which then distributed them to sailors from all over the world who come to Portland or other ports along the coast of Maine. This year, the group is making hats and mittens for young school children in Raymond. They are just about finished now, and there will be well over 25 sets that were made from mostly donated yarn. For more information, contact the church at 655-7749, or office@rvccme.org.

PTO happenings

Raymond Elementary School is in need of a new laminator, which is used to cover paper sheets in plastic, making frequently referenced papers easy to clean. Raymond PTO is hoping to help raise money to fund this purchase. Look for a link to a GoFundMe page on Facebook (Raymond Schools PTO) or email raymondschoolspto@gmail.com to and find out how you can help.

The PTO also is gearing up for Teacher Appreciation Week, May 3-7. The group is looking for two members from Raymond Elementary School and and two from Jordan Small Middle School to help with this year’s appreciation celebration. The PTO would like to compile a small goodie bag with donations from Walmart, Hannaford, Dunkin’ Donuts, Aroma Joe’s and Staples for the teachers and staff at both schools. Watch the Raymond PTO Facebook for fundraisers.

In addition, the PTO is preparing for this year’s elections. All four positions are available: president, vice president, secretary and treasurer. If you are interested in running for a position, let the PTO know. A vote to change term lengths will be taken at the next meeting, Feb. 16 via Zoom. This change does not affect the current board but would create overlapping terms to prevent complete turnover every two years. For more information, email raymondschoolspto@gmail.com.

Town scholarships available

Several scholarships are currently available to Raymond students. Applications, along with at least two letters of reference, must be returned to the Town Office or organizations offering the scholarship by April 30. Some of the available scholarships available are the Alva M. Clough Scholarship, the Carleton E. Edwards Scholarship Trust Fund, the Collins-Day Scholarship, the George E. Wood Memorial Scholarship, the Torstein-Johannas Lund, the Betts-Douglas-Hicikey Scholarship, the Lions Club Scholarship and the Raymond Parent Teachers Association Scholarship. For more information, call Sue Look, town clerk, at 655-4742 ext. 121 or visit raymondmaine.org/town-office/town-clerk/town-scholarships. Applications can be mailed to: Town Clerk, Town of Raymond 401 Webbs Mills Road, Raymond, ME 04071.

Anyone may contribute to an existing scholarship fund or create a new fund. Donations are tax deductible. Contact the town clerk for more information.

EmpowerME series

EmpowerME is holding its second meeting in a community afternoon series on health empowerment from 2-3 p.m. Feb. 17. The topic of this interactive discussion will be “Not Just Blowing Smoke,” which dives into the vaping epidemic and youth use. Topics will include vaping products and chemical components, the adolescents’  brain and decision making, addiction, youth-centered data and vaping industry marketing tactics. In addition, the session will offer helpful tips and resources on healthy decision making, alternative coping mechanisms and quit resources for youth. To RSVP, contact director@betheinfluenecewrw.org.

Alissa Messer can be contacted at alissamesser@gmail.com.