RUMFORD — Nearly 300 seniors from Rumford, Dixfield and Buckfield high schools gathered Wednesday for the first time since the Western Foothills School District was formed.
They sat around tables in the cafeteria of Mountain Valley High School to share lunch and get to know each other, after spending the morning learning about things they’ll need after high school.
Mountain Valley Principal Matt Gilbert said he believes the chance for the students to get together is almost a symbol for the greater community.
“With life after high school, it doesn’t matter what (school) colors you wear, or where you are from. We have to learn to co-exist,” he said.
Throughout the morning, students had a chance to choose three workshops from more than two dozen offered dealing with college, the military, how to eat healthy, how to balance a checkbook, and a multitude of other topics geared toward a young person heading out on his or her own.
“It’s very important for kids to be able to step out the doors into their future,” said Barbara Radmore, coordinator for Partnerships for Success. She, and Dorie Fellman, head of GEAR-UP, organized the series of senior seminars.
Among the more popular workshops was one titled, “A Magical Life,” presented by Bill Cummings of the Boothby Institute, Litchfield.
“It showed us how to change your life when in a bad situation,” said Hillary Dolloff, a Mountain Valley senior who plans to attend the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy in the fall.
Heather Webber, a Buckfield High School student, learned a lot about when to use and not use checks to pay bills or order items. She hopes to attend Central Maine Community College to study child care.
Ben Blodgett, a Dirigo senior, met with U.S. Marine recruiters. He plans to join after graduation, then use the educational benefits to go to trade school. He also liked meeting fellow students from surrounding high schools.
Dirigo Assistant Principal Charles Swan said the first session of the day was quiet, but as students got to know each other, they opened up more.
“It’s a slow process, but eventually there will be more and more joint activities,” he said.
Gilbert said the topics explored during the morning were all things young people will have to know.
“This is all the other stuff we can’t teach in our curriculum,” he said.
Seniors from Dirigo, Mountain Valley and Buckfield high schools prepare some healthy food in a kitchen of MVHS on Wednesday. Learning to look for healthy food was one of more than two dozen workshops offered to seniors from the three high schools as part of a senior fair. Others included college and military information, learning how to use checking accounts, owning your own business and a multitude of others.
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