REGION — Chyanna Millett-Cordwell, a specialist for Jobs for Maine Grads (JMG) and two Telstar seniors, Ainsley Brown and Katie Colby, spoke about the JMG program at a March 9 school board meeting.

JMG joins together with public middle and high schools statewide, community colleges and the university system to ensure that students can maximize their potential. The program aids more than 10,000 students in towns/cities in all 16 Maine counties.

“JMG has helped me consider all my options after high school,” Colby said.

Colby added that she will attend college in the fall, but that being a part of JMG helped make her path to this point “more clear.”

“Since joining JMG I have gotten the chance to improve both my responsibility and time management,” Brown said. “JMG has given me increased knowledge and decision making and helps me label the consequences and benefits of my actions and decisions.”

Brown got accepted into her top school, The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City. She said she plans to pursue her love of musical theater there this fall.

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Superintendent Dave Murphy said JMG has been a “great asset” to Telstar and that it has provided additional opportunities beyond traditional school for students.

People interested in learning more about JMG can visit their website by using the link www.jmg.org.

Alternative Learning Coordinator, Charlie Raymond, also gave a presentation at the board meeting. Raymonds presentation went over the alternative learning activities that are available to students. Raymond has supervised some of these activities over the past five years.

Raymond oversees three areas as part of Alternative Learning Opportunities, one area is the dual enrollment program at Central Maine Community College. Telstar has four students in the program this year.

Another area Raymond focuses on the internship work program. Currently, three students are involved in the program. Raymond said the students spend a bulk of their school day working an actual job.

“For some kids, being a part of that program has been the difference for them staying in school and then going onto college,” Raymond said.

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Raymond explained that the biggest part of his job is supervising online courses.

Raymond said there are currently 45 online courses offered, but that he expects that number to double by the end of the year.

“This gives kids the chance to try some different things out.” “To have all these options out there for students at a small school like Telstar is huge.”

Raymond said the program has a more than 95 percent success rate for Telstar students, which earned the school a spot in an Edmentum brochure (a provider for online learning programs).

Raymond said about 45 kids are taking online classes currently.

Some of the many courses offered are sociology, medical terminology, early childhood education, life science, forensics, French I and II, Latin, German mythology, folklore, health and sports officiating.

“Mr. Raymond has done a great job connecting with the kids and making sure what is available to them,” Superintendent Dave Murphy said.

 


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