ROCKPORT — Camden Hills Regional High School’s Visual and Performing Arts department has named Thatcher Chamberlain Student of the Month. Senior Thatcher Chamberlain has been involved in the Visual and Performing Arts program at Camden Hills for the past four years. He has been a member of the CHRHS Concert Band, Jazz Band and has worked as a sound technician for the Tech Club and fall musicals. He also took a visual arts course and used his knowledge of set construction, design and lighting to volunteer for a variety of other extra-curricular activities.

As a musician, Thatcher began playing piano at five years of age and continued until he was 14. In fifth grade, he became interested in performing in the band and began the study of trumpet. In high school, he switched to the euphonium and plays valve trombone in the jazz band.

Thatcher has also been a leader in the theatre department and the main sound designer for the past two fall musicals. In addition, he built a robotic monkey for Phantom of the Opera his freshman year.

Technical advisor Tom Heath said in a news release: “When Thatcher signs up to do an event, you know it is going to happen right!”

Thatcher, known as a real “team player,” enjoys being part of a collaborative effort and being able to contribute to the complexities of a performance as well as the ensuing final product. 

His favorite artists are Miles Davis, Ratatat and the Village Stompers.  

His advice to young students who are considering involvement in the arts:  “Do it! You will meet a great group of interesting and fun people. It is great to be a part of some amazing productions.”

Fourth graders from Hope Elementary School visit State House

AUGUSTA — Senator Dave Miramant, D-Camden, greeted the fourth grade class from the Hope Elementary School during their class visit to the State House. The students had an opportunity to tour the House and Senate Chambers and learn more about the legislative process.

During their visit, the students were encouraged to return to the State House as Honorary Pages. The Honorary Page program gives students an opportunity to participate in the process and interact with legislators. Honorary Pages have the opportunity to see what it is like to work on the floor of the Senate and be part of a legislative session.

Pages perform such duties as delivering messages to senators and distributing amendments and supplements in the chamber. Students from third grade through high school are invited to serve in the Senate Chamber as Honorary Pages when the senate is in session.

For more information or to schedule a visit, call Miramant at (207) 287-1515.

Maine’s graduation rates rise

AUGUSTA — Maine's high school graduation rate has hit an all-time high, as has the percentage of students who are either economically disadvantaged or have a disability and are earning their diploma in four years.

According to newly released data from the Maine Department of Education, 86.48 percent of the students who entered the ninth grade in the fall of 2010 graduated on time in 2014. That's up just slightly from 86.36 percent in 2013 and well above the 80.3 percent graduation rate reached in 2009-2010 when the current calculation method was introduced.

In announcing the rising rate, Maine's Acting Education Commissioner Tom Desjardin said he is especially encouraged to see the state make such progress in narrowing achievement gaps though he urged more work must be done.

Desjardin said in the news release: "All children can learn and deserve equal opportunity to do so in our schools. I want to thank Maine's educators for their hard work in supporting an increasing number of historically academically disadvantaged students find success.

“Moving forward, we must continue to improve both our graduation rate and the value of the diplomas awarded by our schools so that every student leaves with the foundation they need to achieve their full potential."

The four-year graduation rate is up to 77.82 percent for economically disadvantaged students, an increase from 76.9 percent in 2013 and 75.7 percent in 2012 and above the national average of 73.3 percent.

Meanwhile, the graduation rate for students with disabilities continues to climb and was at 70.97 in 2014, much higher than the national average of 61.9 percent.

Graduation rates for Maine's two largest minority student groups are also up over the last three years.

Black students showed the greatest growth with a graduation rate of 79.18 percent, up significantly from 71.98 percent in 2012. The graduation rate among Asian students is up to 94.42 percent from 89.06 percent in 2012. The graduation rate for Hispanic students, the third largest school-aged minority in Maine, has shown a concerning decline to 71.12 percent from 79.14 percent just three years ago.

According to the most recent national data from the U.S. Department of Education, which was released earlier this month but is based on the Class of 2013, Maine's four-year graduation rate is the 10th highest in the country and well above the national average of 81.4 percent.

Meanwhile, Maine is sixth in the nation for its limited English proficiency graduation rate, twelfth for its economically disadvantaged student graduation rate and fourteenth for its graduation rate among students with disabilities.

As the state's high schools work toward beginning to award diplomas based on student proficiency rather than time served starting in 2018, the Maine DOE continues to aspire to having a 90 percent graduation rate. In 2014, 49 of the state's 134 high schools met or exceeded that goal.

In total, 70 schools improved their four-year graduation rate from 2013 to 2014 and 76 percent improved their five-year graduation rate.

The Class of 2014 was the smallest in recent years, down to 12,362 students from 12,792 students in 2013, which mirrors declining overall public school enrollment in the state.

The five-year graduation rate for Maine's 2013 graduating class cohort was also up more than a full point to 88.78 percent.

To see Maine high school graduation data, visit the Maine Department of Education's transparent online education Data Warehouse at www.maine.gov/doe/dataresources/.