Thursday, November 17 from 6-9pm
at hearstudios at 4 Union Street, Camden

$10 donation at the door
Please bring a new, unwrapped baby gift for our baby
supply drive.

Some items that are needed are:

• Crib Sheets
• Sippy cups
• Size 4 rain boots (boy)
• high chairs
• child’s chairs
• push toys
• strollers
• infant car seat (s)
• Wipes (lots of them)
• Winter clothes (snowsuits, hats, mittens)
• Shoes (snow and/or rain boots)
• Burp cloths
• Blankets
• Push Toys
• Children Books
• Sippy cups
• Donations made out to the Community Schools’
  Passages Program are also greatly appreciated.

King, who hails from New Hampshire, has spent the last eleven years living in Pennsylvania, and says she is thrilled to now call Maine her home. “I am beyond excited to be a resident of such a diverse and picturesque state,” she said.

Before moving to PA, King worked as a kindergarten teacher and Head Start home visitor, while more recently, she has taught high school and college English.

King said, “I am truly thrilled to teach at The Community School because of the positive influence it has on the community. This position fosters a climate in which I can help students advance academically but also encourage them to be confident, capable human beings who can give back to their communities.”

The Community School’s Passages Program serves teen parents in Knox, Lincoln, Waldo and Washington Counties. Students are matched with a Passages Teacher who provides individualized instruction in the student’s own home, thereby eliminating the need for young parents to secure daily transportation and child care in order to attend school.

Founded in 1994, the Passages Program has helped over 120 young parents realize their goal of graduating with a high school diploma. Passages students receive instruction in 24 core areas in academic, parenting and life skills- including math, science, social studies, English Language Arts, child development, budgeting, nutrition and more.

Before graduating, each student must complete a final “Passage”, a project that addresses a personal challenge or goal for the student. Recent Passages projects have included everything from raising funds for The Maine Children’s Cancer Program to learning to play guitar, writing a novella, developing a cookbook for children with special developmental and dietary needs, and even working with town officials to secure sidewalks for a downtown area with heavy stroller traffic.

Last year, Passages student Amanda Thornton spoke at the state-wide drop-out prevention conference and the Maine Family Literacy conference, and was selected as the keynote speaker for The Maine Family Literacy Initiative’s award ceremony in June. There, she spoke alongside former First Lady Barbara Bush and Maine’s First Lady Karen Baldacci.

One recent Passages Program graduate said, “If you had asked me four years if I would ever graduate with my high school diploma, I would probably have told you no. Thanks to The Passages Program, I can say yes.”

King replaces longtime Passages Teacher Janet Larkin, who recently retired from teaching to pursue her writing career. King joins fellow Passages Teacher Andrea Itkin and Passages Program Director Martha Kempe in serving students throughout the mid-coast area.

Kempe said, “We are very pleased to have Heather join Passages. Her combination of experiences in teaching and counseling fit so well with the needs of the position. Her energy and commitment to our students’ growth as parents and learners was evident from her first day with us. We are so happy to have her join the Community School staff.”

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Elizabeth Berry, Director of Development at The Community School, holds an ornate bowl to be auctioned off at the annual school fundraiser, along with the other items pictured.

The Community School’s Annual Auction is fast approaching and the list of auction items is impressive. From jewelry to art work, from ski packages to river rafting, from a lovely handmade quilt to a cord of wood to a massage,there is something for everyone.

Held on Saturday, November 16, the auction is a great way to get an early start on holiday shopping, while supporting a great cause. All proceeds raised during the auction support tuition costs for Community School students.

Not only that, the event includes a delicious dinner, a great chance to mingle with friends and neighbors, a silent auction and an exciting live auction handled by Bruce Gamage.

The auction will be held at Camden Rockport Middle School, and doors open at 4:30. Tickets are $15.

Don’t miss this chance for an evening of food, fun, great bargains and support for an important local cause. For more information, or to donate a new or antique item, call The Community School at 236-3000 x 114.