 Sarah was married for 27 years to her husband Barry who passed away suddenly and unexpectedly in May of 2002. Barry was one of the first coaches of the newly formed Mt. Blue Tennis team, and their family awards a scholarship each year to a Mt. Blue scholar athlete. Sarah and her family treasure the environment and the outdoors and have spent many happy times together enjoying the mountains, lakes and rivers of this area. She feels that the loss of her husband and the process of healing have helped her tune in more to her students and their individual needs. Sarah considers student mindfulness, creativity, physical fitness and respect for the environment as high priorities. A student in her classroom was quoted saying, ‘the most important word for me is mindfulness, because it allows us to stop being all hyper, calm down, and get on to learning.” Sarah uses many opportunities to focus on classroom climate. She and her students use “campfires” to circle up and discuss how they are getting along together, to solve a problem or concern within the community, to allow individuals a voice, and for anything else that they may wish to discuss. When not in school, Sarah writes poetry, bikes, skis, and kayaks, along with a number of other outdoor challenges. She brings this passion to her students and the school. Sarah was one of the pioneers of the winter fun days in the district which started in 1995. Sarah has made it possible for many of her students as well as others at Cascade Brook to learn about perseverance. Sarah has been actively involved with Maine Adaptive Sports as a guide for blind and visually impaired alpine skiers. She met Noah Carver, a seventh-grade student of Beals Island who was born blind, when he was in second grade and she was assigned as one of his first guides. She has invited him to CBS on a number of occasions, including a recent visit for a blind guiding demonstration at Titcomb for the school’s Winter Fun Day. Noah has taught that being blind is not really a disability---just a difference. The students have learned how important it is to focus on their strengths not their weaknesses and be more accepting of people with differences. Additionally, Sarah shares her commitment to children and the school district by serving on the school leadership team and the district Reporting and Grading Committee. All the while, Sarah is most dedicated to each group of 20+ students who have the pleasure of being in her classroom. |   Lunch Portals:  |
