Portland schools notebook: A less controversial mural story, student artwork and celebrity readers

If you say the word “mural” in Maine these days, most folks still immediately think of the labor mural famously ordered removed from the state Labor Department walls almost a year ago by Gov. Paul LePage.

The lead story in my Portland schools notebook this time around is about a mural, but not that mural. This is the district’s story about a historic painting painstakingly transferred from the now-vacant Nathan Clifford School to its successor, the Ocean Avenue Elementary School.

Workers remove two historic murals from Nathan Clifford School before moving them to the new Ocean Avenue Elementary School. (photo courtesy of Portland Public Schools)

According to a Portland Public Schools announcement this week, workers spent winter vacation installing two Depression-era murals at the new school. The paintings, done by Ralph Frizzell in the early 1940s as a commission from the Works Progress Administration, depicted Maine fishermen and potato farmers. They hung for quite literally decades at the 1907 Nathan Clifford School before being moved, a process that’s not easy when considering the delicate age of the murals.

Here’s how the district described that process in this week’s announcement:

Planning for the murals’ move actually began when architects designed Ocean Avenue Elementary School. They provided a secure backing for the murals’ installation.

Douglas Sherwood, the district’s facilities coordinator, spent a year seeking legal permission to remove the artwork from Clifford and relocate it to OAES.  He eventually received a ruling from the office of the chief architect of the General Services Administration in Washington, D.C. stating that since the murals were mounted to the wall instead of framed, they belonged to the municipality rather than the federal government.

Using project funds, the city of Portland hired Williamstown Art Conservation Center in Massachusetts to remove, restore and install the murals. A team from the conservation center removed the murals from Clifford in December, brought them to Williamstown for treatment and restoration and then installed them on Feb. 22 at Ocean Avenue
Elementary School.

Students and faculty members lauded the return of the murals to their academic passageways, according to the district. A student said they look brighter in their new home, and a staff member reportedly said, “It feels right to have them here.”

Speaking of artwork…

Kudos are due for the students of Portland schools and beyond whose artwork was chosen to appear in the Portland Museum of Art for an exhibit celebrating National Youth Art Month.

The exhibit opened yesterday and runs through April 1, and features more than 100 pieces of art created by elementary, middle and high school students from around the city and state. On March 10, from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., the museum will host a free public event to highlight the works.

Artworks by Deering High School student Emily Cole (left) and Portland High School student Connor Bruce, respectively, which will appear at the Portland Museum of Art in celebration of National Youth Art Month.

And speaking of national celebrations…

Similar to how March is National Youth Art Month, Friday is the 15th annual Read Across America Day, cemented in part this particular year by a U.S. Senate resolution co-authored by Maine’s own Susan Collins. Friday would be the late Dr. Seuss’ birthday, a not unintentional tie-in.

In a statement, Collins said:

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, reads "Antlers Forever!" by Francis Bloxam to second graders recently in Hallowell. (photo courtesy Sen. Collins' office)

Reading is a wonderful and worthwhile experience, and one of my personal favorite pastimes. During my time in the U.S. Senate, I have visited more than 180 schools in Maine to encourage students to read.  These visits are some of my most rewarding experiences. It is my hope that “Read Across America Day” will continue to help families get into a daily practice of reading to their children. I applaud schoolteachers, librarians, and most of all, our parents, for their commitment to teaching America’s children the joys of reading.

At the Fred P. Hall Elementary School, several high profile readers are scheduled to come help celebrate Read Across America Day Friday, including Portland Police Chief Michael Sauschuck, Maine Red Claws mascot Crusher, Superintendent James Morse, and several local television personalities, including meteorologist Sarah Long and sports director Dave Eid from WGME, WCSH sportscaster Lee Goldberg and WMTW morning anchor Erin Ovalle.

And speaking of reading…

According to a district announcement, Portland High School student Kiana Sawyer was one of five winners at the recent Poetry Out Loud Southern Regional competition in Biddeford. She will advance to the statewide competition at Bates College in March. About 9,000 Maine students competed for the chance to be among the 10 contestants in the state contest, Portland Public Schools announced.

And speaking of pre-K applications…

OK, so we weren’t on the topic of pre-K applications, but I had such a good thing going with my transitional sub-headings.

In any case, here’s a head’s up, passed along from the district:

Portland parents who would like to enroll their children in pre-kindergarten for the 2012-2013 school year may apply to the Portland Public Schools’ free pre-kindergarten program.

Children must be 4 years old on or before Oct. 15 to be eligible for the program, which is a collaborative effort between the school district, the Opportunity Alliance (Cumberland County’s Head Start program), and Catherine Morrill Day Nursery.

Applications are posted at http://www2.portlandschools.org/pre-kindergarten-classes. The deadline for applications is March 16.  If the number of applications exceeds classroom capacity, students will be selected by a lottery. After March 16, applications will be accepted and placements made as space allows.

Kindergarten classes currently are located at Riverton Elementary School, Portland Arts and Technology High School, East End Community School and Cliff Island School.

Plans are underway to add additional classes in Portland’s public schools and in high quality preschool programs that are accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The district’s goal is to have an opening for any child who chooses to attend by the 2016-17 school year.

While we’re at it, kindergarten readiness night is coming up, too. Here’s that announcement:

The Portland Public Schools’ pre-kindergarten staff will hold a Kindergarten Readiness Night on March 8 at 6:30 p.m. at Longfellow Elementary School, 432 Stevens Avenue. Portland parents whose children are turning five years old on or before Oct. 15, 2012 are invited to attend the free program.

A panel of staff members from across the district will answer kindergarten-related questions. For more information, please call 874-8165, ext. 6517.

Seth Koenig

About Seth Koenig

Seth has nearly a decade of professional journalism experience and writes about the greater Portland region.