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JAMES F. DOUGHTY SCHOOL

HIGHLIGHTS: 2017-2018

Academic Excellence for All

Scholastic Reading Inventory: 

  1.                  55% Proficient/Advanced Level – Increase of 2%
  2.                   31 Students – Advanced Level (9%)

159 Students – Proficient Level (46%)

  1. 46% Increase of Economically Disadvantaged meeting proficiency/Advanced level

Fall Testing – 83 Proficient/Advanced

Spring Testing – 88 Proficient/Advanced

(24 students moved from Below Basic/Basic to Proficient/Advanced)

Accelerated Classes:

  •                    Grade 6 – 31% Enrolled in one or more accelerated classes.

      52/108 Students

ELA – 19 = 18%

Math – 33 = 31%

  • Grade 7 – 30% Enrolled in one or more accelerated classes.

       38/125 Students

            ELA – 25 = 20%

            Math – 29 = 23%

            Science – 30 = 24%

            Social Studies – 28 =22%

  • Grade 8 – 59% Enrolled in one or more accelerated classes.

      69 /117 Students

            ELA – 28 = 24%

            Math – 43 = 37%

            Science – 41= 35%

            Social Studies – 40 = 34%

            Foreign Language – 47 = 40%

Grades 6-8 (159/350) 45%

  • During the 2017-18 school year, 56 Students received trophies at the Academic Awards Ceremony.
  • Students had multiple opportunities to SKYPE with the authors of school wide reads.
  • We had 16 students attend the MLTI Conference at the University of Maine. Jack Patterson presented at the conference – the topic “Rolli Block”. It is used to help compose music on a computer. (He is 1 of only 4 students presenting at the conference.)
  • Several student artists had their artwork selected to be part of the Our Student Art Exhibit at the Bangor Mall.
  • Anna Elliott, a 7th grade student at James F. Doughty School, won the “You Be the Chemist” state competition and will compete in the National Competition in Washington DC.
  • 8th grade students visited the Cole Land Transportation Museum on Tuesday, May 15th. They spent time touring the vast collection of exhibits showcasing the history of transportation in our state. They also had the opportunity to interview a veteran. This experience really brings history alive for our students and is a highlight of their 8th grade year.
  • Forty JFDS 8th graders made their way to the University of Maine, Orono on April 7th to compete in this year’s National History Day competition. This year’s theme was Conflict & Compromise in History. Students had been researching their chosen topics since September and then worked to create websites, performances, papers, documentaries or exhibits. Eleven students earned medals in this year’s event – a record number for JFDS. Seven students will continue on to the national contest in Washington D.C. this June. Those students are:

Group Website:

Silver Medal: Claire Nason, India Moon & Maggie Thyer – Florence’s Fight for Freedom

Group Performance:

Gold Medal: Morgan Pyzynski & Zach Spreng – Strike For Your Rights: Disney’s Strike for Labor Unions

Individual Paper:

Silver Medal: Lilie Sites – Dorothea Dix’s Crusade for Prisoners

Individual Website: 

Gold Medal: Madison Miller – 13 Days: The Missiles of October

  • JFDS did extremely well at the 2018 Northeast Regional Science Bowl. One team won five out of seven initial matches. They placed 3rd in their grouping. The second team won 6 of their 7 matches and won a tie breaker for first place in their group. This team went onto the semi-finals where they lost a close match. The Science Bowl took place at MIT.
  • Noah Coyle won the Maine State Middle School Science Fair, held at Bangor High School.
  • Maine State Student Acting Competition Results
  • Overall Team Music – 2nd place (Belfast 1st)
  • Overall Team Acting – 2nd place (Winslow 1st) Lost by 1 point for 1st!
  • Group Music: 1st place “The Book Report”
  • Doughty Show Choir Solo Music: 3rd place Zachary Spreng Solo
  • Acting: 3rd place Morgan Pyzynski
  • Duo Music: Morgan Pyzynski/Quinn Bard 2nd place
  • Duo Acting: Madison Marden/Destinee Patrick 2nd place (Morgan Pyzynski/Zachary Spreng finalists)
  • Improv: Morgan Pyzynski/Zachary Spreng/Quinn Bard/Madison Marden 1st
  • Iann Leigh represented JFDS in the National Spelling Bee held at Washington DC.
  • Hanclich Neslusan taped the Foreign Language classes to be displayed on the access channel explaining that middle school students had an opportunity to take a World Language.
  • The 2018 Maine State Invention Convention took place at the Cross Center in Bangor. JFDS was represented by nine inventors and earned six awards:
  • Outstanding Creativity – Charlie PiconeSounds, NOT Silence (ribbon)
  • Outstanding Communicator – Rachel Mathieu– Markways Highlighter (ribbon)
  • Outstanding Results – Jack PattersonTerra Sol (ribbon)
  • Outstanding Research – Olivia Oldfield – Pest-a-Wipe (ribbon)
  • Second Place – Lilian Youngwith Pee-B-Gone (medal)
  • First Place- India Moon the Daily Dose (Medal, Computer Tablet, $350 to present at Nationals in Dearborn, MI)
  • FISH DAY: Activities included – Chorus signing at Vine St., Art, Escape Room, Coloring and Reading Room, Sign Language, Trivia, Board Games, Science Bowl, Day of the Dead, Karaoke, Hot Wheels, Basketball, Dodgeball and Yoga. The academic study room went from 70 students owing work to 22 students.
  • Students social studies classes got a unique opportunity to interview a research fellow from Cambridge University in London, England. Emily Charnock specializes in American Studies, particularly the Presidency. Students asked questions related to conducting research as a historian as well as information about the Presidency.
  • Roxanne Dubay, Public Health Specialist presented at a faculty meeting to cover the latest on vaping and JUULing.
  • BHS Academy Night was held in April – Approximately 125 parents attended from JFDS/Cohen
  • Jack Moring, Seth Michalik, and Joey Morrison were each awarded a Bangor High School sweatshirt (courtesy of the JFDS Student Council) as a reward for their outstanding attendance – 3 years without an absence. 

Professional Excellence

Highlights

The professionalism, versatility and ability of our teachers continue to be a strength of our school.

  • 86% of the faculty holds advanced college/university degrees.
  • James F. Doughty faculty continued their professional development enrolling in summer courses as well as completing classes during the first and second semesters.
  • Doughty teachers, guidance, and administrators completed many hours of training, then successfully implemented and administered the Maine Educational Assessments in reading, mathematics, and science.
  • Boehmer and Mrs. Vassiliev were honored for their work in earning their National Board Certification.  Only 2% of teachers in the State of Maine hold this prestigious honor.
  •        Mary Wright was named the MASEC support staff of the year.
  • Kate Kennedy was selected as the 2018 Maine History Teacher of the Year.
  • JFDS took part in the Community of Kindness Challenge & provided students and teachers alike opportunities to recognize kindness throughout the school. Two students took the initiative to write kind words on sticky notes and place them on every student locker for kindness week.
  • JFDS parents re-established the JFDS Bulldog Boosters, meeting monthly and becoming a regular presence at school events.
  • Tracy Vassiliev & Kate Kennedy presented at the “Where STEM and History Collide” at the Cole Land Transportation Museum.
  • Miss Bloch attended the Wilson training program at BHS.
  • Ilyse Caldwell and Denise Simoneau attended a class “Building Capacity and Understanding in Children’s Mathematical Thinking”, with Eric Pandiscio.
  • Introduced the faculty “summer read” – EduProtocal Field Guide. The book focuses on Student-Centered Lesson Frames for Infinite Learning Possibilities.  The book will be used more as a resource/reference for discussion, to take place during Professional Meetings next year.

Environment for Success

Student and Program Recognitions

 A variety of commendations were received by students and school groups during 2017-18, one indicator of the Environment for Success.

  • The James F. Doughty School gymnasium was filled to capacity for the 2018 BANDORAMA, which included schools form Cohen, Hermon, and Brewer.
  • JJ Watt Foundation notified the school that JFDS were selected to receive a $8500 grant to purchase cheering mats for the school.
  • The school musical was, “You’re a Good Man, CHARLIE BROWN”, and featured 30 students.
  • 100% of the students have participated in at least one activity, 90% in at least two activities, and 71% in three activities.
  • 52% of parents attended the parent/teacher conferences.
  • O’Reilly met with all students to review and update their personal learning plans.
  • 98% of faculty offered some sort of after school activity or club.
  • 58 different activities and clubs were offered to students throughout the year.
  • JFDS practiced 10 fire drills, 4 lockdowns, 1 drop, cover and hold, and 1 evacuation drill to ensure safety procedures and protocols were in place and understood by the students and staff.
  • On March 15, 2018, students from the James F. Doughty School Chorus travelled to Ross Manor Center in Bangor.  The facility was honoring the 198th birthday of the State of Maine.  Students sang the National Anthem, The Great State of Maine Song, and ended with singing Happy Birthday to the State of Maine.
  • O’Reilly, JFDS guidance counselor, recently painted a picture of a bulldog and donated the picture to the school which now hangs in the main office.
  • JFDS Chorus performed at the Capital and met with the First Lady 

Quality Instructional Program

  • The CASE Team worked endlessly on monitoring absenteeism.
  • Teachers at JFDS took part in the first Teacher Tech-Fast sessions. They met every other week in the library to learn new technology tools and share how to implement them in classrooms.
  • Karen Perry attended the Mentor Teacher Training Program.
  • BHS Academy Night was held on Monday – Approximately 125 parents attended from JFDS/Cohen
  • Mobility Rate: 51% (New 78 – Moved 109; Total Students 187)
  • Curriculum Development
  1. Grade 6 students attended the Challenger Learning Center.
  2. Teachers from JFDS/Cohen continued work on a Chemical Health Unit on Heroin.
  3. Math Fluency Assessments grades 6-8.
  4. Continuation of the FISH philosophy.
  5. Review of Envision math pacing guides grades 6-8.
  6. Multiple teachers revised the Math Universal Screening Tool.
  7. Several ELA teachers were involved in summer curriculum work.
  8. Several Social Studies teachers were involved in summer curriculum work.
  9. Several Science teachers were involved in summer curriculum work.