Pandemic-Safe Activities in Farmington this Fall

Pandemic-Safe Activities in Farmington this Fall

Nov 12, 2020 | Feature | 0 comments

By Ashley Clark, Contributing Writer

Student picking an apple

Jade Petrie reaching to pick some apples (Photo courtesy of Jared Smelter)

     Wondering what fall activities there are to do around campus? Look no further, because students of the University of Maine at Farmington have some fun activities to get involved in!

     With the University taking serious precautions to stop the spread of COVID-19, many activities and events the school used to hold seem to have been cancelled. These activities include the Halloween dance, trick or treating in the dorms, and the haunted hall walk; however, students around campus have still been getting in the Fall spirit and looking for other fun Fall activities to get involved in.

     UMF Junior and Art History Major, Jack Olson, participated in an all time favorite and classic fall pastime, “My friends and I decided to still go apple-picking this year,” he said, “Since the orchard is outdoors, we were able to still feel safe and have fun.” Olson and his friends ventured to Boothby’s Orchard and Farm to getin the fall spirit.

    UMF Junior and Elementary Education Major, Jade Petrie, also attended the apple-picking trip and had a ginormous bag of apples to bring home, “Since we picked so many apples, we decided to make an apple pie,” she said, “However, we picked so many apples that we had enough to make several pies.”

    For students of drinking age, a new restaurant/bar opened during summer break while most campus residents were gone. Because of this, many still do not know of it or where it is. The Farmhouse Beer Garden is located at 926 Farmington Falls Rd, Rte 2, Farmington, ME. Their hours of operation are Tuesday-Sunday 12pm-8pm and Monday 4pm-8pm. 

     UMF senior and Elementary Education Major, Leanna Farr, has visited the Beer Garden several times, “The outdoorsy atmosphere with various beers on tap keeps me coming back,” she said, “There are also lawn games you can play with your friends, such as cornhole—and the pizza is delicious.” With plenty of beers on tap, it is the perfect place to order a flight of beer, relax, and hangout with friends in this nice fall weather. If you are under the age of 21, you can still visit The Farmhouse Beer Garden as they have alternative drinks to offer such as sodas and milkshakes.

     A popular fall activity students participate in is decorating their dorm room or apartments for the upcoming holiday. Halloween is nearing and many people love to decorate for it.

   UMF sophomore and Elementary Education Major, Marissa Goodwin, has already started decorating her apartment. Fall is her favorite season, “I decorate for the fall season first and then decorate for Halloween as it gets closer,” she said, “I have decorative pillows matching fall colors on my couch. As well as, pumpkins, leaves, and turkey decor scattered around the apartment.” 

     With the weather getting cooler and the leaves starting to fall, the campus has been humming with fall spirit. Hopefully these fall festive activity suggestions will help those wanting a way to share this spirit. 

Practicums Play by the Pandemic Rules

Sep 29, 2020 | Feature | 0 comments

by Sydney Beecher Contributing Writer

    During the COVID-19 pandemic, students majoring in Elementary Education have been completing their practicums through placements in online programs and in-person placements.

    All students majoring in Education must go through practicum, a combination of seminars and hands-on classroom experiences, in order to graduate within their program. The seminars are designed to teach students educational theories and practices that they can apply to their future classrooms. Students are also placed in a classroom in the Farmington region where they will spend up to 10 hours a week working with students and a mentor. The main goal of practicums are to bridge the gap between education courses and student teaching.

    Because of the challenges COVID-19 presents to in-person learning, practicums have undergone a handful of changes in order to adjust to online learning. Ashley Clark, a junior  majoring in Elementary Education and completing her practicum this fall, said one of the biggest changes that were made this year was the placement of students. “There wasn’t a lot of in-person placement,” she said. “Out of the 24 of us in my seminar, half of us were placed in Mallet [Elementary School] and the other half were placed in this new online academy.”

    This online academy, which Clark was placed at, was introduced by the Mt. Blue Region for students whose parents did not want them attending in-person schooling. 

    Within the online academy, there are 12 advanced practicum students from UMF, teachers who will act as mentors, an administrator, and reading, writing, and math specialists from Mallet Elementary School. One of the biggest issues Clark worries about is the communication, as she believes she’ll have trouble effectively communicating through technology. “I asked to be placed in kindergarten,” Clark said, “so for me, it could mean that I join the classroom for morning meeting, I read a book out loud to them, or help students one-on-one if they’re having trouble.” 

    On the other hand, elementary education students who are completing their practicums in-person, such as senior Elise Guerrette, are attempting to adjust to the new reality of being in a classroom environment. “I had to wear a mask and face shield whenever I was closer than three feet to a student,” she said, “and it was hard to read facial expressions.” Guerrette, who was placed at Spruce Mountain Elementary School in Jay, also mentioned how bare the classroom was since most things had to be put away. 

    Despite all of the challenges and adjustment practicums face this semester, Guerrette feels that her unique practicum experience will benefit her in the long run. “My practicum experience will really help me in the future, especially since I am going to be teaching next year!” she said. 

 

Editor in Chief: Maxen Ryder Assistant Editor: Ashley Ward