21 st Century - Advisor: Diane Boas - Main Office
The club meets three times each week to support student work habits and skill development. Participants meet immediately after school on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, eat a snack before working with teachers to complete homework. From 3:30 p.m. until 5 p.m., students are involved in a variety of enrichment activities that are planned to provide opportunities for student learning. For more information, contact the Guidance Department.

Blue Cross/Blue Shield Mentoring Program -
Advisor: Molly Adrich (ext. 432)
The mentor program was started by B.E.S.T., a South Portland business/school created in 1997 to form collaborations.

Mentoring is a proven way to foster growth in young people. Qualified adults are matched with students who share similar interests. Memorial Middle School is about to begin its eighth year of a mentor partnership with Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Maine. What makes this partnership unique is that it is a site-based program rather than the more usual school-based program. Cooperation and communication are imperative to make such a program work. Every Tuesday, a group of Memorial students take a bus across town to the offices of Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield to spend an hour with their Mentor.

The partnerships engage in projects that are as varied as the students. Often a mentor will help a student with schoolwork. Creative writing, art projects, tossing a Frisbee or football, or playing games are some other activities of the matches. Sometimes the time is spent just talking over lunch in the cafeteria. The object is to engage the Mentee, so that he/she will feel comfortable, listened to, and supported, in a healthy relationship with a trusted adult-the Mentor.

Students learn how important it is to develop good work habits while in school. They see, first hand, how demanding work can be and how good it feels to accomplish goals. Students invite their mentors to visit classes and to meet their teachers and friends. In the spring, families join the group for a celebration of this wonderful partnership.

The purpose of the program is to assist students in reaching to their potential by providing the support of an interested adult. It also provides the employees of Anthem an opportunity to be involved in the school community. This program has proved to be a model for a successful mentoring partnership between a school and a business.

If you ask any these students what a “mentor” is, you’ll hear a number of descriptions:
-“My mentor likes the same things I do, so we talk a lot about our interests.”
-“My mentor is someone I can talk to. S/he really listens.” -“My mentor is my friend.”

Drama Club - Advisor: Jamie Lupien
Ms. Lupien promises lots of adventure, excitement, and challenges as this group establishes a foundation on which to build a very successful drama program. Activities may include acting, directing, lighting, set design, and marketing. For more information, see Ms. Lupien.

Homework Club - Advisor: Lisa Meyer (ext. 466)
Homework Club meets Monday through Thursday from 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Students are always welcome to drop in to get assistance with their work or to have a quiet place to complete homework assignments. For more information, contact the a member of the Guidance Department.

Math Team - Advisors: Kara Sparrow -ext. 466
The math team is a popular activity for students who enjoy working with mathematics facts and problems. Staff advisors work with members of the team as they learn a variety of problem solving techniques and participate in drills and practice for meets. Math meets are held at the local and regional levels.

Student Builders Club - Advisor: Nancy Hutto (ext. 467
Memorial’s Student Builders Club focuses on community service. They perform a variety of service to organizations such as the Wayside Soup Kitchen, nursing homes, and elementary schools. In addition, The Student Builders Club helps with annual events like the Penny Drive, Project Graduation Fashion Show, and Red Cross Blood Drive. These students also assist many students, staff, and other clubs right here in Memorial Middle School. For more information, contact Mrs. Hutto.

Yearbook - Advisor: Lisa Ranger ext. 401
This group of students annually produces the Memorial Middle School Yearbook and has the opportunity to try many different activities: photography, writing, editing, sales, fundraising, brainstorming, layout, and teambuilding. Meetings occur once a week and typically finish in time for the late bus. See Mrs. Ranger for more information.