News Feature
Originally published in
The Weekly Packet, October 13, 2011
Surry school launches history project
by Jessica Brophy
On Thursday, October 6, the Surry Elementary School hosted a community conversation about Surry’s history.
The event was a kickoff for a project to last all school year-long, with Surry school and its students partnering with the Surry Historical Society and the Blue Hill Public Library to gather historical documents and artifacts about Surry. These documents will be scanned and uploaded to the Maine Historical Society’s Maine Memory Network, a “statewide digital museum that provides unprecedented access to historical items,” according to the Web site, www.mainememory.net.
Lynn Bonsey, middle school language arts teacher and eighth grade social studies teacher at the Surry school, is spearheading the project.
“Students will be actively involved in scanning documents,” said Bonsey. “There will be several exhibits.”
One of the exhibits will feature the history of Surry’s schools. Other exhibit topics are still being discussed, but could include shipbuilding and logging, and the history of the arts, and possibly military history, in Surry.
“The goal is to connect these local pieces of history to a context of bigger issues facing our state and nation,” said Bonsey.
A grant from the Maine Historical Society will defray the cost of scanning. After scanning has been completed over the course of the school year, an event in May or June will unveil the digitized history on Maine Memory Network.
Bonsey urges any locals who are interested in history to get involved, either by volunteering time or by lending documents or items to be scanned.
“We’re looking for old photos, postcards, letters or records,” said Bonsey.
To volunteer, lend a historical document or learn more, call Bonsey at the elementary school at 667-9358 or e-mail lbonsey@downeast.net.
