Wiscasset's curriculum coordinator Patricia Watts has the right outlook on the department's falling short of some of the state averages in student test results. She isn't blaming the town's 10-year pullout deal with Sheepscot Valley Regional Unit 12, for Wiscasset to take the students other schools barred.

And she's not blaming the special education rate that stands at 25 percent of students. She's also not citing Wiscasset's property tax concerns. Watts maintains the department has the tools it needs without a bigger budget, and that those tools and studying the data will yield improvements for all students, including gifted and talented.

To the school committee earlier this month and on the phone Tuesday, Watts has said the department can and will do better than those test results, no excuses.

That is a success-minded attitude. You don't run looking at your feet, you look ahead at where you want to go and peripherally at what might be coming your way. Watts said she is confident Wiscasset will improve in literacy and in test scores. Let's watch and see how the department works on it. We will work to keep you up to date.

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Wiscasset's students always shine at the annual tree-lighting on the common. The school chorus will help usher in the season at 4:30 p.m. this Saturday, Dec. 1,  so get your holiday on, with song, Santa and hot chocolate inside First Congregational Church afterward.

And if you want to up your holiday cheer, enter the gingerbread dimension with a decorating workshop Parks and Rec has set for Dec. 7 or check out the also new holiday market at Wiscasset Community Center Dec. 1. Good luck on these new tries, Wiscasset.