Update: May 6, 2019
Budget Update
On Monday evening, the Board of Directors adopted the 2019-2020 budget. Since the Public Hearing on April 22, there is a need for an additional Kindergarten teacher at MIW due to increased enrollment. With this addition, the budget increased slightly to 2.84%, but remains a 0% increase on taxes.
The next step in the budget process is the District budget meeting which will take place on Thursday, May 23 at 7pm (registration starts at 6:30pm) at the Greely Center for the Arts. This is a town hall style meeting in which you must be present to vote.
The District Budget Validation vote is slated for Tuesday, June 11 at your polling location.
The next step in the budget process is the District budget meeting which will take place on Thursday, May 23 at 7pm (registration starts at 6:30pm) at the Greely Center for the Arts. This is a town hall style meeting in which you must be present to vote.
The District Budget Validation vote is slated for Tuesday, June 11 at your polling location.
GMS 4-5 celebrates Super Hero Day after attaining enough "Bucket Slips"
Greely Global Goals Project Presentations
I enjoyed visiting the 7th Grade’s “Greely Global Goals Project Presentations.” The GMS gym was filled with students who became more educated about the 17 Sustainable Development, Global Goals. Even more impressed that each student took action on at least one of them! National College Signing Day
GHS staff shows support on National College Signing Day to celebrate the next stage of our seniors' journey in their post-secondary plans. Equity & Inclusion Steering Committee Info Meeting
Our community and schools have experienced an increase in racial discrimination over the past few years, along with the rest of our country. One step we are taking to disrupt racial discrimination is to form an Equity and Inclusion Steering Committee. MSAD #51 is committed to fostering empathy, cooperation, and critical thinking skills which are multicultural; celebrating each student’s ethnic heritage, religious practice, gender expression, and physical and intellectual differences, among others.
No one in our community should experience discrimination or violence, or be made to feel less than, merely because of our current culture. Please join us for an informational meeting on May 20th at 4pm (location TBA) so we can work to build a more vibrant, safe learning environment for our community. Please RSVP by May 15 to Fran Prentice at fprentice@msad51.org or call 829-4800 if you plan to attend.
Thirty staff members attended an optional staff meeting after school with me last week to discuss more concerns around discrimination in general and how to best address these concerns in the schools. The next step is to form the steering committee above and develop a plan moving forward. We are currently researching three different external organizations that provide support in the area of prevention of discrimination in schools and communities and will be contracting with one of these organizations to assist in this work.
Our community and schools have experienced an increase in racial discrimination over the past few years, along with the rest of our country. One step we are taking to disrupt racial discrimination is to form an Equity and Inclusion Steering Committee. MSAD #51 is committed to fostering empathy, cooperation, and critical thinking skills which are multicultural; celebrating each student’s ethnic heritage, religious practice, gender expression, and physical and intellectual differences, among others.
No one in our community should experience discrimination or violence, or be made to feel less than, merely because of our current culture. Please join us for an informational meeting on May 20th at 4pm (location TBA) so we can work to build a more vibrant, safe learning environment for our community. Please RSVP by May 15 to Fran Prentice at fprentice@msad51.org or call 829-4800 if you plan to attend.
US News & World Report Annual Rankings
2019 US News & World Report ranks GHS #5 in Maine and 1,136 in the nation out of 17,000 high schools studied, an improvement over 2018. Below is the criteria for how rankings are determined:
STEP 1 | Students exceeded expectations in their states.
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We looked at whether each school’s relative performance in its state reading and mathematics assessments exceeded expectations, factoring in the proportion of its student body that is economically disadvantaged and projected to score lower.
We looked at whether each school’s relative performance in its state reading and mathematics assessments exceeded expectations, factoring in the proportion of its student body that is economically disadvantaged and projected to score lower.
STEP 2 | Underserved students performed better than the state average.
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Next, we compared each school's reading and mathematics assessment scores among only their historically underserved students - black, Hispanic and low-income - with the average statewide results for these subgroups. We selected schools that outperformed their state averages.
Next, we compared each school's reading and mathematics assessment scores among only their historically underserved students - black, Hispanic and low-income - with the average statewide results for these subgroups. We selected schools that outperformed their state averages.
STEP 3 | Student graduation rates met a threshold.
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We excluded schools from consideration if their graduation rates were lower than 80 percent.
We excluded schools from consideration if their graduation rates were lower than 80 percent.
STEP 4 | Students were prepared for college-level coursework.
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For schools passing the first three steps, we calculated a College Readiness Index based on the percentages of each school’s students who took and passed AP and IB exams.
School Safety Committee Update
MSAD #51 has a district Safety Committee charged with developing proactive plans for ensuring the safety and security of all our students, staff, and visitors to the campus. The committee is working with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, as part of their school safety initiative, in order to complete a threat and vulnerability assessment, which will identify gaps in security that need to be addressed. The district has completed the self-assessment instrument and returned it to Homeland Security for review. The next step will be a comprehensive review of all facilities operated by MSAD #51, which should take place over the next six months.
Congratulations Go To...
- Fifteen Greely students who participated in the ACDA Elementary and Middle School Music Festival last weekend. They represented GMS with pride! Congratulations to: Sofia Johnson, Stephany Dresnok, Nora Murphy, Rachel Miles, Grace Rose, Ava Littel, Hazel Reynolds, Sylvia Harvey, Evalyn Adolphson, Andrew Perfetti, Nora Strawbridge, Jack Gervais, Gabe Pollock, Truman Bubblo, Corbin Richter. They represented GMS with pride!
- GMS teacher Alisha Goldblatt for having poem published in the Press Herald: pressherald.com/2019/04/28/dee.
For schools passing the first three steps, we calculated a College Readiness Index based on the percentages of each school’s students who took and passed AP and IB exams.
School Safety Committee Update
MSAD #51 has a district Safety Committee charged with developing proactive plans for ensuring the safety and security of all our students, staff, and visitors to the campus. The committee is working with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, as part of their school safety initiative, in order to complete a threat and vulnerability assessment, which will identify gaps in security that need to be addressed. The district has completed the self-assessment instrument and returned it to Homeland Security for review. The next step will be a comprehensive review of all facilities operated by MSAD #51, which should take place over the next six months.
Congratulations Go To...
MSAD #51 has a district Safety Committee charged with developing proactive plans for ensuring the safety and security of all our students, staff, and visitors to the campus. The committee is working with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, as part of their school safety initiative, in order to complete a threat and vulnerability assessment, which will identify gaps in security that need to be addressed. The district has completed the self-assessment instrument and returned it to Homeland Security for review. The next step will be a comprehensive review of all facilities operated by MSAD #51, which should take place over the next six months.
Congratulations Go To...
- Fifteen Greely students who participated in the ACDA Elementary and Middle School Music Festival last weekend. They represented GMS with pride! Congratulations to: Sofia Johnson, Stephany Dresnok, Nora Murphy, Rachel Miles, Grace Rose, Ava Littel, Hazel Reynolds, Sylvia Harvey, Evalyn Adolphson, Andrew Perfetti, Nora Strawbridge, Jack Gervais, Gabe Pollock, Truman Bubblo, Corbin Richter. They represented GMS with pride!
- GMS teacher Alisha Goldblatt for having poem published in the Press Herald: pressherald.com/2019/04/28/dee.