Update: October 7, 2019
Equity Workshop
Earlier this school year we sent out a quick form to gain interest from our staff, parents, students and community members who were interested in attending a day-long workshop on Equity and Racism. We had over 100 interested stakeholders. We worked diligently to ensure, to the best of our abilities, that we had broad reach into each of these groups, spanning all grade levels within the district. 40 stakeholders were chosen to participate in this day-long workshop facilitated by Community Change, Inc. (CCI).
We are now in the process of forming a steering committee who is dedicated to pushing the work forward in the district. This committee of 15 people will represent all stakeholders within the district. It will then be the committees charge to help plan trainings and outreach to others both within the district and the greater Cumberland/North Yarmouth communities.
We will keep you abreast of what plans are happening.
Volcano Building
Mrs. Grund's 4th grade class has gotten right into the school groove and was seen creating, designing and building volcano projects. They are a work of art!
Nutrition Committee Update
Calendar Committee Update
Last week, GMS 6-8 held their annual club and activity assembly. Students and teachers worked together to pitch their clubs to the entire student body in hopes of garnering interest in joining. The highlight of the assembly came at the very end, when most of our teachers and staff sang and danced to “This Is Me,” from The Greatest Showman, flashmob style. This has been a big secret since before school started, with clandestine after hours rehearsals, prop preparation, and creative costuming. Spanish teacher Emily Bogner Williams was instrumental in making this happen, choreographing it and coordinating all of the dancers.
Congratulations Go To...
Congratulations to Don Strawbridge and Sebastian Alfreds who have been accepted as All Eastern Singers at the American Choral Directors Association Eastern Conference in Rochester, NY, March 2020.
Earlier this school year we sent out a quick form to gain interest from our staff, parents, students and community members who were interested in attending a day-long workshop on Equity and Racism. We had over 100 interested stakeholders. We worked diligently to ensure, to the best of our abilities, that we had broad reach into each of these groups, spanning all grade levels within the district. 40 stakeholders were chosen to participate in this day-long workshop facilitated by Community Change, Inc. (CCI).We are now in the process of forming a steering committee who is dedicated to pushing the work forward in the district. This committee of 15 people will represent all stakeholders within the district. It will then be the committees charge to help plan trainings and outreach to others both within the district and the greater Cumberland/North Yarmouth communities.
We will keep you abreast of what plans are happening.
Volcano Building
Mrs. Grund's 4th grade class has gotten right into the school groove and was seen creating, designing and building volcano projects. They are a work of art!
Nutrition Committee Update
To help promote and allow stakeholders to better understand the food service program in our schools, we have started social media accounts on the facebook, twitter and instagram platforms. Follow and like us to view the delicious offering that food service has to offer! Weekly menus will be posted as well. Hop on over to see what they are up to. You can find them on facebook at School Nutrition at MSAD #51, on twitter @nutritionMSAD51 and instagram @School_Nutrition_MSAD51.
African Drummer
Sayon Camara, master drummer from Guinea, visited with our 7th graders. He shared stories of life in Guinea during French classes and taught students songs to sing while drumming. Thank you to the Greely PTO for generously supporting this artist visiting our school and enhancing the 7th grade study of Africa.
African Drummer
Sayon Camara, master drummer from Guinea, visited with our 7th graders. He shared stories of life in Guinea during French classes and taught students songs to sing while drumming. Thank you to the Greely PTO for generously supporting this artist visiting our school and enhancing the 7th grade study of Africa.
Calendar Committee Update
As part of the district's Strategic Plan, a Calendar Committee was created to study the optimal learning time and instructional needs of elementary students, taking into strong consideration the corresponding need for quality professional learning time. The committee was comprised of a variety of stakeholder groups including school staff, administrators, parents, school board members and community representatives.
Over the course of the last year, the committee studied our current early release model and reviewed as many as 16 other options. The committee systematically removed options that were not feasible due to impact areas such as regional calendar alignment requirements, safety and well-being of students, transportation, cost center increases to the district and/or unnecessary impact on secondary students/staff.
The main concerns for discussion by the Calendar Committee were the child care needs of families, instructional time, and the district’s commitment to professional learning for staff. The committee identified implications for keeping the current model and changing to a different model in each of these areas.
The committee has narrowed their focus down to three options, each with their own set of implications. Final recommendations for the 2020-21 school year are due to the Board by December. To inform those final recommendations, please respond to this brief survey about our current model as well as other proposed models.
Option 1: Keep the early release model but change the day to Fridays.
Option 2: Reduce the overall number of early release Wednesdays.
Option 3: Given these options, I'd rather just keep it the same.
This survey was sent to all parents, staff and GHS students. Those stakeholders have until October 14th to give their input via the survey.
GMS 6-8 Staff become the "Flash Mob"
Over the course of the last year, the committee studied our current early release model and reviewed as many as 16 other options. The committee systematically removed options that were not feasible due to impact areas such as regional calendar alignment requirements, safety and well-being of students, transportation, cost center increases to the district and/or unnecessary impact on secondary students/staff.
The main concerns for discussion by the Calendar Committee were the child care needs of families, instructional time, and the district’s commitment to professional learning for staff. The committee identified implications for keeping the current model and changing to a different model in each of these areas.
The committee has narrowed their focus down to three options, each with their own set of implications. Final recommendations for the 2020-21 school year are due to the Board by December. To inform those final recommendations, please respond to this brief survey about our current model as well as other proposed models.
Option 1: Keep the early release model but change the day to Fridays.
Option 2: Reduce the overall number of early release Wednesdays.
Option 3: Given these options, I'd rather just keep it the same.
This survey was sent to all parents, staff and GHS students. Those stakeholders have until October 14th to give their input via the survey.
GMS 6-8 Staff become the "Flash Mob"
Last week, GMS 6-8 held their annual club and activity assembly. Students and teachers worked together to pitch their clubs to the entire student body in hopes of garnering interest in joining. The highlight of the assembly came at the very end, when most of our teachers and staff sang and danced to “This Is Me,” from The Greatest Showman, flashmob style. This has been a big secret since before school started, with clandestine after hours rehearsals, prop preparation, and creative costuming. Spanish teacher Emily Bogner Williams was instrumental in making this happen, choreographing it and coordinating all of the dancers.
Congratulations Go To...
Congratulations to Don Strawbridge and Sebastian Alfreds who have been accepted as All Eastern Singers at the American Choral Directors Association Eastern Conference in Rochester, NY, March 2020.