MSAD #51 Superintendent's Blog

Winter Sports Season Begins The winter sports season began on Monday, December 7 with conditioning and skills/drills.  Each sport has a set of MPA-approved rules specific to those programs.  Teams have been creative with conditioning so students can get into shape.    I joined the   boys' hockey team last week in the GHS parking lot for conditioning, under the direction of Coach Barry Mothes, on a day when they weren't on the ice. Stretching and 40 jumping jacks were as far as I could go.  (Forget the laps around the parking lot).  😎   Below, the girls' hockey team took to the ice for skills/drills. International Thespian Society at GHS The Greely Theatre program at Greely High School has recently been accepted as a member of the International Thespian Society, an International Honors Society for High School Theatre Students.  There are 9 students who comprise the charter members of Troupe #9047--and several students "waiting in the win...

Coronavirus Relief Funds Recap Want to know how MSAD #51 used its federal coronavirus relief funds? Check out this LINK for a visual presentation to learn more. MIW Thankful Trees MIW students expressed how they are thankful for family, friends, school, teachers/staff, and books on the Thankful Trees in the school's common areas.                               Many thanks to Greely PTO for supporting K-8 classrooms with $100 gift cards this fall & Foundation 51 for providing rolling mini-grants to teachers for help during the pandemic (coming soon). Greely's Unity Chain Project                            All students and staff in MSAD #51 have been invited to participate in a district-wide "Unity Chain" Link installation, representing the interconnectedness and diversity of all students. Each link is a student’s hand-written hopes and wish...

NEW COVID Information Center The district has launched a new COVID Information Center that is linked to the district's website www.msad51.org and houses information related to COVID that is pertinent to families and staff. One of the features is a COVID Dashboard that tracks cases in the district with current status updates. Check out this link: https://sites.google.com/msad51.org/covid-19-information-center/home Day of Caring Students at GMS were involved in the annual Day of Caring activities where they practiced an inclusive and welcoming school environment, as usual, with added emphasis on how to ensure all members of the school community feel welcomed and valued. New Picnic Tables One of the projects using coronavirus relief funds was the purchase of 35 picnic tables for outdoor learning. These tables are good for sitting on-or even under-to enjoy a good book. GHS Students Featured on NewsCenter 6 I love this story: two freshmen at GHS, Sean Allen and Charlie Moore, were f...

Thank You, Rangers Thank you to all of our students, staff, and parents for a smooth transition to the 2020-21 school year with your support, can-do spirit, and adherence to the procedures that will keep all of us safe during this challenging time. From our students who wear their masks every day without complaint, to our staff members who work tirelessly to plan for both in-person and at-home learning experiences, to our parents who selflessly accept requests to sit out of athletic events and volunteer opportunities, you make a difference--all for the sake of a healthy campus and the greater good. As President Kennedy once observed, "The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word crisis. One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis be aware of danger but recognize the opportunity." Thank you to all for your support of a healthy school community. Japanese Art Tour Students are able to enjoy Hashi, a show of prints created by elementary s...

Listening Forums   🎤 Three parent listening forums were held Oct. 1, 5 & 6 with many parents offering feedback to Board members and members of the Leadership Team about how the YELLOW zone has been working and potential adjustments to make YELLOW work better.  A staff listening forum was held as well. Summaries of these sessions will be provided over the next two weeks with annotations as to those feedback items that can be prioritized. PE Class During COVID What does a PE class look like when there is a pandemic going on? Teachers are finding creative ways of involving students in activities that promote physical activity but stay within CDC guidelines. Students at GMS 4-5 demonstrate honing their motor skills & hand/eye coordination in this Low Cardio Drumming activity during a recent PE class. Fall Sports! It's been great to see students back on the fields for the Fall season after a slow start.  This is also the first season we have been live-streaming ...

                                     2020-21 Off to a Good Start     It's been a smooth start to the 2020-21 school year as students and staff returned to the campus last week.  Both Cohorts A and B did a terrific job remembering face coverings, social distancing, and adjusting to school during a pandemic.  The district will continue in the Yellow (hybrid) zone until at least October 16. 2020 Employee of the Year The 2020 MSAD #51 Employe e of the Year is Maryann Anthony, a custodian at GMS. Not only is Maryann's work impeccable, she connects with students and staff daily and is a positive influence on many lives. Thank you, Maryann!                         How Do the Buses Run? Just ask Phil Blake and Larry Lare at the MSAD #51 Transportation Garage.  Phil and Larry maintain the 25-bus fleet year-round...

It's Time! After five months away from the school buildings, we were more than ready for our students to return to campus this week.  Cohort A started on campus Tuesday, September 8 and Cohort B began on campus Thursday, September 10.  Below are some samples of how the facilities have been readied for students and staff as we prepared for learning during a pandemic.  This will be a bumpy year and we are all going to have to practice resilience and flexibility.  Schools will be starting in the "Yellow" hybrid learning model until at least October 16.  Classroom setup for social distancing GHS library with plexiglass partitions  The power of plexiglass Outdoor learning tent Bus driver COVID safety training MSAD #51 Hosts Pandemic Forums In July and August, MSAD #51 hosted three forums for the school community to provide information on the district's Pandemic Plan and answer questions from parents and staff members.  There were approximately 75 attendees ...

New Modular at MIW To help relieve increasing enrollment at MIW, a new 8-room modular unit arrived this summer, replacing three older units with 6 classrooms total. Grade 2 classes will be held in this new unit that was built for this purpose. The unit features comfortable, airy classrooms, bathrooms located in the unit, interior hallway, and two double-door entrances on both ends of the unit. This new learning space should be a welcome addition to our 2nd graders and their teachers. Finishing touches will be continuing over the next several weeks to get all of the modern conveniences up and running in time for school. No additional play space was taken to accommodate the unit as it filled the same footprint as the three previous units. In Remembrance Please join me in remembering and celebrating the life of Daphne Sprague, a long-time educational technician at GMS 4-5, after an extended illness. Mrs. Sprague was beloved by students and staff during her long career in MSAD ...

Operation Ice Cream Buses! Thanks to all students and parents who came out to the buses Monday, June 15 to say hello to their bus drivers and grab an ice cream sandwich. I enjoyed riding Pete's bus through North Yarmouth as we delivered ice cream. Food Service Staff & Bus Drivers get ready for Operation Ice Cream Buses 8th Graders Learn Valuable Civics Lesson The link below is an example of virtual learning in the area of civics education at GMS 6-8. Students in Mrs. Goldblatt, Mr. Gillingham, and Mrs. Montgomery's 8th grade social studies classes learned about how juries operate and the complex discussions about how to weigh arguments made by a prosecutor v. defense attorneys in determining justice through study of the play 12 Angry Men. The play involves a jury deciding the fate of an accused murderer, with issues of bias and intolerance central to the plot. Check out this link: GMS students recreate "12 Angry Men" Pandemic Plan Update Thank...

                          On Sunday, June 7, Greely High School hosted its 140th Commencement Ceremonies for the Class of 2020. Four celebrations took place, to ensure social distancing requirements, along with a "reverse parade" through the campus. While this certainly isn't the normal kind of celebration that we're used to given the pandemic, we hope that fond memories of their last year at Greely fill their minds and hearts as they move into this next phase of their lives.  To the Class: We are proud of you and can't wait to see what you accomplish as you continue down the road of life. Congratulations to the Class of 2020! Each senior's poster was displayed on the high school lawn. IMPORTANT Survey Coming to You Please look for a survey coming out Friday regarding plans for the 2020-21 school year.  The Board of Directors previewed a DRAFT plan for multiple possibilities of what schoo...