Update: January 21, 2020

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10th Annual Poetry Out Loud
Eleven "classroom winning" students took to the stage of the GCA to recite their poems. They were competing for the opportunity to represent Greely at the 2020 Poetry Out Loud Regional Competition in February.

Greely students were evaluated on the following rubric categories: Physical Presence, Voice and Articulation, Dramatic Appropriateness, Level of Difficulty, Evidence of Understanding, Overall Performance, and Accuracy.

The school competition consisted of two rounds. Each student recited a poem in each round. The following students competed and were exceptional: Fritz Kendall, Sara Carlson, Aric Lyden, Kaiyla Delisle, Vivian Oakes, Sebastian Alfreds, Quincy Segal, Kaitlyn Guay, Eyezaya McFeteridge, Ryker Philbrick, and Olivia Giandrea.


Congratulations to Eyezaya McFetridge who won the GHS Competition. Eyezaya recited the following: "What I Learned From the Incredible Hulk" by Aimee Nezhukumatathil and "Ode to the Midwest" by Kevin Young. He will go on to represent Greely at the Southern Maine Regional Finals in February!

The delegation from Aomori, Japan with GMS host students
Poetry Out Loud was created by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, Poetry Out Loud is administered in partnership with the State Arts Agencies of all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.

28th Annual Japan Exchange Program
On January 6, we welcomed, for the 28th year, members from Namioka and Aomori Junior High School in Japan. We have been sister schools since 1992. As we gathered together as a whole school to welcome our guests, we celebrated cultures and look forward to learning more over the week they were with us. Many thanks to the Casco Bay Japan Club, which hosts this annual exchange and includes both Greely Middle School & Yarmouth's Harrison Middle School.



 Scale Factors
7th graders have been working on "scale factor", applying their learning as they modified a given character, Mug Wump, into their imagination. Students were required to enlarge, reduce, reflect, rotate, and/or translate in order to create these new characters.


 GAP Year Fair
Greely's first "Gap Year Fair" was held last week.  Over 90 attendees came to the fair and were from a broad reach of schools in the area. Attendees thoroughly enjoyed the event and left feeling inspired by learning about so many possibilities. The speaker was also excellent. 

Staff Equity Training
Donna Bivens & Paul Marcus of CCI
On Friday, January 17, all MSAD #51 staff gathered together in the GCA for training on the topic of race equity and implicit bias. Community Change, Inc. (CCI), headquartered in Boston and contracted by the district, led the training. Additionally, CCI met with the Equity & Inclusion Leadership Steering Committee for the remainder of the day as they work to put together a district equity plan.  CCI had previously worked with 40 stakeholders in September to help develop a launching point for the district's equity work.


 "Phone-Free" Opportunities
To help encourage our students to try other communication and social opportunities during "down" times at school, such as lunch at GHS and before classes at GMS 6-8, the schools have recently tried out a couple of "phone-free" events.  At GHS, two lunches were designated as phone-free and alternative communication starters were provided by students for their classmates to use at their cafeteria tables.

At GMS 6-8, the first phone-free Friday occurred, with board games and other activities offered as students waited for classes to begin after buses dropped them off in the morning.  Both schools plan to continue these impromptu phone-free events to help students understand the importance of finding other ways to interact.  New research has found that the more students put their phones down, the more their mental health stays healthy and positive.  Try it out at home, too!

Congratulations Go To...

 Middle School District 2 Honors Festival
Congratulations to the following students who participated in the District 2 Honors Festival on January 10 & 11. Eighth grade: Eric Hanson, Bridget Vine, Lucy Noonan, Jack Arey and Aidan Volk. Seventh Grade: Eleanor Moody, Juliana Lewis, Lily Pollock, Corbin Richter.

GHS Debate Team
Congrats Greely debate team, sweeping Congressional Debate Saturday at Lewiston High, beating Kennebunk, Scarborough, Cape Elizabeth and Bangor with 3 first place wins and 2 third place performances. The team also qualified for Nationals to be held later this year in New Mexico.