Update: October 18, 2021

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GMS 6-8 Joins GHS as #1 in Maine; GMS 4-5 is #8

Congrats to Greely Middle School 6-8, named the #1 middle school in Maine per US News & World Report's 2021 rankings. MSAD #51 is home to both the best high school & middle school in Maine in 2021 and GMS 4-5 was ranked #8th best amongst middle-grade schools in the state. https://www.pressherald.com/2021/10/12/schools-in-bangor-cumberland-ranked-best-in-maine/

Board Hires Equity Consultant

The MSAD #51 Board of Directors hired Lawrence Alexander of Carney-Sandoe Associates https://www.carneysandoe.com/ to help facilitate and consult on equity work over the next year. On October 18, the Board met virtually with Mr. Alexander to ask questions about his beliefs around equity and the scope of work they have developed to guide equity in the district moving forward:
  • Adopt policy ACA: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Education
  • Review and implement a long-term District equity plan along with goals and target dates of accomplishments through recommendations from the Equity LSC and community engagement opportunities.
  • Professional development for all Board members, completed by the end of the 21/22 school year.
Mr. Alexander has worked with other area school districts, including Yarmouth, Windham-Raymond, and RSU 21 (Kennebunk) all within the last couple of years in the area of equity. Additionally, he has done work for the Maine Superintendents’ Association and was their keynote speaker at the Winter Convocation in January 2021. He is recognized as an expert on equity practices in school settings.

New Transportation Facility

For decades, the MSAD #51 transportation department, with a fleet of 25 school buses and 5 vans, operated out of a one-bay facility built a half-century ago. Today, in a joint effort with the Town of Cumberland, a new transportation facility has been built that is shared by both MSAD #51 and the Cumberland public works department. Recently, I went down to check out the new building and took a ride through the shared vehicle wash bay, which will help keep salt off the underside of our buses and reduce the need for costly repairs. Here are some photos of the New Bus Garage.

Air Quality Testing

MSAD #51 regularly tests the air quality of all its indoor spaces, including all classrooms in the district. This year, additional air quality testing was completed prior to the beginning of school in all 21 modular classrooms on the campus. For complete results, go to these links:

Mabel I. Wilson School

Greely Middle School

Greely High School

Central Office

Auxiliary Buildings (Maintenance, Bus Garage & Weight Room)

Inkwell 2021

Since 1989, GHS has published an annual print magazine showcasing student writing and art. We never missed a year--until 2019, when we were sent home literally the week before we began production of the 2019 issue. Like many of our wonderful traditions impacted by the pandemic, Inkwell came to a grinding halt.

In the spring of 2021, a small group of intrepid high school students, led by Ahmed Saleh (class of 2021), set out to publish a virtual edition of Inkwell. They met mostly virtually to review new work and edit selections, and Ahmed, with the assistance of Abby Brown (class of 2022), designed and built Inkwell's new website, with assistance from advisors Susan Inman & Bobby Livingston.


GHS is very excited to share Inkwell 2021 with you, and we are delighted to announce that there is an Inkwell 2020 section as well to celebrate the work of the previous year's students. 

Rippleffect is Back

The Rippleffect Programs for both our 7th and 8th graders were a great success this year. The experience was amazing, and though shorter due to covid, resonated with both joy and learning.

The trip, as always, was framed as fun and outdoorsy on the beautiful Cow Island, but there was so much education that took place during the Rippleffect Program. Some of the things the students learned were how to advocate for their own needs, how to work in a group, how to be proactive, and how to challenge themselves to do hard things, even if at first they were hesitant.

These themes were packaged around what we call "The 3 C's" (communication, collaboration, and compromise), and served as talking points for the transfer of knowledge from the island, to back at school. It was wonderful to see all of this at work.








Daphne Sprague Diversity Collection

Egg Drop!

Students in Rachel Adams's and Abbey Eisenhuth's 6th grade science classes launched “egg drop” creations. Students used only masking tape and newspaper to create ways to protect an egg when being dropped. Most of the eggs that were dropped survived their crash to the GMS lobby floor, as students watched below.


Senior Sunrise
Many members of the Class of 2022 got up really early one morning and made their way down to the school campus to welcome a new day. They were met with spectacular views from the amphitheater outside the arts center.  Great way to start off the school day. Many thanks senior class advisor Katie Dexter for organizing.