MSAD #51 Superintendent's Blog

Random Acts of Awesomeness Many thanks to the members of the Random Acts of Awesomeness Committee, who shared their appreciation for teachers and staff on Friday afternoon by distributing pints of gelato. Thank you! Outdoor Classroom at GMS Thanks to federal coronavirus relief funds, a shaded outdoor classroom structure has been (almost) built on the back of the GMS playground area. The idea for an outdoor shaded classroom has been many years in the making and is exciting to finally have this option available in advance of the spring and fall months ahead. Science in Action 5th graders at GMS 4-5 explored the question "How fast does the earth spin?" by turning themselves into the earth and making observations about sunrise and sunset. This hands-on science activity helps students to get a visual and kinesthetic perspective on one of the mysteries of our world.   February is Black History Month , a time to better understand the history of our nation's struggles with rac...

MLK Montgomery Bus Boycott Speech Students and staff at GHS celebrated the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by reenacting his Montgomery Bus Boycott speech.  Dr. King delivered this speech several days after Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to sit in the back of a city bus in 1955, touching off a year-long boycott of the Montgomery bus service at that time.  Check out Dr. King's stirring speech, as retold by our students and staff, at this link:   GHS Video Rangers are Back! The MPA and MSAD #51 have restarted the winter sports season in-person with practices and conditioning.  Athletic competitions will be tentatively starting February 8.  Below, the Greely girls' hockey team takes to the ice this past weekend at the Falmouth Family Ice Center.                                               Congratulations... Ana Penza-Clyve, whose work w...

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 ...