MSAD #51 District Newsletter - September 16, 2022

From the Superintendent

This week, in a return to 'normalcy', each of our 4 schools held their open house/parent information nights. Our administrators and teachers literally welcomed hundreds of families into our schools this week with many, many positive comments and smiles. Thank you for taking time to attend these events! Another sign of normalcy was the packed home football game a week ago. It almost felt like the entire community had come out for an evening under the lights.

 

On September 8, the MSAD #51 Board of Directors adopted the district's 2022-23 Strategic Priorities, as aligned to the Strategic Plan:

 

WELLNESS: FOUNDATION FOR TEACHING & LEARNING. Major areas of focus will be physical and emotional safety, with the ALICE safety approach and efforts to promote students' connectedness and belonging to school top priorities.

 

EVERY STUDENT COLLEGE & CAREER READY. Major areas of focus are included in each school's Site Improvement Plan with emphasis on academic rigor free from the distractions of the last two years.

 

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, THE CRITICAL BUILDING BLOCK.  Major areas are shepherding a bond package to support a new primary school in North Yarmouth, along with completing renovations to MIW for new doors, windows, HVAC systems, and security upgrades.

 

SKILLS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY.  SKILLS FOR LIFE. Major areas include continued work around transferable skills for the 21st Century that students can take with them as graduates from MSAD 51, such as effective communication, responsible citizenship, and self-directed learner.

 

A reminder to join us for a parent informational meeting will be held on Thursday, September 22, 6:00PM @ the Greely Center for the Arts to provide additional information about the ALICE safety approach and the plan to roll out age-appropriate training for students in October. Cumberland Police Chief Chip Rumsey and Officer Amie Owen, the district's SRO, will be presenting information and answering questions about ALICE. Free gun safety locks will be available, if interested, to families at this meeting through Project ChildSafe. This meeting will also be live streamed and can be accessed via the District's YouTube Channel (http://bit.ly/msad51livevideo) if that is more convenient for you. 

 

Finally, as we continue to return to the many events and activities that bring our school community together, one finite reality is the element of time. There are only so many days and evenings in the calendar with many competing interests at play. While we try hard to be respectful and sensitive to the various holidays observed by members of our community, along with other compelling interests, the fact remains that it is impossible to schedule everything within this context. We will continue to do our best to accommodate the needs of stakeholders as much as possible, but in an active and vibrant school community like ours we cannot always meet everyone's expectations without curtailing our various offerings. Thank you for your understanding as we continue returning to a more typical year of exciting (and busy) school calendars.

 

Regards,
Jeff Porter

 

 

Notices from the Office of the Superintendent

Hashi-Maine 2022 Print Exchange Exhibition at the GCA

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MSAD #51 Board of Directors Information

Effective August 22, unless otherwise noted, all meetings will take place at 6:00 pm in the Gyger Room at Greely High School.  For those of you unfamiliar with that room, the Gyger Room is where the Board met pre-COVID and can be accessed from the GHS parking lot (the side without the electronic sign).

September 19 - Regular Meeting

Remember you can watch our meetings on YouTube LIVE (http://bit.ly/msad51livevideo).

Links
Meeting Dates, Agendas & Minutes
Board of Directors Meeting Videos

New School Building Project Information

For comprehensive information regarding the New School Building Project, please visit the project page at: https://www.msad51.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=2400963&type=d&pREC_ID=2225881

New School Public Information Sessions

MSAD #51 will hold two public information sessions regarding the new school building project.  Representatives from Oak Point Associates will provide a presentation showing the final concept design along with a financing update.  Each session will have a question & answer period providing our community with the opportunity to ask questions.  Each session will be live streamed and can be accessed via the District's YouTube Channel (http://bit.ly/msad51livevideo) if that is more convenient. 

Tuesday, September 27, 2022
6:00 pm at the Greely Center for the Arts, Cumberland

Wednesday, October 12, 2022
6:00 pm at the Wescustogo Hall and Community Center, North Yarmouth
 

Community Notices

Community Notices are not affiliated with MSAD #51.  Please contact the organization directly with any questions.  For a full listing of Community Notices, please click HERE.

Entomophagy (insect eating) with Mr. Drew

OUTSpoken! Spoken word for LGBTQIA+ teens and allies
 

Useful Links

Employment Opportunities

MSAD #51 Website

2018-2021 Strategic Plan

District Calendar

GHS Athletics Schedule

Greely Center for the Arts Events

If you would like something included in our weekly newsletter, please send a brief write up with title along with a JPEG or PNG image of your flyer (if applicable) to Fran Prentice for approval. The deadline each week is Sunday. Any requests received after Sunday will be reviewed for possible submission in the following week's newsletter. All approved submissions will be posted on the district's website.

Not all items in this email are MSAD #51 sponsored programs. If you need more information, please contact the group or organization that is sponsoring the event.