WOW! Just wow! It is the end of the 2020-21 School Year! WHAT A YEAR! We couldn't have accomplished what we have been able to accomplish without ALL OF YOU (Students, staff, families and community) working together! As we celebrate the end of this school year - let's make sure we celebrate one another and say THANK YOU! Here's a few images of this past week to share, then on to the informational stuff and a closing video message from me to all of you!
We've also had several really great videos created from students...here are just a few - you can check out our social media sites for more!
It really has been a wonderful week of celebrations to end this school year on a very positive note in Gorham! Nice job everyone!
THOUGHT EXCHANGE RESULTS SUMMARY
I wanted to be sure to share the summary information from our end of year district wide Thought Exchange. Considering just how busy everyone is right now, I thought the participate rate was great and the thoughts shared very informative!
Parent TE Summary:
Question: As a district, what have we done well in the past year that we should continue doing? What can we do together to make next year even better?
Below is a word cloud representing all responses:
Top five rated Thoughts from the survey were:
We also asked parents the following survey question:
Staff TE Summary:
Question: As a district, what have we done well in the past year that we should continue doing? What can we do together to make next year even better?
Below is a word cloud representing all responses:
Top five rated Thoughts from the survey were:
We also asked staff the following survey question:
Those are the highlights of the Thought Exchange Survey data...clearly some themes emerge that will help inform continued practices in the coming year such as:
1. Maintaining a focus on meeting SEL needs of students/staff
2. Working with smaller class sizes to ensure we are able to meet every student where they are and get them to where they need to be.
3. Keep that communication going!
4. Maintain utilization of outdoor learning spaces!
5. Remain flexible and willing to change practices based on data to make sure we are meeting the needs of every student!
We will definitely be digging in to the data collected more deeply to inform our practices this coming year. THANK YOU TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED!
RECENT ANNOUNCEMENT FROM GOV. MILLS & WHAT IT MEANS FOR FALL 2021 IN THE GORHAM SCHOOLS
Yesterday, Governor Mills announced that although schools should still follow existing guidelines for summer programming (which includes 3 ft of physical distance in classrooms and 6 ft. of physical distance when eating) - BEGINNING IN FALL 2021 ALL PHYSICAL DISTANCING REQUIREMENTS WILL BE LIFTED. You can view the announcement from the Maine Department of Education by CLICKING HERE.
What does this mean for Gorham? Well, we had already planned on returning to school 5 days per week across grades K-12 here in Gorham. This announcement does not change that plan. However, what this does mean is that we'll be able to operate our schools a little more "normally" especially in terms of transportation and school nutrition programs for fall 2021. We'll be able to use our school cafeterias a little more normally again, and we'll be able to utilize our bus transportation systems more normally again with larger numbers of students able to now ride the bus.
Additionally, while we are still researching and considering the POSSIBLE use of pool testing in the Gorham Schools for those students who will not have access to vaccines prior to the opening of school (K-6 students), the removal of physical distancing requirements is no longer tied to the use of pool testing by a school. Long story short, the physical distancing requirements are removed fully across all public schools this fall regardless of whether we participate in pool testing or not. We will reconsider the POSSIBLE use of pool testing in August and determine a final path forward on that at that time based on additional information collected over the summer.
On thing that this new announcement DOES NOT change (at least not at this time) is our current mask requirements. At this time, we are anticipating that students and staff will still have to wear face masks while indoors (while in school), regardless of vaccination status. Now this too MAY change over the summer. If it does - I'll be the first one to let folks know! In the meantime, please stay tuned and I will do my best to keep you all informed over the summer of any other potential changes.
Bottom line - we are in GOOD SHAPE to begin the school year next year - the changes to distance requirements for fall 2021 are welcome news!
STAY SHARP THIS SUMMER WITH IXL ONLINE READING & MATH LEARNING PLATFORM
IXL is a personalized learning platform that will be available to K-8 students throughout the
summer to reinforce learning in the areas of language arts and mathematics.
www.ixl.com/signin/gorhamsd
How to Make the Most out of IXL at home this summer:
★ Teachers will send home student user names and passwords
★ There are two recommended learning options to choose from:
-
○ Diagnostic Assessment to create Personalized Action Plans
-
○ Summer Boost Skill Plans to prepare for next school year
★ Option1:DiagnosticAssessment
-
○ This assessment is about 45 minutes per subject (can stop and start)
-
○ It is adaptive and will create a personalized action plan for your child
-
○ It’s very important not to help your child, as it will alter the skills assigned
-
○ It is normal for your child to have areas above and below grade level
-
○ The goal when working on skills is a smartscore of 80%
-
○ Start by watching this short video with your child Student diagnostic video
-
○ Follow these steps Student diagnostic guide
-
○ Guide to understanding the results Parent diagnostic action plan guide
-
○ Click on Recommendations at the top of the login page to work on Action Plan
-
○ Revisit the Diagnostic Arena 10 min/ week to keep action plans current
★ Option2:SummerBoostSkillPlans
-
○ There are 20 days worth of recommended skills in language arts and in math
-
○ From the dashboard, click Skill Plans, scroll down to Summer Boost Skill Plans
-
○ IMPORTANT: Select the grade that your child is going into in the Fall!
-
○ You can “pin” the Skill Plans to your child’s Recommendations on the Dashboard
-
○ These cover the most important skills from the just completed school year
★ Tips:
-
○ Each activity includes a teaching example, click at the top and by scrolling down,
can click on “not feeling ready yet” to bring them to supported skills
-
○ It is recommended that you choose either the Diagnostic route or the Summer
Boost route (or a combination of both).
-
○ It is NOT recommended to attempt to complete all skill areas listed per grade
-
○ The goal is to cover about two skills per week
(approximately two 20 min sessions per subject)
-
○ IXL Help Center: https://www.ixl.com/help-center/
-
○ Gorham summer contact: kim.fadrigon@gorhamschools.org
Please note: teachers will not be available to support IXL over the summer.
Earlier this week, a parent informational meeting was held to help parents learn about IXL and how to best use it. For those that couldn't make the meeting live, we recorded it. It would be a great tool to watch and then follow directions above to utilize IXL this summer with your child(ren) as needed. Again, this is available to all K-8 families FREE OF CHARGE and we are sending student devices home this summer so that students can participate!
Here's the link to the parent video:
JUNE ASPIRE GORHAM NEWSLETTER READY TO VIEW!
This will be the last Aspire Gorham newsletter for the 2020-21 School Year. We'll definitely pick back up with these when we return to school this fall. THANK YOU to Jen Belanger for helping to put these together each month! It's a great way to summarize all the incredible work going on in our schools on the topic of student Aspirations. It is also a great way to really show students that EVERYONE TRULY DOES HAVE A STORY! The road to "success" in our careers is rarely a straight path...our stories truly are written with each new experience! Enjoy the newsletter by clicking the link below!
DON'T FORGET TO SUPPORT OUR SENIORS THIS
SUNDAY NIGHT!
Just a reminder that we are planning a big parade/convoy to celebrate the class of 2021 THIS SUNDAY NIGHT...details are below - PLEASE JOIN US!
Gorham High School, in collaboration with Gorham Project Graduation, the Gorham Police Department and the Gorham Fire Department will also be honoring our graduates in a graduation convoy, which we hope will become a new tradition here in Gorham started by our 2020 graduates! The convoy will commence at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 13th beginning at the Gorham Industrial Park and conclude at Gorham High School. Graduates will be joined by their families for the convoy in their cars. The convoy will follow route 25 and Main Street from the Industrial Park through Gorham Village. The convoy will turn left onto South Street and enter the Gorham High School Campus via Morrill Avenue.
WE INVITE MEMBERS OF OUR GORHAM COMMUNITY to line Route 25 and Main Street, South Street, and Morrill Avenue to cheer and wave signs that celebrate our seniors. We ask that participants and spectators refrain from throwing candy or other items, either from vehicles in the convoy to spectators or from spectators toward the convoy.
Please note that, at the conclusion of the convoy, seniors will be dropped off at GHS for a closed event. There will NOT be a public fireworks display as there was last year.
Below is an image showing the convoy route...WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE COMMUNITY OUT SUPPORTING OUR SENIORS! (Red dot is GHS, Blue dots indicate the route that will be taken from the industrial park).
WELCOME BACK JODI MEZZANOTTE - NEW VILLAGE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL!
Welcome our new Principal at Village Elementary School - Jodi Mezzanotte. Jodi will begin her new duties on July 1, 2021.
We are all so very excited to have
Jodi return to Gorham. For those of you that do not know,
Jodi has served the Gorham Schools for many years - beginning as a 5th grade teacher in 2005, and then as the Assistant Principal at Village Elementary School until 2016. At that time
Jodi moved next door to become the Assistant Superintendent of Schools in Westbrook and then most recently has been the Assistant Superintendent of Schools in South Portland. During this time, she has discovered that her true passion for leadership lies at the building level where she can work daily with students, families, and staff.
Jodi is truly "coming home" ...and is very much looking forward to returning to leadership in the Gorham School Department...especially to lead at her old "stomping grounds" of Village Elementary School.
If you see her around, or if you want to send her a quick email (her Gorham account is still open - jodi.mezzanotte@gorhamschools.org)...please feel free to reach out and give her a warm Gorham welcome back! We are all very much looking forward to her return.
Thank you!
P.S. - a more formal press release will be sent out tomorrow!
ONE FINAL THANK YOU DR. RECORD!
Assistant Superintendent Chris Record will be taking on his first full Superintendency in Cape Elizabeth beginning July 1, 2021. This is a "bittersweet" transition for us all. Dr. Record has served the Gorham Schools for 13 years beginning first as the Principal at Gorham High School and then most recently spending the past five years as my Assistant Superintendent of Schools. Dr. Record is an incredible leader with the patience of a saint (I know this because he has to practice his patience with me often).
Last week, School Committee Chair Darryl Wright, presented Dr. Record with a small token of our appreciation for his service to the Gorham Schools (Picture below). We wish him the best of luck in his new leadership role! We know he will continue to make Gorham proud as he shows off the leadership skills he has developed and sharpened while here! GOOD LUCK CHRIS!
A CLOSING VIDEO MESSAGE FROM
SUPERINTENDENT PERRY
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.