The family income data provided by the application informs key funding for school resources. This includes school meal reimbursements, funding for Title I programs, funding and resources for after school programs, funding provided to schools from the Maine State Legislature for essential programs and services at school, funding for special education, teacher loan forgiveness, and much, much more!
Federal and state government use the aggregate data from the application to distribute education funding to schools across the county and state of Maine. In other words, if there is no data to inform the needs of the community, it could result in less state subsidy for Gorham, which will mean increased local taxes and potentially less service support for our children most in need!
By completing the Meal Benefit Application, you are directly investing in your child’s education and the children and families in your community.
How can I complete the Meal Benefit Application? The COMPLETELY CONFIDENTIAL application is available to print, complete and return to your school on our district Website (CLICK HERE) or you can Follow this link to access your SAU’s online application. If you have difficulty accessing either of these methods, the form can also be sent home with a student...just contact your school's office to make the request. If you have questions, please feel free to reach out to Raina Cooper n our School Nutrition office via email: rainalee.cooper@gorhamschools.org
FALL SPORTS BEGIN AUGUST 16!
Is your child interested in participating in a fall sport offered through the schools? If so, registration is now open and forms are available...please check out the Athletic Department's Website (LINKED HERE) to learn more and reach out with questions if you have them. Our Athletic Director, Tim Spear will be happy to answer them! Here's his email: timothy.spear@gorhamschools.org
The Gorham School Department believes strongly that the best instructional environment for students to learn is offered in our classrooms. We are excited about our ability to open schools in the Fall of 2021 to full 5 day per week programming for our students across grades K-12. The Gorham School Department recognizes, however, that there will be a few students who will not be able to access in-person learning for the 2021-22 School Year due to compromising medical conditions that warrant minimizing exposure to COVID 19. Because of this, we will be offering a fully remote learning program to only those students who are determined to be medically unable to attend school in person because of the risk of exposure to COVID 19.
This consideration would be made through either our Response To Intervention (RTI) team, Section 504 Team, or Special Education (IEP) Team after a referral for consideration is made by the parent/guardian to the school principal. Once a referral packet is received, the appropriate team will convene to discuss the concerns for the student, and determine if there is a need for additional accommodations or whether a fully remote program is in their educational best interest. Again, the district always has the goal of having students attend in-person instruction as the least restrictive environment.
In order for this referral to be considered, the following will need to be completed prior to meeting so that the team has the appropriate full information to consider:
Step 1: The parent/guardian of the student(s) or an adult student completes the “Referral Form”.
Step 2: The parent/guardian of the student(s) or an adult student reaches out to their licensed physician, nurse practitioner, physician assistant or mental health clinician to complete the “Remote Instruction Consideration by Physician Form”
Step 3: The parent/guardian of the student(s) or an adult student completes the “Authorization to Release/Exchange Information with Gorham School District Form”
Step 4: The parent/guardian of the student(s) or an adult student returns the forms found under steps 1-3 to the School’s Principal.
Step 5: The school’s nurse will reach out to the student(s) licensed physician, nurse practitioner, physician assistant or mental health clinician to discuss possible accommodations that may be preferred to full remote instruction.
Step 6: The school’s nurse, guidance counselor, principal or the student’s case manager will reach out to schedule a meeting of the school-based team and family to discuss the referral, considerations, and impacts to make a decision on the need for remote instruction and develop a plan as needed. Note: These meetings will take place in Mid-June and/or Late August, 2021.
Families who are considering referring their child(ren) for full remote programming for the Fall of 2021 should first review the “Virtual Learning Programming Overview” that is the first page of the appendix documents found in the order listed below:
Appendix A: Virtual Learning Programming Overview
Appendix B: Referral Form
Appendix C: Remote Instruction Consideration by Physician Form
Appendix D: Authorization to Release/Exchange Information with Gorham School District Form
K-12 PARENT OPEN FORUM SCHEDULED
I suspect that after you have read/reviewed all this (especially the last piece below) you may have some questions. I have scheduled a K-12 Parent Open Forum for this very purpose to be held on August 9, 2021 at 6:30 p.m.
I was going to attempt to try and juggle both a live meeting and a zoom meeting, but I didn't want to have the technology of trying to juggle both get in the way of important discussions - so this meeting will be entirely via zoom. I will, however, offer that any parent who wishes to meet with me in person please email me and we can set up a time to do so individually or in small groups.
The Zoom link for the online access is below. I hope to see you there!
Join Zoom Meeting
https://networkmaine.zoom.us/j/84775660908?pwd=R0RyaWxoK3FlWmJuZE5TdUlGNU84UT09
Meeting ID: 847 7566 0908
Passcode: 707325
One tap mobile. +1-301-715-8592
There is no question that the COVID 19 Pandemic is still with us - like a bad taste in the mouth that you just can't brush, floss or rinse away! That's really the nicest way I could think of to describe the ongoing pandemic while still being fit for public consumption. I am sure you would all agree! Personally, I have wanted to be done with this Pandemic for a while now, but like you, what I want and what I get are not always the same thing. 😟
I know it does no good to sit back and be upset about the things you can't control so like a good "Main-ah" I'm gonna keep this section positive and focused on how we roll up our sleeves and not let this darn pandemic get to us! Although we may still have to do some things differently - let's all remember that at least we can still do them when just 18 months ago, we couldn't do many of these things at all! It reminds me of our incredible GHS students playing basketball last winter with masks on. They could have thrown their hands up in the air and said "no way"...but they loved the game and they weren't going to let this Pandemic stop them from playing it! I'm taking a page from our students' book when I share the following recommendations that I will be making to the Gorham School Committee for the opening of schools.
First - the good news! I am strongly recommending that we return to school in the "green" model for five full days of instruction per week across grades K-12. NOW THAT FEELS GOOD! 😊
Now comes the things I recommend we do in order to safely allow us to open in the green model. Again, my recommendations are just that - my recommendations. The School Committee will have the final authority when approving the Pandemic Operations plan on August 11. The following list is a high level "executive summary"...please review our Draft 2021-22 Pandemic Operations Plan and our Draft 2021-22 Return To School Guidelines Handbook for more details! Here goes:
* The Gorham Schools will be following the most recent federal CDC guidelines for the safe reopening of schools (Updated 7/9/21 & LINKED HERE)
* All staff and students riding school buses/vans must wear face coverings/masks while riding.
* All staff and students riding school buses/vans must sanitize their hands prior to boarding.
* All students and staff across grades K-12 will be required to wear a face covering/mask while indoors.
* Physical distancing requirements have been lifted (under the green model - distancing requirements would kick in again under the yellow model), although we will still encourage distancing when practicable.
* We will encourage students across grades K-12 to maintain a minimum of 3ft of physical distance when eating. Air Purifying units will be added to each school's cafeteria spaces to add additional layers of protection for students while eating.
* We will continue to strongly encourage utilization of outdoor classroom spaces.
* Parents/guardians will be asked to use a daily health screening tool as a guide to make decisions about sending their child to school or not each day and will only need to communicate with the school if there is a positive indication of symptoms based upon utilization of the screening tool.
* If staff or students are sick, we ask that you remain home.
* Contact tracing for possible exposure to COVID 19 will continue. Vaccinated individuals will not need to quarantine due to a possible exposure/close contact, however they will be encouraged to test for COVID 19 between 3-5 days after exposure. Unvaccinated individuals who have been deemed a close contact will still be required to quarantine for 10 days.
I realize that to some this list may seem restrictive and to others, not restrictive enough. By encouraging those that can get vaccinated to get vaccinated and by following CDC guidelines, I believe we will be able to keep our schools open to five day per week instruction even during times when transmission rates within our community may increase. I believe our schools have demonstrated how safe they are for our children and I believe this coming year will be no different. I believe that by opening in and operating in the green model we can make sure our students have engaging, fun, and meaningful learning experiences across all our schools. We may have to do a few things a little differently (like keep the masks) but we are not going to let this pandemic get us down! We are going to find a way to SAFELY do the things we know are most important for our children. We are going to learn and play together. We are going to laugh and possibly even cry a bit together. We are going to listen to and support one another - we are going to be what Gorham is - STRONG!
I may be a bit biased, but in my humble opinion, we have the BEST students around, we have the BEST staff around, we have the BEST parent/guardians around, and we have the BEST community in the state! I know I speak for everyone when I say we can't wait to hear that "buzz" across our schools that can only be heard when our students are safely with us, learning, playing and growing together! See you all soon!
Sincerely,
Heather J. Perry, Ph.D
Superintendent of Schools, Gorham, ME.
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