Monday April 13 Blog Update

Good afternoon/evening.  I hope everyone had a great Easter weekend and are now safe and warm and hunkered down for our wind storm this evening.  Certainly seems that with last week's snow storm, and the wind this week - mother nature has a few more tricks up her sleeve before we get into the nicer side of spring here in Maine!  A few updates to get your week started are below...

GMS 3D Printers Being Put To Good Use

Under the tremendous guidance of our very own Terri Dawson (GMS Tech. Integrator) some of our students are helping to make ear protectors for our health care workers using our 3D printers!  Here's a few pictures showing what they look like and just how much our medical professionals appreciate the comfort they provide!

      

Way to Go GMS!  If you are interested in learning more about this program, please email terri.dawson@gorhamschools.org

THANK YOU to Ruth's Reusables and UNUM!

Just wanted to send a quick "shout out" to Rush's Reusables in Portland and UNUM for donating leveled books to students in grades K-5 all over Cumberland County!  Around 100 of these "book bags" (Seen below) were donated this weekend to the Gorham Schools.  We will be working to deliver them to K-12 families in need over the course of this week with help from our partners at the Gorham Recreation Department (Thanks Cindy).  Stay tuned...and again - THANK YOU Ruth's and UNUM!



THANK YOU to Jobs for Maine's Graduates (JMG)

Just wanted to send out another quick "shout out" to our three JMG employees here in Gorham - Ryan Chicoine, Eliza Kinigsberg, and Maureen O' Brien.  Even though our students have been at home, these folks have not stopped working on our goals of making sure our K-12 students continue to think about their Aspirations.  They also haven't stopped caring about our awesome students!  Just the other day JMG donated $2,000.00 in Hannaford gift cards to our JMG high school families and another $2,000.00 in Hannaford gift cards for families in grades K-8 to support those families most in need.  They also recently donated another $1,000.00 in funding to help support our purchase of additional hot spots for families in need.  That's a total of $5,000.00 JMG has recently donated to our students and families.  What an incredible organization!  What an incredible JMG staff here in Gorham...and what incredible families! 

THANK YOU JMG!

A Few Pictures from One Family's at Home Learning Last Week

Just wanted to show a few pictures to everyone from one family's experiences of Gorham's distance learning during the course of the week last week...this family is from Narragansett Elementary School.  Thanks for sharing and love the Gorham swag!

  




Another Resource from Junior Achievement

I have shared this with my K-12 teachers as well, but thought some of you as parents might enjoy these resources too...check it out!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_wLM_DMAthaQ5MEYTW9fCvu5Pxw8jKaT/view?usp=sharing

Upcoming School Committee Meetings (Budget Related)

Two upcoming budget related meetings this week.  The first will be a budget workshop meeting to be held TONIGHT at 7:00 p.m. via zoom.  CLICK HERE for the agenda and link information.

The second will be a special meeting on April 15, 2020 where the School Committee will vote to approve (or not) of the proposed FY 21 school budget.  CLICK HERE for the agenda and link information.

As a reminder you can always view all board meeting packet materials by CLICKING HERE.

If anyone ever has any questions about how to access School Committee meeting information - please do not hesitate to email me at heather.perry@gorhamschools.org and I can help you to locate any information you seek online.

Upcoming Dunk and Discuss Zoom Meeting

I have had several  parents join me recently for some great  discussions on our Dunk and Discuss meetings...typically these meetings are going for just 30 minutes or so...its a great way to login, get your questions answered and share feedback, etc.  If you are interested...next one is coming  up on April 14 at 6:00 p.m.  Please join me!  Here's the link:  https://networkmaine.zoom.us/j/181599688

Thought Exchange Reminder

The Thought exchange is open for one more week so if you haven't already gone in and provide your feedback to us on our distance learning programming, it would be greatly appreciated.  If you already have provided your thoughts, please go back in and rate the thoughts of others!  We will be using this feedback to help guide us through the myriad of decisions we have yet to make between now and the end of the school year so your voice is important!  Here are the links:

Parent/Guardian:

Link –

my.thoughtexchange.com/394317079

OR

SMS

Text the 9-digit code…394-317-079

Student (6-12)

Link –

my.thoughtexchange.com/873732568

OR

SMS

Text the 9-digit code…873-732-568

A Few Resources for Parents

And since it is  so nice and rainy today...wanted to share this link to a Common Sense Media article about what to watch, read, and  play while kids are stuck indoors!  

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/what-to-watch-read-and-play-while-your-kids-are-stuck-indoors

And then finally, just a few tips on how mindfulness practices can help parents get through these difficult times!

https://childmind.org/article/how-mindfulness-can-help-during-covid-19/

See you all on Wednesday!

Friday April 10 Update

Good afternoon/evening everyone!  My update is below...

Questions about end of year, etc.

Since my announcement on Wednesday that Gorham's distance learning program will extend through the end of this school year, I've had lots of questions about what the end of the year will look like for students and  parents.  I don't have a lot of details yet as we are still  working those out within the district leadership team, but here is what I can tell you:

-  We will have the April break.  Distance learning will not be conducted during the week of April 20, although "Operation Feed Gorham" will still be operational during this time but with a slightly different schedule - we will be putting out meals on Tuesday and Thursday of that week rather than MWF...so please note this change for the week of April 20.

-  We are working to be creative about how the school year ends.  We are contemplating how we are still going to "virtually" do some of the most important things we do at the end of each year via distance.  Things like helping our transitioning students transition to new experiences for the coming year.  Students who are entering Kindergarten, students who are impacted by the attendance zone shifts, students who are moving from 5th grade to 6th grade, and students who are moving from 8th grade to 9th grade.  How do we make sure these transitions are accomplished via distance and how might that impact how we end the school year differently than in the past?  The likelihood is high that we will end "formal distance instruction" early (say sometime early June) so that we can spend focused time on these transition activities for students and so that we can spend time working specifically with families who may not have been able to engage as strongly as others in our distance learning programming.  This is NOT a decision yet...but know it is something we are currently contemplating. Would love feedback if you have it!

-  We are working to make sure we find a way to celebrate our Seniors.  Mr. Jandreau is working directly with students and families to brainstorm, problem solve and plan what these celebrations might look like...bottom line - we will do something - so stay tuned on that!

-  All distance learning programming will end on June 16th to allow us time to organize and put together specific summer programming that will be needed for our special education students, and for other students who may need additional supports for the families that choose to participate.  Depending on where things are with COVID-19 at this time, these summer programs may be via distance learning models or they may be conducted in regular classrooms.  We will know more about those details as we approach the month of June.

As things stand right now, we thoroughly understand that what we are offering via our distance learning programs is likely not as effective for most students as what we would otherwise be able to offer via our traditional methods.  That being said, we are going to be creative in how we end the school year virtually, how we offer summer programing for all students and  families, and how we open the school year next year in such a way as to ensure we are able to bring every student back up to where they need to be by the end of the 2020-21 school year.

I also wanted to share a quick video from a social worker in Cape Elizabeth that is specifically geared towards helping parents to talk with their children about the reasons behind the need to extend distance learning programs through the end of the year and what that means to them.  A GREAT VIDEO...worth a watch and not too long - promise!

https://youtu.be/8Dtnr3Dr6KI

Spring Athletic Seasons Are Canceled...but work is not done.

Maine Principal's Association made the difficult choice yesterday to cancel spring athletics for 2019-20.  Our own Athletic Director wrote a very nice letter and released to all parents on this topic.  That letter is LINKED HERE.  I would encourage folks to review this letter and reach out to Mr. Spear with any questions you may have.  I am aware that our spring  coaches are working on ways to ensure that just because the season is canceled, the work is not done.  Coaches are reaching out to spring athletes and talking about things they can do to remain sharp in their game and I know that Mr. Spear is working on creative ways to celebrate our senior spring athletes as well.

Grading and Reporting (6-12)

Since my announcement on Wednesday that our distance learning programming will be extended through the end of the 2019-20 school year, I've also gotten lots of questions about grading and reporting practices and what that will look like moving forward over the longer term.

I will share that at this point we are focused on how to appropriately end the 3rd quarter in such a way that does not "punish" students for the extremely unusual way that we ended that quarter.  These processes are being finalized this week and will be communicated to you by your building principals in grades 6-12.

Once this has been solidified, we are also talking about how grading and reporting will be done for the remainder of the school year.  Again, we are meeting today and over the course of next week on this topic and will have a solid plan ready to communicate to families by end of next week.  The overall objective will be to ensure that however we might temporarily "tweak" our grading and reporting systems that these systems allow teachers to continue to provide timely and specific feedback to students on their work, that any grades assist teachers and students in better understanding what skills/standards they have met, and what skills/standards they still need work on and that this system does not unduly disadvantage students who may be experiencing our distance learning programming in very different ways depending upon circumstances that are beyond their control.

Not an easy balance for sure...but one that we will strive to create for our students over the course of the 4th quarter.

As we finalize these details, we will communicate them to you by sharing updated learning plans for each grade level.  Those were the "companion documents" I shared earlier.  When they are revised, I will re-share so you have this important information at your fingertips.

Upcoming School Committee Meetings (Budget Related)

Two upcoming budget related meetings this coming week.  The first will be a budget workshop meeting to be held on April 13, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. via zoom.  CLICK HERE for the agenda and link information.

The second will be a special meeting on April 15, 2020 where the School Committee will vote to approve (or not) of the proposed FY 21 school budget.  CLICK HERE for the agenda and link information.

As a reminder you can always view all board meeting packet materials by CLICKING HERE.

Additionally, we will be having a Funding Committee meeting on April 13 at 8:30 a.m.  You can CLICK HERE for the agenda (which will have zoom connection information on it).  Just look for the April 13 meeting folder and click in and go from there.  I will make sure all materials are  in that folder by Sunday afternoon.

If anyone ever has any questions about how to access School Committee meeting information - please do not hesitate to email me at heather.perry@gorhamschools.org and I can help you to locate any information you seek online.

Upcoming Dunk and Discuss Zoom Meeting

I have had several  parents join me recently for some great  discussions on our Dunk and Discuss meetings...typically these meetings are going for just 30 minutes or so...its a great way to login, get your questions answered and share feedback, etc.  If you are interested...next one is coming  up on April 14 at 6:00 p.m.  Please join me!  Here's the link:  https://networkmaine.zoom.us/j/181599688

BIG THANK YOU

Just wanted to take a moment to send a "shout out" to those continuing to serve our community via Operation Feed Gorham.  Our School Nutrition workers, and the bus drivers and ed. techs that are supporting them as well as our program directors who are leading this effort...you are all ROCK STARS in my opinion, and I just wanted to make sure everyone knew that!




Of course we could change that apron to say teachers, students and parents too!

A Reminder to Keep Sharing the GOOD!

Just a reminder to keep sharing the good stuff that is happening across Gorham during these difficult times because it is important for us all to know that indeed - THESE GOOD THINGS ARE HAPPENING!  We've created two hashtags on twitter for folks to share photos and videos that can be retweeted and shared more broadly.  Those two hashtags are #Gorhamlearningtogether and #separatedbutnotdivided.  Feel free to use them!  We want to see the awesome stuff happening because WE MISS YOU!

As a way to share some of the "good"...I wanted to share this video created by GMS teachers for their students.  If you have seen it already - did you realize it was the GMS chorus signing in the background?  HMMM - make sure to have your tissues handy!  Its a good one!  Here's the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2k3dM7gvLI&feature=youtu.be

If you aren't already following the district twitter account, you can find it at @hperrysup.  I'll be sure to keep on posting and re-tweeting those awesome stories.  I continue to be so thoroughly impressed with our students, our staff and our parents as we support each other through these difficult times!  I mentioned one of my favorite quotes earlier - you know the one..."What comes out of you when you are squeezed is what is inside of you."  Well - I know what is "inside" of Gorham...and I am so proud to continue to serve this community!

Enjoy your weekend!  Unplug,  be safe and be well!

Wednesday April 8 Update

Dear students, parents and staff,

Before sharing other news I wanted to let you know that after the Commissioner's recommendation late last night and a meeting this morning held by the Cumberland County Superintendents, we have decided to extend our distance learning programming through the to the end of the 2019-20 School Year.  You can read the Commissioner's notice by CLICKING HERE.

This was NOT an easy decision and I recognize the difficulties this places upon you as parents and upon our students/staff and community.  The fact of the matter is that we are still experiencing a climb in our COVID-19 numbers here in Maine and the reality is that even if we may WANT to come back (and trust me we do), we will not have a well thought out and safe mechanism within which to do so before the end of this school year.  Therefore, this decision was made now in order to allow all of us the time necessary to plan for how we will be ending our school year virtually for our students, our staff, and our families in as safe and positive a manner as possible given our current and near future realities.

The first thing I encourage each of you reading this message to do is to first breathe deeply in...and then deeply out.  Do that at least five times (I'm not joking here...this works for me, and I've been using it A LOT lately). 

Please know that as we move through the remainder of the school year the Gorham schools will continue to focus on what we all need to focus on and that is the wellbeing of our students, our staff, and ourselves.  The message continues to be and will remain that the primary focus of the Gorham schools is on the social and emotional health of our students, our families and then only after those things are met, on academic maintenance and growth.   

Please know that the District Leadership Team has already been preliminarily planning for the possibility that this extension would occur.  We know what this means is that we will need to find a way to do  many of the things we did before to end a school year (Scheduling, staffing assignments, classroom assignments, transition activities, celebrations, etc.), virtually.  We know this means that parents will continue to have to struggle with day care, and with juggling all the various plates that you currently have in the air for a longer period of time.  We know that this means folks will be continue to be uncertain and anxious.  And we know we will definitely continue to miss our students.  But as we do with every difficult situation here in Gorham, we will problem solve together, we will wrap our virtual arms around one another, and we will find a way to help one another through these difficult times - TOGETHER only as Gorham can!

As we move through the course of the rest of this month and early next month more detailed information will be coming out.  If you have any ideas on how best to do some of these traditional end of year tasks online, or more creatively - please share them with your principal and they can share them with the rest of the leadership team.  We will continue to adjust and "tweak" our systems to find better balance...and we will make sure we find a way to celebrate the accomplishments of all of our students, our staff, and honestly - the accomplishments of our parents before we close this school year and work to begin a new one.

If you think of nothing else as we continue to move through the remainder of this year - please keep your personal health and the health your children as your ultimate priority.  The rest will come!  TOGETHER, WE WILL GET THROUGH THIS and be stronger for it as individuals, as teachers, students, parents, as schools, as a district and as a community!

Clarification on Attendance

I have mentioned this a few times, but want to be clear for those of you who are concerned about the fact that we are now taking attendance.  Please know that the intent of taking "attendance" in our new format has very little to do with "enforcing rules" or making sure students and families are doing what they need to or "punishing" those who are not engaging in our distance learning plans.  There is nothing punitive behind this data collection tool.  

The reason we are taking attendance it to simply assist us in tracking which students and families may be having the most difficulty engaging in our programming so that we can use this data to better inform programmatic decisions now and in the future.  

We realize that not every student or family will be able to engage at the same levels for lots of different and very valid reasons.  This is not a statement about whether a student or family is "good" or "bad" but rather - it just is.  No one, certainly the schools will question that.  There is no shame in that.  Each family must find their own balance during these difficult times and the school will find a way to provide supports and adjust programming to match that balance over time. 

It is important however that we track this information at least enough to help inform decision making.  For example...if I know through our attendance data that it seems that for whatever reason a certain grade level at a certain school is having a more difficult time engaging in learning activities than other grade levels, then I can bring that grade level of teachers together, discuss, problem solve and attempt to adjust.  If I know that certain subgroups of students are having more difficulty engaging than others - like students with 504's for example...then I can work to provide additional supports in this area or I can even think about what types of more intensive supports I may need to provide to segments of our student populations when we are finally able to return to school such as summer programming, or specific targeted before or after school programming when school re-starts.

I just wanted to be clear about  the purpose of attendance as I know some of you might have felt that it was being taken for other reasons.  The reasons we are doing any of this type of data collection isn't to label one student as "good" or another as "bad" or even one family as "good" or another as "bad"...I know that you are all doing the best you can while juggling what seems to be new "plates" in the air every day.  Please focus on maintaining what you need to maintain in your family for balance during these times and trust that the school is here for support now, and well into the future as we problem solve and work together to find a way forward that ensures that each of our students remains "Prepared and Inspired" to become their very best version of themselves as they graduate from GHS.


Narragansett Modular Project

The one thing that seems to still be moving along relatively well during our distance learning time is the work on our Narragansett Modular Project.  Right now work is focused primarily on electrical and plumbing work and it is moving along nicely.  Thought I'd share a few updated pictures for folks to see.

 

Overall timelines are right for these modular buildings to be ready to open for school in the Fall of 2020.  The only thing holding us up right now is planning board approval for our kitchen.  The planning board has been working to find a way to meet via distance since the closure of buildings due to COVID-19.  

Operation Feed Gorham

Just wanted to share a few "Thank you" notes we recently received from community members in Gorham who are NOT directly related to the schools that we are also assisting through Operation Feed Gorham to provide much needed meals each day.   Check out these notes below!

       
Again, if you are interested in participating in Operation Feed Gorham, no need to complete the survey at this point.  Either stop by one of our sites (located at each school other than Narragansett) on MWF from 11:00 - 1:00 p.m. to pick  up a meal or email michael.sanborn@gorhamschools.org.

Opportunity Alliance COVID-19 Infographic

The Opportunity Alliance has put together a nice infographic that I thought would be a helpful reminder to folks.  Check it out below!

Gorham Action Team for Youth

If  you haven't already been on Facebook and "Liked" the "Gorham Action Team For Youth" - I'd suggest you do!  At least a  few times per week members  of our student supports teams in several of our schools post updated articles and other information that I think many families would find helpful during these difficult times.  

Upcoming Zoom Meetings

My "Dunk and Discuss" meeting #3 will be tomorrow night at 6:00 p.m.  Please feel free to join me.  No agenda...just time to ask questions, get answers, and share feedback.  Here's the link:

https://networkmaine.zoom.us/j/725115112

The Gorham School Committee's regular meeting is TONIGHT at 7:00 p.m.  You can CLICK HERE for the agenda and login information and CLICK HERE for packet information.  Here's the link to the zoom meeting itself (you can also watch live on GOCAT):

https://networkmaine.zoom.us/j/895465190

That's it for tonight...THANK YOU!

Monday April 6 Blog Update

Good afternoon/evening everyone!  I hope all of you are well as we embark upon our 4th week of distance learning here in Gorham.  I will be continuing to provide updates to folks this week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and then will be looking to go down to two days per week next week in an attempt to once again reduce the "digital material" that is mounting up on all of us!  Here's what I have for today!

Operation Feed Gorham

Serving now on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays each week from 11:00 - 1:00 p.m. Open to all families in need...no need to complete the survey...if you need food, stop by one of our locations during times listed above or email michael.sanborn@gorhamschools.org.

Locations: 

*  Village Elem.
*  Great Falls Elem.
*  GMS
*  GHS

Upcoming Gorham School Committee meetings

The Gorham School Committee has three meetings coming up within the next few weeks.  The first is this week Wednesday (April 8) at 7:00 p.m. when the School Committee will hold their "Regular" meeting for the month of April.  Granted there isn't much "regular" about it since it will be via zoom, but the fact that it is occurring on the 2nd Wednesday of the Month is at least a bit comforting to know that some routines are coming back online!   You can CLICK HERE for the agenda for April 8 which includes a link for the zoom meeting at the top.  One small change from the three previous meetings we have had via zoom is that we will be setting up the "waiting room" so folks will enter the waiting room when they first come in and then be moved into the meeting when ready.  This is to help improve meeting security and prevent "zoom bombings" (yes a new term).  We ask that folks who join the meeting make sure that their actual name is listed on the screen.  If no name is listed you will not be allowed into the meeting.  If you'd like to just listen in, you can call into the meeting, or you can also view it live stream on GOCAT.

The other two meetings will be held next week.  The first will be a budget workshop meeting on Monday, April 13 at 7:00 p.m. and the Second will be a Special meeting to approve of the proposed FY 21 budget that will be held on Wednesday, April 15th at 7:00 p.m.  You can CLICK HERE for the agenda for April 13 and CLICK HERE for the agenda on April 15th,  both of which have the zoom links at the top.

In order to view all School Committee meeting packet materials you can CLICK HERE.

Narragansett Kitchen Item On TOMORROW NIGHT'S Town Council Meeting

You can review my blog post from Friday for details, but just a reminder to those of you who are interested that the Town Council will once again be bringing up the topic of the Narragansett Kitchen project on their meeting tomorrow night.  You can CLICK HERE for their full agenda (which also includes information at the top for how to login to their meeting and/or for how to provide written comments to the Town Council.

As a quick recap...this item was originally brought before the Town Council on March 10 but when motioned to discuss by Counselor Hartwell no other counselor seconded the motion so it "died" on the table for lack of a second.  It seems that some counselors may still want to talk about this item, which is why it has popped back up on the radar.  Here are the key points to consider:

1.  If the council votes to add an item for this project on the June Referendum (assuming we can even have a June Referendum) then we will NOT be able to meet the timelines required to have the kitchen operational to open school next year.  This would then require us to operate a "satellite" kitchen for the Narragansett site, costing additional $, additional time, and reduce the overall quality of the program to the point that it may have negative fiscal impacts on our overall school lunch program.

2.  The funds being used for the construction of the kitchen are within the amounts already approved by voters in June, 2019 ($2.8 million) as part of the Narragansett Modular Expansion Project.

3.  Additional funds required to move equipment from the existing kitchen to the new kitchen so that we do not have to purchase additional equipment come from already approved FY 20 CIPS funds which were also approved by the School Committee, the Town Council, and by voters in June, 2019.

I would strongly urge those of you who wish to send in testimony to the Town Council on this topic to do so today or tomorrow ( by 4:00 p.m. tomorrow) using the email address of:

TC_Mtg_Public_Comment@gorham.me.us.

Zoom & Other Video Conference Meetings 

As you may already know there has been some concern raised recently regarding zoom meetings, or any meeting for that matter that involves video with students and teachers in larger groups.  Of course, this issue is a "double-edged sword" sort to speak in that on one hand we want to have these meetings to ensure our students are able to socially engage with their peers and with their teachers and to know that there are teams of folks all around that are here to support any student or family in any way possible.  Video conference meetings are helpful to be able to see one another, to smile and laugh together (We can all use a lot of that for sure) and to just "be" with one another.  On the other hand, however lots of issues can arise.  We have "zoom bombings" occurring where folks who clearly have too much time on their hands are hacking into zoom meetings all over the country with profanity, sexual content or rude/racists remarks which none of us find useful at all.  We also have the issue of folks taking pictures of screens where student names may be listed or their image shared and families sharing these images without knowledge that maybe that student or their family don't want those images shared.   It is certainly a bit of a conundrum and one we are trying to balance here in Gorham along with our counterparts across the state and country.

On the safety end of things, we have provided additional training to staff on zoom meeting safety.  We have made sure folks know to do things like add passwords, use the waiting room, only allow the host to share their screen, and make sure every student on the conference has their name listed appropriately so we know who is in the meeting or not.  Additionally, we have made clear to staff who may be using zoom that they can always mute or turn the cameras off of all participants and/or end the meeting and reset if they have to in order to ensure students are not exposed  to these issues unnecessarily.  We will also likely be encouraging the staff that can to move more towards use of Google Meets, which requires that individuals login with their Gorham Schools issued email addresses.  Of course this will only help for those grade levels who have school issued email addresses, which not all do.

On the photo and recording end of things, we are encouraging staff to only take a photo of a conference if they are sure all students have approved the use of their image on social media using the forms we send out each year.  Additionally, we ask staff to make sure names do not appear on the boxes of children when taking such photos just as an added layer of precaution.  For families, we ask that you try not to take photos of your child's screen showing their peers unless it is done at such a distance that you couldn't make out names or faces of the students online.  This is just a courtesy as we know not everyone is keen on having their image or the images of their children "out there" in internet land.

We are starting with these simple actions and requests initially while I continue to work with members of the district leadership team on development of video conferencing guidelines that can be shared more broadly among students, staff and families.  In the meantime, if you are aware of any issues involving the misuse of technology I would ask that you immediately reach out to let your child's teacher and building principal know so that we can follow up quickly.  Just like we don't tolerate these kinds of behavior in "regular school" we also will not tolerate these behaviors in "distance school" and we need your help to make sure we can appropriately address these issues as they may occur.  More to come on this topic as we move through the week.

Attendance Starts Today

Teachers across grades K-12 will be taking attendance today and tomorrow.  We are asking teachers to take attendance on Monday (and for some HS teachers on Tuesday) of each week using the rubric below for the Tuesday - Friday (or Wednesday - Monday for some GHS Teachers) of the previous week.

Present/Absent	Definition/Guidance
Present	Students participate in 80-100% of activities or assignments provided. Counts as fully present.
Present but referred to RTI	Students participate in 40-80% of activities or assignments provided. Counts as fully present, but will be referred to RTI for additional support/intervention.
Not Present/Absent	Students participate in 0-40% of activities or assignments provided. Counts as absent.  Will be referred to RTI and SEL teams for additional support/intervention.

As you can see, attendance is based primarily on participation in activities or learning assignments and not on "seat time" or other synchronous methods of measurements.  If you have questions about how attendance will be recorded and what it may mean to your student(s) please reach out to your classroom teachers or building principal.

Thought Exchange Reminder

Just a reminder that we are trying to collect information from students and parents on how things are going to inform future changes to our system and to help us find that "balance" we are all still searching for!  Here's how you can share your thoughts - and remember...go back in and rate the thoughts of others at least once or twice more this week!

Parent/Guardian:

Link –

my.thoughtexchange.com/394317079

OR

SMS

Text the 9-digit code…394-317-079

Student (6-12)

Link –

my.thoughtexchange.com/873732568

OR

SMS

Text the 9-digit code…873-732-568

Letter from Dr. Tin

Our School district physician, Dr. Tin has so kindly written a letter he'd like to share with all of you again this week.  Please CLICK HERE to view.

In Closing...

I saw this visual online the other day and it made me think about a favorite quote of mine hanging  up on the wall in my office.  The quote is by Neila Connor and it says:  "What comes out of you when you are squeezed is what is inside of you."  I'm not sure I agree with all aspects of the visual I share below...but boy it made me think of that quote which is one I try to live by day in and day out!  ENJOY!

Friday April 3 Blog Update

Narragansett Kitchen Project BACK On Town Council Agenda

I just wanted to make sure parents knew that the Town Council has decided to bring the topic of our Narragansett Kitchen expansion project BACK ON THEIR AGENDA.  If you remember correctly, this was on their March 10 agenda and when the motion was made to go forward, it "died on the floor" for a lack of a "second" by any Town Counselor.  At that point, we thought the issue was done, but evidently someone wants to chat about it again and so its back!  I've linked in their full agenda for Tuesday's meeting (April 7) HERE.  At the top of the meeting you can see information on how to email in any testimony you may have and also information on how you can join the public zoom meeting on April 7 at 6:30 if you are interested in doing so.  If you want a refresher on the information behind this issue, please check out my blog post from March 5, 2020 LINKED HERE.

I would STRONGLY ENCOURAGE  anyone that would be interested in doing so to provide written comments to the Town Council on this issue using the email address listed at the top of their agenda by Tuesday April 7.  As always, if you have any questions...please email me at heather.perry@gorhamschools.org

Changes to Operation Feed Gorham Schedule Effective April 6

We will now be distributing lunches just three days per week (MWF) although for each day we distribute, we are distributing the next day's lunch and breakfast so we are still covering meals for families all week.  Additionally, starting on Monday we will no longer be using the same distribution sites and are instead moving sites back to schools which we are better able to maintain and control use of.  Gorham Backpack program will distribute using these same sites on Fridays.

Again, these changes will be in effect for Monday, April 6.  

THANK YOU to Freihofer’s Bakery...We have so much, we are opening up to Public! Here's information on how to access!

Freihofers Bakery made a very large donation of bread items that will be used in our Operation Feed Gorham lunches and distributed to our community. We will be distributing these bread items on Monday April 6^th and Tuesday April 7^th from 9:00-10:00 a.m. and 1:00-2:00pm at Gorham Middle School. Please swing by the bus loop in the front of the building if you could use some of these items. We will be practicing social distancing protocols by placing the items on tables for you to pick up.

Recent video from GHS students on #separatedbutnotdivided 

If you haven't already seen this video out on social media...check it out!  Seniors Nick Strout & Brady King handled the pre-production, scripting, directing, and editing. They also collaborated with Liam Nickerson, an 11th grade graphic designer, who designed the title card. Keep in mind, this was all done remotely, shot completely on iPhones, and edited in Final Cut Pro.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gBKNscXp7DqcI2HNHbWdQlkGbH9RhZ1T/view

Update on Ongoing Conversations Regarding School Calendar for 2019-20

At this point in time (and this may change so please be flexible) we are looking to keep our existing 2019-20 School Calendar as intact as possible. 

First, it is important to note that we WILL be having an April vacation.  In other words, families and staff alike can look forward to a week off as originally scheduled from April 20-24th.  We will still, however offer our meal program during this week, so please be aware that even though there will be no "school" that week, we will still be operating "Operation Feed Gorham" programming.

In terms of  the end of the school year, before we moved to distance learning we had used our snow day allotment on the school's calendar and therefore our last planned "school day" will be June 16, 2020.  This doesn't mean, however that we will be doing distance learning through that time.  We are still hopeful that we will be able to return to school.   As  is often the case during this time,  this may change and I will continue to communicate any changes as they come up.

Upcoming School Committee Meetings

Just wanted you to have these if you are interested...dates and zoom meeting links are listed below...

*  April 8 "Regular" School Committee meeting, 7:00 p.m.
https://networkmaine.zoom.us/j/895465190

*  April 13 "Budget Workshop meeting", 7:00 p.m.
https://networkmaine.zoom.us/j/222862885?pwd=MDJTRmtsaFNzVThkK2ZZOVROSzdWQT09

*  April 15 "Special Meeting" (To approve of FY 21 Proposed Budget), 7:00 p.m.
https://networkmaine.zoom.us/j/583729161?pwd=K3NScFBiV2ZMTFFnN2Rta2xwWUpCZz09

You can find all meeting materials by CLICKING HERE. 

Thought Exchange Survey Launched To Help Admin. and Teachers Continue to Find "Balance"...

We've developed a Thought Exchange Survey to help us identify some ways in which we can do a better job at helping staff, parents and students find a better "balance" for the work we are asking each group to do while we are away from one another.  IT WON'T TAKE MUCH TIME...and would be most helpful for folks to participate in.  Remember...the way a Thought Exchange works is you go in once and share your initial ideas and then go back in at least two more times later on to rate the thoughts of others! 

Here's the "official" opening paragraph to the survey:  Hello (Staff or Parents/Guardians or Students)

We are seeking your feedback on how our approach to Distance Learning is working for you and our students. We would appreciate hearing about what is working well and what are some challenges you and our students are facing. Please participate in this Thought Exchange in which you can confidentially share your thoughts and read and confidentiality rank the thoughts of others. Your feedback is vital to us as we work to improve what we are offering in this unprecedented time.

Here's how to Parents and students can participate:

Parent/Guardian:

Link –

my.thoughtexchange.com/394317079

OR

SMS

Text the 9-digit code…394-317-079

Student (6-12)

Link –

my.thoughtexchange.com/873732568

OR

SMS

Text the 9-digit code…873-732-568

Helpful Down To Earth Tips from A Cornell Doctor & More Resources

I watched a webinar today from a doc from Cornell talking about a NY hospital that I thought was very practical as far as prevention for families at home.   Its a little long (57 minutes) but you can skip around a bit and still get the highlights of what he is saying.  Worth a watch if you get a chance.

https://vimeo.com/399733860

Another great resource I came across from NAMI (National Association on Mental Illness) who published a detailed guide on dealing with COVID-19 with individuals who may also be struggling with issues associated with mental illness.

https://www.nami.org/getattachment/About-NAMI/NAMI-News/2020/NAMI-Updates-on-the-Coronavirus/COVID-19-Updated-Guide-1.pdf

And more great resource for parents if you haven't already seen it - I spotted this one today...

https://childmind.org/coping-during-covid-19-resources-for-parents/

If you have some preschoolers in the home...check out this cool link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?fbclid=IwAR24KeGHkJJDdjKTrYLBa8eLyr7pt4e7J4s155SA9EVt22gP3AjaN2e7qXw&feature=youtu.be&v=b_ghXPA2P_c&app=desktop

Finally...if you haven't already seen this great local resource from Baxter Library...check it out...

https://baxterlibrary.org/youth-services/

In closing

I saw one of our principals share this with their staff and I thought to myself...heck - it isn't just "teachers" experiencing this!  Please feel free to insert "Parents" or "Grandparents" or "Superintendents" or anyone else for that matter!  ENJOY YOUR WEEKENDS and be sure to UNPLUG!☺

Wednesday April 1, 2020

Dunk and Discuss Meeting TONIGHT

For any parent that would like to attend...I am holding a Dunk and Discuss meeting TOMORROW NIGHT (Thursday) starting at 6:00 p.m. via zoom.  Link is below...no formal agenda...just come in, ask a question, share some feedback, etc.  I am there to simply LISTEN!

https://networkmaine.zoom.us/j/602036021

Gorham Distance Learning Plan and Companion Plans

I sent this out last time, but didn't have the link for GMS as they were finalizing their plan.  It is completed now so I thought I'd include all of them again in one place for folks to view.  Again, the overarching plan is the Gorham  Distance Learning Plan, but each grade level/school has developed their own companion documents to offer more details and clearer expectations for each  level of learning.  If you haven't had a chance to review the plans for your child's grade level, please do...I think they offer up a great sense of just how we are trying to strike that all importance balance of either not offering enough educational materials for our students or  possibly requiring too much from our students and families at this time.  Of course as we continue to construct and refine our distance programming these documents may change and flux a bit...but they offer up a great starting point to help clarify expectations.  Here you go!

-K-5 Learning Plan

-K-5 Allied Arts Learning Plan

-K-5 Learning Labs Distance Plan

-GMS Learning Plan

-GHS Guidelines and Expectations

-GHS Distance Learning Overview

-GHS Distance Learning Plan

Recent Announcement From Governor Mills - Extension of Closure Through May 1

Governor Mills made a few additional recommendations and changes to requirements during her update meeting last night.  The biggest ones are mostly re-emphasizing rules and requests that were already in place such as only "essential" travel should be occurring at this point in time and that only "essential" businesses should be open during this time.  This was her "stay at home" order.  She also banned the use of public transportation unless it was deemed "essential" and she extended school closures through May 1, 2020.  

As you know, the Gorham Schools were closed until April 27, 2020 when we were planning to re-assess and re-evaluate decisions at that time.  The Governor's newest order has therefore extended our closure through May 1, 2020.  Which means the earliest we could return to school would be May 4, 2020.  Once again, as we get closer to that date, we will re-assess and re-evaluate this decision and determine next steps from there.

End of Year Questions

I continue to get lots of end of the year types of questions and as of yet, I still don't have a lot of answers.  I will tell you that as any good "girl scout" would - I am trying to prepare for what the worst case might be and then be pleasantly surprised when that doesn't happen (at least I hope).  

Therefore we have begun to think about what the end of the school year might look like if we are unable to return to school at all before closing.  We are thinking about things like prom, like graduation, like K screening, and step up days...all the things we typically do each year to simultaneously "close" one school year while preparing folks to begin another new year in the fall.

As you might imagine, this is no small task but we are trying to think  creatively about what we might still  be able to do or what we might not be able to do given the circumstances.  

I just wanted you to know that we are preparing for the worst and if/when we need to roll  out plans for  these things, we'll be ready to do so.

Upcoming Changes for Operation Feed Gorham

As we continue to navigate the constantly changing landscape of local and state requirements during these challenging times, I wanted you to know that we are going to be making a few changes to our Operation Feed Gorham program beginning next week.  A quick graphic is  below outlining these changes:

The reasons we are making this change are many, but mostly we are trying to reduce the need to have staff in our buildings as much as possible while still meeting the ultimate goal of feeding families in need here in Gorham during this difficult time.  Basically what these changes will allow is for us to "shut down" our operations two days per week while still providing meals for families 5 days per week.  Families who pick up meals on Monday, Wed. or Friday will receive two days worth of meals each time (except Friday).  Also the BACKPACK PROGRAM will continue to provide backpack meals on Friday each week to families in need at the same sights listed above.

Under this same category I wanted folks to know that we are now providing about 300 meals per day through Operation Feed Gorham.  That's 1,500 meals per week, which is no small feat for our little community!  We have been very creative in finding funds to help offset costs for this program, but the bottom line is that right now we are not meeting the "bottom line".  If folks are looking for ways to help the school and our greater community during this time, we could sure use donations.  You can drop off donations at our serving areas, you can send in additional payments on your student meal accounts via Pay Pam, or you can donate to the GoFundMe page that has been set up for this purpose and linked below.  

Operation Feed Gorham GoFundMe Page LINK

That's it for tonight...more on Friday!  Stay well everyone! ☺