May 10 Blog Post

April is in the rearview and May is quickly passing us by!  Amazing how fast time moves!  

There are just 4 full weeks of school that remain in the 2023-2024 school year and there is so much yet to do!  Making sure students get those last few important lessons, preparing for transitions to new grades and for some even new schools!  Celebrating the accomplishments of the past year, performances, sporting events and more!  Whew - makes me tired just thinking of it all!  But never fear, our incredible staff is on top of it all!  We know exactly what to do to end another school year here in Gorham on a positive and upbeat note.  We understand the importance of sending our students into the summer well prepared for the coming year!

No question it is busy in our schools right now with lots of great learning and activity!  Check out the pictures below to provide just a snapshot into the great work going on across our schools!  We are so busy, I had to do two sets!

Now on to the information!

THANK YOU!

Just a quick and very sincere THANK YOU to all the students, parents and community members out there who helped to make this past week's Teacher Appreciation Week a HUGE success for our staff.  I can't tell you how much they needed that community wide "pat on the back"!  Email messages, cards from families and students, food, food and more food, signs and more!  Our teachers certainly felt the "love" this week and it is so very appreciated!  Gorham is an incredible community!  On behalf of our entire staff - THANK YOU!

HOW IS THE SAUSAGE MADE? CURRICULUM CREATION IN THE GORHAM SCHOOLS

At the last meeting of the Anti-Racism & Equity Committee held on April 24 the committee invited Gorham K-8 instructional leader Kim Fadrigon and GHS Principal Brian Jandreau to speak to the committee about curriculum.  Major topics were:

-  How does the curriculum get built?

-  What is the timeline for Curriculum Review Cycles?

-  What are the core components of the curriculum that educators look at?

-  How does the curriculum change throughout the grades?

-  Where is the line of creative freedom for educators vs. state standards?

-  How does one change the curriculum?

-  What is the profile of a graduate, what do we want our students to walk away with?

I'll take a brief moment to summarize the answers to these questions that were discussed during the meeting and then share the slide presentations and other materials for your viewing pleasure!  It was a wonderfully informative presentation!  THANK YOU Kim and Brian for your willingness to help members of the group better understand these important topics!

Key points from how does the curriculum get built?

-  There is a rotation of looking at specific subject areas every 5 years at a minimum but as issues arise, we can also address these as needed.

-  Start by understanding state standards and making sure our work aligns with what the state requires.

-  Our curriculum is organized by Graduation Standards, then Performance Indicators and then down to the details of specific learning targets for each content area across each grade level.

-  Any changes/revisions are discussed first at the content area committee level across grades PK-8 and/or within specific departments in grades 9-12.

-  If any changes are suggested they are brought to the Teaching & Learning Committee for review and approval before going to District Leadership Team for implementation.

Key points from what the timeline is for curriculum review cycle?

-  5 year cycle by content area.

-  Sometimes this cycle can be delayed due to budget (and perhaps the inability to purchase new curriculum materials), but otherwise we try to stick to this as a min. timeline for review.

-  Other areas are constantly being reviewed by curriculum committees and if a need to make revision comes up outside of the cycle, we address it when we need to as well.

-  We use department time, professional learning teams, early release time, PLC time and any other time we can squeak in to do this important work.

Key points from what the core components are of the curriculum that educators look at?

-  Of course we pay close attention to policy IJJ for selection of materials.  We also look for alignment to our standards, whether or not materials support PK-12 continuity, whether or not information is presented in a factual way, whether or not information is accessible to all learners, whether curriculum includes elements to assist teachers in differentiation, whether materials support curricular "mirrors and windows" and whether or not materials support authentic real life connections for our learners.

Key points for how curriculum changes throughout the grades?

-  Has to be aligned to graduation standards and performance indicators, which are adjusted based upon grade levels.

-  Topics and expectations correspond to the developmental level of each grade.

-  Sophistication and complexity increases throughout the grades.

Key points for where the lines are between creative freedom and Maine standards?

-  We ask that curriculum utilized in our classrooms are anchored to, or align with our Graduation Standards and Performance Indicators.

-  We ask that teachers use these items to then create essential questions, learning targets and learning outcomes for students.

-  Basically, the standards and performance indicators create the boundaries within which teachers must work, but they are free to be creative within those boundaries with their students to make sure that they can differentiate and meet the needs of each unique learner in their classrooms.

Key points for how to change curriculum?

-  Any significant curricular changes must go through the Curriculum Committees or departments and then through the Gorham Teaching and Learning Committee for approval.

-  Minor adjustments by teachers can be made on an ongoing basis in response to meeting the needs of current learners and constantly changing best instructional practices.

Key points for profile of a graduate?

-  The Gorham Schools has a very clear Mission/Vision and set of Core Beliefs About Learners that feeds our Strategic Plan, our Portrait of a Graduate document and our Metrics for Success.  We use all of these "vision" tools to define our success as a school system, only a small portion of which is based on state/national assessment scores.

RESOURCES from the Presentation:

* Copy of Slide Presentation

* PreK-5 Curriculum Guides

* 6-8 Curriculum Guides.

* 9-12 Course Syllabi

* Our Teaching & Learning Handbook

MAY IS NATIONAL BIKE MONTH!

Did you know that the month of May is National Bike Month?  During this month of celebrating our two wheeled friend, it is a great chance to showcase the many benefits of bicycling.  It is also a great  opportunity to encourage folks to give biking a try, and a time to communicate and remind folks about the importance of bike safety!

National Bike month was actually created way back in 1956 as a way to share that whether you are riding for the sheer enjoyment, or for exercise, or for time with family, riding a bike can help connect people to one another, promote healthier habits, and create happier people!

If you want to learn more about National Bike Month, a great place to go is the League of American Bicyclists.  

As National Bike Month draws attention to the great benefits that can be associated with biking...it is also a great time to remind EVERYONE of the importance of bike safety.  This is especially important as school gets ready to let out and more of our children are likely going to be out there on the roads!  Here's a few key tips for bike safety EVERYONE should know!

* ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET!  Yes this is for any age!

*  ALWAYS BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS when you are biking - regardless of location (i.e. wooded trails, busy streets, etc.).

*  BE VISIBLE...the point of biking is NOT to blend in!  Wear bright clothing so people can see you!  If riding at night, be sure to have reflectors and lights - again - the point is not to blend in!

*  KNOW THE RULES OF THE ROAD.  Bike with traffic.  Obey all traffic signals.  Bikes are considered motorists - not pedestrians!  Behave accordingly!

*. MAKE SURE YOUR EQUIPMENT FITS.  Children should ride bikes that they "fit".  A good rule of thumb is to make sure your child's feet can touch the ground (flat) when stationary!

For more tips feel free to go to Safe Kids Worldwide to learn more!

Finally, I wanted to share a brief communication from Gorham Town Council member Lou Simms related to Bike Month...

This week, Gorham's Town Council recognized May as "Bike Month" in Gorham, to raise awareness regarding street safety for bikers and walkers in our community - while also promoting the many benefits that biking and walking offer, in terms of improved public health and increased community activity.  

Next week May 13 - May 19 is "Bike to Work Week" and Friday May 17 is "Bike To Work Day" so you may see more bikers out on the roads than usual.  Regardless of your preferred mode of transit, safety is our priority, so please check out Bicycle Coalition of Maine's website for some great information & resources:

https://www.bikemaine.org/education/youth-education/

Now - let's see if Maine's summer weather cooperates with us this year and get out there and have fun biking!

SOCIAL MEDIA EDUCATION NIGHT FOR PARENTS - REMINDER!

I shared this in my blog last month - but it is worth repeating!  If you are a parent of a student in grades PK-5, you are NOT going to want to miss this information night!  Check out the flyer below for more information!

TOWN COUNCIL REPORT FROM MAY 7 SHARED

Again, each month our School Committee chair takes the time to provide a report to the Town Council as one small way to keep communications flowing between the Town Council and the School Committee.  Below is what was shared by School Committee Chair Sarah Perkins at the May 7 Town Council Meeting...

School Committee Report

May 7, 2024

Budget Update: Thank you to members of the Town Council for a very productive joint budget workshop meeting held a few weeks ago. The School Committee came away with a clear sense of direction. A reminder that the budget Q&A document is open until May 10th for additional questions ahead of the May 14th vote.

Fiscal Sustainability Committee: The Joint Fiscal Sustainability Committee has gotten off to a great start and we are very much looking forward to these continued meetings together to help inform the future of our community. The next meeting will be held on May 20 at 6:00 p.m. in the downstairs conference room at the Gorham Municipal Center. The meeting will be open to the public, live streamed and recorded.

MDOE Capital Project Applications: The Gorham Schools has begun its work to complete multiple applications for capital projects through the Maine Department of Education working with LaVallee Brensinger Architects. A small steering committee has been formed to guide this process. Applications are due at the end of August 2024. The state will then spend time reviewing applications and conducting site visits to aid in scoring. We will likely not hear about our placement on the list of projects until late spring or early Fall of 2025. IF we are funded for a project we would form a building committee that would be much broader in nature than the current steering committee.

Legislative Impacts: Two bills have passed that will have future impacts on our schools.
LD 974 - An Act to Establish a Minimum Pay for Educational Technicians and Other School Support Staff. This bill sets a new minimum wage for Ed. Techs at 125% of state minimum wage and for other school support staff at 115% of state minimum wage effective July 1, 2025. We’re working to understand the impacts of these changes on the FY 26 budget. While we likely already meet these requirements, they will complicate our ability to attract and retain employees as other districts come up to these minimums. CDS bill- This bill requires that school districts across the state take on “Free Appropriate Public Education” (FAPE) responsibilities for 3 and 4 year olds within the next 4 years (by FY 29). We continue to explore the best timing for taking on this work and will make a final determination by the end of this school year.

Bus Drivers Needed: We’re looking for at least 3 new bus drivers over the course of the next 6-8 months and have a very active "earn while you learn" program that allows individuals to be trained, take their permit, and work to complete the requirements for their CDL Class B license (with passenger endorsement). Reach out to Norm Justice or the central office for more info.

Odyssey of the Mind: Congratulations to our Gorham students who successfully competed in the Odyssey of the Mind regional championships on April 27, 2024. A special thanks to Danielle Quimby for her support and facilitation of our teams. 

FY 25 BUDGET UPDATE - REMEMBER TO VOTE!

I Included updated information on the proposed budget in my last blog so please feel free to click on my previous blog post for detailed information.  All I wanted to share in this piece is just a reminder of the timeline for what remains of the budget approval process.  Here are the important steps that remain:

- Town Council Vote to Approve Proposed School Budget.  This vote takes place on May 14 during the Town Council's meeting scheduled for that night to approve both the School's budget and the municipal budget.  The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. and will be held in council chambers.  The meeting is open to the public and will be both live streamed and recorded for those that might not be able to make it in person.  Individuals are able to provide public comment at the meeting if you would like.  Individuals may also email Town Council members directly if you would prefer.  You can find Town Council email addresses by CLICKING HERE.  At this meeting the Town Council can approve the proposed budget as is, they could add funding, or they can reduced funding so if you have thoughts about the proposed budget - now would be the time to share them with the Town Council.  

-  Public Budget Validation Referendum.  This vote will be held on June 11 at your local Gorham polling locations.  This is where members of the community are asked to either vote "yes" to approve/validate the budget that was passed by the Town Council on May 14 or to vote "no" to not approve/validate the budget that was passed by the Town Council on May 14.  In order for our budget to be finally approved, it must be approved by the School Committee, by the Town Council and then validated by voters.  IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU GET OUT TO VOTE ON JUNE 11!  If you can't get to the polls, absentee ballots are available at the clerk's office.  You can learn more about absentee voting in Gorham by CLICKING HERE. 

As a reminder if you need to catch up on the proposed FY 25 budget - you can CLICK HERE for LOTS of great information.  

ASPIRE GORHAM MAY NEWSLETTER READY TO VIEW!

May's Aspire Gorham Newsletter is ready to view...some really great pictures and summaries of learning activities as well as student spotlights can be found - definitely worth the read!

CLICK HERE to View.

GHS INTERACT CLUB SEEKS HELP WITH ANIMAL REFUGE LEAGUE FUNDRAISER!

The Gorham High School Interact Club is sponsoring an Animal Refuge League Drive by Donation Drive in the GHS Parking lot on Saturday, May 18th from 10AM until 12PM. Please see the flyer below for more details. We would appreciate your support.

A COUPLE OF COOL MESSAGES TO SHARE - WHAT A GREAT COMMUNITY GORHAM IS!

I'll start with the "adult" message I wanted to share so that you can see just one example (of many) of how the adults in our community model our Code of Conduct for our students. Then I'll share the "student" message so you can see first hand how that adult modeling plays out with our students!

The first message was sent un-solicited to the staff at Great Falls, Narragansett, and Village Elementary Schools by our School Resource Officer Todd Gagnon.

The Gorham Schools has an incredibly strong and positive relationship with our Gorham Police Department and the fact that we have been able to work with our partners to host 3 full time SRO's in our schools is just one shining example of this partnership.

In this message Todd just sends this to our school staff as Todd (not "officer Gagnon"). He sent it as Todd the community member, public servant, father, husband and all around great role model for our students! He sent this message to Assistant Superintendent Brian Porter and asked that it be shared with the staff...here's what he said...

Good afternoon Dr. Porter and thank you for taking the time to read this email. I would first like to express my excitement and eagerness to get to do my job everyday.  I so very much look forward to seeing my students and staff on a daily basis. I don't say I have to go to work, but instead I get to go to work. That brings me to my next point.

The staff at my schools are some of the most professional, and hard working people I have ever had the privilege to work with. This is my fourth year in the schools and since day one, the staff has been so welcoming and treat me like a school staff member. I am confident when I say, the staff truly give 100% to the students. I have seen on numerous occasions staff members work through lunch and don't take breaks to see that students' needs are met. The staff members at my three schools are true professionals in every sense of the word. 

During drop off in the morning, I see at all my schools the staff welcoming the students with smiles and greetings of good morning. At lunch and recess the staff is there helping students open food items and zipping coats and getting mittens on for recess. They provide extra clothing for the students who may not be warm enough out in the cold at recess. There are many other examples I could mention that the staff has gone above and beyond. 

The nursing staff keep track of students' medical needs and make sure students get necessary medications. Education technicians are always very busy and are often pulled to cover various other positions on short notice. The full time teachers are always so caring and compassionate with the kids in the classrooms. The administration and all secretary staff are always on point and know the flow of the building as a whole.  Day Porters are busy especially during the lunches, but are quick to clean messes and spills.  The school counselors and social workers are amazing with the students they spend time with. I hear the kids ask to have lunch with them and make time for them. We have an overall wonderful team in the schools.

I very much appreciate you taking the time to read this email. I can not express my level of appreciation and gratitude I have for all the staff members at my three elementary schools.

Best Regards 

Todd Gagnon 

I share this message for two reasons: number one, I think it is reflective of the hundreds of messages I am seeing come across our teacher's emails this week during National Teacher Appreciation week. I also share this as just a great example of a community member taking the time to show respect and compassion towards our staff and the difficult work that they do each day to support our community's children. It also demonstrates the courage that it took to send a message like this out to a large group and to share gratitude, acknowledge and appreciate the work of others. What a wonderful way to model our Code of Conduct!

The second message I will share to end this blog post is from our children. Once again it is a message created and shared as a result of this week's Teacher Appreciation Week, and it too is just a glowing example of our Code of Conduct in action.

The message from students is a video linked below. I encourage you to watch it (yes even the funny outtakes at the end) so you can get a sense of the genuineness of the message, the responsibility shown by our students to share this important message, and the respect shown by our students towards teachers, towards each other, and themselves as a result of sharing their gratitude in this manner. The video demonstrates such a powerful lesson on the importance of gratitude we can all learn from. Go figure - our students can often be our teachers!☺

CLICK HERE for the video link.

Both messages are just shining examples of our great community at work. Gorham truly is a special place! GO RAMS!

With that - I wish you all a great weekend! ENJOY!

April 26 Blog Post

Well we are in the "home stretch" of the 2023-2024 school year!  Hard to believe that by the time this blog is posted, we will have just six weeks left of school!  I'm sure students and staff are already getting excited, while perhaps parents/guardians maybe not as much! ☺. Lots of information and news to share, so I'll get right to it after sharing some great pictures of WHY we do WHAT we do of course - OUR STUDENTS!

Now on to the important information!

LET'S END THE SCHOOL YEAR STRONG - A REMINDER ON THE IMPORTANCE OF SCHOOL ATTENDANCE!

Good school attendance sets the stage for Gorham students to fully benefit from the many great learning resources and activities our schools offer each and every day.  Just look at some of the learning experiences that are seen in the pictures above and imagine trying to re-create those for students who were absent.  We can do our best, but there is nothing like being physically present when engaging learning is occurring in our classrooms (which is most of the time)!  

When students miss these experiences they just can't be 100% replaced.  Now, don't get me wrong - there are times when students need to be absent, and as a school we get that and support that.  Please have students stay home if they are sick and have a fever for example.  But absences should always be the "exception" and not the "rule" as my father always used to say to me growing up.

Did you know that...

-  Chronic absenteeism in the early grades correlates with reduced literacy and mathematical achievement over multiple years?

-  Chronic absenteeism at the middle and high school level is one of the strongest predictors that a student will fail to graduate on time or even drop out altogether?

-  Students who have regular attendance at school have been shown to achieve at higher levels than students who do not have regular attendance?

-  Students who fail to read at grade level by the end of third grade are four times more likely than students who achieve proficiency to drop out of high school.  Adults without a high school education generally earn lower incomes and experience higher unemployment than their peers who do earn a high school diploma, putting them at greater risk for poverty? 

-  students who are chronically absent in the early years of their education may not learn crucial school readiness skills (abilities such as critical thinking, problem solving, and creative thinking), and can fall behind their peers in social-emotional development?

(from https://www.attendanceworks.org/ April, 2024)

These are some really good reasons to make sure we all think about the importance of regular daily school attendance and the benefit that regular attendance has for all children.  Besides, when our students are absent, WE MISS THEM!  We only get them 175 days out of the whole year for just 6 hours each day and we want every single student for as much time as we can get them! 

Parents/Guardians - want more resources to better understand the importance of regular school attendance and perhaps learn about additional tools to help improve attendance for parents and educators?  There is A LOT of great information out there...but below are just a couple sites I might recommend to start with:

-  Attendance Works - a national nonprofit whose vision is that:  "Students of all backgrounds and circumstances attend school regularly, engage in learning and thrive".

-  Count ME In - a state nonprofit whose mission is: "Increasing student attendance through data-driven strategies so that every child is an engaged, successful learner".  

Let's all work together to end this school year STRONG in Gorham with all of us together in school!  I don't know about you - but I don't want to miss a single day!  GO RAMS!

UNDERSTANDING PUBLIC SCHOOLS VIDEO #4 of 4 IS READY TO VIEW!  TOPIC:  THE FUTURE OF GORHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS!

The fourth of a four part series of videos aimed at helping the general public better understand public schools here in Gorham is now ready to view.  The topic of this fourth video is on the future of our public schools with special "community champion" guest - Dr. Andrew Dolloff (Current Superintendent of Schools in Yarmouth, and long time resident of Gorham).

The video is about 45 minutes in length and (I have to admit)  a little "geeky" when you have two Superintendents sitting down to chat!  However, I think you will find it an extremely informative video about what we see on the horizon for public schools in the near to mid-term future!  Check it out using the link below:

Video #4 - Understanding Public Schools - The Future Of Gorham Schools

You can also view each of the previous THREE videos in the series using the links below:

Video #1 - Understanding Public Schools - Public Schools in the 21st Century with special guest - USM President Jackie Edmondson.

Video #2 - Understanding Public Schools - Public School Governance with special guest - Kathy Garrard, local business partner and long time Gorham resident.

Video #3 - Understanding Public Schools - School Funding with special guest - Shawn Moody, local business partner and long time Gorham resident.

That is it for the series!  I hope you have found or will find these videos to be a solid resource to you as a community member in Gorham to better understand our public schools.  Special thank you to Georgia Humphries and Benjamin Dyke from Gorham GoCAT TV for helping to produce these videos!  It was a pleasure spending time with you!  We are lucky in Gorham to have such a great resource for our community!

A FEW IMPORTANT CALENDAR UPDATES/REMINDERS

As we begin what I lovingly refer to as the "sprint to the finish line" that is this time of year for any school, I thought it would be a good idea to just share a few BIG dates with you!

Important state NWEA testing will be going on during a 5 week window starting Monday April 29, 2024 and ending by May 31, 2024.  Grades 1-10 will be participating.  As mentioned earlier, attendance during this time will be important for LOTS of reasons - testing being just one of many!

The current last day of school for students and staff will be Monday, June 10, 2024.  Students will be dismissed at Early Dismissal times on this day to begin their summer vacations!  Staff will stick around for the afternoon's closing activities and messages to end the year.  

The GHS Senior Walk will take place at our elementary schools starting at approximately 9:00 a.m. on Friday, June 7, 2024.  This event will be "streamed" using our district facebook page for those that are interested in watching live!

The GMS 8th grade recognition ceremony has been moved to Friday, June 7 starting at 5:00 p.m. due to the two school days lost to our most recent storm.

GHS Graduation will be going on as planned on Sunday, June 9, 2024 starting at 4:00 p.m.  For details CLICK HERE.  

Again, there are many, many, many more events going on during the last 6 weeks of the school year across all of our schools!  The best way to track them is on our website!  Just go to www.gorhamschools.org and then click on your child's school and then scroll down to the activities' calendar or news posts!

And - we are off! ☺

SUPERINTENDENT 360 EVALUATION SURVEY REMINDER!  STAFF/FAMILIES/COMMUNITY MEMBERS NEEDED TO PARTICIPATE!

The following information was shared in my last blog post - but I wanted to remind folks to PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE participate and that the deadline for completion of the survey will be May 3, 2024.

Each year the Gorham School Committee conducts a 360 evaluation process regarding my performance.  Part of this process involves sending out surveys and asking key stakeholders to please share your thoughts/opinions on current strengths of my leadership and current areas where I can improve.  This process is a great process to provide me much needed feedback on how it is that I can improve my practices each and every year to better serve the children of our great community.

I would ask Staff, Parents and Community members to please take a moment to complete this important survey.  I'll also send links out via our school messenger system more broadly.  Please note there are two surveys below. One for staff and one for parent/community.  Please be sure you click on the right one!  

Last year I had well over 250 parents/community participate and well over 200 staff!  This information is shared with SC members and used to help develop my goals for the coming year - so the information is very important!  Thank you in advance for participating!  

LINK -  Staff 360 Survey For Superintendent

LINK -  Parent/Community 360 Survey for Superintendent

GORHAM FISCAL SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE HAS ITS FIRST MEETING!

The Gorham Fiscal Sustainability Committee had its first inaugural meeting this past Monday night (4/22/24) and it was a great meeting!  

If you recall from previous posts, the purpose of this joint committee between the Town Council and School Committee is to:

"Understand the existing financial landscape for the Town of Gorham and the Gorham School            Department.  To evaluate the future financial landscape, and to use this knowledge to make recommendations for how to maintain sustainable taxes while continuing to manage the present and future growth of our community over the next 5-10 years".

There were also three key "deliverables" that this committee has been charged with:

1.  Develop a series of recommendations to the Town Council and School Committee for how to reduce costs (or mitigate continued cost increases).

2.  Develop a series of recommendations to the Town Council and School Committee for how to increase revenues that will offset direct taxpayer expenses at both the municipal and school levels.

3.  Develop a series of recommendations to the Town Council and School Committee for how to improve communications between various stakeholder groups within the community of Gorham to aid in understanding current and future financial limitations moving forward.

Members of the Committee include:

The first meeting was an organizational meeting where we spent some time getting to know each other a little better before brainstorming the various topics we feel we need to understand before being able to start focusing on the details of the "deliverables" and then we worked to schedule 1 years' worth of meetings!  Everyone left very optimistic about the future of our strong community!

You can view the past and upcoming agendas and other materials for the committee by going to the Town's website LINKED HERE.

You can view the recording of the meeting held on April 22, 2024 by CLICKING HERE.  

FY 25 PROPOSED SCHOOL DEPARTMENT BUDGET PROCESS UPDATE

On Tuesday, April 23, 2024 the Gorham School Committee met jointly with the Gorham Town Council for its annual Budget Workshop meeting.  

You can view the full recording of the meeting by CLICKING HERE.

You can view the slide presentation shared at the meeting by CLICKING HERE.

Finally, you can view the Town Council Budget Booklet by CLICKING HERE.

During this meeting the School Committee shared an overview of the proposed FY 25 School Department budget with the Town Council and offered up an opportunity for Q&A and dialogue regarding the budget.  There was a great exchange of thoughts and ideas shared between the Town Council and School Committee with no substantive changes being recommended.  The meeting ended with an offer for continued questions to be asked by Town Councilors using the Q&A Budget Document SHARED HERE right up until the scheduled May 14 Town Council vote.

The next step in the process for the approval of the proposed FY 25 School Department Budget will be for the Town Council to vote on the proposed budget as part of the overall Municipal Budget.  This vote is scheduled to take place on May 14 at a meeting scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. in council chambers.  

There will be a public hearing on the budget at that time for individuals that may like to speak to the Town Council directly to share their opinions regarding the proposed budget.  Individuals may also email council members directly in advance of the meeting to have their comments considered in the decision making process by the Town Council.  

Once the vote is taken at this meeting (May 14), the final step in the FY 25 School Department budget approval process will be the public referendum vote that is scheduled to take place on June 11, 2023.  Please mark your calendars now to make sure you go to the polls!

ASPIRE GORHAM APRIL NEWSLETTER READY TO VIEW!

Check out April's Aspire Gorham newsletter by CLICKING HERE!  Lots of great articles keeping you up to date on the incredible work happening in our Aspire programming across the district!

PK-5 SOCIAL PARENT INFORMATION NIGHT - TOPIC:  SOCIAL MEDIA!

If you are a parent of a student in grades PK-5, you are NOT going to want to miss this information night!  Check out the flyer below for more information!

NEW GORHAM ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS ANNOUNCED!

The Gorham School Department is proud to announce that Dr. Quinton Donahue, will serve as the new Assistant Superintendent of the Gorham School Department, beginning July 1, 2024.

Dr. Donahue enters this level of leadership with an extensive breadth and depth of experience in both administration and the classroom with over 20 years of experience in fostering academic excellence and cultivating positive learning environments. Over the past five years, he has served as the Principal of Gorham Middle School, demonstrating a proven track record of driving student achievement, implementing innovative educational initiatives, and promoting a positive, relationship-centered school climate.

Prior to his role at Gorham Middle School, Dr. Donahue served as Principal of Mount View Middle School (Thorndike, ME.), where he achieved significant academic growth and earned recognition for his leadership. Before his administrative positions, he dedicated 10 years to teaching high school math at Hampden Academy (Hampden, ME.), inspiring students to excel in mathematics.

Dr. Donahue holds a Ph.D. in Education with a focus on Educational Leadership from the University of Maine. His research centered on enhancing critical thinking in mathematics classrooms. Additionally, he earned a Master of Education in Educational Leadership and a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Mathematics Education from the University of Maine.

Beyond his professional achievements, Dr. Donahue is an active member of the Gorham, ME community, where he resides with his wife, Jessica. Passionate about empowering students and educators, Dr. Donahue continues to make a profound impact on education, inspiring excellence at every level.  

We look forward to welcoming Dr. Donahue to his new position within the Gorham Schools!

That is it for this blog post! Will check in again in a couple of weeks!

April 5 Blog Post

Well gotta say - I am not all that impressed with the weather so far this spring!  Let's leave it at that and move on to sharing some pictures of some of the great things happening in our schools the past few weeks!  

On to the updates...

UNDERSTANDING PUBLIC SCHOOLS 3rd VIDEO (of 4) READY TO VIEW!  TOPIC:  SCHOOL FUNDING WITH SPECIAL GUEST SHAWN MOODY!

The third of a four part series of videos aimed at helping the general public better understand public schools is now ready to view.  The topic of this third video is on school funding and there to help ask questions and get answers is our community champion Shawn Moody!

Of course, this 30 minute video isn't going to provide all the information about school funding that is out there, but I'm sure it will "wet your whistle" and hopefully prompt folks to do more research, or ask further questions to learn more!  As is always the case - I am happy to answer any questions - just email me at heather.perry@gorhamschools.org.

VIDEO #3 LINK

And just in case folks are interested in viewing the previous two videos...you can find them linked below:

-  Video #1 - Understanding Public Schools in the 21st Century with special guest USM President Edmondson.

-  Video #2 - Understanding Public School Governance with special guest Kathy Garrard.

There will be one more planned video coming out right around the end of the month of April.  This last video will be focused on looking into the future of Public Schools and what we see ahead.  Our very special community champion for this last video will be Andrew Dolloff, current Superintendent of Schools in Yarmouth and long time Gorham resident!  Stay tuned!

TEN YEAR FACILITIES PLAN & UPCOMING BOND REQUEST

As you may recall,  about two years ago the Gorham School Department worked with the Town of Gorham to conduct a comprehensive facilities assessment.  C.H.A. was the firm that completed the study.  You can find a digital copy of the final report by CLICKING HERE.

Since then the Gorham Schools has been working to pick away at the needs outlined in this study.  We recently have approved bonds that have updated our HVAC system at GMS and we are now working on upgrades to the HVAC systems at GHS.  Additionally, we were able to complete the final phase of modular expansions at Narragansett Elementary School that will open up this coming fall.

As we continue to use this report to guide our decision making, we will be bringing forward a request to the Town Council for a bond package that would address the next round of facilities needs in our schools.  We hope to present our request to the Town Council in June in preparation for a potential referendum question on the November ballot.  This is the first request of what we see as four requests that will need to occur over the next 10+ years.  

You can view our updated 10 year capital facilities plan list by CLICKING HERE.  

One item on our upcoming list that you may have heard about is our tennis courts.  At this time, we are unable to play matches safely on our courts because they are in such bad condition.  We have had the courts resurfaced many times over the years, but they are 20+ years old and resurfacing is no longer an option.  

In our facilities plan, we would like to move the existing tennis courts from their current location at GHS to a new location at GMS that would offer more accessibility to both our students and the greater public.  This area was actually previously permitted for this exact move when the MS was built.  The map below shows the general area we would be seeking to move tennis courts to.

Although this would take up a part of the fields that currently exist, we have worked with Gorham Recreation and others to make sure that all existing activities would still be able to occur on the same site.

Another big project listed on this first referendum request would be to start on the first phase of modular expansions at GHS.  This first phase would add space to the existing cafeteria and build out an additional 7 classrooms over by where the existing modulars are.  This would also allow us to move Adult Education spaces from GMS to add additional classroom capacity at GMS as well.  There would be three planned phases of modular expansion at GHS that could be developed as a mid range solution to our current long term facilities needs.

Please feel free to review the ten year plan and reach out with questions you may have.  As we get closer to a potential referendum, much more information will be forthcoming.

FY 25 BUDGET DEVELOPMENT UPDATE

The School Committee had its 4th and final FY 25 Budget Workshop meeting on Monday, March 25.  The focus of this meeting was on the revenue side of the budget. At this meeting, it was agreed that we would utilize $600,000.00 in fund balance to offset taxpayer expense.  We left the meeting with the following numbers for our draft proposed FY 25 school budget.  Operating cost increases of 6.9% and an overall expenditure increase of 7.7% increase (this includes CIPS, Debt Service and Adult Education).  We’re looking forward to our budget workshop meeting with the Town Council scheduled for April 23, 2023 at 6:30 p.m. in the downstairs conference room.

The School Committee is scheduled to vote on the proposed FY 25 budget at their April 10 School Committee meeting scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. in council chambers. The meeting will be live streamed and recorded.

A reminder - you can view all FY 25 budget materials by going to our website. CLICK HERE for a direct link.

FAFSFA - HAVE YOU COMPLETED YOURS?

Due to the delayed rollout of the Better FAFSA, in Maine, the Class of 2024 is significantly behind the Class of 2023 in FAFSA submission. The chart below shows the differences.

Many of our students and families continue to face barriers or challenges when navigating the FAFSA application process. This is where our support and guidance become invaluable.

The U.S. Department of Education (USED) and the National College Attainment Network (NCAN) have Better FAFSA resources. A few are linked below:

• USED has created Better FAFSA Toolkits for parents and families and educators and counselors.

• NCAN’s Navigating the Challenges of the 2024-25 FAFSA is regularly updated and highlights the FAFSA’s known issues (and workarounds if they exist). It is a good partner to Federal Student Aid’s Pro-Tips for the 2024-25 FAFSA Form page.

• FAFSFA Flyer

GHS Seniors who are planning to attend college next fall should complete the 2024-2025 FAFSA as soon as possible if they haven't already done so. Although there have been challenges with the new FAFSA this winter, it is still the primary application for financial aid. Students who are planning to attend a Maine Community College through the Free Tuition at Maine Community Colleges Program, MUST complete the FAFSA to qualify for free tuition. Please see the resources below for more updates on FAFSA processing and for helpful information sessions offered by Maine's higher education agency, Finance Authority of Maine (FAME). 

Paying For College

FAME Tuesday Tips - FAFSA Processing has begun

FAME FAFSA Completion Sessions

GHS Seniors and/or family members that would like to learn more or have additional questions can reach out to Trisha Cherry directly at trisha.cherry@gorhamschools.org.

NEXT WEEK IS THE WEEK OF THE YOUNG CHILD!

What is the week of the young child?  The Week of the Young Child is an annual celebration sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the world's largest early childhood education association.  The purpose of the Week of the Young Child is to focus public attention on the needs of young children and their families and to recognize the early childhood programs and services that meet those needs.

This year's week is April 6 - April 12.  Want to learn more?  Check out these great resources from NAEYC!

I know we'll most definitely be celebrating our youngest learners in our schools!

UPDATE ON SCHOOL CALENDAR & SAMPLING OF END OF YEAR EVENTS

 

With the use of two storm days this week, I wanted to let folks know that that will push our last student day to Monday, June 10, 2024.  The last student day will be a half day of school for students.  GHS seniors, I think you can stop doing your "snow dances" now!  ☺

Speaking of seniors, graduation for GHS is planned for Sunday, June 9, 2024.  Graduation will be held on the competition field at GHS.  Below are a few other highlights of events - but please know there are MANY MORE.  The best way to follow events for your school is to go onto your school's webpage and check out their activity calendar!  There is so much going on - I can't possibly list everything here, but here's a sampling:

-  GHS Academic Awards Night - May 21 at 6:00 p.m. at MPAC.

-  K-5 Step up day - June 5  

-  GMS 8th grade celebration night - June 5 at 5:00 p.m. 

-  Incoming 6th grade family night - June 4 at 5:30 p.m. at GMS.

-  GHS Senior Walk - June 6 starting at approximately 8:45 a.m.

-  Senior celebration - June 6 at 6:30 p.m. at MPAC.

360 EVALUATION FOR SUPERINTENDENT

Each year the Gorham School Committee conducts a 360 evaluation process regarding my performance.  Part of this process involves sending out surveys and asking key stakeholders to please share your thoughts/opinions on current strengths of my leadership and current areas where I can improve.  This process is a great process to provide me much needed feedback on how it is that I can improve my practices each and every year to better serve the children of our great community.

I would ask Staff, Parents and Community members to please take a moment to complete this important survey.  I'll also send links out via our school messenger system more broadly.  Please note there are two surveys below. One for staff and one for parent/community.  Please be sure you click on the right one!  

Last year I had well over 250 parents/community participate and well over 200 staff!  This information is shared with SC members and used to help develop my goals for the coming year - so the information is very important!  Thank you in advance for participating!  

-  Staff 360 Survey For Superintendent

-  Parent/Community 360 Survey for Superintendent

That's it for this blog post.  Hopefully the next one I sent out I'll have power back!  Have a great weekend everyone and stay safe!