September 6 Blog Post

Welcome back to another great school year in Gorham!  We are so excited to begin the new 2024-2025 School year with our students, staff, and families!  There is lots to share in this first post - so let me share some great pictures of opening days and then get right down to it!

Now on to the information!

THE IMPORTANCE OF COMPLETING YOUR CHILD'S FREE/REDUCED LUNCH FORM!

Did you know that the Gorham School Department lost approximately $450,000.00 in state subsidy funding for education due to a one year drop in the number of free/reduced lunch eligible families this past year alone?

Did you know that other funding for public schools is also linked to free/reduced lunch eligibility such as E-rate funding to support technology in schools, or ESEA funding to support students who need help in Reading and Math?

I'm sure many of you think...I know I make too much money as a family to qualify so why should I fill out the form?  Others may think that lots of people get to see the information shared and that the process may not be 100% confidential.  Still others wonder why they should waste their time if their child's meals are already free at school???

All good questions....but HERE IS WHY YOU SHOULD STILL COMPLETE THESE IMPORTANT FORMS!

Please take a moment to fill out your child's Free/Reduced lunch eligibility form TODAY!  If you missed the blue form sent home to you by the school - you can also complete it ONLINE.  Just go to the link below, find Gorham Schools and complete!  The process is 100% CONFIDENTIAL!

Online Application Link:  https://www.nlappscloud.com/

2024-2025 SUPERINTENDENT'S DRAFT GOALS

Each year I like to share with our school community my annual goals.  Right now, these goals are labeled "Draft" because the School Committee still needs to vote to approve of them at our Sept. 11 meeting.  I share these goals with everyone because the goals I have set forth are lofty goals that require I work closely with staff, students, families, and community members to achieve.  I figure if you all are going to have to be part of the work to make these things happen - well - you might as well know about them right! 

Below, please find an overview of each of my five major goals for the 2024-2025 School Year.  You can CLICK HERE to see the more detailed version that includes anticipated action steps, timelines, and measurements of success.

Our current Metrics for Success was created and approved by the Gorham School Committee during the 2021-2022 School Year.  We have been operating with the current metrics for success document for two full school years now and I believe  it is time to review and “refresh” to ensure alignment with our mission/vision and core beliefs about learning.  

As part of this process, I would also like to work with the Teaching & Learning Committee to determine if there are better ways to share this valuable information with the general public.  Right now, we share this information via our annual State of the Schools Report, but this is a “dense” document that takes time to consume.  I would like to work with the T&L committee to develop simplified data dashboards that can be populated on our district website to share this information with the public more effectively.

What specific outcomes are we seeking to measure?  Are these measures aligned with our mission/vision and core beliefs?  Are the specific metrics we have listed showing what we think they should show?  Are we truly measuring success indicators for ALL students?  Are there better indicators out there to measure the things we want to measure?  How can we most appropriately share this important data with our community?

These are just a few of the questions that I would like to address as part of this process.  The ultimate goal will be to revise our Metrics for Success and to strengthen the methods through which we share this information with our community.

When the state legislature approved of the supplemental budget this past spring, part of that budget included language that requires public schools to take on the Free and Appropriate Educational Services (FAPE) for all 3 & 4 year olds in the state.  Previously, a separate governmental agency called Child Development Services (CDS) was responsible for the provision of FAPE to eligible 3 & 4 year olds and their families.  Public schools have 4 years (2028-2029 school year) to take on the full responsibility for FAPE services for this age category.

This shift in responsibilities will be significant.  

Ultimately, this move is a good move as CDS has not provided full services to this age level for several years now and our public schools have been paying a high price for per pupil costs as a direct result.  With improved early services, the hope would be the same as our work to create a strong Public Pre K program - that services can be provided earlier, more effectively and at less overall costs than the current ineffective system. 

Strengthening communication with our community has been a frequent goal over the past 9 years, but in the past it has focused more on our direct constituents such as parent/guardians or staff members or our already well connected community businesses.  These are all constituents that already know our schools well.

The past few budget approval cycles have shown us many things.  One of these things is that we must do a better job at communicating and building symbiotic relationships with our community’s older constituents or those constituents who are not as closely connected to our schools so that they see as much value in our schools as do our student’s families.

This communication must be conducted in a manner that doesn’t just say “hey our schools need this” or “our students need this” as a school, but in a more relational manner, helping to educate how our schools are different today than even just ten years ago while also asking what can our schools do for you?  These communications and connections should be focused on helping folks who may not have had any experiences with public schools since their own experiences as students better understand what our public schools require to operate in today’s world.  They should also be focused on helping our schools to better understand what our community needs from us.  Because of this, the action steps taken under this goal will be purposefully broad and multi-dimensional aimed first at starting and exploring these initial connections and then working to strengthen them over time.

In December of 2020 the Gorham School Committee adopted its first Anti-Racism Policy.  In the Fall of 2020, the Gorham School Committee created its first Anti-Racism Committee with membership from all appropriate stakeholders.  This committee met throughout the 2020-2021 School Year, and continued to meet during the 2021-2022 School year.  In the 2022-2023 School Year the Committee changed its name to the Anti-Racism & Equity Committee and continued to meet through that year and the 2023-2024 School Year.  

During that time much has been accomplished. Feel free to CLICK HERE to review an overview.

Of course there is still much more work to be done, particularly in the area of listening to and responding appropriately to student voice in these important matters. After all, if we do all this work and the student experience itself hasn't changed in the important areas of equity and belonging then we haven't really accomplished anything! Therefore, collecting and understanding student voice will be the major focus for this year's work.

The Gorham Schools employs over 700 individuals on an annual basis.  Of those, over 300 are “professional” positions that require specific degrees and certifications and directly work with students in an instructional or administrative capacity.

In the past the Gorham Schools has had the luxury of a very stable workforce.  Our average tenure for teachers for several years now has been 12 years of experience.  With this more veteran staff, we have not had to pay as much attention to specific induction and retention programming for our staff as our school cultures were stable enough to onboard new people to our core beliefs, practices, and procedures without too much trouble.

Recently that has changed for lots of different reasons, not the least of which has been the increasing number of retirements we are seeing across the board.  This past year we had 15 professional staff members retire, the largest single year number since I started here in 2015.

We also continue to see a dearth in candidate pools for special education positions, world languages, math and science positions.

At the same time we are seeing more and more employee transitions in our district, and weakened pools to fill those positions, we are also seeing more and more complex rules and regulations from the state and federal government regarding the operations of our schools.  From the new FMLA laws, to updated restraint and seclusion requirements, to updated Title IX rules, and everything in between – our public schools are complex places to manage employees.  

The purpose of this goal will be to strengthen our induction and retention programs for all staff.

I realize that is A LOT of information regarding my goals for the 2024-2025 school year - but I felt it important to share since it will be these goals that guide my priorities for work throughout the year.  If you have any feedback or perhaps want to help - please feel free to reach out!  My email is heather.perry@gorhamschools.org.  

GORHAM SCHOOLS "REFRESHED" CODE OF CONDUCT

During the course of the 2023-2024 School Year the Gorham Schools worked closely with students, families, community members and the School Committee to complete a "refresh" of our beloved Gorham Schools Code of Conduct.  

If you recall, the original Code of Conduct was completed 20+ years ago and has been part of the "backbone" of our school system ever since.  Ask any student who has gone through our school system for the past 20 years about:  RESPECT, HONESTY, COURAGE, COMPASSION, and RESPONSIBILITY and I'll bet they will remember some great lessons provided over the years!  Lessons that last a lifetime regardless of whatever future careers our students undertake!

Last year the School Committee wanted to work with our community to make sure the Code of Conduct lasts another 20+ years so we developed a stakeholder committee of educators, students, parents and community members led by our very own Jon Smith from Great Falls Construction and we worked to review our Code of Conduct and to adjust it to make it more "alive" for our 2024 students, families, and community.

The "refreshed" Code of Conduct was then reviewed by the School Committee in the late spring of last year and approved to begin the 2024-2025 School year with.   During opening days we have rolled out our new Code of Conduct and one of our major district wide goals this year is to make sure we spend some quality time with our students and families on understanding this document and what it means to truly LIVE our Code of Conduct, especially during these divisive times.  

What does it mean to be Respectful in 2024 terms where social media is king?  What does it mean to be Honest in 2024 when perhaps it is difficult to tell the difference true information and misinformation?  What does it mean to be Courageous in 2024 when it would be way easier to just throw your hands up in the air and say "I'm out"!  What does it mean to be Compassionate in 2024 when perhaps kindness isn't all that easy to find in our digital lives and finally, what does it mean to be Responsible in 2024 when it is so much easier to point your finger away from yourself to place blame for whatever may be happening.

Living our Code of Conduct is no easy task...but it is one that we emphasize in our schools and work hard to model for our students in all that we do as a staff.  We hope our families and our community work hard to model these same core values as well.   We know you do - it is part of what makes Gorham such a strong community!

I encourage you to take a closer look at our "Refreshed" Code of Conduct  and to talk with your children, or your neighbors and friends, or your co-workers about what these values can mean for us all.  These are the universal values we teach our students.  They work for all kinds of beliefs, all kinds of religions, all kinds of demographics, all kinds of families, all kinds of work environments and more.  They are what has helped bind us together as a Gorham Community in the past and they are what will help bind us together as a strong Gorham Community in the future!  THANK YOU!

2023-2024 STATE OF SCHOOLS REPORT AVAILABLE 

TO VIEW

Ever wonder how our schools measure our success?  Want to know about recent trends with NWEA achievement scores, or perhaps you are curious about how our schools are doing via the lens of equity and specific student subgroups success?  Want an update on our strategic plan goals and action steps?

All of this and much much more can be found in our annual State of the Schools Report!  Check it out!  Watch the Sept. 11 School Committee meeting for an overview provided to the School Committee, and reach out directly with any questions or feedback you may have (heather.perry@gorhamschools.org).  Yes it is a "meaty" document...but it has got so much great information! ☺

NOVEMBER 5, 2024 SCHOOL REFERENDUM COMING TO A POLLING PLACE NEAR YOU!

This past Tuesday (9/3), the Gorham Town Council approved TWO questions involving THREE capital projects to appear on the upcoming Nov. 5 ballot regarding the Gorham School Department.  

The School Committee brought forward to the Town Council a total of 8 projects for a referendum request.  After much deliberation over two meetings, the Town Council agreed by a vote of 5-2 (dissenting votes were Gagnon and Philips) to place these TWO questions on the ballots involving 3 of the 8 proposed projects.

The projects that were approved to move forward are the following (with estimated costs):

1.  Gorham High School Cafeteria Expansion and Modular Phase I Construction - $9,034,000.00

2.  Narragansett Elementary School HVAC Replacement - $460,575.00

3.  Rebuild Tennis Courts (6) and move to GMS Site - $2,541,250.00

These three projects will be seen on November's ballot in TWO DIFFERENT questions.  The first question will request approval for projects #1 & #2 (GHS cafeteria and modular expansion and Narr. HVAC work).  The second question will request approval for the rebuilding and moving of the tennis courts.

Here is a little more information about each:

You can find a complete overview of all 8 projects that were presented to the Town Council by CLICKING HERE.

You can view a recording of the Town Council meeting on August 6 and Sept. 3 using links provided.

As we get closer to the Nov. 5 election, more information will be coming out on each of the two referendum questions - Please stay tuned and be sure to be informed as you go to the polls to vote!

GORHAM COMMUNITY FISCAL SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE UPDATE

In the spring of 2024, the Gorham Town Council and the Gorham School Committee jointly created a Gorham Community Fiscal Sustainability Committee.  The purpose of this 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 five to 10 years.  No small task right?

The specific "deliverables" for this committee's work is three-fold with the:

• Development of a series of recommendations to the Town Council and School Committee for how to reduce costs (or mitigate continued cost increases) through efficiencies.
• Development of 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.
• Development of 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.

Our hope is to be able to impact the FY 26 Budget Development process for the schools and for the town.  The group has been meeting since last spring and will continue to meet through March of 2025.  You can find the names of members of the committee, agendas, minutes, packet materials and much more by visiting the Town's website LINKED HERE.  

We have just finished up our information sharing and learning stage of the work and will be moving on to the problem solving components of the work at our next meeting coming up on Sept. 23.  These meetings have been extremely informative and I would strongly suggest folks going in to watch previous meetings, or check out future meetings.  All meetings are live streamed and/or recorded.  You can CLICK HERE to view recordings of past meetings and you can CLICK HERE to view future meetings scheduled.  

GORHAM SCHOOLS ANTI-RACISM AND EQUITY COMMITTEE IS SEEKING NEW MEMBERS!

The Gorham Schools Anti-Racism and Equity Committee is an ad hoc subcommittee established by the Gorham School Committee.  The group is comprised of students, parents, staff members and community members of Gorham who care about making sure our students - all our students - feel welcomed and a sense of belonging in our schools.  The group has done incredible work over the past several years (see link under Goal #4 above) and is gearing up for another incredible year of important work.

If you are a Gorham parent/guardian or community member and your are perhaps interested in joining this committee, please check out the information LINKED HERE and then reach out directly to me to indicate your interest.  My email is heather.perry@gorhamschools.org.  We will be recruiting new members this month and then working to welcome back our veteran members along with our new members at a first meeting in early October.

YOU ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN A COMMUNITY BOOK TALK REGARDING THE DANGERS OF UNSTRUCTURED SCREEN TIME FOR OUR YOUTH!

The book that will be read is entitled:  The Anxious Generation:  How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt. The book is a New York Times Best Seller and is geared at helping parents and other adults in our community understand how the unfettered use of cell phones and unstructured screen time in general has negatively impacted our children.  The book also highlights some things that families and communities can do to help our youth combat this problem together.

The book talk will be lead by Christina Cifelli (Assistant Principal at GHS) and Deanna Etienne (Assistant Principal at Great Falls Elementary School) and will be held over zoom for parent convenience in attending.  Don't miss this opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions and connect with our school community on this very important topic impacting us all!

If you are interested in joining - see the flyer above for contact information - DEADLINE to sign up is September 15, 2024!

GORHAM SCHOOLS BACKPACK PROGRAM!

The BackPack Program provides school-age students experiencing food insecurity enrolled in the Gorham School Department with healthy snacks and staple meal items helpful to your family for the weekend. We aim to provide food that is child-friendly, non-perishable, and easily consumed; and to distribute the weekly bag discreetly, with the help of school staff. Food bags will be distributed TO STUDENTS while they are in school once a week. In addition, participants will receive 1 snack per day while they are at school.

BackPack Program Sign-up Form

If you are interested in volunteering to help with the BackPack program, please email Heather Whitaker at:  heather.whitaker@gorhamschools.org

GORHAM ARTS ALLIANCE FALL PROGRAMMING OPPORTUNITIES ANNOUNCED!

Please see flyer for more details and reach out to Kristina Grand with questions:  kristigrand77@gmail.com

ART ON SOUTH EVENT THIS SATURDAY IN GORHAM!

What a great family event right here in downtown Gorham!  Check out the flyer below for details and see your neighbors on Saturday Sept. 7th from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.!  There will be food trucks, face painting, music and of course - ART!  See you there!

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYONE and see you for my next blog on September 20th! 

June 7 Blog Post

It is hard to believe that this is the last blog post for the 2023-2024 School Year here in Gorham!  As I type this, students have just 1.5 days left of school and are eager (to say the least) to see their summer vacations begin!  I am sure staff are thinking the same too!  It has been a wonderful school year here in Gorham and we couldn't be happier to see the growth in our students that has occurred.  Before I share some pictures and then get on with some informational pieces, I just wanted to take a quick moment to THANK YOU - THE FAMILIES AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS of our students for all your hard work and dedication to learning this past year as well.  The education of a child is the role of an entire community - and boy what a great community we have here in Gorham supporting our students!  GO RAMS!

And yes - there were just too many great pictures at the end of the year...so I had to share more!

Now on to the end of year information.

UPCOMING CHANGE TO GORHAM WEBSITE AND MESSAGING SYSTEMS

Later in June the Gorham Schools will be switching over to a new website host.  Our current website host is Ed Lio.  We will be moving to a new website host called Apptegy.  This new site will be much more phone friendly and will allow us to be much more interactive in our messaging.  All the same "good stuff" currently on our website will be on our new website, and our current student focus will remain our focus - but you will notice some differences, and perhaps have to find things in a slightly new way - so please be patient with the changes.  Overall I think you are going to love it though!

One thing that will also be different will be that our new website host will ALSO be our new messaging system host.  Where in the past we have had to have two different software packages (one for website and one for messaging) our new website will allow us to do messaging straight from the website.  What you will see on your end will be similar to the past, but the efficiencies gained on our end will be significant.  We will still be able to send informational emails, texts, and phone messages so yes students can look forward to those early morning snow calls for sure!

Our plan is to practice with our new "toys" over the summer and make sure everything is ready to go for the opening of school in late August.  Please stay tuned!

ONE FINAL REMINDER ABOUT 2024-2025 SCHOOL CALENDAR!

The 2024-2025 school calendar has been out for a while now, but we did make a change last month for the opening day of Kindergarten.  The revised calendar is on our website and also LINKED HERE.  Students will begin just before labor day in our usual "rolling" manner with grades 6,9 & Pre K starting on August 28, then adding grades 1-5, 7-8 and 10-12 on August 29 and finally adding on the first day of school for K on Sept. 4.

We have 8 early release days once again this coming year and we have five built in snow days in the calendar as is traditionally the case.  Overall, our usual 175 school days for students and 183 for teachers!  Please check out the calendar and reach out with any questions!  I know summer hasn't even begun yet and I already miss our students!  Can't wait to see them back in August!

2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR TRANSPORTATION SURVEY NOW OPEN FOR FAMILIES!

Each year the Gorham Schools request that families complete a transportation survey to assist us in developing the most efficient bus routes possible.  If your child will require transportation to an alternative site or daycare either in the a.m., or p.m. or both - YOU MUST COMPLETE THIS FORM.  If you will just have your child picked up and dropped off at their residence, then there is no need to complete the form.  When completing the form please note that locations selected will remain in place for the entire school year.  

Please CLICK HERE for the survey link.

For more information or additional questions, contact the Transportation Office at  222-4925 or email Judy Philbrick (judy.philbrick@gorhamschools.org) or Norm Justice (norm.justice@gorhamschools.org).  Thank you!

FINAL REMINDER - FY 25 BUDGET VALIDATION REFERENDUM - PLEASE VOTE!

I realize most of us could think of better things to do on a beautiful June 11 day, than to go to a stuffy building and stand in line to vote - but that is exactly what I am encouraging you to do! ☺

The proposed FY 25 School Budget has been approved by the School Committee (6-0 vote).  Our proposed FY 25 School Budget has also been approved by the Town Council (6-0 vote) with no changes.  Now in order to complete the school budget approval process, the budget must be approved by voters via a validation referendum.  This vote will take place on June 11.  

A "YES" vote means you approve of the proposed budget as is.  A "NO" vote means you do not approve of the proposed budget as is.  If a majority of voters vote "YES" then we have a fully approved budget and we move on in preparation for the opening of school next fall.  If a majority of voters vote "NO" then we do not have an approved budget and we must repeat the entire process (SC vote, TC vote, and referendum) for as many times as it takes us to get all three approvals.  I am sure many of you can remember this process from last year's three referendums.

What helps the most in this process is to get as many people out to vote as possible.  What is least helpful is to have a small minority vote and then we are left guessing as to what the community truly wants.  The more individuals that vote, the clearer the messaging is and therefore, the better the outcomes are for our community regardless of whether the end  result is a yes or a no.

PLEASE MAKE IT A PRIORITY TO VOTE ON JUNE 11!  Every vote, every voice counts!  THANK YOU!

If you want to learn more about our proposed budget, please visit our website where you can find all the information you need (and then some) to understand what is in the proposed school budget and why.  

Budget Information Link:  https://www.gorhamschools.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=456522&type=d&pREC_ID=1150991

GHS SENIOR CREATES VIDEO TO HELP 8TH GRADERS TRANSITION TO HIGH SCHOOL

The other day I wandered over to the high school after lunch to catch a little of the 8th grade step up day at GHS.  I was expecting to see a bit of what I had always seen...students assembled in the MPAC, Mr. Jandreau and other school admin. welcoming the incoming students, and a bunch of adults talking to students about what it is like to be a 9th grader at GHS.  That's what I expected.  That is NOT WHAT I HEARD!

Instead, as I walked in, a guidance counselor was introducing a video that was going to be shown to the 8th graders (soon to be 9th graders).  The video was made by a Senior at GHS as part of his senior project in videography.  The student's name was Izak Young.  Izak wants to be a videographer in his future career - and when you watch this video - you can see why!

Izak recruited a few of his friends from GHS and a few students from GMS to develop a short film entitled:  A Tale of Two Schools.  The purpose - to help show incoming 9th graders what it is like to be a student at GHS and to help them feel good about transitioning to a new school.  Well - HE NAILED IT!

The film is a little long (just under 20 minutes) - but boy is it worth the watch if you want to see a glimpse of students talking to students about their experiences as students in our schools!  Check it out via the link below and THANK YOU to Izak and friends for this awesome production and your willingness to help out our younger students as they make the big "leap" to the high school!  We sure do have some VERY TALENTED and VERY COMPASSIONATE AND RESPONSIBLE STUDENTS IN GORHAM!  GO RAMS!

Video Link:  https://vimeo.com/953674153/e3820d7c05

GREAT FALLS KINDERGARTEN CELEBRATION VIDEO - WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO!

Another great video that I wanted to share just in case you missed it on social media is a video made of a recent Kindergarten class celebration at Great Falls Elementary School.  Now, all of our elementary schools do a wonderful job of celebrating our Kindergarten students as they move on up to big first graders each year, but Great Falls just happened to capture it on video and in so doing, captured a snapshot of just why we do what we do as educators, as parents, as families, and as communities to support our children in their learning.  All you need to do is listen to the words of the song being sung and see those smiling faces!  

Definitely worth the share and worth the watch!

Video Link:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mM7fFvibxpGEk0Acxx8mWuYjTLkbeSVx/view?usp=sharing

GHS SENIOR PARADE HAPPENING ON SUNDAY EVENING

We will once again be inviting the ENTIRE COMMUNITY OF GORHAM to help us celebrate our seniors by coming out with signs and noise makers to cheer on our seniors for their senior parade!  Here are the details!  Please grab a sign and come out and cheer on our seniors as they embark upon the next big chapters of their lives!

HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!  CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU!

Congratulations to the GHS class of 2024.  We are so sad to see you move on, but so excited to see what you will contribute to this awesome world!  

Congratulations to all of our students for successfully completing another great school year and "moving on up" to the next steps in creating your own future stories.

Thank you to all of our staff for making sure each and every student felt cared for and valued for who they are as learners in our schools!

Finally, THANK YOU to all of our parents, their families, and our greater community for modeling our Code of Conduct and for supporting our students in their learning endeavors, wherever that may have taken them!

Enjoy the summer break!  I look forward to seeing our students back again this fall!  

May 24 Post

Just a few more weeks until school is out for the summer!  I am sure our students are getting pretty excited, ESPECIALLY our seniors who are set to graduate on June 9! ☺ I wanted to be sure to start off this blog post with a SPECIAL THANK YOU to our GHS Senior class of 2024 for their "awesomeness".  Each year the senior class is a special class, and this year is no different.  I have witnessed these seniors in action, on the athletic fields, in theater, band, and chorus performances, in the classroom, working with younger students, volunteering their time in our community, and everything in between.  They truly exemplify our district's Code of Conduct!  Whether our students are planning to go on to a four year university, community college, certification programs, military or directly into the work force - we know they are leaving us "Prepared and Inspired" to meet the challenges of this complex world head on and succeed!  Best of luck to all of our graduating seniors!

Now, a few pictures that capture all the fun in our schools from the past few weeks!

Now, on to the information sharing!

UNDERSTANDING PUBLIC SCHOOLS PRESENTATION AT BAXTER LIBRARY!

On Tuesday, May 28 beginning at 6:00 p.m. I will be at Baxter Memorial Library to share highlights of the Understanding Public Schools video series with the public and to answer questions folks may have regarding public schools, how they may be different than they were just 10 years ago, how they are governed, how they are funded, and what we see for the future of the Gorham Public Schools.  

All Gorham residents who are interested in learning more about our public schools, are invited to attend this special event in collaboration with Baxter Memorial Library.  And just in case some folks can't make it, but you are interested in watching the video series to learn more - feel free to click on the links below.  

Once again - THANK YOU to Georgia Humphrey and her team at GoCAT TV for their incredible work in recording and producing these informative videos!

-  Video #1 - How Public Schools are Different Today than 10-20 Years ago? (Special Guest President Edmundson from USM)

-  Video #2 - How Are Public Schools Governed?  (Special Guest Kathy Garrard)

-  Video #3 - How are Public Schools Funded?  (Special Guest Shawn Moody)

-  Video #4 - What is the Future of Public Schools in Gorham? (Special Guest Andrew Dolloff)

More detailed information is below in the flyer...feel free to share widely and hope to see you there!

FY 25 PROPOSED SCHOOL BUDGET APPROVAL PROCESS UPDATE

On Tuesday, May 14, 2024 the Gorham Town Council Voted 6-0 to approve of the proposed Gorham School Budget without changes.  

As you know this is NOT the final step in the school budget approval process.  Unlike the Town's municipal budget, the school budget requires one final step called the budget validation referendum.  This referendum will take place on Tuesday, June 11 at your local polling places.  Absentee ballots are also available at the Gorham Municipal Office.  

At the polls, voters are asked to "validate" the total budget that was passed by the School Committee and the Town Council.  A "YES" Vote means you approve of the proposed budget as is.  A "NO" Vote means you do not approve of the proposed budget as is.  A school budget must pass all three steps (School Committee approval, Town Council approval, and voter approval) in order to finally be approved.  As we experienced last year, if the validation vote does not approve the budget, it requires that we "go back to the drawing board" and repeat the process until all three steps can be approved.

As you can see, this is a very important vote for our local community so I urge EVERYONE to PLEASE GET OUT AND VOTE on June 11 (if not before).  

I have developed some one page "Fact Sheets" to help people to digest the key facts of the budget since social media and other resources may not be the most accurate place to get your information.  You can click on the links below to view these one pagers.  

Fact Sheet #1 - Budget Summary

Fact Sheet #2 - 2nd Lowest Per Pupil Costs in Cumberland County

Fact Sheet #3 - We Are #10 of 14 in Per Pupil System Admin. Costs in Cumberland County

You can also CLICK HERE to see all the information shared with the public from the very beginning of our budget development process all the way to today!  Finally, you can also ALWAYS reach out to me with any direct questions you may have and I promise to give direct answers!  My email is heather.perry@gorhamschools.org.

Thank you!

GHS CLASS OF 2024 SENIOR WALK LIVE STREAMED ON FACEBOOK

The Gorham High School Senior Class of 2024 will participate in their annual "Senior Walk" on Friday, June 7, 2024 starting at approximately (give or take 20 min. or so) 9:00 a.m.  

The walk will begin with seniors being bussed from GHS to Great Falls Elementary School where they will walk through the school and be cheered on by our students and staff.  From there seniors will travel to Narragansett Elementary School, then Village Elementary School and then round out their trip with a senior walk through the halls of Gorham Middle School.  

Each year Mr. Parvanta does a wonderful PROFESSIONAL video of the senior walk that is typically available to viewers the next day or two after the walk.  However, I also go through each building with the seniors and live stream the event via our district facebook page so families can tune in and see in real time.  Of course the quality of the recording is not as great as Mr. Parvanta's...but you can certainly get a sense of the electric atmosphere and positive energy throughout the event and catch glimpses of our seniors walking proudly through the halls of our schools getting ready for their special day.  

If you don't already follow us on our district facebook page, just search Gorham School Department and follow us so you can watch the special event!

SMALL CHANGE TO 2024-2025 SCHOOL CALENDAR IMPACTING INCOMING KINDERGARTEN FAMILIES ONLY

On May 22 the School Committee voted to make a small change to our previously approved 2024-2025 School Calendar.  

Originally the calendar had our new incoming Kindergarten students starting on the Tuesday after Labor Day (Sept. 3).  When Principals and teachers were planning for the new year they discovered that if we started K students on that Tuesday morning they wouldn't have time the previous week to do an open house and parent welcome prior to K students beginning.  We feel strongly that this type of relationship building is important to do before students start their school experiences as we want the whole family to feel good about starting school, not just the incoming students.  

Because of this, we are now moving the first official day of school for our incoming Kindergarten students to Wed. Sept. 4 so that we can have an open house and meet and greet event specially for our Kindergarten students before they begin school.  

If you are the parent of an incoming Kindergarten student in Gorham, please adjust your calendars accordingly and our schools will be in touch with the details as we get closer to the beginning of the new school year.  If you have questions, please feel free to reach out to your school's office and ask.  Thank you!

FISCAL SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE 

2nd MEETING HELD

The Joint Fiscal Sustainability Committee held its second meeting of what will be a year long process to achieve its purpose and goals.  The purpose of this committee is to:  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 five to 10 years.

As a reminder, the "Deliverables" for this committee's work are as follows:

• Development of a series of recommendations to the Town Council and School Committee for how to reduce costs (or mitigate continued cost increases) through efficiencies.
• Development of 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.
• Development of 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.

At this most recent meeting of the committee, some great initial information was shared.  The School Department shared information on our historical enrollments, current enrollments, projected enrollments and information from a recent demographic study that was completed showing what we should expect if the current developments that are "on tap" in the town were to come to fruition and how that may impact student enrollment.  It was a very informative meeting.  

You can check out information on the committee by visiting the Town's website LINKED HERE.  

You can also watch the meeting video recording by CLICKING HERE. 

 TREE DEDICATION CEREMONY - MRS. SUE MOSES

The Gorham Middle School Community will be coming together on Friday June 7 at 4:55 to plant a tree in the front of Gorham Middle School dedicated to an incredible GMS teacher who passed unexpectedly this year - Sue Moses.  Sue was a passionate educator who touched the lives of GMS students for many years here in Gorham.  Her husband Bill will be present along with the GMS community.  All community members are welcome to attend.  

GORHAM ARTS ALLIANCE TO OFFER AFTER SCHOOL PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAM THIS FALL!

The Gorham Arts Alliance will be expanding their performing arts offerings this fall for students in grades 3-5 and grades 6-8.  

Check out more detailed information by CLICKING HERE if you are interested!

FINAL STEEL DRUM BAND CONCERT OF THE YEAR ANNOUNCED!

Check out the flyer below for details!  Always a great performance!  Be sure to check it out!

GORHAM HIGH SCHOOL SUMMER GEAR SALE! 

For those of you interested in adding to your "Gorham Swag" collection, now is a perfect time!  CLICK HERE to shop...here's the deals and check out the flyer below for details!

IN CLOSING...A MESSAGE FROM OUR STUDENT LEADERS AT NARRAGANSETT ABOUT COURAGE AND HONESTY

Student leaders at Narragansett Elementary School recorded these two videos to share with their peers about what they think two of our core Code of Conduct beliefs mean to them - Courage and Honesty!  Check out these important messages that work pretty darn well for adults too! ☺

Courage Video

Honesty Video

Have a great long weekend and see you for my final blog on June 7!

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!