September 20 Blog Post

We have been in school for over two weeks, and folks are already getting in the groove! Bus routes have settled down, classroom schedules have worked out the kinks, support services are in place, fall athletics and before/after school clubs are in full swing, and we are rolling! A massive shout-out to everyone who made this year's positive start to school possible.  I have lots of good information to share with all of you, so here are a few pictures from the last few weeks, and then on to the info!

IMPORTANT THOUGHT EXCHANGE SURVEY LAUNCHED TO HELP DEVELOP FY 26 SCHOOL BUDGET PRIORITIES!

Your participation in the Survey Below is more than just a few minutes of your time. It's a direct contribution to the future of our schools. Your insights will help us develop our FY 26 (School Year 2025-2026) Budget Priorities that will be used to build our proposed budget later this winter/spring.  

The past few years have been difficult when it comes to passing our school's budget.  As costs continue to increase, now more than ever, we need to hear from our community. Your input is vital in determining what we value and prioritize most in our schools.

Please take a moment to use the QR code and/or link below to participate in this BRIEF survey.  It should take just 5-10 minutes to complete.  The information gathered will be an invaluable resource to us moving forward.  The survey will be open through October 6, 2024 for your participation.  THANK YOU!

Survey Link:  https://tejoin.com/scroll/561521647

QR Code:

REMEMBER - ATTENDANCE MATTERS!  

As we continue to roll into the 2024-2025 school year, we must focus on building up regular, solid routines and structures for our students.  One crucial and essential regular routine that we need YOUR HELP with as families is the routine of regular attendance at school.

Chronic absence (missing 10 percent or more of school days due to absence for any reason excused, unexcused absences, and suspensions) can translate into students having difficulty learning to read by the third grade, achieving in middle school, and graduating from high school on time.

There is a lot of research out there supporting the need to ensure students attend school every day. A tremendous one-page research summary from Attendance Works is LINKED HERE to reference any research on this crucial topic if you are interested in digging more deeply. 

Although our numbers in the Gorham Schools for Chronic absenteeism remain below the state's average, they remain higher than we would like to see.  Here is a snapshot of chronic absenteeism data from our 2023-2024 State of the Schools Report that provides a quick review of the data specifically for Gorham.  Remember that Average Daily attendance removes students that are perhaps absent from the calculation for EXCUSED reasons.  Chronic absenteeism, however, does not differentiate; instead just identifies the number of students absent for 10% or more of the school year for any reason (Roughly 17 days).

The same data in the chart is graphically represented below:

When we look at this data for the last school year at GMS, we can see that 18.68% of the students met the designation of "chronically absent," having missed 17+ days of school.  In real terms, that means that 121 students were absent for 17+ days from GMS last year.  At the high school, with a chronic absenteeism rate of 20.65% last year, 175 students were absent 17+ days.  Our ambitious goal as a district and as individual schools is to consistently reduce our Chronic absenteeism rates to 10% or less.

So how can you help as families?  Attendance Works has put together some great fliers to help families navigate that very question.  I have included links below.  Feel free to review and talk about these at home and reach out to your school leaders to share ideas that may be generated.  Hitting that goal of 10% Chronic Absenteeism or under at each school is an ambitious goal.  We will only be able to meet it by working together!  THANK YOU!

*  Pre K and K - Building Positive Attendance Habits

*. Elementary - Building Positive Attendance Habits

*. Middle School & High School - Maintaining Positive Attendance Habits

COMMON SENSE EDUCATION TIPS ON DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP FOR FAMILIES

First, I want families to know that we work with students across our schools to help them understand what being a good digital citizen means.  We start with the Code of Conduct at the earliest levels, work our way up through specific lessons in our technology classes across grades 3-5, and use the Common Sense Education curriculum across grades 6-12.  We spend significant time working proactively with our students to help them understand that the digital world can be both a place of great resources and a place of great misinformation and how to navigate these two realities as they grow.

As families, I'm sure you, too, wonder what you can do to help prepare your child to become a positive digital citizen. Common Sense Education has resources for you, too, that I thought folks might find helpful.

Would you like access to high-quality, free videos to help you navigate this complex world?  Common Sense has a resource for that!  Did you want some conversation starters to help start difficult conversations about using social media with your children?  Common Sense has a resource for that!  Would you like a template to help you plan your child's appropriate computer and screen time use?  You guessed it, Common Sense has a resource for that!  

Check out this resource page LINKED HERE for families from Common Sense Education and start having meaningful conversations with your children today, knowing that this information aligns with what they hear in school. Then, click around the site and see what other great trustworthy and high-quality resources there are for families!

FREE MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES!

The Gorham School District is pleased to announce new resources to support mental health and wellness. ParentGuidance.org is free to all district staff, parents, and families. 

ParentGuidance.org is a service developed by licensed therapists that provides trusted and specialized courses, professional support, and a safe community to learn how to support our children and get answers to mental health questions. 

 

Our hope is that ParentGuidance.org will give concerned parents a place to go for answers to support and help their children struggling with depression, anxiety, self-harm, bullying, grief and family strife, just to name a few, as well as provide tools to form stronger bonds between parents and their children. There are over 50 e-courses, FREE to families, which are led by licensed therapists as well as an ask-a-therapist section on the website. ParentGuidance.org is free and confidential. 

 

Additionally, our district will be able to join regularly scheduled webinars referred to as our Mental Health Series. This series will be available from October 1st to December 31st to educate parents and staff on topics our district has selected, such as: Your Child’s Anxiety, Helping Your Child Succeed – Three Parenting Styles, and Social Media: Protecting Your Child. Below are several flyers on each event topic for the month of October for parents to pre-register. Updated flyers will be shared for the months of November and December.

 

During this time, parents can anonymously join an Ask a Therapist LIVE, one-hour workshop with a licensed therapist who has expertise in youth mental health. The therapist will directly answer parents’ questions during the session, starting at 6 pm MT/ 7 CT/ 8 ET.

Below is the first flyer for our first online event via zoom scheduled for October 15, 2024. The topic: "Social Media: Protecting Your Child By Staying Aware and Involved." Use the QR code or the URL listed on the flyer and SIGN UP TODAY!

A QUICK REMINDER ON THE IMPORTANCE OF SAFE GUN STORAGE

All students and members of our school communities deserve to feel safe, welcomed, and included.  Safe firearm storage is one of many preventative actions that you can take in keeping our school community and school buildings and grounds safe.  When firearms are stored safely, it can help prevent them from getting into the hands of children and teens who may not be adequately equipped to use them safely.  Safe storage can go a long way in preventing lives from being lost or permanently altered.  If you have firearms in your home or if your child spends time in a space where firearms are present, there are important steps that can be taken to keep firearms secured and out of the reach of unintended users.  

Below are simple, highly effective practices that can help to reduce firearm-related incidents in our community and help protect our kids.  In addition to these practices it is important to also engage children and adolescents in conversations about the dangers associated with using firearms inappropriately and what to do and not do in the event they access a firearm.

*  Safely store firearms:  Store firearms - always unloaded - in a tamper proof locked cabinet, box, safe, firearm vault, or storage case that children or other unauthorized adults cannot access.

*  Safely store ammunition:  Store ammunition in a SEPERATE, tamper-proof locked cabinet, safe, firearm vault, or storage case that children or other unauthorized adults cannot access.

*  Secure Firearms:  Use trigger locks or cable locks to prevent a firearm from firing.  More information can be found on the Safe Firearm Storage Fact Sheet developed by the U.S. Department of Justice.  

The Gorham Schools remains committed to helping ensure the safety of our children and school community.  We can all work together to promote awareness about how we can protect our children.  One action we can all take together is to safely store firearms to help prevent tragedies from ever occuring.  Thank you for being a partner in these efforts and for helping reduce fire-arm related accidents in our community!

For other helpful resources for families on how to secure your firearm and how to explain gun safety to kids, feel free to use the resources linked below from "Project Childsafe":

-  Securing Your Firearm

-  Explaining Gun Safety to Kids

MOSQUITO-BORN ILLNESSES - INFORMATION FROM MAINE CDC &  PREVENTION RESOURCES

Below, please find information shared with schools across the state today from the Maine Department of Education, written in conjunction with the Maine CDC...

Dear Champions of Education, 

We are writing today in partnership with the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC), and the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF), to bring to your attention that Maine is currently experiencing significantly elevated risks of mosquito-borne illness.  We are strongly advising that precautions be taken to mitigate that risk. 

Current Situation 
In recent weeks, the Maine CDC has reported:  

• West Nile virus (WNV) in 15 wild birds and in one human  

• Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) virus in 4 horses, 2 emus, 1 llama, and 1 wild turkey 

• Jamestown Canyon Virus (JCV) in 4 mosquito pools (groups of up to 50 mosquitoes regularly tested as part of routine surveillance)  

Presence of these viruses in animals indicates that mosquitos in certain regions of our state do carry the viruses and therefore pose a risk to humans. 

Maine CDC has identified the following counties as being high risk: Cumberland, Kennebec, Penobscot, Somerset, and Waldo counties. All other counties are at an elevated risk at this time. All three of these viruses are spread through the bite of an infected mosquito and usually start with flu-like symptoms in humans.

Action that can be taken to reduce risk:

• Use repellent. Use an EPA-approved repellent containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535 (ethyl butylacetylaminopropionate), or oil of lemon eucalyptus on skin and clothing. Permethrin can also be used on clothing only and is effective through several washes.  

  • School employees and volunteers must have authorization from parents/guardians to apply repellents to minor children (CMR 01-026, Chapter 10, Section 2.I.4.iii - PDF). 

  • Schools that schedule practices or other after-school activities at dusk/evening should encourage the use of EPA-approved repellents for all participants. This includes students, coaches, and observers. 

• Wear protective clothing. Children and others at outdoor after-school activities, practices, or outdoor field trips should be encouraged to wear protective clothing that covers skin. This includes long sleeve shirts, pants, and socks.  

• Identify any stagnant water sources and drain them. Items such as tires, buckets, rain gutters, pools, tarps, play equipment, overturned traffic cones present opportunities for mosquito breeding habitat. Seek out those sources around the school and any other outdoor venues used by students or staff, and dry out those potential mosquito habitats. Prevent these sources from refilling by removing items, drilling holes, etc. 

• Check all windows for intact and tight-fitting screens. Patch any holes in screens, as necessary.  

Resources to learn more:

Mosquito-borne disease fact sheets available under each disease from CDC.

MEET THE CANDIDATES EVENT - SEPTEMBER 25!

The following information is taken from the Town of Gorham & Baxter Memorial Library website, which announces an upcoming "Meet the Candidates Night" that will also include information sharing about the School Bond Referendum Questions on the November 5 ballot. Check out more detailed information below, and we hope to see you there, either in person or following online!   

All are invited to meet the candidates running for the Maine House of Representatives District 108 and 109, Maine Senate District 30, School Committee and Town Council Candidates at the Meet the Candidates event, hosted by the Baxter Memorial Library, located at 71 South Street in Gorham on Wednesday, September 25th starting at 6pm.

Each candidate will introduce themselves and their platforms to the audience, followed by an opportunity for conversation and questions. Citizens can watch live-stream footage courtesy of Gorham Community Access Media (GoCAM) at the scheduled time at https://www.youtube.com/live/Qchg3rYfZFk.

That's all the information I have to share at this time.  My next blog post will be on October 4!  Have a great weekend everyone!

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!