February 7 Post

The month of January is in the rearview mirror, and before we know it, the February break will be upon us!  Time sure does have a way of flying by! It has been a fun couple of weeks since my last blog, too!  Winter Fun Night at Great Falls, Little Shop of Horrors at GHS, Unified B-ball, Kids Clubs at Narragansett, Read-a-thons and all the various happenings across all our schools!  We sure do know how to keep students and families active and engaged! ☺ 

Below are just a few pictures from the past few weeks across our schools.  Check them out - and then on to the information! 

FEBRUARY IS BLACK HISTORY MONTH!

Black History Month, celebrated every February since 1986, recognizes and honors Black Americans' achievements, contributions, and history. It was established to ensure that the often-overlooked stories of Black individuals are acknowledged and appreciated as an essential part of American history. This month also provides an opportunity to learn about the incredible resilience, leadership, and cultural impact of Black communities throughout our nation's history.

In the Gorham Schools, we take this opportunity to educate and inspire our students by highlighting influential Black figures, exploring important historical events, and encouraging meaningful discussions about Black History. We invite families to join the celebration by reading books, engaging in conversations, and participating in local events recognizing Black history. Together, we can foster an environment of respect, understanding, and appreciation for the contributions of all people.

Here are some great resource links below for families:

- PBS For Kids - Black History Month

- Black History Month Resources from Common Sense Media

- Boys & Girls Clubs of America Black History Month Activities & Resources

-  National Geographic For Kids Black History Month Resources

MAINE CONSTRUCTION ACADEMY

A GREAT WAY TO LEARN SOME SKILLS THIS SUMMER WHILE MAKING SOME $$$! 

Gorham High School, in partnership with the Association of General Contractors of Maine and the Maine Construction Academy, is pleased to announce that it will once again offer the Maine Construction Academy program to eligible GHS students this summer.  

The Maine Construction Academy is a four-week training program in which accepted students will:

- Gain skills in multiple trades

-  Earn Certifications and Credentials, including OSHA, First Aid & CPR, and Rigger/Signal, and Complete NCCER Core Curriculum.

-  Visit work sites and meet industry leaders

-  Have guaranteed interviews with prospective employers and apprenticeships

-  Receive a $800.00 one-time stipend upon completion of the program. 

The course will be offered on-site at Gorham Middle School and is open to interested GHS Seniors (Class of 2025) and Juniors (Class of 2026). Space is limited. If you are interested, please contact your school counselor or Eliza Kenigsberg today to learn more!

INFORMATION REGARDING RECENT FEDERAL EXECUTIVE ORDERS

Recent executive orders have caused some families to be confused about potential impacts on our public schools. We have received many questions, so I thought briefly overviewing the four most recent items was appropriate. 

The first concerns removing the "safe haven" designation, which allows federal law enforcement agencies, including ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), to operate on school grounds. Please know that this shift in enforcement will not affect our schools' daily practices. Our schools will continue prioritizing safety while collaborating with law enforcement within the letter of the law.

The second concerns recent executive orders regarding "indoctrination" in schools.  Recent guidance from the Maine Department of Education clarifies that while federal orders have altered some requirements regarding gender identity within federal departments, Maine Human Rights law still protects gender identity as a class under our state's discrimination laws.  As this continues to get worked out and clarified, I want to assure families that our schools will continue to do what they have always done: love each child who enters our buildings for who they are and ensure they feel welcomed in our schools.

The third, the recent spending freeze on federal funding did not and would not have immediately affected federal funding for schools through IDEA or ESEA, as these funds are allocated a year in advance. While there is potential for future impacts, we remain vigilant and prepared to address any challenges collaboratively.

Finally, some anticipate a new executive order from the Trump administration next week or the week after regarding trying to dismantle or significantly reduce the Federal Department of Education.  There is some confusion about what this may or may not mean for local schools. Although the administration has pretty broad controls regarding how departments operate, they cannot remove the funding associated with statutes passed by Congress.  Although some significant moves may either remove or greatly diminish the powers related to the Department of Education, the budget allocated to schools via federal programs cannot be adjusted without congressional action.  Therefore, at the end of the day, I do not see significant impacts to federal funds due to any executive orders dealing with the Federal Department of Education.  The actual conversations will be taking place at the congressional levels.  Please stay tuned.

As a school system, we will continue to focus on our work each day: providing a high-quality education to the children of this great community and ensuring that every child is prepared for future success in an ever-changing world.  Past, current, and future executive orders will not change this focus. 

FREE COURSE FOR PARENTS FROM PARENTGUIDANCE.ORG

The Gorham Schools have worked with Parentguidance.org for two years now. They are a great FREE resource for families across the country. One of the many FREE resources they offer is the ability to participate in FREE on-demand courses professionally developed and shared with families.  Did I mention these resources are FREE?☺

You can CLICK HERE to view these online course series' full range of options. Still, I wanted to draw your attention to one in particular that I thought families might find valuable as we continue to work hard to support the mental health of our teenagers:

"Understanding Your Child's Emotional Development: 11-14 Years of Age"

Being a parent these days is no easy job, and being a parent of a "pre-teen" or "teen" can be even more challenging.  Check out the course.  If you like it, there are plenty more course series where that came from.  If you don't find it useful, send it to your digital junk folder! ☺

You can also view their January Newsletter by CLICKING HERE and their February Newsletter by CLICKING HERE.

Finally, you can also attend a FREE "Ask A Therapist" event that is coming up on Feb. 19 at 8:00 p.m. with Dr. Kevin Skinner where participants can anonymously submit questions and get authentic answers from a licensed therapist regarding any parenting questions you may have.  If you are interested CLICK HERE to sign up for free.  

GORHAM FISCAL SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE 

WORK UPDATE

At our last meeting on January 16, 2025, the group shared some initial Key Performance Indicator (KPI) ideas to see what we might want to try and use moving forward to measure success.  We discussed that we don't want to use these KPIs to "convince" anyone of anything but rather to tell a story of our community's overall fiscal health.  Our hope would be that, taken as a whole, these KPIs would indicate if we were maintaining sustainable taxes while continuing to manage our community's present and future growth.  We will continue to work on developing these KPIs, and share continued work at our upcoming meetings.

Additionally, during this meeting, our facilitator shared with us some initial draft ideas of specific recommendations we may want to consider for our final report based on our conversations over the previous 7 meetings.  Five initial goal ideas were shared and discussed.  The facilitator is going to put them together in a more organized draft and then send out a survey to all committee members for feedback before our next meeting so that we can discuss results together at that time, make revisions as necessary, and work to sharpen up our recommendations over the next three meetings.  Those final three meetings are scheduled as follows:

- February 10, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. in Conference Rm. A at Municipal Center

-  March 10, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. in Conference Rm. A at Municipal Center

-  April 14, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. in Conference Rm. A at Municipal Center

Overall, the final report is beginning to take shape. We have been working hard to finalize details over the last three meetings, with the intention of having a report to share with the School Committee and Town Council by mid-April to assist with FY 26 Town-wide budget discussions.

As a reminder, you can view agendas and minutes from the group's meetings by CLICKING HERE, and you can go to the Town's Website to view video recordings of our meetings.  

CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION UPDATE

As you may recall from posts earlier this fall, the Gorham School Committee has submitted three applications to the Maine Department of Education Capital Construction Program.  The three projects are:

-  Gorham High School

- Village & Narragansett Schools - Consolidated project.

The applications were completed and sent to the MDOE in August 2024. The MDOE received over 100 applications from across the state for these limited funds. The next step is for the MDOE construction team to visit each school that requested project funds. The team has been working through the list and is finally at Gorham! We will conduct the site visit with the MDOE team on March 3 and March 4, 2025. During these full-day intensive site visits, the team gathers additional data to inform their overall state ranking decisions.

After all site visits for all 100+ applications have been completed, the next step is for the MDOE construction team to review its notes and rank each project requested in order of priority. Due to significant constraints on state funding, only the top 6-8 projects are funded in each application cycle, which occurs once every 6-8 years.

The MDOE team should release their rankings in late spring or early fall 2025. Once we have this information, we will share it with the Gorham Community.

As we wait for the results of this work, I wanted to remind everyone that part of this work also entailed doing an updated facilities study for the three buildings in question.  It really shows the investments that need to be made.  Check it out by CLICKING HERE, and feel free to ask questions.

FY 26 SCHOOL BUDGET DEVELOPMENT UPDATE

On February 12, 2025, the School Committee will be presented with an INITIAL proposed FY 26 Gorham School Department Budget.  At this time, School Committee members will be asked to review the 100+ page document between that meeting and their first budget workshop meeting scheduled for March 3, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. in the upstairs conference room at the municipal center.  On the February 12 meeting, School Committee members will also be given access to a Q&A document to record their questions while reviewing their budget booklets.  These questions will be answered as part of the agenda for March 3's workshop meeting.

When this budget is shared on Feb. 12, it is essential to note that there can be A LOT of changes between this initial proposed budget and what the School Committee eventually approves in early April.  We have a total of 5 budget workshop meetings scheduled whereby the school committee will pour over every line in our proposed budget, scrutinize it, and decide what to keep, add, or remove.  This work concludes with their approved budget, which is then shared with the Town Council for their review.  The Town Council votes on the proposed budget in May and then a budget validation referendum occurs in June.

Long story short (I know - too late), there is a long way to go between where we start on Feb. 12, 2025, and where we end up in June 2025.  I encourage the Gorham Community to follow along with the process.  You can do that by CLICKING HERE.  You can also attend our budget meetings listed in our budget development timeline document and on our website. All budget meetings will be recorded and archived on the website link above.

As always, please contact us with any questions you may have now or later in the process. We know from experience that misinformation can spread during this process. We are happy to help you stay informed. Thank you!

FAMILY INFORMATION NIGHT - FINAL REMINDER!

"Let them Play"... coming up on Feb. 13, 2025!  See flyer for details!

GOHRAM RECREATION TEEN PROGRAMS FOR FEBRUARY BREAK

If you haven't seen the sign, Gorham Recreation offers teen programs during the upcoming February Break. Check out the link HERE for more on these and all the other great programs our incredible Re!

That's it for this blog post!  My next blog post won't be til Feb. 28 due to the February break!  See you then!

January 24 Post

It is officially the halfway point of the school year!  As with any good "race," this is when the coach tells you to start picking up the pace.  Not too much, mind you, because you have to reserve a burst of energy for the final leg, but it is always at the halfway point of any long-distance run that you begin to give just a little more to ensure you can finish the race strong!  

What does this mean for students?  It means putting in just that little extra effort on your homework, studying a little more for your assessments, or perhaps making it a point to participate just a little more in class.  It also means making sure that you are at school every day, putting in just that little bit more effort for good attendance, which we know can make all the difference in the success of our students!  

Whatever you are doing, push yourself to do just that little bit more. You will find it rewarding to a) know that you can and b) see the results at the end of the race! ☺

Here are some pictures from the past few weeks in our schools...then on to the information.  

ELEMENTARY S.A.I.L. STUDENTS HELP SULLIVAN HOUSE BAKERY!

Elementary School students in our S.A.I.L program recently collaborated with the Sullivan House Bakery in Gorham to help them describe the food on their menu to customers.  Sullivan House Bakery generously donated some very tasty treats for students to sample and then students revamped the descriptions of the food items using figurative language incorporating language techniques such as onomatopoeias, personification, similes, and hyperboles.  The bakery was so impressed with their work that they are now displaying these creative descriptions in their store to help customers order the best-baked goods around!  

Check out the pictures below and DEFINITELY head to Sullivan House Bakery to read for yourself!  I bet you won't be able to walk out without buying something yummy!

RESULTS OF RECENT POLL ON LATE START VS. EARLY RELEASE DAYS

I try not to do surveys of parents, students, or staff without sharing back the results so that you too can benefit from whatever learning may be contained within.  If you recall in my last blog post, I asked families to chime in on their thoughts regarding the use of late start days vs. early release days to help inform some upcoming discussions from the School Committee on this topic.  I wanted to make sure folks saw the results.  

-  There were 114 parent responses to the survey

-  The largest percent of participation came from GMS families (38.6%).  Other school participation broke out as follows:  Village (28.9%), GHS (26.3%), Narragansett (26.3%), Great Falls (15.8%).

As can be seen in the chart above, approximately 63.2% of the respondents preferred Early Release Days, while about 36.8% of respondents indicated they wouldn't mind giving late start days a try.

Folks were then asked to share their thoughts/questions/concerns about a potential move to late start days vs. early release days.  A summary of those responses (created by A.I. from Chat GPT) is below:

Support for Early Release Days:

• Routine & Focus: Many parents find that maintaining the regular morning routine helps children start their day focused and ready to learn. Early release days allow for this consistency.
• Childcare Benefits: Early release days are easier for families to manage childcare, as they align better with existing afternoon arrangements. Late starts create challenges for working parents and those without morning childcare options.
• Flexibility for Appointments: Families use early release days to schedule appointments without disrupting the school day significantly.
• Independence for Older Students: Early release days provide opportunities for middle and high school students to practice independence, socialize responsibly, and support local businesses. Some parents see this as a valuable life skill.

Concerns About Late Start Days:

• Childcare Challenges: Many parents expressed difficulty in finding morning childcare or ensuring younger children get to school safely, especially if older siblings are unavailable to help.
• Transportation Issues: Some parents worry about students missing the bus or lacking a ride in the morning, potentially leading to absences.
• Disruption to Routines: A late start disrupts established morning routines, which could cause stress for younger children and families.

Support for Late Start Days:

• Sleep Benefits for Teens: Some parents and staff highlighted the potential benefits of additional sleep for middle and high school students, which could improve focus and well-being.
• Less Unsupervised Time: Late start days might reduce unsupervised gatherings of students in town after early dismissal, addressing community concerns about behavior downtown.

Suggestions & Other Feedback:

• Local Business Engagement: Some parents noted that businesses appreciate the influx of students during early release days, as it boosts the local economy. Others suggested collaborating with businesses and community organizations to manage student behavior.
• Community Dialogue: Parents suggested more engagement with families and local stakeholders to find balanced solutions that address everyone's needs.

Conclusion:

While opinions vary, many respondents favor keeping early release days due to their predictability, ease of childcare, and alignment with routines. Late starts are seen as beneficial for teens' sleep but pose logistical challenges for families with younger children and working parents. Many urge the school to consider alternative solutions that preserve existing benefits while addressing concerns.

STUDENT VOICE SURVEY RESULTS SUMMARY

In early December 2024, all students in grades 5-12 were asked to participate in a student voice survey. This is the first time Gorham Schools have used such a tool to collect student voices locally on matters important to our schools' overall climate and culture.  We intend to give this survey annually and track the data longitudinally to help us identify the effectiveness of programs we may implement to address areas of concern/challenge shared by our students.  

Over 1,200 students participated in this survey, with 80% of GMS and GHS students and over 70% of grade 5 students participating. This is a robust sample, and there is lots of rich data to explore and discuss in ways that can strengthen our schools and our community!

I want to provide some highlights of the survey results below, but please know you can view a more comprehensive summary using 61 slides by CLICKING HERE. This slide presentation was recently shared with the Gorham School Committee at its workshop meeting this past Wednesday night and with the Gorham Anti-Racism & Equity Committee at their most recent meeting last night. This data has also been shared with the Gorham District Leadership Team and will be shared and discussed more in-depth at each school.  At the end of the slide show, you can see some initial analysis of the data, and the last slide indicates some "next steps" we plan to take as a school system moving forward.

Again, just a sampling below!  Please review and reach out with questions you may have! 

Please note that the general slides show district-wide data, which can be broken down by school, grade level, and ethnicity. When you review the full slide deck using the link above, some key questions are highlighted for you to view.

The slide above shows student responses to the statement, "The overall energy/climate at my school is positive." Of those students who decided to share an opinion (in other words, those who did not respond "neither agree nor disagree"), the vast majority agreed with this statement. However, 101 students responded strongly disagree or disagree, which gives us a good opportunity to pause and wonder why students might have responded this way.

The 101 students who responded strongly disagree or disagree were asked to explain why they selected this response and provide examples if they could. Their statements included things like bullying, disrespect, and fights. They also mentioned mean behavior, racism, sexism, homophobia, and verbal abuse. Some students shared examples of uncaring teachers and/or descriptions of generally feeling unhappy.  These students felt they needed better support and wanted to see adults better communicate and respond to bullying behaviors among students so that the behaviors stopped.

This slide shows student responses to the statement, "I feel like my teachers care about me and would notice if I were absent."  A smaller percentage of students decided to take the middle ground. While 762 students responded strongly agree or agree to this statement, 100 responded either disagree or strongly disagree. 

For this slide students responded to the statement:  "I feel like my voice matters with the adults in my school."  In this case, a larger percentage of students took the middle ground while a smaller group agreed or strongly agreed and a slightly larger group indicated that they disagreed or strongly disagreed with this statement.  I am very confident that our staff will be digging more into this question response and trying to better understand why 161 of our students don't feel as though they have voice and/or agency in our schools.  

For this slide, students responded to the statement: I feel like people of different cultural backgrounds, races, or ethnicities get along well at this school. A pretty large group, 74%, either agreed or disagreed with this statement, while a smaller group took the middle road and indicated that they either disagreed or strongly disagreed.  

Once again, the 49 students who indicated that they disagreed or strongly disagreed were asked to provide examples of why. Students shared their concerns about discrimination against other students, bullying behaviors, body shaming, and sexism. Some students also shared that language barriers may cause barriers and force students to feel more isolated than they should.

For this question, students were asked if they felt they followed our code of conduct online. Only 26% of students agreed or strongly agreed that students followed the code when online. At the same time, many (the most significant number of all questions) strongly disagreed or disagreed with this statement.  

This slide provides some food for thought regarding screen time and the importance of digital citizenship. It begs the question: What more can we do to help students understand that the Code of Conduct applies in these spaces as much, if not more so, than in our classrooms?  

In this slide, students were asked to respond to the statement:  I feel safe at this school.  60% of students agreed or strongly agreed with this statement.  7% disagreed or strongly disagreed, and 33% took the middle ground.  Once again, the 84 students who responded that they disagreed or strongly disagreed with that statement were asked to provide context or examples.  These students mentioned threats of violence, bullying, school shootings, discrimination against transgender youth, and general rude behaviors as reasons they did not feel safe.  

Finally, I wanted to share this last slide. On it, students were asked to rank the work that they felt would strengthen the climate and culture of their schools.  

The TOP THREE priorities for our students were 1) Mental Health, 2) More work on understanding and appreciating differences (ethnic, cultural, religious, gender, etc.), and 3) Making sure students feel safe.

Again, this is just a portion of the full results summary, which can be viewed by clicking on the above link.  

Overall, I was highly impressed with our students and their willingness to think critically about their school's climate and culture and to offer up areas to focus on moving forward.  Based on an overall view of all the data, I would say THREE key regions of importance come to the surface that can assist us in moving forward:

1.  We need to do more to provide meaningful opportunities for students to share their voices in our schools and help them feel "agency" that their voices matter and have an impact.

2.  We need to do more to better and more holistically address issues of bullying, cyberbullying, and discrimination to ensure that our students feel safe in our schools and that our students feel as though they belong.

3.  We must do more to support our students' mental health.

Please take the time to examine this survey's results more thoroughly and engage your child(ren) in some conversations about what they think. Our students are deep thinkers and often see far more clearly than we think they do! 

CONGRATULATIONS TO NEW SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEMBER JACI REYNOLDS! 

Congratulations to Jaci Reynolds, our newest School Committee Member. Jaci will fill the slot left open by the recent resignation of long-time school committee member Stewart McCallister. She will serve as an appointed member until the next municipal election in June 2025.

Here's some information about her for those who may be interested. Jaci Reynolds is new to the community of Gorham but has served many years on a School Board in her previous home.  She served on the School Board in Brattleboro, Vermont, for several years, including navigating COVID-19 and selecting and onboarding a new Superintendent. While on the board, she served on the Finance Committee. Following her time on the Board, she served on the Independent Budget Review Committee, which assessed the school and town budgets and presented them to the public. Jaci recently moved to Gorham and has two children in elementary school. 

Thank you, Jaci, for being willing to step into this critical role at such an essential time of the year! 

KINDERGARTEN PRE-REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN for 2025-2026 SCHOOL YEAR!

Please see the information below regarding Kindergarten Pre-Registration Meetings at all elementary schools for any students who will be entering Kindergarten in the Fall of 2025.

Great Falls Registration Link

Narragansett Registration Link

Village Registration Link

PK-5 PARENT NIGHT!  TOPIC:  LET THEM PLAY!  

This family information night is intended for all elementary school families at Narragansett, Village, and Great Falls. 

Let Them Play: Navigating Childhood Beyond Screens

Presented by Sarah Drury and Lindsay Hanson 

Representing Gorham Alliance for Thoughtful Technology

Thursday, February 13 at 6:00 Hosted at Narragansett Elementary School

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS COMING SOON! 

That is it for this blog post!  Catch you on the next one scheduled for February 7!  GO RAMS!

January 10 Post

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope 2025 is treating you well thus far. I know we are excited to have our students back in our classrooms after the Holiday break! Here are a few pictures from the past week in our schools, and then on to the information!

FILLING AN OPEN SEAT ON THE GORHAM SCHOOL COMMITTEE

On Wednesday night, Jan. 8, 2025, School Committee member Stewart McCallister publicly announced his resignation from the Gorham School Committee due to changes in his work situation. Stewart has faithfully served the Gorham Schools as a committee member since November 2016. He has served as chair and vice chair and chaired the finance and policy committees. His steady hand and vast experience will undoubtedly be missed.

I have received some questions from people who want to better understand what happens when a seat on the School Committee becomes available midterm.  

When a seat opens, the first thing done is to look at the Town's Charter to determine the next steps. We would go to Article IV, Department of Education, Section 403. Vacancy. In this language, it states:

"If for any reason a vacancy shall exist in the membership of the superintending school committee, it shall be filled by a majority vote of the remaining committee members until the next municipal election."

So what does this mean? It means that the remaining 6 members of the Gorham School Committee will nominate and vote to approve of someone filling the empty seat until the next municipal election. This typically occurs within 30 days of the formal vacancy being announced.  

When is the next municipal election? The answer is June 2025. Therefore, here is the process the School Committee will undertake to fill the seat:

First, the School Committee will announce the vacancy, ensuring that anyone interested in filling it is given the opportunity to contact Sarah Perkins, the School Committee Chair, directly at sarah.perkins@gorhamschools.org to express their interest in potentially joining the School Committee until June 2025.

The School Committee may also contact community members who have served in this capacity in the past to see if any experienced individuals would be willing to fill the seat until June. This would be a preference since we are going into budget development season, and it is tough for newcomers to learn the ropes during this time.

The School Committee would then meet to approve a nomination to fill the seat. This will likely take place either at their upcoming Jan. 22 meeting or at their Feb. 12 meeting.  

The individual appointed will serve between that time and June's election. Whoever is elected in June will serve until the end of the original term. In this case, Stewart's original term ends in November 2025, so whoever is elected to fill the term in June will need to run again in November if they want to continue to serve.

Until all this is resolved, the School Committee will continue to meet with the six active members as needed to conduct its business.

If you or anyone you know may be interested in serving in this temporary capacity through June 2025, please have them reach out directly to Sarah Perkins, School Committee chair at her email: sarah.perkins@gorhamschools.org.  

THANK YOU!

SCHOOL COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER POTENTIAL MOVE TO LATE START DAYS vs. EARLY RELEASE DAYS 

FOR 2025-2026 - NEED YOUR INPUT!

The Gorham School Committee adopts a school calendar for the coming school year each year. Currently, the Committee is developing and approving the 2025-2026 calendar.  

As you can imagine, a lot goes into creating a school calendar. Regional CTE program calendars, snow days, holidays, professional workshop days, and other items must be discussed, and each decision has implications for families, staff, and students.  

We don't have a choice with some of what we put forward in our calendar. For example, our calendar can only have "five dissimilar days" from other school calendars in our region to ensure our Career and Technical Education (CTE) students are not disadvantaged. We must follow the rules regarding state and federal holidays, and we have to follow items that are negotiated into labor association contracts that impact our school calendar. The bottom line is that a lot of work goes into the annual creation of our school calendar.

Over the past ten years or more, one aspect of our school's calendar has been the use of eight early release days spread out over the school year. These days provide our teaching staff with much-needed time for professional learning and required training, which is invaluable for our teachers.

Traditionally, these days have been early release days, where we release our schools at the half-day, and students go home early from school. Over time, a tradition has formed among our students and their families that the school has little control over in that many parents sign notes giving their MS/HS student permission to be released as walkers from school on these days. If you have ever been in the downtown area on an early release day in Gorham, you can pretty quickly see the implications of this as hundreds of students make the trek and walk from school to downtown.  

Over the years, we have tried many things to curb this particular practice by our students and families. For example, several years ago, we worked with Gorham Recreation to organize events for students on early release days, such as food trucks and games in Robie Park. Students walked right on by. The attraction of unsupervised time at Aroma Joe's, Subway, or Burger King seems just too big a draw for our students.

At the end of the day, the school can do little to curb this tradition as parents ultimately give students permission to go downtown, and once they are released from school, they are no longer under our supervision and guardianship.  

This is one reason why the School Committee would like to consider the possibility of moving to late start days. Doing so would curb the "mass exodus" of students from our schools to the downtown area. Of course, this would also have other implications for families, the largest of which is likely child care considerations.

At the end of the day, the School Committee would like to hear from families directly to better inform their discussion and ultimate decision-making on this matter moving forward. To allow for this feedback to take place, we have created a BRIEF five-minute survey for families to complete, linked below.  We would ask families to complete the survey no later than January 17 to inform the discussion planned at the School Committee level on Jan. 22. Please click on the link below to participate in the survey and reach out to heather.perry@gorhamschools.org with any questions, concerns, or comments you may have. THANK YOU!

Early Release vs. Late Start Survey Link

GORHAM PUBLIC PRE K PARTNER ENROLLMENTS NOW OPEN FOR 2025-2026!

Public Pre-K in the Gorham community has grown tremendously over the past two years! With our two public pre-K classrooms housed at Narragansett Elementary School, our current private partnership programs with Gorham Arts Alliance and Seedlings to Sunflowers, and two new partnerships coming later in 2025-2026, we will now be able to serve almost 140 pre-K students in our great community!

We will be working this spring to bring on our two new potential partners, Cradle Inn and Imagination Station. Still, we have been working hard with our two current partners (Gorham Arts Alliance and Seedlings 2 Sunflowers) to develop a single place where Gorham parents can learn more about our partnerships and how to enroll their children in them.  

As part of this critical work, we have created a Gorham Public Pre-K website that will continue to be populated with additional information as we go. Right now, you can go there and find out about our partnership programs and how to apply to enroll your child! This website is now live, and with it too is our public pre-K enrollment for the 2025-2026 school year!

Please CLICK HERE to visit our new website and APPLY TODAY. Then, refer to the flyer below to see our enrollment timeline. Reach out with questions you may have at any time using the information from the flyer below!  

Gorham is so proud to have formed these strong partnerships that continue to grow each year to support our Pre-K students in this great community! We hope this website helps bring communication about these programs to a more central place so that parents and families can better access information to learn more about our programs. We LOVE our "Little Rams" here in Gorham!  

WHEN CAN STUDENTS BEGIN TO WORK & HOW DO STUDENTS GET A WORKER'S PERMIT?

As we approach the second half of the school year, I typically receive more questions from families about how minor students can join the workforce. How does it work? When can they begin working if they want to? What are the restrictions? How does one get a worker's permit if one is needed? I thought this would be a good time to provide a review of this process for families and interested students.

Here are the key points for families to know regarding who can work and in what types of jobs:

Minors Who are 16 or 17: May work in nonhazardous jobs in manufacturing establishments, bakeries, laundries, dry-cleaning establishments and garages. They may also work in hotels; motels; commercial places of amusement, including skating rinks, circuses, arcades, bowling alleys and pool halls; and in all of the industries allowed for younger minors.

Minors Who are 15: May work in nonhazardous jobs in dining rooms, kitchens, lobbies and offices of hotels and motels, but they are prohibited from performing room service, making deliveries to the hotel rooms or entering the hallways to those rooms.

Minors Who are 14: May work in nonhazardous jobs in restaurants (if not on the premises of a hotel/motel), in sporting and overnight camps, stores, filling stations, ice cream stands and laundromats. They also may work at outside occupations on the grounds of a hotel or motel, but not if the minor must stay away from home overnight.

Minors Who are Under 14: There is no minimum age under Maine law to work in nonhazardous jobs in children's camps, hospitals, nursing homes, municipalities, domestic work in or about a private home or in the planting, cultivating or harvesting of field crops in agriculture. (Federal law does not allow minors under 14 to work in businesses under their jurisdiction.)

Minors of any age may work for their parents in non-hazardous jobs in non-mechanical and non-manufacturing settings in retail or service industries (excluding hotels and motels) if they are supervised directly by one or both parents. Work permit requirements, hours of work, and prohibited occupations apply to minors even if they work for their parents.

So now that you know who can work at what age and in what fields, it is also important to note that there are work time restrictions associated with worker's permits that are in place to protect children as well. Here is a review of the high points of those:

For Children Under 16 Years old:

Work Hours

1. Between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. during the school year
2. Between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. during summer vacations only
3. Not during school hours

Maximum Hours

1. 3 hours a day on school days, including Fridays
2. 18 hours in any week during a school week
3. 40 hours in a week with no school
4. 8 hours on days without school (during weekends, holidays, vacations, storm days, etc.)
5. No more than 6 days in a row

For Children 16 and 17 Years old:

Work hours (may work)

1. After 7 a.m. on a school day
2. After 5 a.m. on a nonschool day
3. Until 10:15 p.m. on a day before a school day
4. Until midnight if no school the next day
5. Minors under 17 may not work during school hours

Maximum hours (may work)

1. 6 hours on a school day;
2. 8 hours on the last school day of the week - there are some exceptions for co-op (work-study) students, and students with an alternative education plan with a work component.
3. 10 hours a day on weekends, holidays, vacations, teacher workshops
4. 24 hours a week in any week with 3 or more school days
5. 50 hours a week each week there are less than 3 scheduled school days or during 1st and last week of school year
6. May not work more than 6 days in a row

These are the highlights of who can work as a minor child and their age-based restrictions. There are exceptions to these rules, but they can get complicated, so if someone is considering an exception, I'd encourage them to contact the Maine Department of Labor directly to ask questions and get guidance. For information on contacting the MDOL and who can work under what conditions, CLICK HERE.

So now that we have attempted to clarify who can work and under what conditions, many folks' next question is, how do I get a worker's permit for my child? Here is an updated outline of the process:

UPDATED Work Permit instructions - Gorham

1. All Work Permit rules & regulations information can be found on the GSD’s website. Under Gorham High School/ Student Life/ Work Permits 
2. The Work Permit form can be downloaded from the link provided on the webpage. You will be connected to the Maine Department of Labor. There is also a quick link to download the PDF for the Work Permit. 
3. The student has to have a “promise of a job,” and that information must be completed within the “information of Employer” section. Please provide email information if possible. 
4. The first section is for the “Minor” and must be completed. Please provide email information for the student and preferably use their Gorham school Gmail. 
5. The form must have the parent’s signature, printed name, and phone number. 
6.  The requirement questions regarding the minor will be verified through the schools while school is in session. 
7. The Superintendent’s signature will be taken care of by the school issuing officer. 
8. All completed Work Permit applications can be emailed by the parent to Amy Sullivan at amy.sullivan@gorhamschools.org or dropped off with Amy at the Guidance office of the High School. Middle school students can drop off the applications with Terry Lamontagne in the Guidance office of the Middle school.
9. A birth certificate is no longer needed to prove age. The information will be retrieved from Infinite Campus for enrolled students. However, students attending alternative schooling may need to provide proof of age.

Note: Work Permits need to be submitted for approval from the School Department on a secured link with the Maine Department of Labor. This is for all resident children of this age group, including home-schooled children and/or students who may attend school outside the Gorham Public Schools. Once the Work Permit is approved, a copy will be forwarded to the Parent by email, or the Student can pick it up from the Guidance office.

Navigating the worker's permit process can confuse parents, but please know we are here to help. If you have questions about the process, please contact Amy Sullivan (email above), and she can direct you to the answers you seek. Thank you!

DID YOU KNOW THAT GORHAM SCHOOL BUSES ARE MAINTAINED BY OUR INCREDIBLE PARTNERS AT GORHAM PUBLIC WORKS?

Our transportation department operates approximately 31 large school buses, 6 small school buses, and 9 vans daily to transport our students. These buses and the fantastic drivers who drive them cover hundreds of miles of roads each day, carrying the most precious cargo possible—our children!

Just think about all the tires, spark plugs, fuel pumps, seats, brakes, lights, video cameras, and other parts of these vehicles that need to be maintained daily to ensure they run efficiently and safely for our schools. Maintaining our fleet is a big job with many responsibilities.

Now, get this. One person (Tim Richardson) with some part-time assistance (Noah Hughes) does all the maintenance work for our fleet to keep it roadworthy and pass state inspections without fail. That's right, just 1.5 FTE! Both Tim and Noah are employed by Gorham Public Works as part of a contracted service agreement that allows our schools to work collaboratively with our municipal partners to provide the staffing, supplies, and other materials needed to maintain our fleet. All this is done at the existing Public Works garage on top of all the work they must do to support their own public works vehicles, such as snow plows, dump trucks, and more!

I wanted to share this first and foremost to give a very public "shout out" to Tim and Noah, who directly do this incredible work for us, and to Terri Deering, PW Director, and his team at Gorham Public Works for providing the space, equipment, and collaboration that allow this symbiotic relationship to exist. So often, these folks go unnoticed, but when a bus breaks down on the side of the road with 45+ children inside, the importance of this work becomes crystal clear! THANK YOU, G.P.W. TEAM! GO RAMS!

Also, when you get a chance, if you see Tim, Noah, Terri, or any of the public works crew, please thank them for the incredible work they do for our community. They deserve it!

STUDENT ARTWORK COMING SOON TO GORHAM MUNICIPAL COUNCIL CHAMBERS!

As the winter months in Maine begin to get tiring and the lights and glow of the new year wear off, it's important to keep color in our lives! What better way to provide that extra color than to show off some of our own Gorham School Students' artwork at the Municipal center for Town Council Meetings, Planning Board meetings, School Committee meetings, and more?  

Starting in February, our schools have adopted a month through May (so Feb., March, April, May) to decorate the council chambers with their beautiful artwork! The art may be 2D or 3D and will be displayed throughout the council chambers.

The schedule is below:

* February - Gorham High School

* March - Gorham Middle School & Narragansett Elem. School

* April - Village Elementary School

* May - Great Falls Elementary School

Just one more reason to come check out our public meetings so you can also enjoy what I know will be some incredible artwork!  

Thank you to the Gorham Schools Art Teachers who agreed to take this on!  

- Chris Crosby - GHS

- Sarah Dolly - GHS

- Hannah West - GMS

- Amy Cousins - GMS

- Jeff Poole - Great Falls

- Laurie Chaisson - Narragansett

- Ally Robinson - Village.

So looking forward to this! GO RAMS!

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS COMING SOON!

Gorham High School Theater students Present the Little Shop of Horrors beginning the weekend of Jan. 31st! CLICK HERE for more information and to purchase tickets! Can't wait to see the show!

FREE COMMUNITY DINNER SPONSORED BY THE GALILEE CHURCH!

See flyer below for details if you are interested!

That's it for this blog post - see you again on Jan. 24!☺