October 4 Blog Post

The month of September has certainly flown by and is now in the rearview mirror!  October is upon us with all the fall treasures our great state has to offer!  I hope everyone is able to get out and enjoy before the weather starts turning colder and colder!  Lots going on in our schools - so on with the pictures from the past two weeks and then the important information!

ASPIRE GORHAM STUDENT DATA FROM 2023-2024 SCHOOL YEAR

The Aspire Gorham Initiative began with a planning year in 2018-2019 and then our first implementation year in 2019-2020.  This program began as a fully grant-funded program via our partnership with the MELMAC Foundation and Jobs For Maine's Graduates (JMG).  Over seven fiscal years our grant partners contributed a combined total of just over $1.2 million dollars to support this program.  Today, because of the demonstrated positive impacts of this program upon our schools, our students and our community, the Aspire Gorham Initiative is fully funded locally.

What is Aspire Gorham?  

That is a great question!  Aspire Gorham is for everyone!  This community-wide initiative encourages students in every grade and Gorham school to consider their futures. Collaborating with businesses and community organizations in and around Gorham, the Aspire Gorham team connects students to professionals for career exposure, exploration, and experience opportunities from kindergarten through 12th grade. At each grade level we have a specific focus as outlined below:

Grades PK - 5 = Exposure: Building future-ready skills and inspiring students.

This foundational stage of Aspire Gorham provides introductory career-related opportunities that incorporate dramatic lay, experiential learning, time for discussion, parent engagement, and the development of future-ready skills that foster children's aspirational strengths and interests.

Grades 6-9 = Exploration: Supporting students to explore their strengths and interests.
Deepening the career exposure that occurs in early childhood and elementary education, this stage encourages students to actively "try it" and explore many different careers and skills without fear of failure. Students continue to focus on developing future-ready skills through ongoing exposure to and engagement with their community.

Grades 9-12 = Experience: Empowering students to craft their future stories.

Building upon the foundations of career exposure and exploration, students partner with teachers and community mentors to pursue authentic career experiences directly tied to future goals and are located in the community. Students also actively engage in career exposure and exploration activities as they refine their skills and take steps toward realizing their aspirations.

Building upon the foundations of career exposure and exploration, students partner with teachers and community mentors to pursue authentic career experiences directly tied to future goals and are located in the community. Students also actively engage in career exposure and exploration activities as they refine their skills and take steps toward realizing their aspirations.

Each year we do data collection for students trying to measure the impact the program has had over time.  You can find a full review of the data collected for the 2023-2024 school year by CLICKING HERE, but I'd like to highlight a few pieces of information below.

-  93% of our students report that their teachers have "high expectations" of them.

-  92% of our students report that their counselors and their teachers help prepare them for successful life after HS graduation.

-  85% of our students report that they learn things in school that they believe have a direct connection to their lives after graduation.

-  Participation in Internship programs has increased from just 25% of students in 2021 to now almost 80% participate in internship experiences!

-  The percentage of students participating in either JMG or CTE programs has increased from 27% in 2020 to 38% in the spring of 2024.

-  The number of students participating in Extended Learning Opportunities (ELO's) Since 2020 has quadrupled!

  The number of students participating in early college courses has increased from just 4% in 2020 to 75% in spring 2024.

The Aspire Program ranges from sponsoring our Littlest Learners program at Baxter Memorial Library for our earliest learners to field experiences and curriculum connections to aspirations in the early grades to events like the Amazing Race, Try It Day, and Junior Achievement programming at the MS level to ELOs, Internships, CTE programming, and curriculum-embedded career exploration activities at the HS level.

The bottom line is that our classroom learning is purposefully connected to meaningful and authentic opportunities for students to explore their aspirations from birth all the way through!  

It is an incredible program for our students and one that requires many community partners to be successful.  If you have an interest in helping out - please reach out to Eliza Kenigsberg, our Career Aspirations and ELO Coordinator to share your interests and learn more about how you can be involved in this program!  Her email address is eliza.kenigsberg@gorhamschools.org

THREE SCHOOL CAPITAL PROJECTS WILL BE ON THE NOV. 5 BALLOT!  WANT TO KNOW MORE???

Please see the two flyers below.  The first one is on the GHS Referendum Question and the Second (which has two pages) provides an overview of the tennis courts question.   Both flyers have a link and QR code that will bring you to our website to view the actual questions, learn more about the details of the projects and why they are being requested, and gain additional background information.  

Please do not hesitate to reach out with questions.  In the meantime, I thought I'd provide a quick Q&A below based on questions I've seen broadly in the community.  

Question:  Why do we need more classroom space at GHS? Enrollments are as low now as they have been in years?

Answer:  Two things are going on here.  First, it is important to know that although we currently have about 815 students at GHS this year, our projections show that within 3 years, we will be back up over 900.  This is relatively easy to verify when you consider that we currently have 720 students at GMS across just three grade levels.  Second, it isn't just about the total number of students determining space needs.  It is also about the types of students that impact our space needs.  Over the last two years, we have seen a significant increase in the number of specialized classroom spaces we need, and we see this trend continuing.  Specialized classroom spaces may include spaces such as Functional Life Skills program space, Behavior Support Program space, or even specific spaces for our students with autism and other special needs.  In these spaces, we can typically only put between 8-10 students with 4-5 adults in each space.  This is not the same as a regular classroom where you can have 28 students with just one teacher in a similar space.  

Question:  Why can't we just repair existing tennis court foundations at a lesser cost than what is being requested to replace them?

Answer:  Once again, there are two things going on here that impact this.  First and foremost - we have worked with several tennis companies this past year and with Sebego Technics (an engineering firm that is also used broadly by the Town of Gorham) and they have advised us that spending money on a top coat, which can cost upwards of $50,000.00 a "whack" would be akin to throwing money into a black hole.  In other words, they won't warranty their work because they know how bad the underpinning is currently.  Could we just top coat things at $50,000.00 and then next summer do it again, and then next summer do it again?  Sure - but then we will have spent another $100,000.00 on top of the funds we really need to do what is right.  This would simply not be fiscally responsible.  Second, within the next 3-4 years we plan on having to do a second modular expansion at GHS to increase space for increasing student populations.  When we do this, the only place we could expand modulars would be in the direction of the existing courts.  So although it would make sense to rebuild the courts on the existing site so we could use some of the existing infrastructure (such as lights for example), we know that we will be moving the courts within the next 3-4 years so we would then have to rebuild them twice.  Once again, not a fiscally responsible plan.

Question:  Why are these bond requests not being requested as part of the annual budget process for the Schools?

Answer:  Because our annual operating budgets have had to be cut each year for the past several years to pass our operating budget for student programming and school operations.  Whenever a capital project is put alongside educational programming for children, and a reduction has to be made - it will be the capital project that goes on every time.  We need to find a way to invest in meeting the capital needs of our school buildings so that they are not competing with our programs.  Because we do not have the authority as a school department to create and draw from reserve accounts, the only way we have accomplished these much-needed projects in recent years is via bonding.

Question: Does the School Department have a capital plan outlining long-term needs, and has that been shared with the Town Council so they know the needs?

Answer:  Yes.  You can CLICK HERE for a copy of our most up-to-date long-range capital plan.  You can also CLICK HERE for a copy of the 2022 Joint Facilities Assessment completed by CHA of all Town & School Facilities.  Of course, we will need to update the ten-year plan now that only three of our projects might get funded vs. the 8 projects we initially requested, but this plan does outline our capital needs over the next 10+ years along with estimated costs.  This plan was created in collaboration with the Town Council's finance/facilities committee, and yes, it has been communicated to them.  The bottom line is that we have not appropriately budgeted for capital improvements in our regular or reserve budgeting approach as a town. Therefore, we have dug ourselves a bit of a hole that we are now struggling to dig out of.  This is especially difficult given that the costs for capital projects have almost tripled in the past four years (see recent PPH ARTICLE LINKED HERE).

Question:  Why should we spend all this money on tennis courts that only a small number of students will use?

Answer:  First, it is crucial to know that we have approximately 50 HS students that participate in our tennis program annually and another 60 GMS students that participate in our tennis programs annually.  This is a popular activity with our students, which is great because it is a lifetime sport they can carry with them for many years.  We believe that by changing the location of the tennis courts to the GMS campus site, we will allow more community members to utilize the courts during the course of the regular day because it is off campus just enough to allow members of the public to safely be there while schools are in session.  The courts at the current sites can only be used during non-school hours because you would have to cross the HS campus to get to them.  Additionally, we are planning that the 6th tennis court would be situated and lined in such a way as to allow the use of 4 pickleball courts at this site.  As we all know, pickleball is an excellent activity for all ages!  Finally, by ensuring the courts are lit, we can extend the time they can be used in, as would our neighbors on the hill from USM. This project would allow the broader community to use these courts far more the evening by students and community members.  

Gorham Recreation program would also be able to use these courts as would our neighbors on the hill from USM.  This project would allow for far greater use by the broader community of these courts.

I will include more Q&A in my upcoming blog!  For now - if you want to learn more - check out the flyers below and click on the URL or QR code to go to our website for many more details! 

GHS Project Informational Flyer:

Tennis Courts Informational Flyer Pg. 1:

Tennis Courts Informational Flyer Pg. 2:  

UPDATE ON THE WORK OF THE FISCAL SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE

The Gorham Fiscal Sustainability Committee met on September 23rd at 6:00 p.m. We had a really great discussion about how to use all of our new-found knowledge to form the recommendations that we are tasked with making to the Town Council and School Committee as part of the group's overall "deliverables."

As has been the case from the beginning, there was robust conversation from members, with some great ideas and different perspectives being shared.  We agreed that the focus of the next few meetings will be trying to put meat onto the bones of the two top recommendations that seem to be forming from the committee's work.  One deals with the creation of a community fiscal strategic plan that can help our community better anticipate the various "ups and downs" of community needs over time, and the other deals with the creation of a community communications plan that looks at both internal and external communications and how these can be strengthened to better inform our community and improve transparency in governance.

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

I would also like to share some information that was shared with the Committee from the schools that folks may find interesting.  The following graphs attempt to share overall staff wages and benefit increases between 2014 and 2024 as compared to inflation (CPI).  You can view the entire series of spreadsheets by CLICKING HERE.  I will share the summary & key take-aways below:

The blue line represents all payroll costs for the schools and their % increases each year.  The orange line represents CPI or inflation.  Please note that the payroll costs also include health insurance costs.  

Key take-aways from a wholistic look at all the data presented (again link above if you want to see) is below:

1.  Overall, salaries/benefit increases were above CPI from 2015-2020.  Since 2020, however CPI has been far higher and our rates have been dipping under CPI.

2.  There is more that can attribute to these increases than just salary matrix or benefit increases themselves, for example:

-  There may have been increases in overall staffing due to student need and not increases in salary/benefits.  

-  Each year staff are able to switch insurance plans.  Some may come off, some may come on, some may switch plans to more expensive plans.

-  Annual increases in insurance rates are based on mod. useage rates.  Some of these costs cannot be avoided or prevented (i.e. maternity leaves or cancer).

-  During this time, increases have occurred in required retirement benefits, FMLA and Earned Paid Leave caused by the state legislature.

3.  We maintain a "middle of the road" base salary/hourly rate for all contracts with our Cumberland County Partners.  We are not at the top, and we are not at the bottom.  We try to stay in the middle.

4.  Most recent GTA (Teacher contract) increases were far below CPI.

5.  Recent SAA (Ed. Techs and Admin. Assistants) increases were far below CPI.

6.  Most recent MBCC (Bus Drivers and Maintenance and cooks) were above CPI, but required to catch up with local market rates.

7.  Recent state statute requires us to create a base level pay for support services at 125% State min. wage for Ed. Techs and 115% State min. Wage for all other hourly employees.  This is a state-wide rule, which means Cumberland County will need to be higher due to cost of living.

8.  Recently, we have noticed that there is a bit of a "price war" going on for scarce human resources in these areas, causing costs to go up regionally, especially for hourly employees and substitutes.

Wage costs account for almost 80% of the school's total budget.

If you would like a refresher on what this group's purpose is about and who its members are or would like to see agendas and minutes from our meetings, you can go to the Town's website to learn more.

The next meeting of the Fiscal Sustainability Committee will be October 28 at 6:00 p.m. at the Municipal Center in Conference Room A (downstairs).  

UPCOMING SUBSTITUTE TRAINING CLASS IN NOVEMBER!  REGISTER TODAY!

As you are aware the Gorham Schools continues to hire for substitute teachers.  We, along with other schools in our area, are in desperate need of substitutes for our schools!  The min. requirement to be a substitute teacher in our schools is a High School Diploma.  We do have different pay rates, however based on experience and knowledge.  These rates break down as follows:

-  Certified Teachers - $150.00/day

-  Substitutes having completed Training Course - $140.00/day

-  All other subs - $125.00/day.

If anyone wants to become a sub for the Gorham Schools the first step is to apply online.  You can do that by CLICKING HERE.  The second step is to apply for your CHRC approval through the Maine Department of Education.  This is a fingerprint background check that is required to work in schools.  You will need to pay the fee up front but once you are hired we will reimburse you for the costs as long as you save your receipt.  

If you have just a HS diploma and want to get the higher daily rate - you can complete a training course that we offer via our Adult Education Program.  Please see flyer below for details if you are interested, and feel free to share broadly! 

WANT A VOICE IN DETERMINING FY 26 SCHOOL BUDGET PRIORITIES?  

Yes, it is already that time of year again!  Budget development has begun for the Gorham Schools!  This year we are taking the time to ask our staff, our families, and our community members to offer their thoughts in helping us to determine budget priorities for FY 26.  The information gathered will be shared with our District Leadership Team and our School Committee as we work to create and then finalize our FY 26 Budget Priorities.  The survey should only take about 10 min.  If you haven't already done so - please participate and share your important voice with us!  Survey closes on Monday!  Feel free to share broadly with community!  So far we have had 566 participants!  Let's see if we can get it to 650 by Monday!

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

Survey QR Code:  

OCTOBER IS BULLYING AWARENESS MONTH!

The Gorham Schools spend a great deal of time helping students understand appropriate behavior and how to make our Code of Conduct "come alive" in their daily lives.  We do A LOT, but even with all that we do we cannot say that we have eradicated bullying from our schools!  We need help!  As part of bullying awareness month, I wanted to take the opportunity to share with parents and families some great resources that you can use to help us in this critical endeavor.  We can all agree we don't want to see bullying in our schools, and together, we can make that happen!

One excellent resource (of many) is from "StopBullying.Gov".  This is the official website of the U.S. Government and is packed with great resources for families!

Please check out the link below and learn more about how to help.  Also, if you have specific ideas you think would be great for our schools, please don't be bashful about reaching out to your building principals or perhaps even working to attend an upcoming PIE (Partners in Education) meeting to share your thoughts!  We are always looking for great ideas!

Resource link:  https://www.stopbullying.gov/

Another great resource link for parents is from the Center for Parent Resources.  Link is below:

https://www.parentcenterhub.org/bullying/

Also as a reminder, our schools have several policies that we use to define what bullying is and to address it when it occurs.  Bottom line - when you see something - say something and we will work diligently to address it in partnership!

-  Policy JICK - Bullying

-  Procedure JICK-R - Bullying Procedure

Please reach out with any questions you may have at any time. 

LAST CALL FOR PARENTS WHO MAY WANT TO SERVE ON DISTRICT COMMITTEES!

I am currently still seeking ONE parent/guardian who is interested in serving on the Teaching & Learning Committee at the district level for this year.  Our first meeting will be on Nov. 6 at 3:30 p.m. via zoom.  All meetings are held via zoom at this time.  There will be one meeting per month of this group.  The major focus for work this year will be on updating and suggesting revisions for our current Metrics for Success Document which is how we measure the success of our schools here in Gorham.

The district is also still seeking interested parents and community members for our Anti-Racism & Equity Committee!  You can CLICK HERE to read an overview of the work of the committee.  The group meets roughly 1 time per month with some work meetings in between throughout the year.  Our first meeting will be held on Oct. 17 at 5:30 p.m. at GHS Library.  We will schedule future meetings together at that time.  

If any one is interested in serving on EITHER of these two committees - please reach out directly to me at heather.perry@gorhamschools.org.  THANK YOU!

GHS EARNS CONTINUED ACCREDITATION FROM THE NEW ENGLAND ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES (NEASC)!

The following information was shared by GHS Principal Brian Jandreau on Oct. 1, 2024...

Dear Gorham Community,

I am pleased to share that the New England Association of Schools and Colleges has awarded GHS continued accreditation. I am proud of the feedback that they shared with us.

The Commission was impressed with many of the programs and services and wishes to commend the following:

• The collaboration between building leaders, faculty, staff, students, families and

  community stakeholders

• The strong commitment to building relationships and creating a sense of belonging

• The consistent course syllabi and unit planning documents that allow stakeholders to

  clearly understand course requirements and how each course fulfills not only

  graduation requirements but also connects to the vision of a graduate

• The robust classroom technology that supports learning, including 1:1 devices for

  students and teachers, access to a wide variety of digital platforms, and projectors for

  each classroom

• The common planning time for nearly all departments that is generally well-used and

  valued

• The trust teachers feel as professionals, empowered to make program and curriculum

  decisions based on their view of student learning needs

• The use of the Rosevelt Room to support students' social and emotional needs

  throughout the day

• The Aspire Gorham program that provides students with community-based learning

  opportunities

• The clarity and specificity of district and school planning and safety documents

• The continued effort to utilize spaces creatively to best serve the needs of student

  learning in the face highly constrictive space and funding

The NEASC Commission on Public Schools also confirmed the following growth areas for GHS:

• Gorham High School will investigate and develop plans for implementing alternative

  structures that can meet the needs of all students.

• The school will embed the vision of a graduate in assessments and instruction that

  align with the curriculum.

• The school must provide professional learning opportunities for staff to develop

  skills and strategies to help them differentiate instruction to meet student learning

  needs.

• Gorham High School will use its core values, beliefs about learning, and vision of a

  graduate to help determine its learning and wellness priorities and use those to drive

  staffing decisions and advocate for the funding of staff to support those priorities.

• The school and the district governing body will investigate the physical plant and the

  needs of the community to create a specific and actionable comprehensive capital

  improvement plan.

For more information about our accreditation, please visit the accreditation page on our website.

Sincerely,

Brian Jandreau, Principal

CANDIDATES NIGHT - A WONDERFUL EXAMPLE OF LOCAL DEMOCRACY IN POSITIVE ACTION! 

First of all, I thank Baxter Memorial Library and their staff for putting on such an informative event for our community.  Secondly, I'd like to thank Georgia and her team at GoCat TV for live streaming and recording the event for our community.  The evening was highly informative and an incredible model for how civil discourse should be had about very real and important issues impacting our community.  Everyone that spoke had something important to say and they said it without insulting one another!  A great example we hope replicates throughout the current election cycle!

I would strongly encourage folks to watch the recording to help inform your vote on Nov. 5 if you haven't already done so.  You can access the recording by CLICKING HERE.

Thank you to all who participated and modeled for our community the powerful positives that democracy brings to us all1 

TOWN OF GORHAM OPEN HOUSE REGARDING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLANNING

If you are interested in providing your voice to help inform the development of Gorham's Economic Development Plan - you should attend this meeting!  Information is below.  There is a sign up for the event on the Town's facebook page as well!  Hope to see you there!

That is it for this blog post!  See you again on Oct. 18th!  Enjoy your weekend!

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!