January 27 Post

Well for the longest time we probably thought winter was gonna pass us by here in Maine and then...last week happened! ❆😑❆ Mother Nature sure does have a great way of reminding us who is in charge around here! I have to admit though, that even though I hate the early morning snow calls and the potential for white knuckle driving, when I look around now the white snow makes me feel a lot better than the brown mud did earlier.  Maine sure is a beautiful place even in the winter!  But just to be clear - students - you can STOP doing your snow dances now! 😉

Here's some great pictures from the past few weeks in the Gorham Schools!

OK, now on to the informational part!  

PLANS FOR POSSIBLE REMOTE LEARNING SNOW DAYS

Earlier on in the fall I had talked about snow days and our plans for the use of snow days for the year.  In those earlier communications I had talked about the "what if's" that MAY occur if we use all five of our planned snow days in the calendar.  At the time, it was still beautiful fall weather in Maine so I'm not sure everyone really "picked up what I was putting down" sort to speak.  Recent weather has likely now brought the conversation more fully to the front of our minds!

We've now used 3 of our 5 snow days with just two left and we still have a ways to go this winter before we are out of the woods.  All that being said, I thought it was time to REALLY emphasize what remote learning snow days might look like in Gorham since there is a pretty good chance we might have to use one or two yet this year.

To be clear, we will continue to use traditional snow days for two more days.  We will only use remote learning snow days for any days we may have to cancel school due to snow above and beyond those total five.  In the event that we do have to move to remote learning snow days, here's what you should expect as parents:

First - in order to meet requirements outlined by our state and federal laws, we must offer lunches to students and families on the days we do remote learning snow days.  We will do this by asking families who are interested in having a lunch sent home with their children the day before a snow day to please sign up using the survey that is OUTLINED BELOW.  Yes, this means we are going to have to pay extra special attention to the weather and on days that might look questionable, send meals home the day before so families have them.

Second, our goal would be that remote learning snow days allow us to strengthen and maintain learning for our students.  Unlike the pandemic where we might need to be prepared to have multiple remote learning days in a row, a remote learning snow day is more than likely just one day so the learning materials that will be sent home (K-5) or posted online via google classroom (6-12) will be primarily aimed at making sure learning is strengthened and maintained rather than focusing on new learning.

Our building leaders have worked closely with our talented staff to develop a more detailed overview of what to expect on remote learning snow days by grade level.  I have outlined these below:

Special Education Services Expectations:

Our Special Education staff will also continue to provide remote learning snow day instruction to students.  Their expectations for services are outlined HERE.  

These will be the expectations for our remote learning snow days IF WE NEED TO USE THEM later this winter.  If you have questions, please feel free to reach out to your child's teacher or principal to ask and to learn more.  

In the meantime - below is the survey link for families that would like to request that a lunch be provided for remote learning snow days.  I'll also share broadly on social media and on our website.  Please complete the survey as soon as possible as who knows what mother nature has in store for us next week! 😆

Remote Learning Snow Day Survey Link:  

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdxeLbTIfP8IrZWNHQ_cKU_GLNgKsMtDQrG2Mq2x0gZIPUFjg/viewform?usp=sf_link

PRE K QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

In my last blog, I sent out a survey asking folks to ask questions they may have regarding our new Pre K program opening in the fall of 2023 at Narragansett Elementary School.  I got some GREAT QUESTIONS.  I haven't had a chance to answer all of them yet, but I thought I'd take the time to highlight a few here on this blog post and then link to a Q&A sheet with all the questions that I'll continue to post answers to over the course of the next few weeks.  So please keep checking the Q&A link below for additional answers!  Here's a few highlighted questions now:

Question:  What are the typical credentials of specialists(OT, PT, S/L) providers for Pre K? Are they the same for Kindergarten or early primary, or are they birth-5? What levels are teachers and ed techs certified for?

Answer:  All specialists that will be utilized in our Pre K program will have full licensure to perform the duties required of them for the age level they will be working with.  Speech, OT's, PT's all will have full approval to work with Pre School Aged children.  Teachers working with Pre K students will have the 081 early childhood certification endorsements required by the state of Maine.  Educational technicians are certified to work with all age levels including early childhood.  The Gorham Schools will be conducting hiring processes for all new staffing positions in April of this year.  If you are interested in applying, or know someone who is, please keep your eye out on our website or servingschools.com for postings then!

Question:  More of a clarification: the Arts Alliance and Seedlings will be providing Pre-K services in addition to the two classrooms at Narragansett AND they will be free of cost too? Will we have to work with those organizations directly to utilize their program or will enrollment all be done through the Gorham school system?

Answer:  Yes, our partnerships with the Gorham Arts Alliance (for 8 student slots) and Seedings to Sunflowers (for 32 student slots) will be funded by the State of Maine as public Pre K slots.  These are in addition to the 64 new slots that will be housed at Narragansett Elementary School.  These are all approved public Pre K programs.  This means families will not be charged for these costs.  Please keep in mind, however that before or after care services may still be charged by our partners, but the Pre K programs themselves will be free to families. Enrollment for the Gorham Arts Alliance programs and the Seedlings to Sunflowers Programs will be conducted directly through those two organizations, although we hope that the Gorham Schools can help families make the necessary connections later this spring if needed.  If you have questions regarding the Gorham Arts Alliance program, you may contact Amy Valentine at gorhamarts@gmail.com. If you have questions regarding the Seedlings to Sunflowers program, you may contact Meghann Carrasco at meghann@seedlingstosunflowers.org.

Question:  Will transportation be provided or will the parent(s) be responsible for the transportation for their child?

Answer:  YES.  Transportation will be provided from home/childcare to school and from school back to home/childcare to any location in the community of Gorham for the classrooms housed at Narragansett Elementary School.  This will be the case for BOTH the a.m. and p.m. sessions.  For students participating in the Gorham Arts Alliance and Seedlings to Sunflowers programs families will have to provide transportation.

Question:  Will there be any options or partnerships for aftercare/before care?

Answer:  The Gorham Schools is working with many of our local child care providers to ensure there are appropriate slots available for before/after care.  We have had several meetings and will continue to meet in order to work on building out these partnerships for families as we realize this is a strong need.  So far we have been able to identify 16 slots with one of our partners and we are looking to continue with the hopes that by the time we get to the April/May time frame we will be able to host an evening event for families and interested providers to do a little "match making".  Ultimately, however it will be the parent's responsibility to work with individual providers to secure these slots - but we will do our best to make sure those slots are available and well communicated later this spring.

That's it for now...I have A LOT more questions to answer from the survey, which I will do via the Pre K Questions and Answers Document.  Please keep your eyes on this and check in over the course of the next few weeks for more information!

P.S. - I did notice folks asking for the video link...CLICK HERE to view!

UPDATE ON SUPERINTENDENT'S GOALS AND 

STRATEGIC PLAN

At the last Regular School Committee meeting held on January 18, I updated the School Committee on my 2022-23 goals and on our work thus far in implementation of our 5 year Strategic Plan.  I thought folks who weren't able to make the meeting might also like to get those updates.  Please click on the links below to view.  I think you will see we continue to be VERY BUSY here in Gorham meeting the needs of our students, staff and families!

*  2022-2023 Superintendent's Goals Update

*. 2022-2027 Strategic Plan Work Update

Please check it out and reach out if you have questions!

NEW CURRICULUM SURVEY - WHAT DO YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT OUR DISTRICT'S CURRICULUM?

If you have been following my blog posts this year you will know that I have created a "Curriculum Corner" spotlight each month in my blogs.  This was done by sending out a survey earlier in September asking families a simple question:  What Do You Want To Know Most About Your Child's Learning In Our Classrooms?  That survey in the fall produced many great questions which I have been answering each month.  I am about out of those original questions, so I thought I'd develop a second survey to hopefully keep it going!  No question is "too big" or "too small"...I want to know - what are you curious about?  I will then take the questions received and use them as the basis for my continued "curriculum corner" articles.

So, please take a moment to complete the survey below.  I'll also share the link on social media.  The more questions you ask - the better my articles will be!  So please TAKE FIVE MINUTES TO COMPLETE TODAY!

Survey Link:

https://forms.gle/Tu8y5222wtsjVR7A7

PROUD OF OUR STUDENTS!  JUST SHARING!

Each month when the Gorham School Committee meets on camera for their regular meetings, we try to have students present to share information about the ongoing work they doing in our schools that they are passionate about.  This past meeting, on Jan. 18, 2023 Narragansett Elementary School's Student Leadership Group presented to the School Committee about their work and how they help to lead their school in living our Code of Conduct.  

Their presentation was awesome!  Rather than ruin it by trying to describe it in my own words, I thought I'd encourage you to watch it yourself.  Click on the link below and look at minute 22:30 to enjoy.  That presentation (and others like it) are WHY we do what we do in our schools!  So very proud of those students, and all our students in the incredible work they do each day in learning and growing to become the strong citizens of tomorrow! PROUD TO BE A RAM!

Video Link:  https://view.earthchannel.com/PlayerController.aspx?&PGD=gorhamme&eID=544

MARY POPPINS IS COMING TO TOWN! 

Our GHS musical theater students will be presenting Mary Poppins coming up soon!  Check out the flyer below to learn more and see you at the show!

WORLD READ ALOUD DAY COMING UP!

Did you know that World Read Aloud Day is coming up next week Wednesday (2/1/23)?  If you didn't - you do now!  I love to read and there is nothing more special than reading aloud to children.  One on one, at home, or in large classroom groups, at the Library, or wherever - children of all ages love to listen to books being read!  

Our schools will definitely be celebrating this day with students - but YOU CAN TOO as parents and community members!  The only action step needed is to pick up a book and read aloud to a child or children.  Grandparents can participate, parents, aunts, uncles, older siblings, ANYONE!  You can learn more about World Read Aloud Day by CLICKING HERE or by simply googling "world read aloud day 2023" for lots more information and resources!

And just in case you might try the excuse of not having any books around the house to read...Great Falls Librarian Jessica Mason has you covered with this link to some great World Read Aloud Day resources!

HAPPY READING!

WEBINAR OPPORTUNITY FOR INTERESTED PARENTS FROM CENTER FOR GRIEVING CHILDREN

The Center for Grieving Children is presenting a webinar open to educators and families entitled:  "Little Folks, Big Feelings:  Understanding and Supporting Early Childhood Grief."

Clearly none of us wants to be in the situation where we are having to support young children in navigating loss, but if you find yourself in this situation, tools such as this webinar might become very helpful.  So I thought I would share.  If you are interested in learning more, information is below:

CLICK HERE to Register if interested.

Well that is it for this blog. As I close this blog, I did want to mention that I am going to have several additional blogs coming up in February that are outside of my "normal" two-week schedule.  My next scheduled blog is for Feb. 10, but you might see additional blog posts either before or just after this date as well.  The reason for this is that I've been asked by AASA to be a "blogger" for them as Superintendents from across the country attend the National Conference on Education coming up Feb. 16 - 18, 2023 in San Antonio.  During the conference I will be sending out daily blogs sharing events and learning from the conference.  I thought this was a pretty cool way to give you all a chance to "peek in" on what Superintendents are talking about and learning about from across the country and its a great way to share learning with my colleagues as well!  Hope you enjoy...and if you don't - well...no worries that's the beauty of blogs!  You only have to read what you WANT to read! 😀Til next time!  GO RAMS!🐏