Well it has been a little while since my last blog post due to the February break! I hope everyone enjoyed the break! Based upon what I have seen so far this week and in the pictures below, it looks like everyone has come back refreshed and ready to keep on learning - having a good amount of fun while doing it!
FY 24 BUDGET DEVELOPMENT UPDATE
Well it seems like mother nature wants to have Maine's "second winter" in the month of March this year doesn't it? Weather has certainly played a role in delaying our budget development processes and throwing off our scheduled meeting timelines. Not to despair however, we've simply shifted things down a week and will still be able to fit it all in as planned!
We've now shifted our budget timeline to start with our first meeting on March 7 at 7:00 p.m. at the Municipal Center in Conference Room A (downstairs). This meeting will be recorded and a link shared with the public as soon as is possible. If you are interested, you can also attend the meeting in person. Just remember, budget workshop meetings are meetings for the School Committee to do their work, they are open to the public to attend, but not necessarily to participate. If you have thoughts/ideas we'd still love to hear them though. I will soon be putting out a Thought Exchange to the broader public asking the following question:
"During what looks to be an upcoming difficult budget development process, what 2-3 things do you want our School Committee to prioritize moving forward?"
We will definitely use input from this exchange to contribute to our thinking as we navigate the budget development process.
You can find a link to all budget workshop meeting agendas by going to our website and clicking on "About Us" and then "School Committee" and then "Board minutes and Agendas" and then click on the link at the top of that page for the most recent meeting folders. Once there, know you can see all active folders, but you are looking for Workshop Meetings. Then just follow the appropriate folder for the appropriate date and you are there! If that seems a little hard to follow - I'll "cheat" and give you the direct link to SC meeting packets by CLICKING HERE.
You can also CLICK HERE to directly view the March 7 Budget Workshop agenda with links. This is a "treasure trove" of information that will be presented to the School Committee at that meeting to help provide the full context and background for where we are and where we need to go in this important process.
Finally, to make sure folks know what the full Budget Development process looks like in its revised form, you can view the schedule below.
All budget workshop meetings will begin at 7:00 p.m. and will be held at the Gorham Municipal Center. The April 25 workshop meeting with Town Council will start at 6:30 p.m. and the May 16 Town Council vote will also start at 6:30 p.m.
Any questions, at ANY TIME, please reach out to me via email at heather.perry@gorhamschools.org.
CURRICULUM CORNER
Here's the last round from our first survey of Curriculum Corner "Q&A". Apologies in advance for formatting...sometimes the copy and paste feature in the google blogs is a little challenging! Feel free to reach out with follow up questions!
Question: My child has interests in foreign language, I know the K program doesn’t include learning foreign language but will there be any classes offered thru the rec program? Does K have any social clubs for kids like space club or science club?
Answer: We are not aware of any world language programs that have been offered by Gorham Recreation, but perhaps this is something that could be pursued through Cindy Hazelton. There are no school sponsored clubs like this. Gorham Recreation offers an after the bell program. A community partner offers a “Girls on the Run” program that all K-5 students may participate in and other community organizations use our school facilities to meet such as brownies, girl scouts, cub scouts, etc.
Question: Do all students learn basic sewing skills, like how to sew on a button, etc.?
Answer: We do not currently offer a specific course like the old “home economics”. At GHS, we introduced a course called Senior Seminar where students do learn how to sew a button on a shirt, check the oil level in the car, create a budget, menu, and simple day-to-day tasks like this. The purpose of this class is to prepare students to enter the world after graduation.
Question: How are you grading our children's learning? What is the criteria for how your teachers grade?
Answer: We use the following grading scales:
At the K-5 level, we use common assessments in all content areas. We’ve designed these to align with our grade level performance indicators and common scoring criteria. K-12 grade based on grade level performance indicators and scoring criteria. K-12 Graduation Standards, Performance Indicators and Scoring Criteria
Question: How can parents access their child’s full curriculum so we can see what is being taught as the year goes on? Now everything is on computers I have no idea what my children are doing in school. Would be nice to see or know what they are learning.
Answer: The best place to access this information as a family would be to ask your child what they are learning in school. Of course, I realize that as students get older, the answers to those questions get a little more broad and unhelpful from your child. That being said, at the grades 6-12 levels much of our daily work is housed in google classrooms. You can ask your child to login and view those materials. Those are just a few quick ways. Another great way to get this information is to reach out and to start a dialogue with your child's teacher, especially if you have any concerns. The relationship between the classroom teacher and parents is something we take very seriously and want to ensure is the first place parents feel comfortable going to for information about their child. Parents can also reach out to our building principals to ask broader questions regarding curriculum if you have any. Parents of students at GHS can go on the GHS website and click on the syllabus for each class as well as the program of studies, which outlines each course offered at the HS.
As part of my listening tour with parents this past fall, one thing we gathered for great feedback and are currently trying to figure out how to do is to perhaps look at some additional information being shared for K-8 classrooms. Of course we can't do full blown syllabus for each of those grade levels because they simply don't work the same ways, however we are looking to create something more than the K-12 standards document linked above that perhaps outlines larger projects by quarter or trimester to help parents gain a broader understanding of what is being learned at these grade levels. We hope to have some of these things in place for Fall of 2024.
In the meantime, my best and always first answer would be to talk to your child, and then talk to your child's teacher.
Question: How do parents have a voice in what’s being displayed or taught at the school?
Answer: We would always suggest to any parent that has questions or concerns about
what is being taught in the classroom to first reach out to your child’s classroom teacher to discuss your concerns and to follow up with the building principal as may be needed. If there are still concerns, parents may utilize policy IMBB (Accommodation of Sincere Beliefs in Required Instruction) to request that their child not participate in specific learning activities or a parent may utilize policy IJJ-RR and IJJ-E to request that specific curriculum materials be removed.
Question: What is the handoff of individual student information (academic/social) process from one teacher to the next? For example, from third grade to fourth grade.
Answer: Report cards are filed in the student’s cumulative file, along with any Personal Learning Plans reflecting support/goals received in addition to the classroom.
Question: How does the district intend to help kids close the learning gap acquired during the pandemic? What can parents do to help overcome this?
Answer: First, it is important to know that we feel as though we did a great job at mitigating the growth of learning gaps during the pandemic. That isn’t to say that some gaps were not created, its just to say that we believe we did minimized those gaps greatly due to what we did for instruction and supports during the pandemic. That being said, we continue to offer a multi-tiered system of supports for all our students based on achievement data. RTI teams review student data on an every six week cycle to ensure students are not falling between the cracks. We assess student proficiency each fall and spring (and in the winter as well for our youngest learners). Data from these assessments is then used by our teachers to target specific instruction and supports for students who need it. Additionally, we have offered summer programming for those students most in need for the past two summers. Overall, we will continue to monitor data closely for each child, identify specific support needs, and provide individualized supports for students who need them through RTI, Alternative learning programs, special education, and other support structures.
Question: What books are they expected to read as part of the curriculum in high school? I'm fascinated that my 10th grader is reading new books(not the same old classics) but would LOVE to be able to share that and maybe learn something new. So would love to know what books they are reading and why so I can help facilitate conversation at home and maybe add to her list.
Answer: In each course, we strive to reach a balance that will engage student interest and expose students to both classics and contemporary perspectives. You can find detailed lists of titles on the course syllabus for each class posted on our Gorham High School website under school info at GHS Course Syllabi.
Question: What does the social skills curriculum look like?
Answer: At the K-5 level, we are fortunate that our English Language Arts and Math curriculum offer a dual focus of both academic and social emotional learning. In addition, k-2 students receive social emotional learning through our Second Step curriculum taught by our teaching counselors each week. More information about Second Step curriculum: https://www.secondstep.org/social-emotional-learning
Question: How does the math curriculum carry over from one year to the next? (If you don’t make it through all material, do some students have gaps?)
Answer: Classroom teachers do communicate with next year’s teachers, including 5th to 6th. We have experienced some gaps in learning due to the pandemic. Teachers are differentiating to meet student need, and supplementing with IXL, K-5 and Aleks, 6-8.
Question: What does Alternative Education curriculum look like at the elementary level?
Answer: Alternative education has the same goal of meeting grade level standards, but work toward achieving those goals through pathways that are different from what is offered in the classroom. At the elementary levels services for alternative learners are "push in" models and are delivered within the regular classroom environment for the most part while as students get older, these services may be provided in a combination of "push in" and "pull out" models.
Question: In what ways do teachers diversify curriculum to meet the needs of all learners, ensuring that students get the support or the opportunity to move along at their own pace based on strengths and needs?
Answer: The Gorham School Department provides an array of instructional programs aligned to our mission/vision and geared towards meeting the needs of all students. These programs include:
In Gorham, we believe that all students can learn and that every student is entitled to outstanding instruction throughout their time in our schools. We believe that student engagement and achievement improve when the components of our learning system – clear learning targets, aligned instruction and assessment, timely interventions, and grading/reporting that reflect those targets – are fully implemented in all grades and content areas.
Classroom instruction: Comprehensive grade-level instruction in all content areas
(ELA, Math, Science & Technology, Social Studies, Visual & Performing Arts, World
Languages,Career and Technical Education and Health/PE) across all grades, K-12.
Additionally, we provide a full suite of multi-level courses at the high school level
(general, honors, advanced placement, dual enrollment, online, and more) as well as
Career/technical courses at both WRVC and PATHS as well as a comprehensive Adult Education program for our adult Learners.
Targeted Instructional programs: These programs offer support and/or extension
opportunities for individual student learning. These programs include: Title I Reading
and Math (K-5), English Language Learner (K-12), Alternative Learning (K-12), Gifted
and Talented (3-12), Literacy and Math Labs (6-12), Daily intervention/enrichment periods (6-8).
Special Education Programs & 504: These programs offer support for students who
have been identified with specific learning disabilities or health related conditions that
require them to access our educational programming via specific Individual Education
Plans (IEP’s). These programs include: Resource Room, Functional Life Skills
Program, Behavioral Skills Program, Autism Program, Occupational Therapy, Physical
Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, and Social Work.
Other Instructional Support Programs: These programs offer additional academic
and social/emotional supports to our students in grades K-12. These programs include
a comprehensive K-12 Guidance Program, Drug and Alcohol Prevention Programs
through our School Resource Officers, and our Response to Intervention (RTI) Program.
I would also like to share some of the comments at found at the end of the survey:
Comments:
No concerns with the curriculum - thank you to all teachers, admins and staff!!
None, I think communication is great in the district. I’m committed to the district values around inclusion if that’s what’s implied by this survey.
I think the curriculum is great the way it is!!
None at this time
I just want to write in to support any and all education that you are doing regarding LGBTQ+ and sex education. I know most parents support this, but only unhappy people usually write to you so I wanted to counterbalance that.
ANTI-RACISM & EQUITY COMMITTEE WORK UPDATE
The great work of our district wide and community based Anti-Racism and Equity committee continues to move forward. The committee itself is made up of 30 community members and is lead by a planning group that consists of myself, Assistant Superintendent Brian Porter, School Committee member and chair of the committee Nicole Hudson, and our two facilitators. Our facilitators for this work are Mr. Dustin Ward from "It is Time LLC" and Mr. James Ford, a well known community support person who works in the Lewiston Public Schools, and is also a member of the State Board of Education.
The large committee meets at least quarterly and you can follow those meetings by CLICKING HERE. In addition to the large group committee meetings, the group is divided into four regular meeting "equity groups" who have more specific focus area for their work and who meet monthly. Those four groups are:
- Professional Development Equity Group
- Public Policy Equity Group
- Community Engagement Equity Group
- Student Experience Equity Group
You can follow the notes from these group meetings by CLICKING HERE.
There is lots of great work going on in these meetings. A quick run down of areas of focus for each is below. Please know this doesn't represent everything each group is working on, but is intended to let folks know the key items these groups are focused on at this time.
Professional Development Equity Group - This group has been meeting and working to identify ways in which we can better support Gorham Schools staff and students in areas of training and professional development that are in alignment with the goals outlined in our Anti-Racism Policy. Recent discussions have focused on trying to work with USM to perhaps create a D.E.I. certificate program or at least a series of professional development opportunities that teachers in Gorham could participate in to earn continuing learning credits that can be used to assist them in requirements for teacher certification. We have brainstormed some ideas and are working to set up meetings with our partners at USM to figure out what is possible.
Public Policy Equity Group - this group has been working from the policy perspective and is currently working to create a draft "policy toolkit" that could be used by the Gorham Schools Policy Committee to review its policies through the lens of equity. The group is also working on making recommendations to the Gorham Policy Committee on how we might be able to strengthen our existing Anti-Racism policy and work to create a larger equity policy that perhaps can then have different components of focus within it such as Anti-Racism, LGBTQ+, Gender and gender identity, religion, socio economic status, disability, etc.
Community Engagement Equity Group - This group has been working diligently to help organize our upcoming "Eat and Learn" event planned for March 14, 2023 at Gorham High School from 5:00 - 6:30 p.m. MORE ON THAT BELOW. They are also focused on trying to map out additional ways to engage our community in this important conversation and developing timelines for when these activities can take place, defining their purpose, and identifying target audiences, etc. All to ensure we work to improve community engagement in these important conversations moving forward.
Student Experience Equity Group - This group has been working to develop methods to increase our abilities to hear directly from students when it comes to issues of climate and culture across our K-12 schools. We've always listened to our students, but this group is working to strengthen these opportunities and amplify their voices. Right now members of the group have toured our schools to learn more about our K-12 experience and the group is working to develop a mechanism to conduct focus group meetings with students across all five schools to gather their input on how to structure these ideas in a way that is most meaningful for our students.
All of this work is really beginning to pick up momentum and we are excited by the future potential for our community to continue to learn and grow together in ways that make sure our schools can truly deliver on our promise to "Prepare and Inspire" ALL Gorham students for their future success!
UPCOMING "EAT AND LEARN EVENT
Please see the fliers below for details and make sure you RSVP to attend by using the link below!
Child Care will be provided! Hope to see you all there!
If you have any questions, please reach out via email (heather.perry@gorhamschools.org)!
ONE ACT PLAY TEREZINE PROMISE THIS WEEKEND!
Our GHS thespians are at it again with our one act play entitled "The Terezine Promise".
Shows are TONIGHT at 7:30 p.m., Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. Of course, keep your eyes on the weather for tomorrow...not looking good there - but tonight's show and Sunday's show are absolutely open to the public.
Run time is 40 minutes plus a 10 minute tech. demonstration.
Tickets are $5.00 for students and $10.00 for adults.
Seats may sell out, so first come, first serve! Hope to see you there...and just to entice you a little more, click on the link below to watch their trailer! We have such talented students - Break a leg Rams!
GORHAM MIDDLE SCHOOL MUSICAL COMING SOON!
Not to be outdone by their high school counterparts with their recent showing of "Mary Poppins"...our Gorham Middle School students are getting ready to perform their own musical classic in their rendition of "Beauty and the Beast". Shows are planned for March 10 and 11th at 7:00 p.m. at GMS and at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday at GMS. I'm sure our middle school thespians would love to see you at the show! Break a leg to these awesome Rams as well!
For more information, feel free to call the school at 222-1220.
GHS UNIFIED B-BALL TEAM VIDEO
I had the distinct pleasure of attending three of their games this year. What an incredible experience for everyone who is able to make it. The students have so much fun cheering for and supporting one another. The athletes enjoy the game and have an opportunity to learn all the important lessons about TEAM that only a participation in said teams can teach you and the adults just get to watch it all unfold and think to themselves - we have AWESOME STUDENTS and be proud for that fact.
At the end of the season Mr. Parvanta and his team always puts together a little video. If you haven't already seen it - WORTH THE WATCH! Take two minutes, grab the tissues, and check out the video below. After watching it, I just have to say how PROUD I AM TO BE A GORHAM RAM and I know I'm not the only one who feels that way!
CLOSING OUT NATIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS WEEK
February 27 - March 3, 2023 has been National Public Schools Week across our great country. This was a week to celebrate all the incredible things that occur in our nation's public schools each and every day...and there is A LOT to celebrate.
Public schools take every child, regardless of background and we work to make them feel welcomed in our schools. We work to make sure they can read and write and do arithmetic but we also work to make sure they have full bellies, we make sure they can play, we make sure to support them in learning how to positively interact with others and follow our code of conduct. We work to provide mental health support, nursing support, support for learning how to live healthy lives, and support in learning how to be productive citizens in our democracy. We teach students how to critically think and problem solve in a collaborative world. We provide opportunities for clubs and activities, sports and music, theater and the arts. We expose students to potential careers and help them to develop their future aspirations and connect those aspirations to their learning. We provide co-op programs, CTE programs, internships, apprentice programs, and financial literacy programs. We help students learn how to create resumes and interview for jobs and YES we teach students how to shake hands! We do all of this with the passion, love and care that is second only to you as their parents and family.
As we close this week of celebration. I think about what our world would be like without public schools and I'm not sure I like that picture. Public schools may not always be perfect, but they are one of the bedrocks of our democratic society. They are most definitely worth celebrating. THANK YOU as parents and family who choose to send your children to our public schools. The Gorham School Department remains committed to delivering on the promise of our Mission and Vision and we look forward to continuing to serve this incredible community! GO RAMS!
As I close...
Just wanted to give a quick shout out to all our winter athletes...INCREDIBLE JOB this season! Our girls bball team is still playing, but most have wrapped up. Here's a few pictures to showcase our incredible student athletes and their accomplishments this past winter! See you again on March 17 for my next blog post!
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