Happy upcoming April Vacation for everyone! I hope everyone enjoys their much deserved change of pace this coming week as we pause in our incredible learning activities and shift to re-focus on rest, relaxation, and family! We will be "hitting the ground running" (as my father always said) when we return from the break and enter the sprint to the finish line that is always the months of May and June in our schools!
Lots to talk about, so I will get right to it after sharing some images from the past few weeks from our schools! So much fun happening...I had to do TWO series! Enjoy!
Did you know that we have 24 different languages spoken by Gorham Ram families across our schools? Check out the list below...
Over the past two years or so parents across the nation have expressed a greater desire to be informed about what their children are experiencing during the school day. Many parents, including here in Gorham, are understandably interested in the details of our curriculum and our commitment to diversity and equity initiatives.
Here in Gorham, we value our partnership with families and share in the goal of preparing and inspiring Gorham students for their future success. We believe that TOGETHER, in partnership, we can meet the challenges facing our community, our families, and our schools now and in the future.
That is why we have stepped up our efforts, through our communications, and our Committee meeting agenda, to increase the level of transparency with our families so that you have a much clearer understanding of what we are doing and why we are doing it. Our mission is not a secret. Our schools are committed to ensuring that we provide a welcoming, safe, and supportive learning environment for ALL our students where each child that walks through our doors feels that they are a positive and contributing member of our school community. We strive to create an inclusive environment where each child feels loved, and welcomed. These environments can only be created based on love, love for every human that walks through our doors. In Gorham, we cherish each of our students regardless of their backgrounds, beliefs, or identity.
It is with this lens that the Gorham Schools sought out Parent and Community input into these important topics using a multi-pronged approach.
First, we launched a Thought Exchange Survey asking the question of all Gorham staff, students, families and community members: “What can we do to make our schools more welcoming to students, staff and families of all diverse backgrounds and identities?” Folks can go back and view my Oct. 14 Blog for the results of this survey.
Next, we worked to re-strengthen our Anti-Racism & Equity District Wide Committee to include more community, parent and student voices. In October the newly revitalized group began meeting with well over 25 members and continues its work. You can follow this committee’s work by going to our district’s website to view subcommittee work of the school committee.
In October of 2022, we launched our parent & community “Listening Tour” to visit and meet face to face with families interested in learning more about what we teach in our schools and who were interested in sharing their questions and feedback with us. Folks can go back and view my December 2nd Blog for the results of this listening tour.
Also in October, we launched a family survey asking: “What do you want to know most about your child’s learning in our classrooms?” We had 26 individuals participate in this survey, asking approximately 30 questions which were then answered directly in the Superintendent’s blog posts each month under the heading of “Curriculum Corner” information. You can CLICK HERE to view all blog posts. The curriculum corner posts were usually the first blog of each month.
Later, in January, we issued a second survey to families asking the same question: “What do you want to know most about your child’s learning in our classrooms?” There were 10 families that participated in this survey and it is these questions that are responded to below.
Our world is not becoming less complex and the skills our children need to be successful aren’t either. Our children need to be able to navigate difficult and challenging topics and situations in age appropriate ways in order for us to make our vision a reality. We continue to believe that every child deserves access to a high quality and age appropriate education. It is both the challenge and the distinct privilege our public schools have to provide this important resource to our community. Together, we absolutely can achieve this goal. A huge THANK YOU for our Gorham families, students, staff, and community members for being on this incredible journey with us!
Now on to that last series of questions…
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Question: Is the school teaching my kids about gender identities other than the regular male and female? I don’t think it is appropriate for young kids.
Answer: Via our school’s health curriculum in grades 5-12 we cover a variety of topics including male anatomy, female anatomy, conception to birth, birth control and STD's (these two issues are covered in greater detail in 8th grade). As part of these discussions, and in order to ensure that all in the class feel welcome, we touch upon the fact that there are individuals within our communities and in our broader American society who may identify with a gender other than the biological sex they were assigned at birth. Consistent with the Maine Learning Results and the Maine Human Rights Act, we remind students of the importance of accepting other human beings for who they are and we instruct students on the importance of being kind to everyone regardless of difference. This reminder about kindness and respect is emphasized in our student code of conduct across all grades K-12. If questions arise as to sexual orientation / gender identity, etc. our staff work to answer these questions in a respectful, age appropriate and non-judgmental manner while encouraging students to discuss these issues with their parents and/or our school counselors.
Question: Are kids being taught CRT (Critical Race Theory) in Gorham public schools?
Answer: No
Question: Are kids that are white being taught to that they are racist because of their history.
Answer: No
Question: Are kids being taught about other identities that are the latest trend, i am hearing rumors about kids identifying as animals, which seems absurd to me, but yet I am hearing this??
Answer: No.
Question: Are kids being taught about the actual percentage of people who are actually LGBTQ in this country…..seems like it is being glamorized even though it is a small percentage and that it is confusing middle school kids.
Answer: In appropriate settings, we share specific and factual data related to subsets of our cultural diversity here in Gorham, in our state and in our country such as: % people of color or % of students with disabilities, or % Gifted and Talented or % speaking a language other than english, or socio-economically disadvantaged, etc.. We stress that our students make us a community and that all students are welcome and loved in our Gorham Schools.
Question: Are kids being taught that having a best friend and loving your best friend does not make you gay? It seems kids are being sexualized at a young age, should we be teaching these kids about sexual preferences at such a young age?
Answer: No. We teach kindness and respect and do not encourage students to be sexually active. Consistent with the Maine Learning Results, our students do learn about healthy choices, development, nutrition, and health conditions, etc.
Question: Which school wide tests determine whether your child is eligible for extra help in math or reading? Are the parents always notified if the child tests poorly?
Answer: There isn’t really just one school wide test that determines eligibility for Response to Intervention (RTI) programming in math or reading across grades K-12. We do use NWEA data as our benchmarking data but we also “triangulate” data from several sources to determine additional supports that may or may not be needed. Other sources of data include classroom observations, results of formative and summative classroom assessments, etc. You can learn more about our RTI process by going to our district website HERE. If our teachers have concerns regarding our student's learning we absolutely reach out to our parents to let them know of these concerns.
Question: What system(s) does the school use to track SEL metrics? Casel?
Answer: At the K-5 level, our SEL curriculum (Second Step) and our Literacy Curriculum (Collaborative Classroom) include the CASEL framework. Our K-2 students participate in a pre-post screener via the Second Step curriculum.
While the Maine Learning Results do not have specific SEL standards, and does not recommend an SEL assessment for accountability, it does fully encourage schools to integrate the following:
Systematically teaching, modeling, and facilitating the application of social and emotional competencies in ways that allow students to apply them throughout their days
Establishing safe, caring, and highly engaging learning environments involving peer and family initiatives and school wide community-building activities.
Across our K-12 learning community, we teach and reinforce these competencies through establishing classroom communities, explicitly teaching executive functioning skills, teaching and reinforcing our Code of Conduct and providing multiple opportunities for a safe, and successful school experience. We are able to monitor student response and need based on their ability to access academics and peer/classroom engagement. In addition, students that have a SEL Personal Learning Plan or Individualized Education Plan have specific goals that data is collected and reported on each trimester or quarter.
Question: What plans do you have to teach gender identity in elementary schools?
Answer: We do not teach gender identity in our schools. We acknowledge that there are individuals in our schools who may associate their gender with something other than their biological sex and work to ensure that every child in our schools is welcomed and treated with kindness and respect regardless of their perceived difference. We teach kindness and respect.
Question: Do you teach any of the following critical race theory tenets, either directly or indirectly, including in less direct "age appropriate" forms?
Permanence of racism?
Whiteness as property?
Counter storytelling and majoritarian narratives?
Interest convergence?
Critique of liberalism?
Intersectionality?
Answer: As noted above, we do not teach Critical Race Theory in our schools. We do teach history, which necessarily involves looking at how our society acts at different points in time. I understand that Whiteness as Property is a law school article written back in 1993. I am not aware that this article is part of our curriculum. At the high school level, we teach the concept of historiography - that history is often written from the perspectives of the prevailing side of any issue and that perspectives can change over time. We urge our students to remember that it is incumbent upon us as learners to try to dig more deeply into understanding multiple perspectives of any issue prior to coming to conclusions about what may or may not have occurred and why. In regard to the question about "interest convergence" and "intersectionality," in age appropriate ways and within a larger context or grounding topic, we also discuss with students the concept of intersectionality, which is - as defined by the Oxford dictionary: “the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage”. In other words, that characteristics such as these can have a compounding effect to create greater disadvantage. For example, if a person is a disabled person and is economically disadvantaged, those disadvantages can compound one another to create more difficult circumstances for the individual to overcome when striving for success. In regards to the Critique of liberalism, there seem to be several references to different theories here and I'm not sure which one may be being referenced in this question. Generally speaking though, and at age appropriate times and within appropriate contexts, we do discuss what it means to be liberal or conservative. This is often done with social studies classes when students are learning about our American system of Government, whereby parties are an established part of our government processes. We discuss what political parties exist in the US both now and throughout our history. We do not, however, make judgements about any political parties, affiliations or beliefs, we teach students that they exist and why they exist and how they work in our government as an integral part of our democratic process.
Ultimately, we believe that teaching our students to be critical thinkers, to read to understand an issue in all its complexity, and to be empathetic are essential to ensuring that we can honor our mission as an educational institution. The mission of the Gorham School Department is to educate all students in a nurturing and challenging environment to become highly competent and ethical citizens who possess the knowledge and skills required for success in the 21st Century.
Question: What types of changes/additions have been made to curriculum in concert with MICC, It Is Time and/or Carney Sandoe?
Answer: The largest changes have been in the areas of seeking to ensure that our curriculum can be seen by students as both mirrors and windows. In other words, that our students - all of our students- can both see themselves and others within the context of their learning. A primary example of this work has been adding books to our classroom libraries that better represent the experiences of our more diverse student populations so they can see themselves reflected in their learning (mirrors), but to also add context to stretch people’s understandings of other cultures not their own (windows).
Question: In what way does SEL in Gorham Schools adhere to the SEL goals, structure, guidelines of CASEL? Or in other words, is it safe to assume what I am reading about CASEL is the same or similar to SEL in Gorham Schools?
Answer: No, although some of our core curriculum uses CASEL tenants in their frameworks they may not be the exact same as whatever you may be reading about.
Question: How does the school define being "white"? -What makes a white person? -The World Economic Forum in Davos took place last week, in what ways does the school align with the WEF's agenda?
Answer: We do not define what it means to be white. Families may self-report their race on enrollment forms that are reported to the state. Our curriculum is available online or upon request. I have not studied the WEF agenda to assess how it aligns or does not align with the Maine Learning Results.
Question: Does the school teach about "global citizenship"?
Answer: We teach kindness and respect and we believe part of our role in meeting our mission/vision is to prepare our students to be successful in their futures that may very well exist outside of the community of Gorham.
Question: Does the school notify parents about which books our kids are reading or what books are read aloud to our children by the teacher?
Answer: No, teachers do not notify parents about every book they decide to read aloud to children. However, any parent may request information on what books are available in our libraries (all online) or what books are being utilized by our teachers in the classroom. Our teachers work to meet the students where they are in their learning and to move them forward towards meeting all standards required.
Question: Does Gorham Schools practice "culturally relevant pedagogy", as popularized by Gloria-Ladson Billings, in any or all of the grades?
Answer: We believe in teaching and supporting the whole child. Every part of them. Whoever they are.
Question: Why does the school integrate drag queens into the curriculum?
Answer: I believe that this question concerns the decision of one of our art teachers to utilize the work of a master basket weaver in her art class. The artist was Geo Neptune. Geo Neptune is a Wabanaki basket weaver who upholds the tradition of Passamaquoddy basket weaving art having learned this skill from their grandmother. They are a Maine native, a graduate from Gould Academy and Dartmouth College. Our art teacher appropriately recognized how students could benefit from understanding the work of such an accomplished Maine artist.
Question: Does the school rely in any way on the fundamentals of Theory, or critical postmodern theory, in curriculum and/or practices?
Answer: No
Question: In what ways does curriculum align with the agenda of UNESCO?
Answer: I’ll be honest, I had to look this one up as I wasn’t sure of the reference. If the UNESCO being referred to is the United Nations UNESCO - it is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization whose major focus is to contribute to peace and security for the world by promoting international cooperation in education, sciences, culture, communication and information. The group also promises knowledge sharing and the free flow of ideas to accelerate mutual understanding and a more perfect knowledge of each other’s lives (taken from their website). Although I have not studied their agenda to assess how it aligns or does not align with the Maine Learning Results, it seems as though their goals of kindness, promoting education and critical thinking, and preparing students for their future success do align with our core values. As a school system we do not depend upon any single source for information or data, but instead look broadly at data of all kinds with great interest, and encourage our students to do the same.
It was a busy night on Wednesday night (April 12) for the Gorham School Committee! Before they got to action items on the agenda, they heard from TWO incredible student groups. The first was a presentation by the Village Elementary School Civil Rights team and the second was a presentation by our GHS winter athletic captains.
April's Aspire Gorham Newsletter is ready for viewing! This month's edition focuses on Baxter Memorial Library and our "Little Rams" partnerships and celebrating the week of the young child! Also, a nice write up on Try it Day at GMS and specific student spotlights as part of the focus on the Terezin Promise one act play recently conducted by our GHS Thespians! CHECK IT OUT!
Newsletter Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GsbikXxpEeBMHWQlP51X3bnvJyMeLQ5y/view?usp=share_link
GORHAM HIGH SCHOOL INTERACT CLUB - UPCOMING RELAY FOR LIFE EVENT!
I wanted to share the message below from the Interact Club's advisor - GHS teacher Neile Nelson regarding an upcoming event our students are planning to support the American Cancer Society via the Relay for Life Event! Please read Neile's message below:
The Gorham High School Interact Club is doing a satellite RELAY FOR LIFE event of our own on Sunday, April 30th at the Gorham High School Track, under the umbrella of the Relay for Life of Greater Portland. Our club currently has approximately 165 members involved and we are hoping to have 100% participation throughout the day. We will be walking/running the Gorham High School track from 8:00AM until 5:00PM. Our members and I are actively trying to solicit donations on behalf of our team - Gorham Interact Club. The donations help raise money and awareness for the American Cancer Society directly. Please consider a donation to this worthwhile cause on behalf of the American Cancer Society. Our club is hoping for 100% participation in the event and we are shooting to exceed our donations from last year. We have set a club goal of raising over $5,000. Please help and donate if you can by clicking on the link below, and also feel free to share this email with anyone!!!
https://secure.acsevents.org/
If any of you are interested in joining us for a bit walking or running, please do so at any point throughout the day. Our club members will be decorating luminari bags in honor of friends, family members, neighbors, that have been affected by cancer in some way. We will place these bags around the GHS track at 5:00 that evening.
With one in three people expected to experience cancer in their lifetime, it’s likely we all know someone who’s been affected by the disease — friends, loved ones, maybe even yourself.
Our club is participating in this year’s Relay For Life to help the American Cancer Society change all that. Please donate to our fundraising page, so we can continue to see fewer people diagnosed, and more people surviving cancer. Give what you can. Every gift — large and small — makes a big difference.
HELP US SEND 8TH GRADE ODYSSEY OF THE MIND TEAM TO WORLD FINALS!
Check out the message below from Danielle Quimby, our Gifted and Talented Coordinator for the Gorham Schools!
On March 25th, five middle school teams competed in the Odyssey of the Mind State Tournament, and four out of the five teams placed in their division. The 8th-grade team earned 1st place in Classics...The Walls of Troy and the 7th-grade team came in 2nd place. A 6th-grade team came in 2nd for the vehicle problem, and another 6th-grade team came in 3rd for the performance problem. The teams that came in 1st and 2nd place qualify to attend World Finals. These students have worked very hard over the last several months, and being invited to this competition is a great accomplishment. World Finals is taking place from May 23rd-28th and is at Michigan State University.
Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational organization that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten to college. Students work on long-term and spontaneous problems requiring dramatic presentations, creative props, structural devices, and verbal solutions. Participants build self-confidence and skills for life through problem-solving, creative thinking, and teamwork. The program’s goal is to engage students in their learning. A unique aspect of Odyssey is that no one can provide assistance in the actual solution, including coaches; everything the team brainstorms, designs, creates and builds comes from their imagination and talent.
The 8th-grade team would love the opportunity to compete at World Finals this year! Our goal is to raise $10,000 to pay for the transportation, registration, room and board fees for the students who will be attending. We can give these students a wonderful and unforgettable educational experience with charitable donations from our wonderful Gorham Community. The following link can be used to make a donation: Odyssey of the Mind World Finals Donation. Thank you so much for your support!
UPCOMING EARTH DAY EVENT FOR 4-8 YEAR OLDS!
If you are looking for a way to get your 4-8 year old involved in celebrating earth day - check out this great opportunity below!
That's it for this blog post. As I close, I thought I'd share a quick spring poem of hope and renewal...I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY YOUR APRIL BREAKS!
