Well we are back from the April break and time is just FLYING BY! We have just over 1 month left in the 2023-24 school year and our staff are working hard to make sure it is the most positive and productive month yet for student learning! Here's some action photos showing just a sampling of the incredible things that have been happening across our schools since returning from the break!
Now on to the updates...
UPDATE ON PROPOSED FY 24 SCHOOL BUDGET APPROVAL PROCESS
The Town Council met jointly with the School Committee on April 25 to review the proposed budget, its potential impacts to the community and the reasons for the increases seen in the FY 24 budget request. You can view the meeting by CLICKING HERE. You can also review the slide presentation that was shared with Town Council that evening by CLICKING HERE.
Additionally, I had the distinct pleasure of being a guest at Baxter Memorial Library last night (May 3) for a public informational forum on the proposed budget. We had about 15 members of the public present and about 7 more watching on the live stream offered by GoCat. It was a very good meeting and I think folks walked away appreciative of the information shared and with a greater understanding of the overall budget and process. You can also view the budget "one pager" that was shared with those present by CLICKING HERE or viewing below (I'll send the link to the recording as soon as I get it):
Once again - next steps for decision making and timeline:May 16, 2023 - Town Council Vote on the proposed budget. The Town Council can elect to approve the budget as is, increase the proposed budget by a specific dollar amount, or decrease the proposed budget by a specific dollar amount at this meeting.
May 31, 2023 - Open Forum on Proposed FY 24 School Budget with Superintendent Perry (sponsored by North Gorham Public Library). SEE FLYER BELOW FOR DETAILS if you'd like to attend to learn more.
June 13, 2023 - Budget Validation Referendum Vote. Polling locations open at 8:00 a.m. and close at 8:00 p.m. - Be sure to vote!
Many people may now be asking - HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED IN THE CONVERSATION?
Participating in our democratic decision making processes is a key component of positive citizenship in our community - SO I WOULD DEFINITELY ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO GET INVOLVED! Here is how:
* Become informed. Research the proposed budget. What is the request? How is it different than last year? What is the reason behind these changes? What are the impacts of these changes to our children? What are the impacts of these changes to our community? A great place to go to "one stop shop" for all data related to the FY 24 budget process is to CLICK HERE on our website. You can also go back to my blog pages from the past to learn more, or you can just email myself or school committee members directly to ask questions to help inform your analysis of the proposed budget and whether or not you may support it or not and why. I might suggest steering clear of social media as your main source of information, although some of it may be accurate, there may also be accidental misinformation in there too.
* Express Your Opinion & Reach out to your Town Council. Let them know what you think about the proposed budget and why Be respectful, and try to be brief. They represent the entire community of Gorham and need to know how everyone feels in order to inform their vote. You can reach out via email by going to the Town's website - Linked HERE for your convenience.
* Clear Your Calendars To Vote On June 13. The validation referendum is an open referendum where voters are asked to either approve the budget that is voted on by the Town Council on May 16 or not. Citizens vote "yes" if you approve of the Town Council's vote made on May 16 or "no" if you do not approve. Your voice matters - so be sure to vote!
It is important to know that in order for a school budget to be fully and finally approved, it must be approved by (1) the School Committee, (2) the Town Council and (3) the voters. If a budget isn't approved by all three - it has to continually go through these three steps until it is approved by all three entities.
I will continue to provide updates as we move through the process. Again, please reach out with any questions you may have and if you want to ask them in person - please come out to the event on May 31 (flyer below) at the North Gorham Public Library.
STUDENT VOICES VIDEO! LET'S HEAR FROM 8TH GRADER ALEX TUKEY
In my pst several blogs I have shared a quick video of our student voices and what they think of their experiences at Gorham Middle School. Previously we have heard from a 6th grade student, and a 7th grade student. Now, its time to hear from an 8th grade student! Please take a moment to listen to the voice of Alex as he talks about his experiences as a student at GMS.
Video Link:
https://vimeo.com/811814744/d05360853b
Once again, thank you to the student video crews who made these video series possible!
RECENT APPRECIATION DAYS/WEEK
May has been a bit of a "blur" with all the appreciation days that we have had and that we will have. I wanted to take time to particularly thank those of you who have participated in showing our principals, our teachers and other staff your appreciation for all that they do for our schools and the children we serve!
Monday, May 1 was Principal Appreciation Day and we have five of some of the best in the state seen below:
(top from left to right - Quinton Donahue GMS, Jodi Mezzanotte Village Elementary.
Bottom from left to right - Brian Jandreau GHS, Erin Eppler Narragansett Elementary,
and Becky Fortier Great Falls Elementary)
Then Monday through Friday of this week (week of May 1) was also Teacher Appreciation Week - and once again we have some of the best teachers in the state! Our staff have enjoyed the food, the sugary treats, the cards, and emails thanking them for the important work they do in our community. Folks have especially loved the signs that were put out so they can read them daily as they drive by to work!
Friday, May 5 is "Lunch Hero" Appreciation Day. This is a day set aside to honor our incredibly hard working School Nutrition Staff who provide nutritious and fulfilling meals (breakfast and lunch) to our students daily. Whether you talk to a student in Kindergarten, 7th grade, or in high school - often their favorite part of the day is lunch. Now, I'm sure part of that is the social time students get during this period, but I am also sure it has something to do with the awesome food our students are able to eat each day! Please join me in celebrating our caring School Nutrition Staff on Friday!
And then finally, if you want to get ahead of the game a bit...School Nurse Appreciation Day will be next week Wednesday (May 10). Our nurses do so much to help make sure our students are healthy and safe each and every day. Thank you to our school nurses (a little early) for all you do! Our School Nurses are pictured below:
It has been a great week (and soon to be more) celebrating everyone with everyone! Our staff are so incredibly committed to the Gorham School and the students we all serve. We really appreciate it with others see that and acknowledge it! THANK YOU!
MAY IS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH!
Mental Health Awareness Month has been observed in the U.S. since 1949. During this month, communities work together to fight stigma, provide support to one another, educate the public and advocate for policies that support the millions of people in the U.S. affected by mental illness.
Did you know that nearly 3 million youth report living with severe depression across the US? Did you know that at GHS the percent of students feeling "sad or hopeless" for 2 weeks in a row has risen by 13% since 2009? Did you know that 16% of students at GHS have self reported that they have considered suicide? Just so you know, that is over 130 students right here, in Gorham. This is most definitely a serious conversation - so I thought it would be good to provide some resources to families who want to make sure to spend a little extra time thinking about the importance of mental health. I've provided links below to some of these resources. They range from interesting articles to foundations and trusted resources for families to dig further in understanding issues around mental health among youth. These resources are in no particular order - but I thought folks might find them valuable enough to at least dig a little further if you like. At the end, I share a little calendar that has been shared around the schools showing a 30 day Happiness Challenge that can be done by students (a lot of items also look good for adults too)!
* Website -
NAMI Maine (Check out their caregivers section or their youth and teen section)
ASPIRE GORHAM NEWSLETTER READY TO VIEW!
May's Aspire Gorham Newsletter is ready to view! Some great pieces in there about the most recent English X event, Gorham's School Business Roundtable, Recent STEAM nights for students and much more! Check it out using the link below:
May Aspire Newsletter Link:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EFaCiQrkmgAuUTL2KpHPPHXG9twJbkVe/view?usp=share_link
SOCIAL STUDIES X EVENT COMING TO GHS!
Over the course of the 2022-23 School Year, Aspire Gorham has sponsored a "Math X" event, a "Science X" event and an "English X" event. The final event of this series will be our "Social Studies X" event.
SOCIAL STUDIES X is designed to expose students to people who use the skills and knowledge gained in social studies class in their career or community life. It is an opportunity for students to explore career options and network with professionals. On Tuesday, May 16th and Wednesday, May 17th, students will participate in a session of their choice during their social studies class. CLICK HERE to view the current draft of program offerings. Its a great experience for students to see how what they are learning in school actually APPLIES to the "real world" in different ways that may interest them while simultaneously getting students to think about their own aspirations and interests for the future!
Thank you to Aspire Gorham staff, GHS staff and our volunteer presenters who have helped to make these incredibly rich learning opportunities available for our students this year!
NEW (but not so new) STATE SPRING ACCOUNTABILITY TESTING: THE MAINE THROUGH YEAR ASSESSMENT
Achievement testing using the State of Maine's new (but not so new) Through Year Assessment started this week for students in grades 3-8 and in the 2nd year of high school (10th graders).
If you recall, during the Pandemic, the state of Maine switched its assessment system to the utilization of the NWEA assessment. This assessment had been used in the Gorham Schools for our benchmarking purposes for several years prior to the state of Maine's adoption. The state of Maine is required to conduct achievement testing annually as part of the Every Student Succeeds Act which mandates an accountability system. This system tests achievement of common core standards in math, and reading for students in the grades mentioned above in the opening paragraph. Testing occurs each spring and results are typically shared with schools late the following fall.
Below the state of Maine DOE explains why we are making the change to this slightly new assessment:
The NWEA MAP Growth assessment was adopted as an emergency measure during the pandemic to
meet schools’ needs for immediate, actionable data. MAP Growth was an interim assessment solution
while the Department of Education worked collaboratively with NWEA to develop a state assessment
that meets all federal requirements, including interpretive guidance provided as part of the federal peer
review process. The Maine Through Year Assessment will provide the opportunity for Maine educators
to continue utilizing an assessment tool that they find helpful and necessary in instructional decision
making. By maneuvering to a through year approach, students will now be assessed on grade-level
content with a performance level assigned, and they will also receive a RIT score which provides
continuity of longitudinal data for those Maine SAUs that have used NWEA for some time. Additionally,
in order for a state assessment to meet federal peer review requirements, it must include a criterion referenced, summative portion that aligns with grade-level state standards. The Maine Through Year
Assessment will continue to address the need for actionable data while also meeting federal peer review
requirements for a criterion-referenced statewide assessment.
So what is the same and what is different about this new test? Below the state of Maine DOE provides a nice summary of that information too:
What is NOT changing:
o MAP Growth assessments were required in Fall 2022 and were optional in Winter 2023.
What IS changing:
o MAP Growth will not be administered as the Spring assessment. Instead, the Spring 2023
will be the first administration of the Maine Through Year Assessment.
o Beginning in the Fall of 2023, students will take the Maine Through Year Assessment in the
fall, winter (optional), and spring. MAP Growth will no longer be provided by the State to
SAUs.
Subject Areas
What is NOT changing:
o Students will be assessed in Reading and Math.
What IS changing:
o Language Usage will not be a part of the Maine Through Year Assessment.
Grade Levels Assessed
What is NOT changing:
o Students in grades 3rd – 8
th grade will participate in the assessments.
What IS changing:
o Grade 10 is required and no longer optional.
o Grade 11 will not be assessed.
The Gorham Schools uses the results of the spring state testing annually as part of our State of The Schools Report and to help determine overall success of district programming. Summary scores help us to determine if district or school wide programs are effective or not, and help us to make adjustments to these programs to improve overall results over time. Scores are used as part of a wholistic system of data that we review annually to determine our overall success as a district. That wholistic system is our "Metrics for Success". Therefore, although this test is important, it is also not the only data point we look at for decision making purposes.
As parents you can gain a stronger understanding of our overall assessment system in Gorham by checking out the assessment section in our Teaching and Learning Handbook. Parents can also learn more about the Through Year Assessment by visiting the MDOE website.
END OF YEAR HAPPENINGS
It is definitely getting to that time of the school year where there are LOTS of things happening! I thought it might be helpful to share a spattering of some of these end of the year activities with folks so you are aware of the depth and breadth of all that is done in our schools during this busy time. Please know THIS IS NOT AN ALL INCLUSIVE LIST OF ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS. If you want to keep track of those the best way is to use each school's website and their calendar of events. Just go to www.gorhamschools.org and then click on schools, select the school and view the calendar.
Here's some highlights:
- May 1- 12 AP Exams - GHS.
- May 1 - 26 NWEA Reading and Math Assessments - all Schools
- May 8 - GHS Spring Concert
- May 16 - Town Council Budget Vote
- May 19 - Spring Dance (GMS)
- May 22 - June 1 - Senior Internships (GHS)
- May 23 - GHS Academic Awards Night.
- May 25 - Spring Chorus Concert (GHS)
- May 30 - All Gorham Steel Band Night
- May 31 - K-5 Field Days Begin
- June 1 - JMG awards night
- June 2 - Senior Class Trip
- June 7 - Step up day (GHS)
- June 7 - Spring Sports Awards night (GHS)
- June 8 - Senior Celebration (GHS) & Spring Fling Event (Village)
- June 9 - GHS Senior Walk (will live stream on FB) & BBQ
- June 11 - GHS Graduation
- June 13 - Budget Validation Referendum
- June 14 - 5th grade step up day to GMS
- June 15 - K-4 Step up day & Gr. 5 Celebration Picnic & Field Day & GMS 8th grade celebration
- June 16 - Last Student Day of School
IN CLOSING
Well that is it for this blog. Just wanted to end with an awesome video made by our students and sent out to our teachers...if this doesn't warm your heart AND make you laugh, not sure what would! Be sure to watch the bloopers at the end! Someone I know might just have future aspirations in acting!
Teacher Appreciation Week 2023 Video Link:
https://vimeo.com/822599255/7265a44be0
