WOW! Final blog post for the 2022-23 School Year! That went by crazy-fast! Here's a "sneak peak" into the last few weeks...
FY 24 PROPOSED BUDGET PROCESS NEXT STEPS - REFERENDUM #2!
First of all, THANK YOU to those of you who got out to vote at the first referendum. Regardless of what that vote was, we are all thankful that you participated in this important process!
While the results of the first referendum were not what we had hoped for as a school, we trust our budget approval process and we trust the voters of our community to direct us as to what they need. We understand that this vote is not an "ending" to the conversation but an all important continuation. This vote continues very important conversations that our community needs to have as we seek to find balance between costs associated with meeting the needs of our students while also balancing those costs with the needs of our community's taxpayers that must pay for them.
We have full faith that these conversations will continue via respectful and civil discourse and that ultimately this appropriate balance will be found. Gorham is too strong of a community to allow anything else to occur! ☺
The School Committee has already worked with the Town Council to draft a schedule for next steps in the process. Please be clear that I say "draft" because the Town Council must approve of the revised timeline at their meeting on Tuesday 6/20 in order to finalize the referendum date.
With this understanding - the DRAFT schedule to move forward is outlined below and should be finalized by the Town Council early next week. That is:
- June 20 - Town Council meets to approve new referendum schedule.
- June 20 - School Committee meetings in a budget workshop meeting to discuss priorities and next steps.
- June 28 - School Committee approves of revised FY 24 proposed school budget.
- July 11 - Town Council votes to approve of revised FY 24 proposed school budget.
- July 25 - REFERENDUM #2 IS SCHEDULED - Regular polling locations and regular polling hours.
As explained earlier - any school budget must be approved following THREE crucial steps:
1. Proposed budget must be approved by the School Committee.
2. Proposed budget must be approved by the Town Council
3. Proposed budget must be approved by the voters of the community via a budget validation referendum.
All three steps must meet with approval in order for a school's budget to finally be approved. If all three steps are not met, the process must be repeated until all three steps are approved. At each juncture the schools operate from the budget last approved by the Town Council until all three steps are fulfilled.
I'll continue to keep parents and staff updated via email on each step outlined above. If you are wondering what YOU can do to HELP - I have a good answer - PLEASE BE SURE TO GET OUT AND VOTE ON JULY 25! 😎
Absentee ballots will be available, although due to the tight timeline mail in options may not be possible. Folks can pick up absentee ballots and drop them off rather than mail them after the Town Council vote on July 11.
Any questions - Please ask! Thank you!
HOW DO THE SCHOOLS HANDLE CONFLICTS/COMPLAINTS?
Given some recent events I thought it might be helpful to spend some time clarifying for families and community members the various policies, procedures and state and federal statutes that govern how we as a school must respond to any complaint made by students, staff, families or community members.
It is important to be clear about what these processes and procedures are in order to help families and community members know (1) how to appropriately communicate complaints so that issues are dealt with early on before they can grow to potentially larger issues and (2) that even though schools can't make public information regarding students or employees while these complaint processes are ongoing, that does not mean that nothing is being done and in fact much more is going on behind the scenes than can be seen by the general public.
So how does one lodge complaints - either formally or informally?
We have a strong belief here in Gorham that the best solutions to any problems are often (but not always) found at the lowest possible levels, closest to where the conflict/complaint may be. We believe this because these are the individuals who are most knowledgeable about the various conditions that may be at play. So the first step in any general complaint is to communicate. I will outline what to do for more significant complaints a little later - i.e. bullying, harassment, etc.
Our general complaints process is clearly outlined in our Policy KE - Public Concerns and Complaints. In the policy, we encourage individuals to use what we call the appropriate chain of communication. For example - in a situation where an employee has a conflict with another employee we ask that employee first to communicate directly with the other employee about the conflict if at all possible. Then if that doesn't resolve whatever the conflict is, the employee is expected to go to their next immediate supervisor to share their concerns and to see if that next person can help resolve the conflict. This continues up the "chain" all the way to the Superintendent and in some cases even to the School Committee if needed. Example: Ed. Tech concern about another Ed. Tech - Talk with Ed. Tech - then talk with supervising teacher - then talk with building principal - then talk with Superintendent.
Rarely do issues involving general complaints come to the School Committee because they are more often than not resolved at the lower levels.
For general complaints this same process is encouraged for students, parents and community members as well. Start at the lowest level and then work up the chain.
If these conflicts are more serious (rather than general), or are repeated then, the steps in the chain can and sometimes should be skipped depending upon the situation. Our building level leaders are often the ones that help to navigate these decisions.
General guidelines for expectations of student behaviors are outlined in each school's student handbook. For those students who participate in extra and co-curricular activities there may be additional expectations such as those outlined in our athletic handbook. Our district also makes clear overall expectations via our Code of Conduct Policy and we work diligently to uphold these ideals each and every day in our schools.
There are also conflicts/complaints which can arise that are more serious in nature. Many of these are serious enough to have their own policies associated with them. For example, we have a specific policy and clear set of procedures to communicate complaints about bullying. We also have specific policies and procedures about how to make complaints about harassment and sexual harassment. For ease of reference, I've linked those below:
- Policy JICK - which includes associated procedures of JICK -R, JICK-E (reporting form), JICK-E2 (Response form), and JICK-E3 (Summary of disciplinary action) - all of these can be found by CLICKING HERE
- Policy ACAA - Student discrimination, harassment or sexual harassment - which includes procedures ACAA-R
Note: All of our district's policies can be found on our website by CLICKING HERE.
By sharing this information, please know we do not expect students, parents, or staff members to navigate these processes on their own. Teachers, coaches, support staff, guidance counselors, social workers, building leaders and program leaders are all trained in these policies and practices and can help individuals with complaints navigate the various policies that may be at play. The first step is always to communicate the complaint and be prepared to go to the next level on the chain if the complaint is not adequately addressed.
For each complaint that is launched, and depending upon the specific type of complaint we respond in accordance with the policies and procedures shared above. Some are more prescriptive than others. Some require that full "investigations" occur with written outcomes and filing of those outcomes with my office and even reporting to the state in some cases. Others do not. Complaints regarding bullying and harassment/sexual harassment are handled in a much more regimented manner for example than complaints made about buses being late picking up students.
In all circumstances, any information collected as part of dealing with complaints or conflicts that relates to students or to employees directly is confidential information and therefore cannot be shared publicly by the school department. This is in alignment with Maine Labor relation laws and in alignment with student privacy laws such as FERPA. Because of this, the reality is that in many cases, information that is being shared by private citizens in social media land or via the general media is not representative of all information that may be available at any given time. What the school can say in these public forums is limited.
At the end of the day, I hope people walk away from this portion of my blog post with the knowledge that as a school system we want to engage with students, families and community members about any complaint/conflict our important stakeholders may have. Ultimately we all want the same thing - for those complaints/conflicts to be resolved. Communicating complaints/conflicts then is something we wish to encourage from all stakeholders because it is only then that we can work together in partnership to seek resolution that allows all partners to move forward in a positive manner.
MORE THAN 130 GHS SENIORS EARN MAINE CAREER EXPLORATION BADGE!
Note: This Media release will go out on Tuesday to all local press! You all get a "sneak peek"! ☺
More than 130 Gorham High School seniors participate in workforce experiences to earn the Maine Career Exploration Badge
GORHAM, Maine - Aspire Gorham, a partnership with MELMAC Education Foundation, the Gorham School District, and JMG, proudly announces that 136 seniors have completed workplace learning experiences to earn the Maine Career Exploration Badge.
JMG’s Maine Career Exploration Badge for Maine high school juniors and seniors is an opportunity to participate in 40 hours of meaningful work experiences facilitated through an intentionally designed exploration and reflection process. Students receive an academic award of $500 upon completion.
Aspire Gorham, with the support of JMG, collaborated with more than 100 local businesses, organizations, and professionals to provide students with authentic work experiences aligned with their career interests. Experiences included traditional internships, job shadows, volunteer projects, and approved extended learning opportunities. These partnerships allowed students to gain invaluable exposure and fostered connections within their community.
"We are proud that so many of our Gorham High School seniors were able to earn the Maine Career Exploration Badge this spring through their internship experiences. This $500 scholarship validates these important learning experiences for our students and demonstrates how a strong organization like JMG can work hand in hand with business owners and public schools to develop and strengthen our future workforce in Maine,” said Gorham School District Superintendent Heather Perry. “Our Gorham High School students had learning experiences that will last a lifetime and built skills that will serve them well in their future success as a result. Thank you to JMG for sponsoring such an incredible opportunity for our students."
These dedicated students have demonstrated exceptional commitment and enthusiasm in pursuing diverse career paths, showcasing their preparedness for future success.
We congratulate our Maine Career Exploration Badge recipients on their remarkable accomplishments. Their career exploration journeys have laid a strong foundation for lifelong learning and personal growth, instilling a sense of purpose and direction in their chosen paths.
About JMG
JMG partners with public education and private businesses to offer results-driven solutions to ensure all Maine students graduate, attain post-secondary credentials, and pursue meaningful careers. JMG is the largest statewide education nonprofit in Maine and is the only educational organization that provides a continuum of support to students from middle school, throughout high school, and onto post-secondary education and career pathways.
About Aspire Gorham
Aspire Gorham represents a partnership among Gorham School District, the MELMAC Education Foundation, and JMG, to continue to advance how Gorham prepares students for life after high school.
ANTIRACISM & EQUITY COMMITTEE
END OF YEAR UPDATE...
At our last regular school committee meeting of the 2022-23 school year (held June 14th) the Anti-Racism & Equity Committee delivered a comprehensive report to the School Committee on its work for the year.
You can view the written report by CLICKING HERE.
You can view the video of the report (minute 2:45) provided by CLICKING HERE.
We remain excited about these important conversations continuing across our schools and community. The committee's work will continue after the summer break. If there are members of the public who are interested in joining the work, please email me at heather.perry@gorhamschools.org. We are always seeking additional participation from our community!
SUPERINTENDENT'S 360 EVALUATION SURVEY
OVERALL RESULTS
Each year as part of my annual evaluation process, the School Committee conducts a 360 survey process that engages staff, parents and the School Committee members in the provision of the essential feedback that helps to guide my annual goal setting and the direction and focus of our work moving forward.
Each year, I try to share the summary information gathered from that process. Please know that we had over 150 staff participants, over 200 parent/family participants, and of course full participation from the 7 members of the school committee. That is A LOT of great data, but likely a little too much to share in this blog post.
Please know that the School Committee thoroughly reviews each and every comment made by participants in these surveys so even though I am not sharing them all here below - they are so very valuable. Instead, I wanted to share the overall results of each group's summary question which is this:
Overall, I support our Superintendent strongly disagree/disagree/agree/strongly agree.
Here are the summary charts for each stakeholder group:
Parents/Families:
School Committee:
Again - so much more valuable data in there! It has already been used to provide incredibly strong feedback to me to help me to continuously improve my practices as a leader. I hope you will see a considerable amount of that reflected in my upcoming goals for the 2023-24 School Year! Thank you to everyone that participated!
ASPIRE GORHAM FINAL NEWSLETTER FOR 2023-24
Please CLICK HERE to view the final Aspire Gorham Newsletter for June, 2023. Some incredible activities and some great learning! Definitely worth the read!
FULL STUDENT VOICES VIDEO SERIES
ALL SEVEN IN ONE PLACE!
For the past month or more I've been sharing our student voices video series. Well, the seventh and final video is linked below. Please check out episode #7 and all previous episodes below to get a strong perspective from our students what it is like being a "Gorham Ram" across grades 6-12. It is indeed their voices you hear!
Episode 2 - 7th grade video (Sadie)
Episode 3 - 8th grade video (Alex)
COMMUNITY HAPPENINGS
Gorham Pride Celebration
Gorham Pride is hosting its first annual pride month celebration on June 24 at the gazebo outside of the municipal center. All ages are invited to attend. Events will begin with an opening at 11:00 a.m. followed by a Lavender choir performance, a drag storytime, a Maine Marimba Ensemble and then drag performances. Activities are scheduled to end around 2:00 p.m. There will also be face painting, food trucks and other vendors. You can get more information by going to gorhampride.org
Gorham Municipal Office Hours Changing
CLICK HERE to view the press release from the Town Manager.
Baxter Library Summer Reading Kick Off Events!
Join Presumpscot Regional Land Trust for the first-ever summer trail challenge, which highlights local trail destinations.
The challenge is to visit and photograph six Land Trust Preserve destinations from June 15th – August 31st. At each location, you will be challenged to identify a landmark at the preserve.
The six trails of the challenge are each 1-2 miles long. Throughout the trails, there are scavenger hunts, fairy houses, and story walks, making this a family-friendly adventure. This challenge is free and intended for all ages and hiking experience levels.
You could find yourself discovering centuries-old trees in Windham, exploring the ruins of a 150-year-old mill along the Presumpscot River in Gorham, enjoying meandering meadows in Standish, and following a wild river in Westbrook.
The challenge is sponsored by REI Co-op of Westbrook, and the first 100 participants that complete the challenge will receive a co-branded custom REI Co-op and Land Trust water bottle. Every participant will be eligible to receive a co-branded REI Co-op and Land Trust sticker.
To learn more and register for this trail challenge click here.
A LITTLE CLOSING REFLECTION ON THE 2022-23 SCHOOL YEAR
There is no question that the 2022-23 School Year has had its fair share of challenges, but we've also had ample success across all our schools!
Our challenges are not news to anyone as we've talked about them at length. The social/emotional and mental health of our students and staff remains a strong concern across all of our schools. Screen time, bullying and cyberbullying, gaps in social skills, harassment, depression, anxiety are just a few of the issues our schools are challenged by each and every day. On the staff side, long working hours, divisive political climates, and just the sheer weight of the work have been challenging. These are mostly just the relational challenges we face, all of this on top of the challenges of teaching our students the strong academic skills they will need to be successful too! Oh yeah - and did I mention funding and the increasing costs of "doing school"? Nope, there is no shortage of challenges, but the good news is that we know where the solutions to these challenges can be found - and that is within us all - within our strong community!
We know that the solutions to these problems are found within our incredibly talented, caring and passionate staff. They can be found within our supportive and loving families. They can be found within our community organizations, business owners and others who volunteer their time to help our schools and the children we serve. Gorham is a strong community. It is a family. And although at times we may have our differences (as any good family does), at the end of the day we come together to support one another and to wrap our arms around one another to problem solve and lift one another up in support of our children.
Don't think our students feel that support or know that it exists? I go back to results of our most recent MIYHS survey where 92.5% of GMS students and 83.1% of GHS students said that their family loves and supports them (State average was 85% and 79% respectively). In another question students were asked if they felt like they mattered to their community. 61% of GMS and 61% of GHS students said that they did while the state average was 54% for Middle School and 51% for High School students answering in the affirmative for this same question. Bottom line - although they may not sometimes show it - they know we care!
So the good news is that although we have our fair share of challenges moving forward, we also have our fair share of answers for how we address them together! We just need to continue to work together to uncover them!
In more good news - we also have much to celebrate together!
It would be a very long reflection if we tried to share everything here but I think it is fair to say that what we are most proud of has been the work that we have done to fully re-open our schools to our families and to our community this past year! From STEAM nights, to literacy nights, to community picnics, to the Amazing Race, to Aspire Gorham and open houses and everything in between I hope you have seen our concerted effort to engage our incredible community in our important work with students!
All of you have responded by fully participating as well! Our volunteer numbers are almost back up to pre-pandemic times, community events have been well attended, and whenever we as a school need something we know we can reach out to our families and to our community and support will be there! THANK YOU!
Overall, when I think of what we do as a school community to support our school children, it isn't any one glamorous or flashy "big thing". It is all of the "little things" that build up over time that we do to support our children that matter the most. A smile on a bad day. A pat on the back of encouragement when a small failure occurs, or simply saying: I believe in you. These are the little things that make a BIG difference over time.
All of this is evidenced in our annual Senior Walk. This is when our graduating seniors get a chance to go back and visit the "littles" and to celebrate their achievements. This is when former elementary and middle school teachers get to see the "fruits of their labor" come into being in our graduates. This is when we all get to see just how much our children grow and learn over their years with us! Each ed. tech., each bus driver, each teacher, each secretary, each parent, each business partner - all of us - making small contributions along the way to help each individual child succeed. We get to watch each student discover themselves and build pride and confidence in themselves and what they can do. Each with their own special gifts to share with us all.
I know - I know - I've gotten far too "mushy" here - but to me - our senior walk is a walk of pride. It is a culmination of all their hard work, of our hard work as a school community. It is our vision and mission in action! Its the seniors themselves showing pride in who they are, who they have become and who they are yet to be - but also pride for all of us who helped them to get to this point in ways both "big" and "small".
So I think it is only fitting to end my final blog post for this school year by sharing the link to the Class of 2023 Senior Walk Video. When you watch it - check out that sense of pride in our greater Gorham family seen in the reflections of this experience. It is most definitely there!
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