Welcome to another exciting school year in the Gorham Schools! I hope your family has had a positive start and that our students are settling into the familiar routines, strong relationships, and exceptional opportunities that a new year brings. Now that our Kindergarten students started earlier this past week, our family is complete! We are grateful to have our students back in classrooms and our school community together again!
Throughout the year, I’ll use these biweekly blog posts to help keep you connected to what is happening across our district. I will share things like important updates and upcoming events, celebrations, highlights, and opportunities to get involved. Our schools are busy places, and I hope these posts provide a quick, helpful window into the great work happening every day as we continue to prepare and inspire all students for their future success.
Each post will begin with photos from across our schools, offering a quick glimpse of the learning, activities, and experiences our students enjoy every day. From there, I’ll share important updates and information, organized by topic with clear headlines and visuals, so it's easy to find what you need.
Based on feedback from families last year, I’m also adding a “topics list” feature at the top of each post so you can quickly see what’s included and jump directly to the topics that interest you most. Of course, you can always just keep scrolling until something catches your eye! And, as always, if you have questions or would like additional information about anything you read, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at heather.perry@gorhamschools.org. I’m always happy to hear from you! ☺
Now for some opening-of-school photos to share...
As we start a new school year, I always like to take a moment to remind families about the IMPORTANCE of School Attendance. These habits are established early in life and early in the school year and can make a HUGE positive difference in our students' success in school and beyond. As my father used to say: "In order to get THERE (whatever I wanted to do), you have to be HERE (present and fully invested). School, like life, requires no less commitment for success!
- Did you know? Missing just 2 days of school per month can result in a student being chronically absent—missing nearly 10% of the school year.
- Did you know? Students who are chronically absent in the early grades are less likely to read proficiently by the end of third grade, an important milestone for future academic success.
- Did you know? By middle and high school, attendance strongly predicts whether a student will stay on track for graduation.
- Did you know? Research shows that chronic absenteeism is associated with lower academic achievement in both reading and mathematics—and the impact can grow as missed instructional time accumulates.
- Did you know? Students with high rates of absenteeism are at greater risk of disengaging from school and ultimately dropping out.
The statements above are not "scare tactics"; they are based on years of research showing the importance of school attendance to academic success. But we don't need a bunch of research to tell us this. We know from our own life experiences and common sense that we get out of experiences (big or small) what we put into them, and if we aren't present, we aren't contributing to our success as well as we could be!
So what can we do together? I’ve included links below to two resources (one geared toward elementary-aged children and another for middle and high school students) with practical ideas for supporting strong attendance habits. Most importantly, please know that you are not alone in this work. If your child is struggling to attend school regularly for any reason, reach out to us. Talk with your child’s teacher, counselor, social worker, or school administrator so we can better understand what may be getting in the way and work together to find solutions. Strong attendance isn’t simply a family responsibility or a school responsibility. Strong attendance is a shared responsibility. When we all work together to help our students be HERE (engaged, connected, and ready to learn), we give them the best opportunity to get THERE (wherever their hopes and dreams may take them)!
Thank you!
- Middle School/High School Attendance Flyer
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS IN OUR SCHOOLS...
Planning for emergencies in our schools is certainly no one’s favorite topic, but few responsibilities are more important than ensuring we are prepared to keep our students and staff safe when the unexpected occurs while in school.
Our schools do a great deal behind the scenes to prepare for a wide range of emergency situations. We train, we practice, we review our procedures, we work closely with our community safety partners, and continually learn from our experiences whenever and however they may occur. We know we can't possibly prepare for every detail of every potential situation, but I want you to know we work hard to try!
Because this work is such a regular part of what we do, we sometimes forget that the language and procedures that are familiar to our staff may not be familiar to our families. Over the next few blog posts, I want to help change that by sharing more about how we prepare, respond, and communicate with you when an emergency occurs.
For this first post, I want to focus on language. If you receive a message from us saying that a school has entered a “Secure,” “Hold,” or another emergency response status, you should know exactly what that means. During an emergency, clear communication matters, and understanding our shared language ahead of time can help us all respond with greater confidence and calm. These are two key ingredients to any successful response.
The Gorham Schools use "Standard Language Protocols (SLP's) to communicate during any emergency response situation. These SLP's were developed by the "I Love You Guys Foundation" and are used in schools across the country. Please see the poster below that shows each term with explanations and examples of when they might be used:
Generally, when are these various terms used, one might ask...
Hold – Used when we need hallways clear (e.g., medical emergency).
Secure – A potential threat outside the school; operations continue indoors.
Lockdown – A potential threat inside the school; students and staff follow A.L.I.C.E. safety options.
Evacuate – Everyone leaves the building (e.g., fire alarm, gas smell).
Shelter – Used for severe weather, chemical spills, or other hazards.
That's a quick rundown of the key terms we use and when we use them. Please don't feel like there will be a quiz or anything on them, but feel free to hang onto that digital poster for future reference. We will do our best to use plain language in our communications, but if you see some of these terms pop up, hopefully you will better understand what they mean.
We begin fire/evacuation drills right off the bat with students early in the year, so you may hear students talking about this soon. I'll share more in my next blog, where I'll focus on how/when the district communicates with these kinds of issues and what, as a parent/family member, you can do to help when emergencies may arise.
VOLUNTEERING IN THE GORHAM SCHOOLS
One of the things that makes the Gorham Schools such a special place is the incredible support our students receive each and every day from the dedicated people in our schools. These aren't just employees. This includes Volunteers too! They are members of our community who give generously of their time and talents to support our students. We absolutely love our staff AND we also absolutely love our volunteers!
Volunteers make a difference! Volunteer readers, field trip volunteers, volunteers who support special events and activities, or those who come in to share a career skill and everything in between! Every single contribution (Big or small) strengthens our schools. Just as importantly, when students see parents, grandparents, neighbors, and community members spending time in their schools, they receive a powerful message: what happens here matters, and therefore YOU matter.
Volunteering also strengthens the partnership between our schools and our community. It gives families a window into our students' daily experiences. It builds stronger relationships with our staff and reminds all of us that educating our children is truly a shared community responsibility.
And here's the best part—you don't need to have hours and hours of free time to make a difference! There are many ways to get involved, and even a small investment of time can meaningfully impact our students and schools.
So...how do you get started? I'm glad you asked!
1. CLICK HERE to go to our Volunteer Page on our website and review the information found there.
2. At the bottom of that page, click on and complete the registration form for the school or schools you would like to volunteer at. Submit that registration form once completed.
3. Wait for an email from our volunteer coordinator, Kelli Reed, who will send you the link to required orientation materials and clear next steps.
If you have volunteered in the past, please keep in mind that this registration process is ANNUAL, so you need to do it each year. It is pretty quick and painless though - promise!
That's it! Please feel free to share with others who you know might be interested! I hope to see you in our schools soon!☺
SUBSTITUTES NEEDED - HELP US SPREAD THE WORD!
Do you know someone who enjoys working with students and might be interested in making a difference in the Gorham Schools? Please help us spread the word!
This fall, we are offering a Substitute Teacher Training Course designed to help community members build the skills and confidence needed to step into our classrooms and support our students and staff. The course will be held October 26, 27 & 29 from 5:00–7:00 p.m. at the Gorham Central Office. Participants who successfully complete the course will also be eligible for a wage differential when working as substitutes.
Our current rates are:
- Certified teachers - $150.00/Day
- Those who have completed the course - $140.00/day
- All other subs (HS Diploma required) - $125.00/day
Great substitute teachers are an important part of keeping our schools running strong, and you don't have to be a teacher to make a positive impact!
Interested? See the flyer below for registration information, or contact Gorham Adult Education at adulted@gorhamschools.org or 207-222-1095.
Even if this opportunity isn't for you, please share it broadly with friends, neighbors, family members, and community groups. You may know just the person we're looking for!
SCHOOL BOND REFERENDUM ON NOVEMBER 3. LOCAL BALLOT!
Last year, the Gorham School Committee submitted three applications for state-funded school construction projects—one each for Gorham High School, Narragansett Elementary School, and Village Elementary School. A total of 95 applications were submitted statewide. None of Gorham’s projects were selected for funding, with our highest-ranked application placing 16th. Historically, available state funding has supported only a small number of the highest-ranked projects.
Knowing that significant state funding was unlikely in the immediate future, the School Committee and Town Council worked together to revisit the district’s Ten-Year Facilities Capital Plan and determine how to address our most pressing facility needs locally.
That work was informed by our two most recent comprehensive facilities studies—conducted by CHA and LaVallee Brensinger Architects—which identified and prioritized needs across our school facilities. Based on those findings, the revised Ten-Year Facilities Capital Plan identifies additional investment at Gorham High School as the next major priority, followed by other identified needs across the district.
Consistent with that plan, the School Committee presented a proposed capital bond to the Gorham Town Council this summer and requested that it be placed before voters. The Town Council voted 7–0 to send the proposal to referendum.
As a result, Gorham voters will see the following question on the November 3 ballot:
PROJECT 1: Parking, Sidewalk & ADA Improvements
Address drainage issues in the main GHS parking lot; repair deteriorated sidewalks and pavement around the building; and improve ADA accessibility, particularly in areas where aging pavement currently makes wheelchair access difficult.
PROJECT 2: Replacement of Aging Modular Classrooms
Remove the 30+ year-old modular classrooms behind GHS and replace them with six classrooms through a second phase of the newer modular expansion. This would maintain needed classroom capacity while replacing aging structures before significant failure requires a more costly emergency response.
PROJECT 3: Building Envelope & Energy Improvements
Replace aging windows and exterior doors and make other improvements to strengthen the GHS building envelope. The last major renovation occurred in 1994, and not all windows and doors were replaced then. These improvements are intended to extend the useful life of the building envelope while also improving energy efficiency.
For more detailed information on each project, you can CLICK HERE to view the memo sent to the Town Council, which provides background information on each project and as much design information as is possible to share at this point in the process.
Over the next several weeks, I will send more information to help community members better understand the need for these projects and what the work will entail. I encourage anyone with questions to please reach out to me directly. Otherwise, keep an eye out for some "one-pagers" that will be coming out soon to help inform your decision-making at the polls in November. Thank you!
SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 - REMEMBERING 25 YEARS LATER
This September 11 marks 25 years since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. A day that forever changed our nation and the lives of countless families and communities.
For many of us, September 11 is not just history. We remember where we were. We remember watching the events unfold. We remember the uncertainty, the fear, and the profound sadness of the days that followed. We remember the nearly 3,000 lives that were lost and the extraordinary courage of first responders, public servants, and everyday citizens who ran toward danger to help others. As a Community, We REMEMBER.
For our students, however, September 11 is something very different. Even our oldest students today were born years after the attacks. To them, 9/11 is history.
And that is why remembering together (as families, educators, neighbors, and a community) matters.
As time passes and lived experiences become history, communities play an important role in carrying their stories and lessons forward. Together, we help younger generations understand what happened in developmentally appropriate ways, but we also help them understand why we remember. We remember those whose lives were lost. We honor those who served and sacrificed. And we reflect on the moments of courage, compassion, unity, and humanity that emerged from an extraordinarily difficult time.
As we mark this 25th anniversary, I hope we can remember together and recommit ourselves to the values we want our children to carry forward—values also reflected in our Gorham Schools Code of Conduct: Courage, Respect, Honesty, Compassion, and Responsibility, as well as a willingness to come together when it matters most. Gorham has always demonstrated these values, and by remembering important milestones such as this, we will continue to do so.
Twenty-five years later, perhaps that is one of the most meaningful ways we can honor September 11? We can honor by remembering together and ensuring that history's lessons are not lost.
SOME CALENDAR REMINDERS AND CLOSING THOUGHTS...
As I close out this first blog post, I wanted to share a few calendar reminders, since I know things get really hectic as we transition back to school. Here are a few key dates/reminders you may want to keep in mind as we build our routines and get rollin'...
- Remember, it takes a few weeks for our bus routes to get solid, so please keep being a little early for pickup and drop-off times and keep your BusRight app handy! Things should smooth out pretty quickly from here, but it's best to be prepared just in case for a little while longer.
- There is NO SCHOOL on Monday, Sept. 7 due to the Labor Day Holiday.
- Our first Early Release Day will be Wednesday, Sept. 12. Early Release schedules are: GHS (11:00), GMS (11:10), Great Falls, Narragansett, and Village Elem. Schools (12:00 p.m.).
- For PK Families, it is important to know that on Early Release days there is NO SCHOOL (either a.m. or p.m. sessions).
You should be getting weekly updates from your school principals each week with lots and lots more details about what is happening at the school level. If you ever have questions, please reach out to your school's teacher or office, and we will always do our best to help.
In closing, and as we wrap up these first few days of the new school year, I simply want to say THANK YOU. Thank you for the trust you place in us each day, for the many ways you support your children, and for being such important partners in our schools. A great school system is built through strong relationships among students, staff, families, and our broader community. We are incredibly fortunate to have that here in Gorham. We are off to a GREAT start, and I look forward to all that we will accomplish together this year as we continue to prepare and inspire our students for their future success!
