Did you know that Westbrook has a comprehensive K-12 STEAM program? Students explore science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics in STEAM classes and in content courses in life, physical, and Earth and space science, including honors, advanced placement, early college, and Career and Technical Education.

Dear Friends,

I am always humbled to hear families, students, and employees, especially those new to Westbrook, say that our school community is welcoming. We work hard every day to hear all voices and see all people, recognizing their talents, needs, and contribution to our schools. Our district theme this year is "I belong here" and, as I have said before, I truly hope that every person can say that with conviction. Belonging is a step beyond feeling welcome. Belonging means that you contribute, you see your place in the community, you make a difference. There is a comfort and confidence in belonging as well as a responsibility to helping the community grow. As we continue through this year, let's all embrace our roles in the community and work together to achieve our One Promise: The best education for all, for life.

There's lots of information in this newsletter! This month will begin to name "Westbrook Points of Pride," people and programs that exemplify the very best in public education in our community and beyond. You will read about our Visual Art Department and Music Department, both of which are truly "points of pride" in the Westbrook Schools. They are two of our signature program that provide engaging and rigorous opportunities for students to learn and shine.

You will also read about the importance of foundational skills and strategies in the learning process, especially in literacy and numeracy in early learning. We have worked hard to revise our elementary programs to incorporate more targeted instruction in phonics, phonemic awareness, and number sense and I am pleased to say that this work is beginning to pay off with students making solid progress. A comprehensive approach to literacy and numeracy is essential in all schools. I am honored to say that I have been asked to lead a state-wide Literacy Advisory Council by the Maine Department of Education that will consider approaches to literacy learning in order to strengthen student progress across the state. There is a similar Math Advisory Council forming as well. Both councils are forming in response to Governor Mills' and Commissioner Makin's commitment to improving student achievement. I look forward to learning from this opportunity and sharing information here at home.

We are so proud of our students, our schools, and the traditions they represent. Recently a group of alumni has begun to form the Westbrook High School Alumni Association. Look for them on Facebook and find out how to join and continue to show your Blue Blazes pride. The Westbrook Education Foundation has also been launched and held a fantastic "soft launch" event at the end of September. Stay tuned for more about the WEF and how it will support our schools through community engagement. There is a national speaker and author, Diana Graber, coming to WMS at the end of the month for a presentation about children and the use of technology. We hope to see you!

We have so many exciting stories to tell! Thanks for being connected to the Westbrook Schools!

Take care,

Dr. Peter Lancia, Superintendent of Schools

Our WHS Seniors held a special event at which they met the Kindergarteners from Canal, Congin, and Saccarappa. The event was held on historic Olmstead Field. Our oldest and youngest students walked across the field and met at the 50 yard line. Senior presented the kindergarteners with a special t-shirt and spent some time talking together about what they liked about school. What a great time when the Class of 2026 met the Class of 2038! A number of families attended as well, further honoring our Westbrook legacy and community pride! Go Blazes! Thank you to Athletics Director Mark Campbell and staff at WHS, the elementary schools, and transportation for making this possible. Thank you also to American Roots for donating the shirts as well as special sweatshirts for school staff.

It almost that time! School / Family Conferences will be held in November at all of our schools. In the next week or so, schools will be sending information about scheduling meetings with teachers and school staff. Throughout the district, we will be using Reach My Teach to help us schedule appointments this year. Interpreters are available for families who request them. We will work to accommodate all schedules. Please schedule your conferences early as appointment times are limited and fill quickly. Be sure to notify the school office if you need to reschedule. While conferences are brief, they are important opportunities to discuss progress, celebrate success, and set goals. We look forward to meeting with families to discuss your students and the work they are doing at school.

Miss Doherty's students at Congin School love to read and Miss Doherty loves to create special activities to engage her students. On a recent Friday, the students had "Flashlight Friday" where they set up their classroom like a campsite and read by using a personal flashlight. The kids read all kinds of books, from biographies and science to mysteries and fantasy. Some read independently while others read along with Miss Doherty. They read for almost an hour. What a great way to spend fun Friday with extra reading time!

Cybersecurity and Computer Science / Multimedia at WRVC

Tech I (first year) students in both Cybersecurity and in Computer Science & Multimedia programs are diving into the world of innovation. With instructors Rob Jaime and David Field leading the way, our students are developing critical skills in problem solving and digital defense. These are newly formatted programs this year as WRVC explores student interest, industry needs, and new pathways for careers of the future.

Our students won a blue ribbon at the Cumberland Fair for their produce and display! The Garden Club, under the guidance of retired teachers Guyla Woodbrey and Linda Bois and fourth grade teacher Lindy Hankins, meets before school every week to tend the garden and manage their business which sells produce to our School Nutrition program. The garden is entirely grant funded and has expanded to include a fully functioning greenhouse with running water, several raised beds, benches and other seating, and a perimeter fence. The latest project is to install a watering system. The Garden Club and the garden, behind the school on the corner of Bernadette Street and Huntress Avenue, has been growing for over 20 years!

Guess what word Kindergarten students in Mrs. Downing's class at Congin School have been learning? The word 'can' is an important sight word, a word that can be read and spelled quickly and accurately. Not only does it reaffirm our lessons in confidence and hard work (our daily Learning Targets are often written as "I can..." statements), it also helps practice phonics with an common base for reading other words (words like like man and fan as well as standing and land.) By the end of Kindergarten, students will have learned about 100 words by sight.

Gifted and Talented Art Students in our elementary schools have been working with students from Maine College of Art and Design, exploring concepts and skills and a more advanced level in addition to their general weekly art class. Students from MECAD aspire to be art teachers. In fact several of our art teachers are either alumni or are enrolled as graduate students in art and art education programs. We are fortunate to have such a rich ongoing partnership with such a magnificent college of art.

Westbrook has a storied tradition in arts education. Our music program is legendary, engaging hundreds of students every year in choral and instrumental music in band and choir classes, individual lessons and labs, and advanced classes in theory and composition as well as extracurricular activities like our gold standard WHS Blue Blazes Marching Band and Color Guard and our Chamber Singers. WHS consistently achieves perfect scores at competitions, the only school to do so, and their shows are technically complicated, musically complex, and visually stunning. Students audition for and are accepted into honors festivals, some more than one, and demonstrate their commitment through concerts and other performance opportunities. Our music educators are leaders in their field, teaching other educators through their methods, serving as guest conductors at honors festivals, managing festivals as leaders in their professional associations, performing in local venues, and leading area choirs. Director Suzanne Proulx was honored as Maine Music Educational Leader of the Year.

Similarly, our Visual Art program provides a comprehensive approach to art education through direct instruction and opportunities to explore in all grade levels in various media. Our elementary program provides foundational skills and experience that lead to our middle school program which helps students refine skills and appreciate the role of art in their lives. Our high school program offers classes in 2 and 3 dimensional media including painting and sculpture, digital arts, and photography. Students take advanced classes including Advances Placement which involves the development of a professional portfolio. We work closely with Maine College of Art and Design, hosting interns (who often become Westbrook teachers) and guest artists who work with students. Students exhibit at their schools every day with displays throughout the elementary schools, the central hallway at WMS, and the third floor gallery in the Art Wing at WHS. They also submit pieces to community venues including the Portland Museum of Art and Westbrook City Hall as well as competitive shows including the Westbrook Women's Club Annual Art Show. Our teachers are leaders in their fields, including Director Dr. Rachel Somerville who also serves as an Associate Professor and chair of Art Education at MECA and D in Portland and HS Art Teacher Matt Johnson who serves as Past President of the Maine Art Education Association and was Maine Art Educator of the Year. The K-12 faculty also hosted a regional professional development day with workshops for 75 art teachers from districts across Cumberland County.

Both programs reach across the curriculum such as incorporating diverse pieces and artists throughout the music programs, developing units on Wabanaki history and environmental studies through visual art. We are proud of our programs, our student artists and musicians, and their gifted teachers. We are pleased to promote them as "Points of Pride" in our schools.

October 13- 17 is National School Lunch Week! Westbrook has a fantastic program and we serve thousands of delicious, creative meals every week. Lunch menu choices include popular meals such as chicken nuggets, pizza, and mac and cheese as well as innovative entrees including falafel, burrito bowls, and jalapeno meatballs. We serve gluten free and vegan choices as well as a salad bar and a la carte sandwiches and other items at WMS and WHS. There are even taste tests of different sauces, potential new menu items, and traditional foods from various cultures. Breakfast is served every day with hot and cold offerings, milk, and juice. We are fortunate to live in Maine where all students are offered meals for free of charge, and we are thankful to our State Legislature and Governor for supporting this initiative. Thank you to our cooks and kitchen staff as well as nutrition staff Kelli Bourgeois, Food Corps member Hannah Moore, and our amazing Director Mary Emerson for taking such good care of us!

Thank you to our families whose students ride school buses. Your patience is always appreciated as we made adjustments to routes at the start of the year. The Transportation Department is always busy place. Not only do our drivers bring children to and from school, staff also transport students to special purpose schools out of the district and students who are eligible for homeless support services. We also transport students on curriculum related field trips including industry and work site visits for WRVC students and college visits for students enrolled in our Jobs for Maine Graduates program. Drivers deliver in-district mail and help with recess and lunch duty at some of our schools. We appreciate the hard work of Director Melissa Foye and our dedicated team of bus and van drivers, bus aides, our mechanic, and office staff. October 20 - 24 is National School Bus Week. It is a good week to review expectations on the school bus and bus stop. It is also an opportunity to remind everyone on the road to respect school buses, especially to stop when red lights are flashing and the STOP sign is extended. Together we can promote bus safety! Please take a moment to remind your child to say thank you to their driver and let them know how much you appreciate their commitment to safety.

Calling all graduates of Westbrook High School! We are excited to announce the launch of te Westbrook High School Alumni Association. Join the database to be connected to classmates and the Blue Blazes Community! For more information, visit their site on Facebook.   Whether you, your family members, or friends graduated last year or many years ago, WE NEED YOU!

Students were recognized as Coyote Kids for being safe, kind, responsible, and respectful in all areas plus trying their best on their work and having good attendance. Principal Vickie Hebert presented awards in each classroom. Nice job Coyotes!

Recently, WMTW News 8 Meteorologist Ted McInerny broadcast the morning weather and held assemblies at both Congin School and Saccarappa School! Thank you to everyone who came out before dawn and to our neighbors at Channel 8!

News at Westbrook Middle School

Stay up to date about the great things happening at Westbrook Middle School with principal Dr. Boursaw's weekly newsletter! Read the most recent newsletter at this link.

Foundational skills and strategies are essential to learning. They build a solid base for future learning and develop alongside complex content and concepts in all subject areas. Foundational skills in literacy and numeracy are particularly essential, especially in the early grades. Learning the alphabet and the sounds that letters make are essential for early readers. In addition, knowing many words by sight builds fluency and makes reading more automatic. It supports writing and spelling as well. In math, identifying and writing numbers and understanding that a number represent a quantity and is in a counting sequence also builds a solid understanding for future learning in math. Our elementary schools incorporate skills and strategies throughout the school day along with opportunities to develop comprehension, solve problems, and make meaning. As an example, students is Mrs. Gundersdorf's Kindergarten class at Canal practice the alphabet by reading alphabet picture books, counting with cubes, and writing numbers with iPads and paper and pencil practice. She also works with small groups of children targeting specific skills and strategies. Lessons and activities like this happen at all of our schools. Practice at home helps build a solid foundation, especially through games, reading aloud, and writing simple notes and messages.

Westbrook School Department

One Promise: The best education for all, for life.

Dr. Peter Lancia, Superintendent of Schools

www.westbrookschools.org

wsd@westbrookschools.org