May 2024 volume 10 number 9
Westbrook School Department
Dear Friends,
It's hard to believe that we have begun the final weeks of the school year. Our last day of school is scheduled for Friday, June 14 and it will be a full day of school. There will be lots of end-of-year celebrations including the 8th Grade Promotion Celebration on Thursday, June 13 at 6pm at WPAC and the Graduation Exercises for the WHS Class of 2024 on Saturday, June 8 at 6pm at Merrill Auditorium in Portland. All schools will keep you posted about other special events and celebrations over the next few weeks.
Many of you have been following the school budget process. The School Committee, after making a reduction of $150,224 that was developed in collaboration with city administration who also proposed a reduction of the same amount, adopted the final budget that will be sent to voters at the June 11 referendum in the amount of $51,189,156.13. I am pleased that the budget maintains programs and services and expands our support of all students, particularly those with disabilities and our multilingual learners. Approximately 5% of the budget provides a reserve fund for contract negotiations with our teachers, support staff, and employees with working agreements, many of whose positions are considerably below the market rate as well as increased costs of employee benefits. The budget also includes necessary new positions including special education and multilingual ed techs, intervention teachers at WHS and WMS, a social studies teacher at WHS, and a district curriculum coordinator. Information about the FY25 budget can be found on the school department website. Please vote on June 11!
Thank you to families who participated in School/Family conferences this spring. We had excellent attendance district-wide! A special thanks to anyone who had to reschedule a meeting due to weather conditions in April.
I wish you all a wonderful spring! I look forward to seeing you at upcoming events at our schools. Take care!
Dr. Peter Lancia, Superintendent of Schools
It's Staff Appreciation Week!
Thank you to our entire Westbrook School Department family - our amazing teachers, librarians, nurses, counselors, social workers, therapists, instructional coaches and interventionists, ed techs, noon duty aides, bus and van drivers, bus aides, mechanics, administrative assistants, school nutrition staff, custodians and maintenance workers, technology support technicians, substitutes, coaches and advisors, principals and assistant principals, directors and assistant directors, coordinators, central office staff, and district leadership! They put students first every day and make a huge difference.
Please take a moment to say THANK YOU to our amazing staff during Staff Appreciation Week. Notes, cards, and kind words from families and children mean so much! We all appreciate the kindness and support from our community every day!
Books for Bikes
The Westbrook Masons once again sponsored the Books for Bikes Program at Canal, Congin, and Saccarappa School. Students have been reading dozens of books and entering their names into a raffle for a new bike and helmet. Representatives from the Masons and Westbrook Kiwanis were at our elementary schools last week to present the bikes to the children whose names were drawn at random. Thank you to Alex Stone for organizing this event and to our students who read tons of books.
Celebrating Many Cultures
Westbrook Middle School held its first annual Cultures Week recently which celebrated the many cultures at WMS. Special events included performances by a Ghanan drummer and the WMS Jazz Band, a Heritage Pot Luck dinner sponsored by the 5th graders, and a culture museum sponsored by the 8th graders. What a great way to recognize the many traditions among our students at WMS. Canal School and Westbrook High School also held special events recognizing the many traditions and cultures of their students and staff. From reading books aloud to wearing traditional clothing to creating maps showing where individuals and families have roots, students engaged in activities that honored everybody's unique stories.
Westbrook Staff and Students at National BARR Conference
Westbrook staff and students were featured at the recent national conference for the BARR Center initiative that we have implemented in grades K-12 at all schools. BARR is a system that monitors student growth and development by focusing on strengths and directly teaches students ways to communicate, build community, and support social and emotional wellness. A team from Saccarappa School presented a workshop with other schools who are in their first year of implementation. We are very proud of principal Alexis Jones, teacher Ashley McGahey, and Intervention Strategist Amy Sampson for speaking at such a huge event as well as our students who made a virtual appearance!
MAD SCIENCE
Over 200 students and families attended the Mad Science Night for Canal, Congin, and Saccarappa students last night at the WHS Auditorium. The theme of the evening was Space and students were introduced to a number of hands-on, active activities to learn more about space science. Students attending not only participated in the program but they also received a free book to take home. It was great fun - and even our own elementary STEAM teacher Wendy Gaulrap got into the show! Thank you to our Title I staff, especially Instructional Coach Kellie Hooper-Bressler, for organizing this engaging family event.
Spirit Week at Saccarappa
Our Saccarappa Shining Stars celebrated Spirit Week at the end of April! Can you tell who enjoyed Twin Day, Fancy Day, and Sports Day?
Homework Help at WMS
Homework Help is an after school program where students can work on homework or other assignments if they need a bit of extra time to get work done. Homework Help takes place on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays in the WMS library with Mrs. Walsh, Mrs. Leroux, and Mrs. Bennett until 4:00 pm. Snacks are provided for students when they arrive, and the late bus is available for their ride home at 4:00. Students wanting to attend Homework Help just need to ask a teacher to sign them up before the 2:00 pm daily deadline and should bring all the materials they need to complete their work. Teachers can also assign students if they have missed some completion dates. Homework Help is a positive, supportive environment for our students as they strive to learn new organizational skills, complete outstanding school work or work on a group project with classmates. Some students attend regularly and some just come when needed. At the end of the year, Mrs. Walsh, Mrs. Leroux and Mrs. Bennett throw a party for their hardworking students to celebrate all they accomplished in Homework Help.
Congin Students vs. Staff College Knowledge Challenge
Last month, students challenged their teachers to see who had the most knowledge about college. This was after Congin fourth graders participated in the state College Knowledge competition. After many grueling rounds, the students came out on top! Great job, Cougars!
DRONES!
Westbrook’s STEAM classes, a high school science class, and a WRVC criminal justice class are immersed in hands-on learning about drone technology and have been learning how to fly and use drones. This has been made possible through a Teach With Tech grant from Maine Department of Education. Teachers participated in a two day professional learning workshop in March that provided participants with comprehensive insights into drone operations and applications across diverse fields.
"It's truly inspiring to witness educators so enthusiastic about embracing innovative teaching methodologies," remarked Stuart Noggle, training facilitator and COO of Woz Ed. "The Woz ED drone curriculum is not just about flying drones; it's about fostering critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity among students."
Participants were captivated as they learned how to assemble and operate the drones, many of whom were experiencing this technology for the first time. The enthusiasm among Westbrook educators reflects a broader shift towards embracing innovative teaching methodologies to prepare students for the challenges of tomorrow's world.
After training and flight time, elementary STEAM teacher Wendy Gaulrapp wasted no time in getting the drones into the hands of her students.
“It's incredible to see their curiosity and excitement," she remarked with a smile. "These drones aren't toys; they're tools for learning about aerodynamics, engineering, and even problem-solving. It's a fantastic way to integrate multiple disciplines into one engaging lesson."
By integrating the Woz ED drone curriculum into their classrooms, STEAM educators in Westbrook are not only inspiring the next generation of innovators but also empowering them with the skills necessary to thrive in an increasingly technology-driven society.
These young aviators are poised to soar to even greater heights, fueled by curiosity, collaboration, and a passion for STEAM learning. We’re excited to see this program grow to reach even more Westbrook students in our STEAM classes. Our community is grateful to have passionate educators developing these unique opportunities for students to discover the potential of drone technology and aerial exploration. As one student remarked: "I can’t believe we get to fly these! We’re so lucky! I wish we had a drone class every day!"
WRVC Business Students at Youth Business Summit in NYC
Seven students from Westbrook Regional Vocational Center’s Tech II Business Program (and one former business student) attended the Virtual Enterprise (VE) Youth Business Summit in New York City on April 12, 2024, becoming one of thirty teams - out of more than 230 - to be recognized for their entrepreneurial sales pitch. WRVC business teacher Brenda Dolloff and WHS teacher Jon Whitehead are very proud of how professional and engaged the students were.
Nearly 4800 attendees and approximately 237 “firms” from eight countries took part in this culminating experience of a year-long entrepreneurship program. Throughout the 2023-2024 school year, the students developed a company (recognized as a “firm” in the VE program) called Whip n Dip, participated in four national competitions (elevator pitch, e-commerce website, video commercial, and employee handbook), created social media, applied for a business loan, paid expenses (rent, utilities, payroll, taxes), purchased items from other VE firms, and analyzed their sales by downloading and organizing data using pivot tables, macros, and other Excel functions. By attending the Youth Business Summit, students were provided the opportunity to compete face-to-face with other firms, showcase their trade booth, and generate virtual sales with high school students from various states in the US, as well as Brazil, Austria, Indonesia, Germany, Bulgaria, Bermuda, and Romania.
Mustafa S., one of seven WRVC seniors who attended the Summit, said of his experience, “It was great and I really enjoyed it. I think VE should be offered to all students because it is very fun and a great opportunity to learn something new and helpful.” Tom L. enjoyed the Summit as well. “It was great to meet so many new people and learn about their businesses. It was also great to spend time with our classmates and get to know each other as well as we did.”
Whip ‘n Dip offered a simplified, unique food delivery system that would transform life on school campuses. The service offers a practical solution, bringing food directly to students and faculty via secure, code-bearing temperature-controlled lockers located outside on school campuses. To learn more about WRVC’s “virtual enterprise” point your browser to https://whipndip.wixsite.com/website.
Several of the students remarked on the usefulness of offering Virtual Enterprise experiences in all high schools. Lily D. found the coursework and Summit to be a valuable opportunity: “I really enjoyed the experience and the amount of things that we got to see and do. I definitely think that VE should be offered in all high schools; it was a great experience.” Jean Pierre O-M. echoed Lily’s enthusiasm, saying, “It was truly valuable, and I learned a lot. I strongly recommend offering VE as an elective for all high school students.”
The trip was funded by various sources supporting entrepreneurship education, student contributions, and a class fundraiser. Generous donations/grants for the program in the past few years were from Maine Technology Institute, Gorham Savings Bank, Saco & Biddeford Savings Bank, Unum, and Sappi.
Our Top 10%
Congratulations to our highest achieving students, the Top 10%, in the Class of 2024! They were recently honored at a banquet at WHS. We are very proud of them!
Teaching and Learning in Westbrook
What are Maine Accountability Assessments?
Every year, students in grades 3-8 and 11 take the state accountability assessment called the Maine Through Year Assessment. It is like a checkup for your child's learning journey. It marks progress during the school year and helps teachers see how well your child is doing in reading and math (and in some grades science) and where they might need extra help. It's kind of like a regular check up. In Maine we use a revised version of NWEA which students have been doing at least twice a year in Westbrook for over a decade. During the assessment, students respond to questions that reflect grade level content as well as personal growth. After the assessment, we are able to see how your child is doing, how they compare to grade level peers, and what we can do to help them learn even better. It's like a little roadmap to help your child succeed in school. Please encourage your child to try their hardest on the assessment so that they can demonstrate learning and showcase the outstanding work our teachers and students do every day. This assessment is just one measure of a full assessment profile that includes other formal and informal assessments to document learning.
Equity and Opportunity in our Schools
The Westbrook School Department provides interpreter services. If you would like to request an interpreter for a meeting or require translation of a school form or document, call the administrative Offices at 207-854-0800. After you are connected, please say the requested language and provide your name and telephone number. A staff person will return your call with an interpreter.
An important part of our work is to provide opportunities for students to recognize, honor, and celebrate each other's cultures ad traditions. All of our schools have different ways to do this, including special events and programs. One way is to acknowledge where we all come from. We all come from different places, some close to Westbrook and some from other parts of the world. Students are genuinely interested in each other's heritage and the cultures, values, and customs associated with it. Customs may include food, celebrations and holidays, religious traditions and rituals, clothing, dance and music, stories and literature, sayings, games, and family activities, practices, and rules. We all have traditions and it is important to share them.
WE'RE HIRING
There are several open positions for the 2024-25 school year! Please visit our school website for more information and a link to the application process. Spread the word - be part of the Westbrook School Department!
