October 2024 volume 11 number 3
Westbrook School Department
Dear Friends,
What a great year we have been having! Students are engaged in learning in our classrooms as well as in many extracurricular activities. We have a renewed focus on foundational literacy and math skills, especially in grades K-8, and we are already seeing good results. I am pleased that our Average Daily Attendance has been consistently at or above 93% across the district every week this year. Still, I would like to see that average at or above 95%. Of course, illness and other reasons sometimes prevent school attendance, and that is understandable. However we are here to help prevent chronic absenteeism with various interventions and supports. If students must be absent for an extended period, an absence that is greater than three days, please contact your school principal, counselor, or nurse to discuss a plan to strengthen regular attendance or to make up missed school work. Together we can boost attendance which boosts learning and achievement, and engagement.
Families, if you have already updated your student's contact information for the new school year, thank you! If you have not done so, please contact your school office. It is important to keep phone numbers and email addresses up to date especially as we enter months where school cancellations are possible due to weather. It also helps us in emergency situations when we need to contact families. Please be sure to list primary contacts as well as emergency contacts. Thank you!
School/Family conferences are coming up in November. We look forward to seeing you. Please sign up for an appointment when contacted to do so. Many families find it helpful to prepare for conferences. Some parents ask their children about how school is going for them and set goals for growth and progress. Teachers will have lots of information to share and are eager to dialogue about ways to support their students!
Take care,
Dr. Peter Lancia, Superintendent of Schools
WMS Outdoor Education Featured on Channel 8 News
Westbrook Middle School staff and students were recently featured on the WMTW news for the ways they incorporate outdoor education into the general curriculum. The story featured the school's raised beds, orchard, and greenhouse and highlighted how students are engaged in agriculture as well as learning outside of the classroom. Social worker Austin Melhorne leads much of this work. The school recently received a grant to promote outdoor education at WMS and across the district. His work compliments the gardens at Saccarappa that were established over 10 years ago and the greenhouse at WHS that is part of the COMPAS alternative program. The news story can be viewed at this link on the WMTW website.
Saccarappa's Harvest!
Saccarappa School has had a garden and greenhouse for over ten years! Thanks to the hard work of retired teachers Guyla Woodbey and Linda Bois, the garden has involved many students and classes in class and through the Garden Club, as well as former students, families, and community members. Recently, Alyssa Dolley's third graders harvested 11 lbs of potatoes, 11 lbs of delicata squash, 4 lbs of summer squash and 5 lbs of eggplant from the school garden. Then they weighed and added up each type of vegetable. Great work!
MBDA Band Competition at Westbrook
Westbrook High School hosted the annual Maine Band Directors Association Band Show and Competition on Saturday, October 5 at historic Olmstead Field. Eight bands from around New England participated in the event with 2000 spectators. Our own Blue Blazes Marching band performed so well with their show LegacyI designed as a tribute to one of our marching band instructors Jeff Smith who passed away in 2023. Click HERE to see the performance. What a spectacular night it was, showcasing the talent of students and the power of music education in Westbrook, throughout Maine, and across New England.
We are pleased to offer Flu Clinics in our schools again this fall. Information has been sent home. For more information, please contact your school nurse.
Canal, Thursday, October 17th 10:30-12:00 p.m.
Congin, Monday, 10/21 11:00am-12:30
Saccarappa, Friday, 10/18 9:00 am - 11:00 am
WMS, Mon, 10/21 8:30-10:30am
WHS, Thursday 10/17 8:00 am- 10:00 am
WHS Art Students Display Learning and Art at The Tate House
We are proud to announce that Westbrook High School and the Tate House Museum in Portland have collaborated on a unique exhibit that showcases the exemplary work of WHS Sculpture 1 students. Student artists learned about the Maliseet, Micmac, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot Nations, whose land we gather on and occupy. Students delved into research around the historical, cultural, and spiritual importance of woven baskets created by people of the Wabanaki, including research around the Black Ash Tree, how it is harvested, and how it then transforms into intricate baskets. Each work in this collection extends further than the technique, bringing out snippets of student voice through the use of color, material, and shape.
We want to acknowledge the work of Passamaquoddy artist, activist, and educator Geo Neptune who inspired students to step “beyond” in their own work. Westbrook High School sculpture teacher Charlotte Caron connected with the Tate House Museum in late Spring 2024 shortly after the baskets were completed. This connection aims to introduce students to important and relevant history in the Stroudwater area of Westbrook and Portland. This opportunity is also, for many students, the first time they are exhibiting their artwork outside of the walls of the high school. The exhibit opened on October 6 at the Tate House, 1267 Westbrook Street, Portland. Congratulations on this outstanding work!
Weather at Your School at Canal
THANK YOU to WMTW Meteorologist Ted McInerney who was at Canal School for Weather at Your School on September 25. Our students and staff always enjoy spending time with and learning from him, and even getting to school before sunrise to join him on the morning news broadcast. We appreciate the partnership with our neighbors at WMTW!
The Power of YET
Students in grades 2-4 have been learning about Growth Mindset and perseverance in STEAM classes. STEAM focuses on science, technology, engineering, arts, and math skills in a constructivist, problem solving setting. They have been exploring "The Power of Yet", meaning that we are always learning, always striving, always persevering. While we may not be able to do something right now, we know that it is only temporary. Rather than simply saying, "I can't do this" or "I don't know how to do that," if we add the word "yet, we are reminded that we will be able to do it one day. Students and teachers read a book The Magical Yet by Angela Diterlizzi. In the book the main character discovered she could gain confidence to try again when failure occurs. Students drew a blueprint of what might encourage them to work through frustration to try again. Afterwards they had fun building these creations. This display is from Congin School.
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.
Also, Reach My Teach, the Westbrook Schools website, and this newsletter may be read in multiple languages. Simply select your preferred language in settings and content will be translated.
Hispanic Heritage Month
Hispanic Heritage Month was observed across the United States from September 12-October 14. It celebrated the cultures and histories of people with heritage from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. It was also a way to honor the many achievements and contributions by Hispanic people in the United States and around the world.
In Westbrook, our school nutrition program and Hannah Moore, our food corps member, held "cilantro taste tests" at each elementary school as a way to celebrate Hispanic culture. This has provided Hannah and myself an opportunity to share a bit about Hispanic Heritage Month. Students and teachers also read many books, played music, shared history, and studied language. Some ways that we can recognize Hispanic Heritage Month and extend beyond these days is to play latin music, read books, and watch videos about influential Hispanic/Latino figures. This is an opportunity to make our Hispanic/Latin American students/colleagues feel seen and valued!
Here are some resources you may find helpful and interesting in recognizing Hispanic heritage.
https://www.pbs.org/parents/hispanic-heritage-month
https://www.crayola.com/free-coloring-pages/print/hispanic-heritage-month-coloring-page/
Teaching and Learning in Westbrook
What is the Maine Through Year Assessment?
Assessing student learning is an essential aspect of education, as it provides data that can lead to improved instruction and outcomes. The Maine Department of Education has developed a Comprehensive Assessment System (MECAS). It provides information about the academic progress of students, schools, the state, and the nation as a whole. The MECAS includes state assessments, known as the Maine Educational Assessments, as well as national and international assessments.
Assessments take many forms, and each type of assessment has distinct value and purpose. In a balanced assessment system like ours, state and national assessments are one “piece of the puzzle." Daily school work, independent reading ability, achievement of IEP goals, and developing language proficiency, as well as engagement with school, attendance, and conduct, are also indicators of student success.
Maine uses NWEA, an achievement test we have used in Westbrook for over 20 years, as the Through Year Assessment. While we assess all students in grades K-10, the results for grades 3-8 and 10 are reported and monitored for both achievement and growth. Assessments are given in Fall and Spring in order to calculate growth. Our students have been completing these tests over the last few weeks and will be wrapping them up soon. Thank you to our students for showing outstanding effort on the assessments.
Automotive Technology at WRVC
Did you know that the Automotive Technology students and staff at WRVC run a service center? Students not only learn about how to change oil, make repairs, and conduct safety inspections, they also learn about how to run a business, keep track of orders, and the importance of customer service. Recently Mr. Hiltz's students were thoroughly engaged while learning about two-stroke and four-stroke engines with wet and dry sumps and Mr. Waldren modeled for his students how to use the drill press safely.
CROSSING GUARD NEEDED
Do you have a few hours every school day to assist students in crossing Cumberland Street on the way to Congin School? Please consider working as a CROSSING GUARD. The Westbrook Police Department hires, trains, and supervises crossing guards. To apply, visit this LINK on the City of Westbrook's website. For more information, please contact Captain Steve Goldberg at WPD.
WE'RE HIRING
There are still a handful of open positions for the 2024-25 school year along with Substitutes! 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!
