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RSU 57 Community Newsletter

May 1, 2023

RSU 57 CommunityNewsletterMay 1, 2023
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Message from the Superintendent

Dear RSU 57 Community,


A happy May Day to all of you. We’ve said goodbye to April and hoping that May brings with it more sunshine and warmer days. I hope that this newsletter finds all of you well.


This is a busy time of year in our RSU 57 schools. In the month of May our spring athletics at MHS and MMS are in full swing and there are a number of athletic contests happening each day. I wish all our student-athletes the best of luck as their seasons progress. Additionally, our end of year assessments in math, literacy and science will be administered to students in each of our schools. These assessments provide our teachers and administrators with invaluable information to assess not only the learning our students have demonstrated over the course of the school year, but also for our schools to identify areas in which our curriculum and teaching focus might need changes in order to best serve students moving forward.


In addition to all of these happenings, for our 12th grade students the month of May is particularly busy. Students will be completing their final coursework and preparing themselves for graduation set for June 8th at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland. Between now and then there will be our spring high school Prom and there will be a senior class trip. I encourage our seniors to finish their educational careers in RSU 57 on a strong note through working hard all the way past the finish line and by making responsible decisions during their free time so that they can be safe and not put at risk all they have worked so hard to achieve.


Lastly, I want to remind our community that this evening at 7pm in the Massabesic High School Auditorium the RSU 57 Strategic Planning Committee will be hosting a Community Forum designed to get feedback around the future goals and initiatives of RSU 57. The National Honor Society students will be on hand to provide childcare for families and light refreshments will be served. I hope to see you all there and look forward to a constructive conversation about RSU 57’s educational goals and priorities.


Sincerely,


Dr. Stephen Marquis

Elks Americanism Essay Winners

This April, several RSU 57 students participated in the Sanford Elks Americanism essay competition. Essayists were asked to answered the question: "What is Your American Dream?"


Congratulations to our Division I and II winners, Lydia Grant of Shapleigh Memorial School and Antonio Valez of Massabesic Middle School. Lydia and Antonio were selected to move on to the state level competition and will be locally celebrated with friends and family on May 10th at Elks Lodge #1470.


Way to go, Mustangs!

MHS College Visits

On April 11, 150 Massabesic High School students had the opportunity to visit four New England colleges to learn about the opportunities that exist in post-secondary education. Students had the opportunity to tour UMass Lowell, Merrimack College, St. Joseph's College, and Southern Maine Community College. In comments received from the college following the trip, they stated "...your students were the most well-behaved group we have seen all semester. They were respectful and engaged the whole time." Thank you to our chaperones who volunteered for the trip, and to our wonderful MHS students for representing RSU 57 proudly! (Pictured above.)

Puppet Show

Ms. Grahams' 3rd grade class at Alfred Elementary has been learning about medieval life and fairy tales. They created and practiced a puppet show based on a retelling of Sleeping Beauty. Students created their puppets in art class, helped to prepare their set, and practiced for their performance. Many grade levels were able to attend! (Pictured above.)

New Spare Bus Drivers

This past winter, the Massabesic Center for Adult Learning hosted a CDL Training Course for aspiring bus drivers. SRO Scott Corey and YCSD Sergeant Dave Chauvette successfully completed the course and are two new Spare School Bus Drivers for RSU 57. Thank you to Kerri Stearns, who taught the CDL course, and congratulations to Scott and Dave on their achievement! (Pictured above.)

April Model Mustang Staff

The Board of Directors Public Relations and Technology Committee has created the "Model Mustang Staff Award", which recognizes staff members who exemplify at least one of the following qualities: inspirational, is a leader, creates a positive culture, perseveres, and is excellent at what they do. RSU 57 Staff Members can nominate their peers, and each month, one person is randomly selected to win a gift certificate to a local business. This month,

Joe Abbiati, a music teacher at Line and Shapleigh Memorial schools, was the winner! Congratulations to all of our wonderful staff nominees for making a difference in the lives of students and our community. (View the list of nominees below.)

Dates to Remember...

May 1: Strategic Planning Committee - Community Forum @ 7pm - MHS Auditorium

May 2: *Policy Committee Meeting @ 6pm - East Training Center

May 3: Early Release Day

May 9: *Curriculum Committee Meeting @ 6pm - East Training Center

May 10: *Strategic Planning Committee Meeting @ 4:30pm - East Training Center

May 10:* Finance Committee Meeting @ 6pm - East Training Center

May 10: *School Board Meeting @ 7pm - East Training Center

*All meetings are open to the public and available to join via Zoom at this link.