DISTRICT UPDATE

I hope you all had an enjoyable Winter Vacation and holiday celebrations with your families. As we enter the second half of our school year, the winter months allow students an opportunity to build upon the basic skills they learned throughout the Fall. Depending on their grade, students will:

• continue with their second round of NWEA assessments for math, reading, and/or language in January;

• participate in February’s Read to ME Challenge and complete school projects;

• enjoy athletic competitions, including another year of cheering on our Unified Basketball Team; and/or,

• impress us with their performing arts skills at spring concerts and shows.

Tri-District Welcome Center Supporting Families

A significant part of academic success is ensuring our student’s basic needs are met so they can focus on learning. Thanks to grants from Catholic Charities, the Governor’s Office, and the McKinney-Vento office at the Maine Department of Education, a Tri-District Welcome Center has been established at the John F. Kennedy (JFK) School in Biddeford, with an additional office at Young School in Saco. The Welcome Center is a “hub” for services for the most vulnerable and transient in our community. It is not only intended to provide a thoughtful and deliberate welcome and orientation to our schools as a one-off but as a gathering place and “home base” for families needing additional support and assistance throughout their time in our communities. The Welcome Center, led by Director April Szafranski, will principally assist students and families who have experienced housing instability and families new to Maine/new to the United States who need to register children in schools and connect with medical, dental, and other community services.

In closing, I encourage all students to take advantage of the FREE breakfast and lunch nutrition program and urge parents to reach out to their child’s school Resiliency Coordinator for any winter wear needs. We want to be sure our students have the necessary building blocks to stay healthy this winter so they can participate fully in the above activities.

Here’s to a happy and healthy 2024!

Take care,

Jeremy Ray

Superintendent of Schools

A big thank you to Susan Deschambault for her generous donation to the Biddeford Education Foundation! These funds will be used to support teacher mini-grants for enhanced learning opportunities and the needs of our students that fall outside of the school budget.

On behalf of our students and their families, thank you to the Union Church in Biddeford Pool for their generous donation of Walmart gift cards totaling $3,050 to support families in need. The gift cards were purchased as part of their Annual Advent Giving Program and distributed equally to each school.

On Saturday, December 6th, Biddeford High School students participated in Wreaths Across America, assisting in laying wreaths on the graves of veterans in Biddeford. The Girls' Hockey co-op team of Biddeford, TA, Kennebunk, and Wells volunteered at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Biddeford while the BHS Interact Club volunteered at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Biddeford. This is the second year the girls have had the opportunity to participate in honoring those who have served.

Biddeford Middle School's (BMS) Math Meet Teams had their first competition the week of December 4th, in which all of Biddeford teams did really well.

• The 5th-grade team placed 1st overall. Nora and Josie LeBlanc placed first, Noah Villora placed 2nd, Chase Harper placed 3rd, and Kay Pierson placed 5th. Congratulations to all the 5th-grade Math Meet Team Members: Nora Leblanc, Josie LeBlanc, Noah Villora, Chase Harper, Kay Pierson, Kaden Hinson, Maisie Giddings, Auron King, Charles Larsen, and Tyshon Teabout.

• The 6th-grade team placed first overall. Lara Galiardi placed first, Anthony Ramunno placed 2nd, Brycen Drake placed 4th, and Gavin Martel placed 5th. Congratulations to our 6th-grade Math Meet Team Members: Lara Galiardi, Grady Guillerault, Gavin Martel, Anthony Ramunno, Brycen Drake, Milan Vire, Bentley Hale, and Luckly Bushiri.

• Our 7th-grade team placed 6th, and Emily Donovan placed 4th individually. Congratulations to our 7th-grade Math Meet Team Members: Bailey Betters, Ella Cabana-Flick, Emily Donovan, Lexie Gordon, Benton Henry, Kyle Perkins, and Alijah Thor.

• Our 8th-grade team placed 2nd overall. Congratulations to our 8th-grade Math Meet Team Members: Caiden Charland, Calvin Daly, Kyleigh Froehlich, Harvey Giddings, Shay Kennedy, and Jeffrey Sims.

Last October, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services expanded eligibility for children and young adults under 21 in Maine to include family incomes up to 300% of the federal poverty level. That translates to an annual salary of about $59,000 for a family of two and $90,000 for a family of four. Additionally, the Department eliminated most premiums for children’s coverage. MaineCare offers high-quality, free health insurance for children under 21 in eligible households. Visit MaineCare.gov/kids for more information.