DISTRICT UPDATE

This week our schools celebrated staff appreciation. I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge our staff and share my deepest gratitude for all of their hard work and dedication to our students. Each of our staff members has a vital role in making a difference in the students' lives every day. The past couple of years has been a challenge, and I appreciate how committed everyone has been. Staff were honored with many exciting activities this week including luncheons, breakfasts, flowers, and JFK had a special visit from Slugger the Sea Dog!

Governor Mills' office announced that pooled testing in schools will conclude on May 15 (linked here), due to its reduced effectiveness in limiting the spread of the BA.2 variant and widespread availability of at-home tests for students and school staff. The final week for schools to conduct pooled testing will be May 9-13. Families are asked to continue to monitor for any symptoms of COVID-19 (linked here), and if your child is not feeling well, they should stay home until COVID-19 has been ruled out. The Maine Department of Health and Human Services has provided a limited number of free at-home test kits that are available to families upon request from your school nurse.

A Grade Level Configuration Committee has been established with representation inclusive of school board members, district administrators, teachers, and parents. Meetings were held on April 28 and May 5, where the committee began discussions about what grade levels will be housed in each building. Over the coming weeks, the committee will explore multiple options to develop the best plan to meet the needs of our students. Information can be found on the district website by selecting the Grade Level Configuration tab.

As the end of the school year is quickly approaching, please take note of the many events and activities going on within our schools. We are pleased to welcome the community back into our buildings and hope you can enjoy seeing your child(ren)s academic, athletic, and artwork over the coming weeks.

Sincerely,

Jeremy Ray

Superintendent of School

Food Service staff are frontline workers who provide so much to students and to the communities they serve. Without cafeteria teams working hard to feed hundreds to thousands of students in just a few hours, many students would be without the nourishment they need in order to grow, learn, and play.

Please join me in thanking our Food Service staff as we honor their daily efforts as an integral part of our school district.

Each year the Biddeford Athletic Department honors student-athletes, coaches, teams, and contributors for their outstanding athletic achievements. On Saturday, April 30, the Athletic Department hosted its annual Hall of Honor inductee ceremony. This year's inductees included:

1. David Heffernan class of 1950
2. Debra (Petit) Lagasse class of 1972
3. Michael Redmond class of 1980
4. John St. Onge class of 1991
5. Normand Trottier class of 1962
6. 1980 Class AA Football State Champions

The Hall wishes to congratulate the class of 2021 inductees.

During the Hall of Honor induction ceremony, a special dedication was made to the newly renovated fitness center at Biddeford High School. In a tribute to our dear friend Don Wilson, the Center was named the Don Wilson Memorial Fitness Center. Don, who passed away in September of 2020, served 45 years as a teacher, coach, assistant principal, and athletic administrator at Biddeford High School. He was an exemplar of what "Tiger Pride" is all about, and his memory will forever live on within our halls.

On April 29 and 30, the Biddeford High School Thespian Troupe took to the stage for the first time since February 2020 with a fantastic performance of The Best of Broadway. Deb Lombard wrote, directed, and choreographed the show, which featured a musical medley of all your favorite Broadway Showtunes. The performance included budding actors and actresses from BHS, BMS, and BIS. The audience was captivated by these young talented performers' incredible singing, dancing, and acting from beginning to end.

The Biddeford High School Indoor Percussion Ensemble had a busy spring competitive season. On March 27, the band received a 5-star rating at the Maine Band Directors Association Winter Activities Finals held at Sanford High School. Their success continued on April 2, when they placed second in the New England Scholastic Band Association (NESBA)Winter Activities Show held in Cranston, RI. On April 9, the group traveled to Dartmouth, MA, for the NESBA Winter Activities Finals, where they placed third overall in the regional championship. Congratulations to all of our musicians on a very successful season.

Photo credits to McKenney Photography

Biddeford Middle School seventh-graders Koby Trembly, a trombonist, and Jackson Wood, a trumpeter, auditioned and were chosen to perform on April 25 with the Portland Youth Wind Ensemble at Merrill Auditorium. The Portland Youth Wind Ensemble is a select wind ensemble of outstanding young woodwind, brass, and percussion players from cities and towns throughout Southern Maine. The selection process is rigorous, requiring musicians to audition and perform two contrasting works that demonstrate their technical ability to play. Koby and Jackson were very excited and honored to have been chosen to perform. After being selected, the boys attended weekly rehearsals at the USM to prepare to play music that often isn’t played until high school. The boys say that their most memorable parts of this experience were finding out they had been selected and having the opportunity to play on stage at Merrill Auditorium.

On Thursday, April 28th, Biddeford Middle School hosted Author Jerry Pallotta. Jerry has been writing children's books for over 30 years! His first book ever was called The Ocean Alphabet Book, and he has now written over 90 books. His newest series Who Would Win, is wildly popular with our students. The stories are about what would happen if some favorite animals faced off in the wild. They are fascinating and perfect for comparing and contrasting. Our students were treated to a one-hour presentation about the writing process and heard many funny stories about his family, travels, and being an author.

Students from Dayton Consolidated and BIS Grade 4 joined BMS 5-8 for one of his three presentations.

Although Apex Youth Connection focuses on actively and intentionally engaging youth, they also offer educational opportunities for adults and families to explore the outdoors safely and build self-reliance. From now until June 9, Apex Youth Connection offers an exciting array of classroom and field-based outdoor school courses for adults and youth 14+ with a paid legal guardian, including Wilderness Skills, Intro to Mountain Biking, Intro to Rock Climbing, Backcountry Navigation, The 10 Essentials, Leave No Trace, Intro to Map & Compass, and Prepare for a Backpacking Trip.

All Apex Outdoor School programs are designed to provide skill-based instruction so participants can learn how to safely participate in outdoor activities, build confidence, and, most importantly, have fun outdoors. Each classroom-based course takes place on either a Tuesday or Thursday evening and the field-based courses take place on Saturdays. Costs vary between $25 and $75 per person. Each field-based course has specific gear required. Pre-registration is required at https://www.apexyouthconnection.org/apex-outdoor-school.html or contact Program Director Phil Bailey at 207-282-9700 extension #3 for more information.

If you have a child turning the age of four (4) for Pre-K or five (5) for Kindergarten before October 15, 2022, please pre-register them as soon as possible via the below link. A projection of our enrollment for next year will allow us to plan more effectively and be better prepared for your children when they come to school in September. Tours will be made available in the coming months and additional paperwork may be required. Please note returning student registration will be open in early August.

Biddeford - Pre-K/Kindergarten Registration

Dayton - Pre-K/Kindergarten Registration

Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has provided the school department with a limited supply of at-home COVID-19 test kits. Test kits will be available to families upon request while supplies last. If you are interested in receiving a kit, please contact your school nurse directly.

Email: supt@biddefordschools.me
Website: www.biddefordschools.me
Location: 18 Maplewood Avenue, Biddeford, ME, USA
Phone: 207-282-8280
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/biddefordschooldepartment/
Twitter: @BiddefordSchDpt