I hope you all had an enjoyable Winter Vacation and holiday celebrations with your families. I’d like to start out by thanking the University of New England (UNE)’s Sigma Sigma Phi Fraternity and Pediatric Club for donating over 387 gifts to students at John F. Kennedy School, the local Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club for providing gifts to 156 kids throughout Biddeford, Dayton, and Saco, and the many staff and businesses who supported additional families not included in these programs. It is phenomenal how people in our community care for each other.

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 Fall. It is a busy time of year filled with “light bulb moments” in learning. 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;

• showcase their abstract learning at the District Art Show in March; and/or,

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

A significant part of academic success is ensuring our student’s basic needs are met so they can focus on learning. I encourage all students to take advantage of the FREE breakfast and lunch nutrition program (see article below) 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 2023!

Jeremy Ray

Superintendent of Schools

• Wednesday, January 11: Early Release Day

• Thursday, January 5, 12, 19, and 26: Youth Full Maine Food Distribution (1:30-2:30pm @ Dayton Town Hall)

• Saturday, January 14 & Sunday, January 15: Free Clothing Giveaway (see below)

• Monday, January 16: No School - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

• Wednesday, January 18: Youth Full Maine Food Distribution (10:00 am - 12:00 pm @ Rotary Park)

• February 20-24: No School - Vacation

The Unified Sports Club, under the guidance of the Maine Principals’ Association and the Special Olympics of Maine, will play their first competition at the end of this month. Unified Sports partners students with developmental disabilities with students without developmental disabilities to help promote physical activity, teamwork, sportsmanship, and social inclusion.

Last year, Biddeford High School’s Unified Basketball Team had over 15 students, three coaches, and a cheering squad. The team drew crowds of spectators who left with big smiles as they watched the athletes compete. Please join us in celebrating these fantastic athletes by attending a future game (schedule included below or listed on the BHS Athletics page/mobile app.)

Research shows that well-nourished kids not only do better in class but also have overall better nutritional intake and miss fewer school days! With nearly 1 in 3 children at risk for preventable diseases due to being overweight and obese, and more than half of their meals consumed while at school, our Nutrition Staff school plays a critical role in helping children lead healthy lifestyles. Breakfast and lunch remain FREE for ALL children, and our district strives to reach 100% participation. Currently, only 45% of students eat school breakfast and 63% eat school lunch in Biddeford and only 56% eat school breakfast and 80% eat school lunch in Dayton.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), which oversees school meal reimbursement, tremendous advancements have been made in the knowledge base around health and nutrition at specific life stages. Therefore, school meals must adhere to the new science-based standards of school-aged children, which meet the Dietary Guidelines for Americans to reduce obesity, diabetes, and other serious chronic diseases.

• Meals intended to be high in nutrients and adequate in calories.

• Meals are “right-sized” and reflect the appropriate balance of food groups–lower-fat dairy, leaner proteins, more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

• Breakfasts and lunches designed to meet roughly one-fourth and one-third, respectively, of their daily calorie needs.

• Require a minimum of 1-2 ounces of protein foods per meal to ensure children receive at-least one-third of their daily nutritional and energy needs. Youth should have 4-6 ounces of protein foods over the course of an entire day.

Our nutrition staff strives to provide homemade meals that are popular with children, including homemade mac and cheese and other pasta dishes, shepherd’s pie, roast turkey dinner, tacos, brunch for lunch, and mandarin orange chicken over brown rice. The pizza we serve is made with whole grain crust and low-fat mozzarella cheese, as are the cheese-filled “Bosco” breadsticks with marinara dipping sauce- a student favorite. Chicken tenders, nuggets, and sandwiches offer antibiotic-free chicken, with whole grain breading especially made for schools, and vegetarian options are also available. In addition, we partner with local farmers during the growing season to purchase and serve local produce whenever possible.

Please help us motivate your children to build a healthy plate! Review the school menu with them and encourage them to try new foods and participate in the free breakfast and lunch offerings. Together we can develop healthy habits for life!

In an effort to provide the people of Biddeford with a new opportunity to be social, healthy and enjoy the outdoors, the Biddeford Recreation Department is entering the planning process for an ongoing parkrun right here in Biddeford! A parkrun is a free, weekly, timed event to run, jog or walk a 5K distance (see below). At this time, Biddeford Recreation is searching for a core group of volunteers to help facilitate the initial and ongoing success of the events. If you, or someone you know, can see the benefit of such an event in our community and would like to volunteer or just learn more, please contact daniel.hammond@biddefordmaine.org. Additional information regarding parkrun can be found at www.parkrun.com.