From the Principal's Desk
Now that the weather is getting a wee bit warmer, it is great to see more students riding their bikes to and from school. Please help us reinforce the importance of following the rules of the road, wearing a helmet, and being fully alert to the surroundings while riding. For those of you who drop off and pick up your children at school, please keep a close eye out for children who are riding their bikes on school grounds and be mindful of the reduced speed zone on campus.
Students took the Maine Through Year Math Assessment last week. The Reading Assessment is this week. 5th grade students will take the MEA Science Assessment next week. There is no special preparation for this assessment; however, we do encourage students to be well-rested and arrive on time to school having eaten a good breakfast. While we believe attendance matters at all times of year, we thank you in advance for your attention to this testing window.
Sincerely, Carol MacArthur
Principal, Grade 4-5
Office Reminders
- Student arrival begins at 8:20 AM.
- School begins at 8:50 AM. If your child arrives after that time, they are tardy and need to check-in at the office before going to the classroom.
- You can report absences, communicate transportation plans or make general inquiries by calling the main office at 829-4815 or emailing [email protected]
We greatly appreciate your attention to these procedures, as they help to ensure that our routines run smoothly and efficiently.
Community Corner
Let's Tackle Stress
There is a lot going on this time of year and it's easy to let stress creep up on us. Think ahead about acknowledging and managing stress for yourself and your family. There are many simple and accessible stress management activities - but you may need to plan ahead to make them happen.
Maybe get a few of these on your calendar:
* Host a family dance party
* Plan a family hike at Twin Brook, Knights Pond, or Old Town House Park
* Try yoga as a family with a video like this one (it will make you all giggle)
* Walk on the beach at Broad Cove
* Schedule a regular tech-free (for everyone) evening (just a couple hours) with board or card games and fun, healthy snacks.
* Wait for a sunny warm day, throw a blanket outside, and read aloud some favorite family books.
* Spend 5 minutes watching birds in your yard. Toss out some bread crumbs and watch what happens.
* Start a family list of stress management activities you can all add to.
Acknowledging stress and teaching your family simple, accessible ways to manage it is a real gift you can give to your kids (and yourself).
Katie Campbell, School Social Worker
Ali Waterhouse, School Counselor
Amy Vincent-Cross, School Social Worker
A Look Into Literacy
The students in 5th grade demonstrated exceptional effort in their ecosystem reports last month, which they enthusiastically shared with one another. In addition to showcasing their own research, they engaged in exploring the work of their peers. Visiting other 5th grade classrooms and reviewing classmates' projects facilitated a collaborative learning environment that nurtured a sense of community and provided diverse perspectives on ecosystems. It was truly inspiring to observe their enthusiasm and the learning that emerged from their interactions with each other's projects.
Last month, some of our 4th-grade students had the opportunity to present their animal adaptation projects to MIW students. This event allowed them to showcase their learning while also educating younger students about their respective animals. The dedication and effort that all 4th graders invested in their research were clearly reflected in their final projects. Students demonstrated deep engagement in the research, analysis, and synthesis processes throughout their work.
This month, our 4th graders are embarking on a journey into American history, where they will create their own engaging narratives. After an in-depth exploration of various historical time periods, students are now ready to unleash their creativity and bring the past to life through storytelling. Meanwhile, our 5th graders are diving into the themes of adventure and survival, also focusing on developing their skills as narrative writers. This month promises to be busy and productive in our literacy classrooms!
Check out this cool event at PML:
Janet Giguere, Literacy Specialist
Library News
For the very last time, 4th graders cast their votes to select the winner of the Chickadee Award. Hidden Hope: How a Toy and a Hero Saved Lives During the Holocaust by Elisa Boxer was their favorite this year, followed by Ice Cream Man: How Augustus Jackson Made a Sweet Treat Better by Glenda Armand and Kim Freeman & Down the Hole by Scott Slater. Overall, 24,114 votes were cast throughout the State and The Three Little Guinea Pigs by Erica S. Perl was crowned the winner! Next year, all of our students can continue to participate in the Maine Student Book Award program, if they're interested.
Speaking of MSBA, our students in grades 4-8 voted for their favorite title from the list of nominees and Hoops by Matt Tavares was chosen as the winner (it won at the state level, too). Next year's list is already out and students can start reading any time. These are great titles to consider as summer reading suggestions! As always, it will be part of our Summer Reading List that is coming soon (keep an eye out for it on our website).
We owe a very belated THANK YOU to everyone who helped us with and/or visited the Spring Scholastic Book Fair. The profit we generated allowed us to add titles to our collection & provide funds for future purchases. Through generous donations, we were able to gift the Cumberland Food Pantry over $375 worth of new books which our student volunteers will deliver soon.
Dorothy Hall-Riddle, 4-8 Librarian
Check This Out!
From the District Curriculum Corner Update
Did you know that….
Students who miss 10% or more school days per year are considered chronically absent.
Absenteeism in the first month of school can predict poor attendance throughout the school year. Half the students who miss 2-4 days in September go on to miss nearly a month of school.
Poor attendance can influence whether children read proficiently by the end of third grade.
By 6th grade, chronic absence becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.
When students improve their attendance rates, they improve their academic prospects and chances for graduating.
99% of our parents and guardians in MSAD #51 who responded to our stakeholder survey said they agree or strongly agree with the statement, “I believe that my child’s attendance at school matters,” yet our current chronic absenteeism rate for this school year is 10.8%. That’s 242 students who have been absent more than 10% of school days this year.
Why is our chronic absenteeism over 10% when so many families value the importance of good attendance?
There may be many variables influencing our absenteeism rate, but one key variable is the “creep factor.” What is the “creep factor”? It simply means that missed days of school can creep up over time. Missing one day of school a month will result in 10 missed days in the school year, or about 6% of school days overall. Add 8 more days in there, and you’re over 10% for the year. It is easy not to notice the creep factor over the course of a whole school year because the absences are spread out over time.
How can you check your child’s absenteeism rate?
You can easily see how many school days your child has missed by logging into your parent portal on PowerSchool, selecting the quick lookup, and scrolling down to the year-to-date attendance. Click the hyperlinked number of days absent year to date, and you will see a list of dates with codes indicating whether the absence was excused or unexcused. Both count toward chronic absenteeism. You can also see excused and unexcused tardies. Chronic tardiness and chronic absenteeism often go hand in hand, so it is something to watch. We encourage you to check PowerSchool periodically to track your student’s attendance and avoid the attendance “creep factor.”
Thank you for your partnership in promoting good attendance habits. It makes a difference!
Source: “10 Facts about School Attendance.” Attendance Works, 2025, attendanceworks.org/chronic-absence/the-problem/10-facts-about-school-attendance/.
Used with permission from Attendance Works.
The Late Bus
In addition to regular, daily dismissal, a late bus is also available on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday for students who stay for co-curricular activities or after-school academic support. Buses pick up students from GMS at 4:15pm and transport them home. Please be aware that depending on the number of students riding the late bus on a given day, your child's arrival time at home may vary. If you have specific questions about the late bus, please feel free to call the Transportation Garage at 829-4820.
Co-Curricular Activities
Monday:
5th grade Band Mr. Barry Saunders [email protected]
Tuesday:
French Club - Ms. Taylor Poulin [email protected] (LAST DAY 5/8)
Chorus - Mrs. Jennifer Caton [email protected]
5th grade Math Team - Mrs. Laurie Poissonnier [email protected]
Thursday:
Newspaper Club - Ms. Melissa Fiess [email protected]
5th grade Ukulele Club - Mr. Barry Saunders [email protected]
During the School Day:
Green Team - Mrs. Monica Moore [email protected]
Civil Rights Team - Mrs. Katie Cassessee [email protected], Mrs. Jane Kilbride-Dupuis [email protected], Ms. Molly Russell [email protected]
Stay Connected
