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Deering High School BIPOC Students are featured in this Sept. 24 National Public Radio story about a new program called "Lift All Boats,” which seeks to help young Mainers of color learn how to lobster.

The Portland Public Schools is proud to announce that Portland High School (PHS) has been named one of the top schools in the state for “College Success,” according to GreatSchools, a nonprofit providing school information to parents and families across the nation. This recognition honors schools that excel at preparing students to enroll and succeed in college, as determined by available data in each state.

The Portland Promise, the district’s strategic plan adopted by the Portland Board of Public Education in 2017, has four goals: Achievement, Whole Student and People, which all center on the key fourth goal of Equity. Superintendent Xavier Botana, who joined the district in 2016, spearheaded the development of the Portland Promise and has led the district’s effort toward achieving all those goals.

Thanks to a new Maine law, school meals are free for all Maine students, but it’s still important to fill out a free-or-reduced school-meal application. Completing the applications provides the Portland Public Schools with family income data that helps the district receive the federal and state funding we need.

At its Sept. 20 meeting, the Portland Board of Public Education voted unanimously to approve a new three-year collective bargaining agreement with the Portland Education Association, The new contract shows trust and collaboration on both sides, with educators and the district working towards a common goal of student success. The contract begins this school year and runs through the 2024-2025 school year.

Research shows that making music benefits mental health, helps engage students in school, and builds community. Students need this more than ever. You can help!

At a ceremony in Brunswick Sept. 15, four Portland Public Schools educators were presented with the 2022 Education for the Common Good Award by Bowdoin College. The four recipients of this year’s award are Superintendent Xavier Botana; PPS Director of BIPOC Career Pathways and Leadership Development Julia Hazel; Portland High School Assistant Principal Alberto Morales, and Executive Director of Human Resources Barbara Stoddard. They were recognized for their work to transform conditions for educators of color in the district

To kick off the NEA Big Read: Portland, ME, a city-wide discussion of immigration using the adult novel INFINITE COUNTRY that is taking place this fall, the Portland nonprofit I’m Your Neighbor Books and USM’s Department of Literacy, Language, and Culture delivered 1,200 children’s books to the Portland Public Schools – texts that will extend the conversation from kindergarten to grade 12. I'm Your Neighbor uses children’s books and stories to welcome immigrants, sharing books that help all students to better understand the perspectives of others and learn to value diversity.

The Portland Public Schools unveiled its new mobile makerspace on Sept. 14, prior to its launch with students the following week. The PPS Mobile Makerspace is a mobile lab that will provide a collaborative setting for making, learning, exploring, and sharing, using high-tech to no-tech tools. It will provide every PreK-5 student in the district with at least one design/innovation/engineering experience each year. The makerspace will travel between schools to engage and empower students to explore, create, and solve meaningful problems in the STEM fields

Rippleffect, a nonprofit that promotes youth development and leadership through adventure, on Sept. 13 officially announced the Rippleffect Outdoor Center (“ROC”), a central piece in Rippleffect's vision to provide equitable access for all Maine youth, starting in Portland’s backyard. 

Portland High School senior Liam Fay-LeBlanc has been named a Semifinalist in the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program. Liam now joins other academically talented high school seniors nationwide who have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,250 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $28 million that will be offered next spring.

On Sept. 9, Rosemont Market held a community gathering at its Brighton Avenue location to celebrate the unveiling of the Rosemont Mural Project, a series of food-and-farming-themed murals created by students at Rowe Elementary School.

The Portland Public Schools has worked with our medical team to develop COVID-19 protocols for the new school year that reflect federal CDC recommendations.

Jesseca Steele has been selected by Superintendent Xavier Botana to serve as interim principal of Rowe Elementary School for the 2022-2023 school year. She began work on Aug. 29 and the Board of Public Education formally approved her appointment at its Tuesday, Sept. 6, meeting.

The Portland Public Schools’ Gerald E. Talbot Community School and Portland Adult Education are among the recipients of more than $10 million in grants that United Way of Southern Maine (UWSM) is awarding this year to a variety of programs and innovative initiatives across Southern Maine.

Three seats are up for election to the Portland Board of Education on Nov. 8: two at-large seats and the District 3 seat. Only the District 3 seat is contested on the ballot.

The National Civic League has announced that Portland is a winner of the 73rd Annual 2022 All-America City Award. This year’s award recognized ten communities across the United States who are using public housing as a platform to support children’s success in school. Portland was recognized as an example of community collaboration for its partnerships between Portland Housing Authority, the Portland Public Schools and a network of community organizations who are part of the Portland ConnectED partnership.

Casco Bay High School social studies teacher Matt Bernstein is among four finalists in the running for 2023 Maine Teacher of the Year! A decision on who will receive that honor is expected this fall.

The district has a new assistant director of student support services for secondary schools: Sharlee Mahoney. Shar, who started work on Aug. 22, will be introduced to the Portland Board of Public Education in September. She is joining our district from the Falmouth Public Schools, where she was a special education coordinator and instructional strategist across all grade spans.

Two dedicated Portland Public Schools educators are stepping into assistant principal roles. Talya Edlund, is the new assistant principal at Lyseth Elementary School. Edlund, the 2016 Maine Teacher of the Year, has been the math coach at Lyseth for the past year. Emily Parr, a special education teacher/liaison at Ocean Avenue Elementary School for the past eight years, is the new assistant principal there. The appointments were ratified at the Aug. 16 Portland Board of Public Education meeting.

The nonprofit Friends of Portland Adult Education has received $60,000 from Bank of America to enhance Portland Adult Education’s workforce training programs and student career services. The donation will expand employer partnerships and create tailored opportunities for Maine’s multilingual populations that will promote racial equity and strengthen Maine’s economy.

The Foundation for Portland Public Schools (FPPS) has just received a contribution from Generac Power Systems to help expand STEM programming in the Portland Public Schools. The funding will be used to purchase sets of Bee-Bots for each of the 10 elementary schools in the district. Bee-Bots are an interactive learning tool to introduce PreK-2nd grade students to some of the basic concepts of coding. It can help them learn about robotics, sequencing, programming, and overall problem-solving skills

The first day of school for the 2022-2023 school year for Portland Public Schools students in grades 1-12 will be Tuesday, Sept. 6. Students in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten will start on Thursday, Sept. 8.

The Portland Board of Public Education voted at its Aug. 2 meeting to amend its leadership structure to add a vice chair position. Board members then voted unanimously to chose District 3 member Adam Burk as their new vice chair.

The Portland Public Schools is getting a slate of new school leaders:  Nicole Bradeen is the new principal at Longfellow Elementary School; Sarah Gips Goodall is the new principal at Lyseth Elementary School; Jason Bradeen is the new assistant principal at King Middle School; and Blake Kastle is the new assistant principal at Lincoln Middle School. The school-based appointments will be ratified at the Aug. 2 Portland Board of Public Education meeting. In addition, Terrence Young, formerly Longfellow principal, is now the executive director of district operations.