Staff & Community Newsletter - June 9, 2023

The City Council unanimously approved the $143.8 million school budget for the 2023-2024 school year on May 15. The budget now goes to city voters for validation on Tuesday, June 13. 

Due to the four snow days held this school year (on Jan. 20 and 23, Feb. 28 and March 14), the  last day of school for students will now be Wednesday June 21. The last day for teachers will be Thursday, June 22.  These dates have been updated on the live District calendar . You can also view and download a PDF version of the yearly calendar on that page.

Families from East End Community School held a special ceremony June 1 to honor beloved crossing guard Danny Lowe.. Learn the details in this Channel 6  NEWS CENTER Maine story: "Families honor long-time crossing guard with 2nd annual 'Danny Day' - News Center Maine"

We are excited to announce the launch of Portland Public Schools Alumni and Friends – a free way for alumni and community members to stay connected and engaged in activities that strengthen our schools, and celebrate alumni achievements and accomplishments.

Congratulations to Portland High School junior Caden Hemond on being selected for the elite Maine State Math Team! The team competed at the American Regions Mathematics League contest on June 2 and 3, a national competition held at four universities across the country, with problems that are ultra-challenging. The Portland Public Schools is very proud of this outstanding student!

Three Portland Public Schools seniors are among the Portland Press Herald's 2023 "Graduates to Watch": Jayden Moore from Portland High School, Baqer Jalil from Casco Bay High School and Adele Weaver from Portland Arts and Technology High School!

The Portland Public Schools supports a Vision for an Equitable Maine, a collaborative response to growing community needs and rising inequality. A Vision of an Equitable Maine's goal is that together we can make Maine an equitable place for all our residents. This week the collaborative sent a letter – to which the Portland Public Schools added its signature – to state lawmakers urging them to support affordable housing, equitable access to health care, tribal sovereignty, effective racial impact statements as part of lawmaking, and paid family medical leave. Read the letter here.

The Portland Water District facilitates the TroutKids Program for schools within the Portland Water District service area and Sebago Lake Watershed to raise brook trout in their classrooms during the winter, and release the fry in a local stream in the late spring.

On June 1, Peaks Island Elementary School held its first annual STEAM Exploration Night. The event featured a wide range of hands-on experiences for PreK-5th grade students, their families and the island community. Great tools such as micro:bits, Little Bits, circuit boards, Ozobots, Legos, Bee-Bots, circuit sensor paper, recycled resources and various coding apps were provided in hopes of inspiring curiosity and discovery for all ages.

On June 1, the Portland Fire Department visited Rowe Elementary school to recognize Liam Drake, a third-grader, who has had to call 911 multiple times over the past few years for support for his mother, who suffers from serious seizures. The Fire Department came to Rowe school with a big fire truck to present the student with a certificate recognizing their bravery and responsibility. Thanks to the Fire Department for this recognition!

Congratulations to Deering High School for achieving Best in Show at the University of Southern Maine's third annual CubeSat Design Competition held at Mt. Blue High School in Farmington. The event saw enthusiastic participation from six middle school teams and six high school teams, who launched their microsatellites on balloons to experience the space environment at an altitude of approximately 120,000 ft. The competition, aimed at promoting hands-on STEM education opportunities, showcased the hard work and dedication of students from various schools.

We are excited to announce the upcoming High School Summer School offerings for Portland Public Schools. We have designed these programs to provide various opportunities for students to enhance their academic experience during the summer break. We encourage you to take advantage of these programs to support your student's educational journey.

On the morning of June 9, volunteers of Make It Happen! (MIH) were celebrated for their service and dedication to the program.

We are writing to inform you about the progress of the high school design work that stemmed from a resolution passed by the Portland Board of Public Education last fall. The goal of this work is to develop more consistent programming and opportunities for students across all three high schools in our district. To achieve this goal, a design team was formed, consisting of various stakeholders, including staff, parents, students, community members, high school principals, the director of the Portland Arts and Technology High School, the executive director of Portland Adult Education, and district leaders.