Staff & Community Newsletter - May 26, 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. 

Coaches David Aguirre (Lyman Moore), Jack Monahan (King), Charlie Mull (Lyman Moore) and Geoff Slack (Lincoln) thoroughly enjoyed coaching our middle school students from across the district and of all abilities.  Coaches were especially impressed by the ease at which our athletes and partners worked together in practice and in games.

Deering High School's participation in the Model UN conference at the University of Southern Maine campus earlier this month was a resounding success! The students demonstrated remarkable respect and engagement throughout the event. Notably, Deering had the largest delegation and several students received well-deserved awards. Special recognition goes to Kauther Hassan and Phat Thai for their Distinguished Delegate awards, Abdala Al-Hussaini for winning the Diplomacy Award as the best delegate, and Archie Rubin and Matthew Okulski for their Honorable Mention achievements.​​​​ Teacher Tyler Jellison, Deering’s Model UN advisor, and other dedicated DHS staff provided invaluable support in making these students’ accomplishments possible.

Twin sisters Apiyo and Achen Charles, Class of 2020 Portland High School alums, graduated from Thomas College in May after just three years and now plan to pursue master’s degrees. The two were born in a refugee camp in Uganda. Read Waterville Sentinel story: South Sudanese sisters, born in Ugandan refugee camp, graduate from Thomas College

Watch story on WABI 5 TV: From refugees to Thomas College graduates

Students at Lincoln Middle School are participating in a Side x Side mural program in collaboration with art teacher Sara Gimeno and teaching artist, mapmaker, and geographer Molly Brown. With the theme “A Sense of Place,” students are reflecting on what makes them feel grounded in the local landscape and community and then helping Brown to design and paint a permanent mural for the school.

students took part in a Yellow Tulip Project focused on smashing the stigma around men's mental health in Maine. They worked with renowned photographer George Annan, a first generation Ghanaian-America based in Boston, to create photos that highlight the importance of young men destigmatizing conversations about mental health.

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.

Coach Joel Costigan recently made a memorable visit to Rowe Elementary School, accompanied by four exceptionally talented Deering High School soccer players (two of whom are graduating and pursuing college-level play). The interaction between the fourth and fifth graders and these older athletes provided a valuable opportunity to discuss teamwork and athletic prowess. The DHS players were even able to communicate with students in Portuguese, French, and Lingala, and act as role models for what being a successful high school athlete looks like. This heartwarming event exemplified a spirit of community, education, and sportsmanship and is an example of students giving back to the community.

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.

The Portland Public Schools recently joined The Education Collaborative’s (TEC) Student Data Privacy Alliance to demonstrate its commitment to student data privacy. Learn more.

Painting for a Purpose is a local nonprofit organization founded by teachers. It brings creative people together to paint whimsical decorative items that they sell to raise money to fund service-learning projects led by Portland Public Schools students who want to make a difference. Students receive up to $500 to put their idea into action. So far this school year, Painting for a Purpose has funded a wide variety of PPS students' amazing service-learning projects.