From the Superintendent
And just like that, another school year is in the books. The last few days have been a whirlwind of activities, with field days, final exams, farewell assemblies, field trips, learning exhibitions, and playoff games helping to transition students and staff from a busy school year to the upcoming summer break.
Many thanks for the support shown by stakeholders this week in approving the school and campus plan. Since 2019, four designs for four separate locations have been developed by architects, ad hoc committees, and Boards to reach the outcome that finally came to fruition at the polls. Though there were (and continue to be) different perspectives on this project, and the components contained within, it is now time to start the important work of aligning the campus for the foreseeable future. Whether you supported the plan or not, please know that the district will do everything possible to ensure that the final product is a source of pride for the entire community.
It is too early to have many details, but there are some initial steps that will begin over the next few weeks, such as closing on the half-acre of property that was part of the bond, working with the architects to develop a complete project schedule, and forming a building committee. As the project is multi-dimensional, there will be several phases of design refinement and construction that will occur over the next three years to address the new school facility, parking and traffic upgrades, maintenance building, MIW addition and upgrades, and turf field. I am relieved that we finally have a permanent plan to address current and projected enrollment increases after five years of planning and delays. It's been needed for some time now and I am thankful that the community responded affirmatively.
The summer break provides us needed time to deep clean all our facilities and make important annual improvements that are part of the district's ongoing Facilities Plan, as funded through capital reserves. This summer, some of these improvements include adding daylight windows to the GHS cafeteria, improving the GHS outdoor courtyard where students eat, replacing several worn and outdated doors at GHS for enhanced security, replacing the GMS lobby and MIW main hallway floor tile, and repainting a large number of classrooms and common spaces in all schools. Additionally, the $1.5 million MIW Revolving Renovation project approved by voters in 2022, to which the district received $770,000 in state funding, will replace about 40% of all exterior windows and doors at the school. HVAC systems in several MIW common areas have previously been upgraded as part of this project.
Please note that this will be the last regular district newsletter until the beginning of the 2024-25 school year. Many wishes for a relaxing and enjoyable summer!
Regards,
Jeff Porter
GMS 4-5 Field Day
MIW Pie in the Face Assembly
Notices from the Office of the Superintendent
Newsletter Change
Please note that beginning in July, the newsletters will be sent out on Mondays.
First Day of School 2024-25
Please note that the first day of School next year is as follows:
September 3: Grades 1-9
September 4: Grades 10-12
September 5: Kindergarten
September 6: Pre-K
We hope everyone has a safe and fantastic summer break. We look forward to seeing you in the fall!
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MSAD #51 Board of Directors Information
All meetings will take place at 6:00 pm in the Gyger Room at Greely High School. For those of you unfamiliar with that room, the Gyger Room can be accessed from the GHS parking lot (the side without the electronic sign).
June 17 - Regular Meeting
Notice from the Board of Directors
I am full of gratitude for our community this week. I want to thank the voters for approving the School Budget and the bond referendum that will make the One Campus Project a reality. I also want to thank the administration, teachers, our architect and engineers, and my fellow board members for all the work they put into creating a proposal that our communities could support and be proud of.
MSAD #51 provides a top notch education, and North Yarmouth and Cumberland are beautiful places to live and raise a family. The approval of this bond allows us to move forward with an on-campus solution to address our district’s growth and improve the campus as a whole for the future. This vote was just the beginning of a long process. Moving forward, the board and administration will continue working with our communities as we form a building committee, and progress through the design and building process. I know that not every voter shared my enthusiasm for this project, but I look forward to working with anyone who wishes to be a part of improving our district. We hope to make the next phase of this project as inclusive as possible and pull from the talent we have in our towns. We look forward to the MSAD #51 campus being a community resource for Cumberland and North Yarmouth and continuing to provide quality public education for our communities.
I also want to take a moment to thank all of our neighbors who ran for our open school board seats. Putting your name forward (and seeing your name on signs around town) can be uncomfortable. Each candidate ran a strong campaign. I enjoyed getting to talk personally with many candidates and was impressed with their experience and thoughtful approaches. I want to congratulate Sara Rose from North Yarmouth and Jesse Lamarre-Vincent and Sean Thurston from Cumberland, and I look forward to working with each of them to help improve and steward our schools.
Again, thank you to our communities for all your support and please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions.
Best,
Leanne Candura
Chair, MSAD#51 Board of Directors
Board of Directors Meeting Change
Beginning in July, the Board of Director meetings will be held on Thursday evenings at 6:00 PM in the Gyger Room.
Remember you can watch our meetings on YouTube LIVE (http://bit.ly/msad51livevideo
Links
Meeting Dates, Agendas & Minutes
Board of Directors Meeting Videos
Community Partners
Our Community Partners are strong supporters of various areas of the school. Without them, our students would not have many of the wonderful opportunities and experiences that they receive.
Thank you!
THANK YOU to our school community for all of your support this 2023-2024 school year! Because of your generosity, we were able to fund numerous enrichment experiences, field trips, activities, supplies and equipment for MIW and GMS 4-8. Recent funding for MIW includes a kindergarten visit from Spark's Ark, playground equipment/toys, a plaque honoring and remembering the late Mabel I. Wilson, games and markers for guidance and Field Day supplies and popsicles. We also recently funded requests from GMS including 4th grade friendship beach balls, alternative recess activity spaces and t-shirts for ACES Day. We appreciate all of your support, and look forward to partnering with the schools in 2024-2025. Stay tuned for news and updates from the Greely PTO, and have a fantastic summer!
Useful Links
Greely Center for the Arts Events
If you would like something included in our weekly newsletter, please send a brief write up with title along with a JPEG or PNG image of your flyer (if applicable) to Melissa Porter for approval. The deadline each week is Sunday. Any requests received after Sunday will be reviewed for possible submission in the following week's newsletter. All approved submissions will be posted on the district's website.
Not all items in this email are MSAD #51 sponsored programs. If you need more information, please contact the group or organization that is sponsoring the event.
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