ADJUSTMENT TO THE SCHOOL CALENDAR, 2012-2013
At their May 16, 2013 meeting, the School Board approved Dr. Entwistle's proposal to move the last student day (full-day) to Friday, June 14, 2013, from the current last day of Monday, June 17 (half-day). In exchange for this waiver of the half-day of school, all students are asked to spend the equivalent amount of time (about 3-1/2 hours) between June 14 and the start of the new school year, engaging in community service, and/or exploring a possible career or careers. Parents are asked to support their students in these endeavors. The last day of school for teachers and staff remains unchanged.
Upon return to school in the fall, all students will be provided a developmentally appropriate opportunity to report-out on their service and/or career exploration. Each Principal will determine the format for these reflective report-outs.
Those of us who work in schools and in public education recognize that it is impossible to truly capture the work and the progress happening in schools using a single grade (as is now the system that has been adopted by the Maine Department of Education).
My "take-away" from this report card:
The hard work, dedication, and commitment of ALL of Scarborough's school staff is top notch. The investments of time, effort, and resources are all the right investments and they are returning big dividends in terms of improved student learning. We hope that the community will recognize that their continued investments in our schools are absolutely essential in order to keep us on a positive trajectory of continuous improvement.
Thank you! The Community Dialogue Continues!
I want to express my sincerest gratitude to those community members, students, parents, staff, and municipal, civic and business leaders who participated in Scarborough Public School District's Second Community Dialogue on April 23, 2013. Community Dialogues happen every 18-months - the first was in October, 2011.
The Community Dialogue was created to ensure that our current and future action plans are responsive to the needs of Scarborough students, their parents, and our schools and community at large. The dialogue process builds on a framework of local accountability - one that is student centered and designed to deliver on the expectations of the Scarborough Community.
The important considerations that emerged from the Community Dialogue will allow us to more clearly articulate the organization's long term goals and to refine the key areas for immediate improvement across our schools. These improvement themes, together with important student data and knowledge of best educational practices, will allow us to refresh and renew our 18-Month Improvement Strategy for the Scarborough Public Schools.
In this current fiscal environment, it is critical that school leaders and staff are crystal clear about our priorities so that our resources and energy can be best directed to achieve the desired improvements. As we have since our first Community Dialogue in 2011, we will continue to keep the community informed about our planning and our progress.
Good news…the Community Dialogue continues online! All of the proceedings and important considerations that came out of each of the dialogues can be accessed online by way of a link in this news article. An opportunity for additional input on all dialogue topics is available here for those either unable to get to all of the dialogues they had hoped to attend or for those unable to attend the event at all. The online link will stay active through May 10, 2013.
Thank you again, to all those who made the Scarborough Public Schools Community Dialogue such a tremendous success.
Add comments to the Community Dialogue
NEWS RELEASE - February 27, 2013
Please click here for an important NEWS RELEASE from Superintendent Entwistle - Safe Schools: A Comprehensive Approach is Needed.
FOOTLOOSE is coming to the Scarborough High School Auditorium!
FOOTLOOSE celebrates the wisdom of listening to young people, guiding them with a warm heart and an open mind. This family-friendly production of the rockin' musical will be presented by the Scarborough Middle School Theater Team.
Dates:
Friday, May 3rd at 6:00PM
Saturday, May 4th at 2:00PM and 6:00PM
Sunday, May 5th at 2:00PM
Tickets:
$3.00 - Students/Seniors
$5.00 - Adults
$15.00 - Family maximum
Tickets are available for purchase at the Scarborough High School Auditorium before each show.