RSU 16 Spotlight

As we approach the holiday break, the festive spirit is alive and thriving in our schools! From the twinkle of decorations to the laughter and joy of students, the energy is infectious. A special thank you goes to our staff and students who have brought the magic of music to life through extraordinary performances and fun dress-up days.

This season has also been marked by meaningful community conversations, including our Vision of a Graduate and School Board Facilities forums. Your input is shaping the future of our schools, and I am grateful for the engagement and ideas shared.

As we head into this well-deserved break, I hope you find time to relax, recharge, and enjoy the holiday season. Thank you for all you do to make our district an extraordinary place to learn, work, and grow.

Warm wishes,

Amy

Above: On Early Release Wednesday, the K-6 Math Leadership Team led a professional development session for K-6 teachers on the topic of math fact fluency. Teachers were provided with new ideas that they can take back and apply in their classrooms to help students further develop math fluency.

Below: PCS 6th grade playing a math fluency game that Ms. Deslauriers learned at our district math fluency PD.

Our talented band and chorus have been spreading holiday cheer throughout our towns and neighboring communities! From lively outdoor performances to heartwarming concerts, they have brought festive spirit and joy to audiences of all ages. Check out the photos capturing these magical moments and celebrate the incredible dedication of our student musicians!

Congratulations PRHS biology teacher Patrick Martin! Mr. Martin joins Mrs. Smith, Mr. Hayashida, and Mr. Crosby in earning his National Board Certification - that makes four teachers at PRHS National Board certified. Nationally about 4% of teachers have this significant credential, whereas at PRHS it's double that!

Access the full school calendar on our website to stay informed and organized. We appreciate your partnership in creating a successful and well-prepared school year for your child.

RSU16 SRO Deputy Westleigh and PRHS students helped with traffic and parking at the Christmas in Poland celebration.

Thank you West Minot Grange for sponsoring our MCS third graders with the book "Wild Robot".

Whittier Middle School is looking for volunteers to be judges at our annual Whittier National History Day. This year the contest will be held on February 11th from 8-12. You don't need any prior history knowledge. We will train you and you will be working with at least one other judge to interview students about their projects. This is an exciting celebration of student work and we'd love for you to be a part of it! Please contact Sean Galipeau if interested at sgalipeau@rsu16.org.

The Poland Historical Society welcomed three groups of third graders from the Poland Community School on Friday, December 6th. The school bell rang loud and clear as they came into our one-room schoolhouse museum (until the spring broke). Classes started with the Pledge of Allegiance. Miss Laura let today's school students know what school was like 100 or more years ago.. There were 28 one- or two-room schoolhouses in our town at various times. Students walked to school with their brothers and sisters. The older students helped the younger ones with their lessons. Most everyone walked home for lunch. And there were no snow days.

Mr. Jack brought the third graders back to the barn to show them Governor Bert Fernald's sleigh and other items from our collection. A wooden water pipe and a fireman's helmet from the Job Corps PSFD held their attention for a while.

Each student was given a Poland Bicentennial Calendar as a memento of their visit to the Old Poland Corner School.