Dear RSU 21 Families and Community Members,

Last Saturday, our athletic staff demonstrated extraordinary professionalism and preparedness when a medical emergency arose just before the 8-man football championship game, which was being held at KHS' Memorial Stadium.

Through swift action and precise implementation of the Athletic Department's Emergency Action Plan, Athletic Director Joe Schwartzmann and his team, working alongside local first responders, successfully saved a life. Athletic personnel and EMTs worked seamlessly together, administering CPR and using a defibrillator to revive an individual who required immediate medical intervention.

This incident underscores the critical importance of emergency preparedness in our school athletics. Our dedicated athletic training team continuously reviews and refines our emergency response procedures, ensuring the safety of our students, staff, and community members.

The courage and quick thinking displayed by our staff remind us of the profound impact preparedness and teamwork can have in protecting lives.

As we reflect on what we are thankful for this time of year, I am beyond thankful to Joe and his team, as well as our local EMTs. They are the best of the best, and they showed that on Saturday.

I also hope you are able to make it to Portland tomorrow to watch our KHS Rams take on Falmouth for the Class B State Championship! If they win, this will be their second state championship in a row! Before the game, there will be a sendoff ceremony along Fletcher Street at noon.

Much love,

Terri Cooper

The RSU 21 Operations Department is conducting radon testing at all six schools in December. We are required to conduct this routine testing and to notify all community members ahead of time. These tests will not be disruptive in any way to students or staff. If you have any questions, please contact the RSU 21 Operations Department.

Below is the testing schedule:

Middle School of the Kennebunks and Mildred L. Day School

• Deployment: Monday, Dec. 2
• Retrieval: Thursday, Dec. 5

Sea Road School and Kennebunkport Consolidated School

• Deployment: Tuesday, Dec. 3
• Retrieval: Friday, Dec. 6

Kennebunk High School

• Deployment: Monday, Dec. 16
• Retrieval: Thursday, Dec. 19

Kennebunk Elementary School

• Deployment: Tuesday, Dec. 17
• Retrieval: Friday, Dec. 20

Dear RSU 21 families,

For those who ride the bus, please take a moment to familiarize (or re-familiarize) yourself with our District Crossing Policy. The crossing policy is a safety protocol to ensure that your student is picked up and dropped off in the safest manner possible each day. Essentially, it describes a process where the driver signals your students to cross the street to/from the bus when it is safe to do so.

Click here to review some slides that detail the process.

Please contact the RSU 21 Transportation Department if you have any questions!

Sincerely,

Chris Pasciuto

RSU 21 Transportation Manager

We are installing new monitoring systems and intercoms at the main entrance of each school building. As part of this security upgrade, all outer front doors will remain locked during school hours. Once installed, visitors to our schools will use an intercom system to communicate with our main office staff before entering the building.

The process is straightforward:

• When you arrive at the school, please proceed to the main entrance.

• Press the clearly marked intercom button.

• Speak with our office staff, who will assist you promptly.

• Once verified, you will be buzzed into the building.

• Please proceed directly to the main office to sign in and receive a visitor's badge.

This additional layer of security allows us to better monitor and control access to our school buildings while maintaining a welcoming environment for our school community. Our staff is being trained on these new procedures to ensure a smooth transition.

If you have any questions about these new procedures, please don't hesitate to contact your child's school office.

Our annual TNTP Surveys help inform crucial decisions every year. Please help the district by completing your survey.

Saturday, November 23

Class B State Championships - KHS Football vs. Falmouth | GO RAMS!

Wednesday, November 27 - Friday, November 29

Thanksgiving Break | NO SCHOOL

Monday, December 2

School Board Meeting | 6:00 p.m.

Thursday, December 5

Facilities Committee | 8:15 a.m.

Policy Committee | 12:30 p.m.

Tuesday, December 10

Communications Committee | 1:00 p.m.

Thursday, December 12

Finance Committee | 8:30 a.m.

*All school board and committee meetings above will take place at KES/A102 unless otherwise indicated.

Full Calendar

In the 2023-2024 school year, five RSU 21 families hosted students from Madrid, Spain as part of a multi-cultural and language immersion program with Gredos San Diego Cooperativa (GSD). It was a fantastic experience for both the visiting students and the host families. This year, the program is being expanded to 12 students.

Important information for prospective host families:

• Students will arrive on Jan. 18 and depart on Feb. 14, 2025

• The students are in grades 8 and 10.

• Students will be matched with host families based on factors like age and common interests.

• Each family will be given a $100 per week stipend, or $400 total.

• Families are encouraged to take students to local areas of interest on the weekends and should take care of their student as if they were a member of their family.

• If you do not have a spare room, guest students can share a room with their host brother or sister as long as they are the same gender.

• Students must be provided a study desk at the host family’s home to allow them to work on tasks from their school in Spain.

• Host family must be able to provide transportation from/to the Portsmouth, NH bus station for the student’s arrival/departure.

GO RAMS!

Line up along Fletcher Street toward the Turnpike on-ramp.

Buses depart at noon.

Wear your RAMS gear and bring signs & noisemakers!

This week, MSK celebrated Maine BioScience Day with Corning Life Sciences of Kennebunk. Volunteers from Corning talked with sixth-grade students about their occupations, and passions for math and science, while also conducting a DNA extraction lab with the students.

The statewide event, hosted by BioME, aims to get students excited about science and connect with local professionals in Maine's robust life sciences industry.

The VPA Boosters wants to send a mighty congratulations to all those involved in the fall musical: Hunchback of Notre Dame! The cast and crew did an amazing job and the whole community could tell a lot of work and heart went into it. All the theater, music, band, and tech students, teachers, parents, and community members who participated in this production should be proud!

Next up is the Band and Music Department’s first-ever Mattress Fundraiser! Come out on the 24th to KHS and support our kids in purchasing new mattresses, which will help the students go on an amazing trip of a lifetime!

Reach out to the boosters with any questions and if your interested in helping with upcoming events, khsvpaboosters@gmail.com.

You can support the class of 2026 by purchasing a Poinsettia from Estabrook's! Purchase a Poinsettia by Monday, Dec. 2, and pick them up on Wednesday, Dec. 4 from 2:30 - 6:00 p.m. at KHS.

Click here to make your purchase!

This is not an exhaustive calendar. For a full list of diversity and interfaith dates, check out reputable sources like the NIH Diversity Calendar.

Thanks to the community's incredible support, the Education Foundation of the Kennebunks and Arundel (EFKA) has provided nearly $1.8 million to teachers and students in RSU 21's six schools in support of STEM, Music, Literacy, the Arts, and Professional Development since 2006.

To ensure EFKA is able to continue doing its amazing work, they need donations! These tax-deductible donations help them empower our students and provide our educators with the tools they need to succeed.

Offer is for students and families of Mildred L. Day School, Sea Road School, Kennebunkport Consolidated School, and Kennebunk Elementary School.

Winter Schedules

GO RAMS!

District Contact Information

2024-2025 School Calendar

Job Postings

24/7 Hotline

Click Here

Call or Text 988 or 1-888-568-1112

Kennebunk

Tabetha Barden

207-604-1394

Arundel

Wendy Lank

207-985-4201 ext. 113

Kennebunkport

Alison Kenneway

207-967-4401

Kennebunk Chamber of Commerce

Laura Dolce

207-967-0857