The Russell Review

Dear Russell School Families,

I hope this finds you well and with many days of fun in the sun under your belt. I also hope you were able to find some time to rest, rejuvenate, and relax.

I will apologize in advance for the length of this communication. There is a lot packed into this newsletter, but much of what you will find will support you in your preparations for the upcoming school year.

For those of you who don't know me yet, I am Danny Blake. I proudly serve the GNG community as the Principal here at Russell School. Before joining the Russell School community I was an Assistant Principal at Gray New Gloucester Middle School and taught at Dunn School before that. I hope you will see that my roots are deep here in GNG. This community has become a big part of who I am for the past 14 years.

While I spend many hours a week here in district, I have many other interests outside of GNG. My wife Ashley and I reside in Yarmouth with our two children. Addison is our oldest. She is 10 and entering fifth grade this fall. Laura, our youngest, will be turning 5 at the end of September. To say that the two of them keep us on our toes is an understatement... I am sure you can all attest to that as parents yourself. Together we enjoy exploring our beautiful state and finding as many hours as possible to enjoy the great outdoors.

As we begin to think about the start of the 2024 - 2025 school, there is much to consider. As you can imagine, we have been very busy preparing for the back to school season. There are many changes to our SOPs, so please be sure to review all school communications carefully. Know that we anticipate that procedures and protocols will continue to evolve as we check and adjust over the first few weeks of school and beyond. We will do our best to communicate any and all changes as transparently as we can.

Here at Russell School we believe that communication between home and school is essential for student success. Should you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out at any time. We find it best to begin with the staff member most familiar with the concern. Most often, this means beginning with the classroom teacher. Should that not be best, please feel free to reach out to me directly.

I look forward to seeing you soon!

Our school newsletter, The Russell Review, will be sent home on a monthly basis to keep you up-to-date on the many happenings at Russell School.

Each month we will deliver our newsletter directly to your email inbox.

Archived editions of The Russell Review are stored on our website at: https://msad15.org/russell-school/

The 2024-2025 Russell School handbook is available for viewing on our school website. Our handbook outlines many of the SOPs and policies used on a regular basis.

The handbook can be viewed here:

August 28th

First Day For Grade 1

First Day For Grade 2

Kindergarten Orientation From 10:00 - 11:00

August 29th

First Full Day For Kindergarteners

Second Full Day For Grades 1 & 2

August 30th

No School

September 2nd

No School - Labor Day

September 25th

Early Dismissal

Students Dismissed 2 Hours Earlier Than Normal

October 11th

No School - Staff In-Service Day

October 14th

No School - Indigenous Peoples' Holiday

October 16th

Early Dismissal

Students Dismissed 2 Hours Earlier Than Normal

October 17th

Russell School Flu Clinic

(More Information To Come)

Kindergarten Orientation will be held on Wednesday, August 28th from approximately 10:00-11:00 am. This orientation will provide an opportunity for parents and incoming kindergarteners to meet their teacher, meet their classmates, and learn about their classroom, school, and kindergarten routines.

For those who have elected to utilize SAD 15 transportation, we invite you to ride the bus with your kindergarten student on the morning of August 28th. Your child’s driver will reach out to you prior to orientation to arrange a pick-up time for Kindergarten Orientation. Please note, it is important to consider your child's pick-up and drop-off location and plan accordingly.

When you arrive on the bus with your child for orientation, we will invite you to visit your child’s classroom briefly. Then, we will hold a brief informational meeting for parents while your child gets to know his or her classmates and teacher. At the parent meeting, we will share important information about Russell School and introduce you to key staff members. After the meeting, we will reunite you with your child and create an opportunity for children and their parents to partake in bus safety training before heading home.

Megan Ruitto - Educational Technician In Special Education

Educational Technicians In Special Education (2 Open Positions)

For more information, please visit: https://msad15.org/employment/

Below you will find the arrival and dismissal times for the 2023-2024 school year. The following schedule is subject to change as we adjust to our new bus routes and arrival/dismissal routines. Any changes will be clearly communicated with as much advance notice as feasible.

Bus Arrival: 8:50 am - 9:00 am

Parent Drop-Off: 8:40 - 9:00 am

Bus Dismissal: 3:20-3:30 pm

Parent Pick-Up Line: 3:15-3:30 pm

Whether picking up or dropping off, it is imperative that parents drive slowly through the parking lot as we will have buses loading and unloading and students walking to multiple entrances around the building.

Russell School will begin unloading parent drop-off students promptly at 8:40. Please do not arrive any earlier as our drop-off lane will not be open and we are unable to assist you until that time. Students cannot be left without supervision. That means that students cannot be dropped off until 8:40.

We will continue using an express lane for parent drop off. Parents who bring their students to school should plan to enter Gray Park and proceed to the second driveway at Russell School. Next, please proceed cautiously around the back of the building. Students should be prepared to exit the vehicle quickly once your vehicle has come to a stop in the unloading zone. Several staff members will be waiting to assist as needed. To the extent feasible, please have your child exit your vehicle on the passenger side. Parents are asked to remain in the vehicle.

Please note, vehicles must remain in the drop-off lane and exit following the flow of traffic. Parents will proceed around the building and exit through the bus loop. Parents should be prepared to stop and wait for unloading buses. Under no circumstances should you pass a bus with red flashing lights. Staff will be on duty to direct traffic. Additionally, when merging back on to Gray Park, drivers should watch carefully for all other traffic.

Finally, if your child is having a difficult time separating, or is not ready to exit the vehicle promptly, we may ask you to move out of the line and find a parking space in an effort to keep the drop-off lane moving quickly.

Parents picking students up at the end of the school day are asked to enter Gray Park and use the second driveway. Upon entering, please drive slowly around the side of the building. Here you will check-in with a staff member. You will be required to show identification, so please be prepared and plan accordingly.

After letting the staff member know the student you are picking up, you will drive to the rear of the building. We kindly ask that you slowly enter the playground area with extreme caution. Rest assured, there will be no students on the playground during this time and several staff members will be on duty to support safety.

Next, you will proceed to the double doors. Here a staff member will be waiting with your student. The staff member will assist loading your student into your vehicle. We ask that you remain in your vehicle. If you need to exit your vehicle, please notify one of our duty staff. It is really helpful if your child is adept at buckling themself into their booster.

After picking your student up at the double doors behind the building, please drive slowly around the last side of the building and exit through the parking lot and bus loop.

Although students will be dismissed for parent pick-up beginning at 3:15, you may be asked to wait until our buses have left the bus loop. We appreciate your flexibility as we work to load everyone as safely as possible.

Please Note: The end of the school day is a very busy and hectic time in the office and in classrooms. Further, teachers are capitalizing on every minute they can to work with students in a number of meaningful ways, including providing time for socialization. For these reasons students will not be dismissed from the office between 3:00 - 3:15 unless it is an emergency. Students who need to leave before 3:15 should be picked up before 3:00. This will count as an early dismissal and be documented in PowerSchool as part of your child’s attendance record.

Further, we would really appreciate it if families would make every effort to use the parent pick-up car line. We know it can take a few extra minutes, but it really helps staff and students develop more effective routines and engage with their classmates at the end of the day.

Thank you for your consideration, flexibility and follow through with this request.

Please know that we anticipate delays during arrival and dismissal during the first few weeks.

We also anticipate that the arrival and dismissal times will change slightly after the first week or two. It does take us several days to sync up our parent pick-up and drop-off times with the pick-up and drop-off times of our buses.

We apologize in advance for any inconvenience and appreciate your grace and flexibility as we work through these busy times of our school day.

Changes to your child’s afternoon dismissal plan must be communicated to the main office before 12:00 on the day of the change. This communication is essential for us to plan accordingly and get your child where they need to be at the end of each day. Additionally, this communication should be prioritized early in the day as we occasionally have to dismiss buses before parent pick-up. Families who neglect to inform us of changes will likely have to return to pick-up their children from home or daycare.

It is important to note that this communication should be made to the main office. Do not notify classroom teachers. Our classroom teachers are not constantly or consistently monitoring email while students are in class. You can reach us in the main office at 657-4929 or by emailing Miss Judy at jfernez@sad15.org.

The new 2024-2025 school year busing information is available to view. To find your student's bus information, please visit the MSAD15 website and transportation tab at the bottom of the page. If you have any problems accessing your information, please call the transportation department at
207-657-9480.

Please be sure to check back between now and the start of school, as times may change slightly due to ridership changes and updates.

Hello and welcome, all Russell School families! I hope you had a wonderful, relaxing summer and found some time to enjoy a little sun and maybe a few fun family activities. Although I didn’t get in as many beach days as I would have liked, it was a lovely summer overall. Now it’s time to gear up for fall and the start of a brand new school year.

I’m excited to be returning to Russell for my third year as both the school counselor and SEL teacher. In addition to the small skills-based groups I run and the individual work I do with students, my role also entails teaching all classes and grade levels the importance of social emotional learning. We will start this year off with learning and reviewing our three main school expectations (i.e. “Be Safe, Be Respectful, and Be Responsible”) and what those look like at school. Then, we will focus on the Zones of Regulation, a unit intended to help students expand their emotional vocabulary, identify physical sensations (or cues) related to their emotions, and practice different calming strategies to help them feel focused and in control. After that, we will cover many other topics, including helping students recognize the difference between large and small problems (and how to handle each kind), conflict resolution (i.e. exploring strategies to use when solving problems with others), character education (i.e. the importance of integrity and honesty, playing fair, caring for others, and citizenship), safety, and interpersonal skills for creating healthy and meaningful relationships with both peers and adults. Through the use of picture books, arts and crafts, games, role playing, and more, it is my goal to help students understand the importance of kindness and compassion for both themselves and their community.

And please note: SEL is not simply for children. We, as parents, guardians and caregivers, can also learn and practice the skills that our children bring home and share with us. We can model positive conflict resolution and practice positive problem-solving. We can help our children identify their feelings and offer a variety of calming strategies to help them based on our knowledge of their likes and dislikes. At the end of the day, you know your child best. We here at Russell School, however, are here to help. We look forward to working with you, as a team, to ensure your child thrives not only academically but socially and emotionally, as well. Please know that my door is always open, and if you have any questions or concerns, at any time, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Oh, and while I have your attention, let me take a minute to remind you (or tell you about…if you’re new to the district) MSAD 15’s Backpack Program. MSAD 15, in partnership with the Good Shepherd Food Bank, will be relaunching its Food Backpack Program in the upcoming weeks. The MSAD 15 Food Backpack Program discreetly provides students-in-need with bags of healthy, easy-to-prepare food at the end of each week and prior to school vacations when the school meals they rely on are unavailable.

If your child participated in the Backpack Program at an MSAD15 last school year, they will automatically be enrolled in it this year. If they did not and you feel it would be beneficial to your family this school year, please reach out to me so I can add your name to our list. All responses are confidential.

Thank you so much for your time and attention to this letter. I look forward to working in partnership with you and your family this year and can’t wait to see all new and returning Russell School students soon.

Be well!

Best regards,

Kat Wigmore

Russell School Counselor

kwigmore@sad15.org

207-657-9622

MSAD # 15 schools are faced with an increasing number of individuals with life threatening allergies to foods and other substances. It is acknowledged that the School District cannot be considered nut or latex “free”. However, the District strives to minimize the risk of exposure to life threatening allergens.

The District asks the parents of students with allergies to be ultimately responsible for the management of their child’s allergies and to collaborate closely with their child’s school. Parents are responsible for providing the school nurses the appropriate emergency medication and Individual Health Action Plan reviewed and signed by their Primary Care Provider. If you have any questions, please contact the school nurse.

We have several students attending Russell School who have severe allergies. In order to ensure safety, we request your help with keeping our school as “nut product free” as possible. This includes items such as peanuts, peanut butter, walnuts, hazelnuts, Nutella, etc.

Nut allergies can have life threatening implications in a very short amount of time. The concern comes not just from eating nut products but also from smells in the air and any oil residue left on desks, lunch tables, etc.

In cases involving students with life threatening allergies, there will be classroom procedures to mitigate and minimize exposure to the allergy.

We appreciate your help keeping as many of these products out of our school as possible.

Family members who wish to volunteer at any point in the school year are encouraged to complete the MSAD 15 volunteer form as soon as possible. This form is required annually for any person over the age of 18 volunteering in our schools. One form will cover you for all 5 of our MSAD 15 schools and will be valid for the current school year.

Below you will find a link to download a copy of the volunteering application. Paper copies are located in our vestibule. We are also happy to send a form home with your child. Families who would like that option should reach out to their child's classroom teacher or Miss Judy in the main office.

This includes families who wish to volunteer for Field Day in May. It is not too early to have your volunteer background check done now to ensure you are all ready for Field Day in May!

We are pleased to announce that breakfast and lunch will be free to all students for this school year! This only applies if a student takes a "complete meal".

Students who choose to only get milk with their breakfast or lunch will be charged $0.65 for each milk they take.

Lunch menus are published monthly on the MSAD 15 website. In addition, monthly menus will be sent to families through our email service, School Messenger.

Students who will be purchasing milk only are strongly encouraged to use the My School Bucks program. Information pertaining to the program can be found below.

Dear Russell School Families,

On behalf of the Patriot Parents (PTO) let us welcome you to the start of the 2024-2025

school year. We hope you all had a fun and relaxing summer spent with family and friends. If

you are a new family to Russell School, please let us extend a very warm welcome. If you are a

returning family, I am sure you are very excited to begin another brand new school year.

Russell School is so very special, thanks to the partnership between the incredible

teachers and staff and engaged families like yours. The Patriot Parents purpose is to

strengthen, enhance, and encourage the betterment of the educational and social environment

at Russell School. We do this by planning fun community events throughout the school year,

plan monthly staff appreciation events, and help bring in educational and enriching programs.

We wouldn’t be able to accomplish any of this without the time and resources from all of you.

There are many ways for you to get involved during the school year: volunteering at

events, donating resources/supplies, or attending monthly PTO meetings. Whichever way you

choose to become involved it is greatly appreciated.

If you have not already, please head over to Facebook and “like” our “Russell School

Patriot Parents” page. Here you will find announcements of upcoming events and meetings. We

will also continue to communicate through Mr. Blake’s monthly “Russell Review”. Please also

feel free to email us anytime at: russellpatriotparents@outlook.com

We look forward to seeing you at school, meetings, events, and fundraisers. We look

forward to getting to know you!

Warmly,

Wendi Dill & Lauren Rousseau