One more week and the school year is coming to an end! Our last day of school is Wednesday, June 12th (half day). Check out some of the amazing stories of student accomplishments and important summer information highlighted in this last update.

DEVICE RETURN:

As the school year comes to an end, it is important all student devices are returned to ensure we have time to clean, repair, and reassign them for use in the fall. All BMS (grades 5-7) students should return their devices (Chromebook, charger, and carrying case) to their Tiger Time BEFORE Friday, June 7th. The Tech Dept will collect devices from Tiger Times on the 7th. All BHS students (8-11) may keep their devices over the summer with the expectation that students will return with the devices in the fall, having responsibly used and maintained them during that time.

FOOD ACCESS THROUGHOUT SUMMER

As school lets out for the summer, food access is often a concern for many families. Included in this newsletter is a list of resources to assist those in need. If there are any changes, we will post them on our social media platforms and website.

WORK PERMITS

Work permits can still be obtained. If your child is 14 years old (or turning 14 soon) and interested in getting a job this summer, please complete this form, save and email it to Kerrie Edgerton at kedgerton@biddefordschools.me. A copy of your child’s birth certificate will also need to be attached to the email. It can be sent as a photo or scanned from your phone. For additional questions, call 282-8280 ext 5. (NOTE: Permits can take anywhere between a few days to a few weeks to process through the State.)

SCHOOL BUDGET VOTE

Please mark your calendar to vote for the 2024-2025 School Budget on Tuesday, June 11th (7am-8pm) in Biddeford and Thursday, June 20th (6pm) in Dayton). Although it’s a challenging year, we continue to seek innovative ways to meet the budget constraints, and with your support, we can continue making a positive difference for students. The 2024-2025 proposed school budgets are available online: Biddeford - Linked here and Dayton - Linked here.

I hope you all have a safe and happy summer enjoying time with family and friends. Throughout the coming months, I will continue to post updates on our website and social media platforms as I have relevant information to share with parents.

My Best,

Jeremy Ray

Superintendent of Schools

🎸 Check out this amazing project by our Center of Technology students Gaven LeCour (left) and Hunter Boudreau (right). Together, they created a fully functional guitar in welding class as a lasting sculpture for the program and their instructor, Adam Wilder. Incredible talent and creativity on display in the main lobby!

Congratulations to the BHS Odyssey of the Mind Technical team and the BMS Classics team who competed at the World Finals. The BHS team came in 7th place and the BMS team came in 35th. They did an awesome job and their hard work and dedication paid off. The BHS team was coached by Suzanne Tighe (GT teacher at BMS/BIS) and the BMS team was coached by Karen Ramunno.

• 7th Place - BHS Technical Team: Kayla Arsenault (BHS), Emma Cote (BHS), James Cote (BHS), Lara Galiardi (BMS), Ella Ireland (BHS), and Kyle Perkins (BMS).

• 35th Place - BMS Classics Team: Harrison Buchanan (BMS), Cooper Crockett (BMS), Bentley Hale (BMS), Wyatt Harper (BMS), and Anthony Ramunno (BMS).

In honor of Memorial Day, over 200 Biddeford students in grades 4-12 participated in various activities to pay tribute to those who courageously served our country. These meaningful experiences provided our students with an opportunity to show their respect and gratitude for the sacrifices made by our veterans, fostering a deep sense of community and appreciation for our nation's history.

• BIS fourth-grade students joined the Biddeford Saco Rotary Club in placing hundreds of flags on the graves of lost veterans at St. Joe’s Cemetery on the Friday prior to Memorial Day weekend.

• BIS’s 5th-grade chorus of 30 students sang two different Patriotic songs at the parade

• A combined BMS and BHS marching band with over 100 students marched in the parade. It was a sound and visually spectacular performance that all spectators along the parade route enjoyed.

• BHS’s marching band students performed a wonderful rendition of the Star Spangled Banner at Veteran's Park.

Thank you to our students for doing an exceptional job and representing the community of Biddeford extremely well!

A wonderful evening celebrating cultural diversity in our community! Biddeford and Saco Rising, a multicultural event jointly hosted by the Biddeford and Saco School Departments, offered families from both communities an opportunity to come together, have fun, and learn more about each other and resources available to everyone.

BHS:

• Joyce Tarpy (37 years of service)

• Dolores Charest (11 years of service)

BMS:

• Tammy Lavigne - BMS (38 years of service)

• Karen Forbes - BMS (26 years of service)

• Bill Ezzard - BMS (25 years of service)

• Vicki Lee - BMS (12 years of service)

BIS:

• Cheryl Legendre - BIS (21 years of service)

BPS:

• Sue Masse - BPS (28 years of service)

• Sandy Gardella - BPS (27 years of service)

JFK:

• Patricia Gagne - JFK (47 years of service)

• Patricia Fisher - JFK (24 years of service)

• Joanne Duval - JFK (23 years of service)

• Tricia Bennett - JFK (17 years of service)
  
  

Their selfless commitment to education has shaped generations of young minds and future leaders. The positive impact they've had is immeasurable, and we wish them a future of relaxation, new adventures, and fulfillment in knowing the real difference they have made.

Many children face hunger during the summer when they lose access to school meals. This year there are several ways to combat summer hunger, including Summer EBT SUN Bucks ($120 per school-aged child), open meal sites for those 18 and younger, free food distributions through YouthFull Maine, and delivery meal service for those in rural areas.

The District publishes this newsletter which contains community events previously sent home as attachments in weekly emails. The link will remain the same and be updated as new information is received so be sure to bookmark this link for youth-related events.