
Wentworth Family News
Week of June 3 - June 7, 2024
June 7, 2024
Upcoming Dates
- Friday, June 7 - Spirit Day: PJ DAY! Final Spirit Day selected by RESPECT token votes!
- Monday, June 10 ~ Field Day for Red and Blue Learning Communities;
- Purple and Green 5th Graders visit SMS
- Tuesday, June 11 ~ Field Day for Purple and Green Learning Communities
- Red and Blue 5th Graders visit SMS
- Tuesday, June 11 ~ School Budget Referendum: Please Vote!
- Friday, June 14 ~ Last Day of School: Dismissal at 11:45 AM - Happy Summer!
Senior Strollin' through Wentworth!
This week our entire school community had the special opportunity to congratulate the SHS Class of 2024 as they took a victory lap around their intermediate school, decked out in their graduation regalia! Not only does this event feel great for the Senior Class, to have the cheers and recognition and admiration of younger students as well as their past teachers while taking a walk down memory lane, but this event also provides inspiration for our youngest learners.
Here is a video clip of the crowd of parents and community members who gathered in front of our school to catch a glimpse and give a cheer as the SHS School Leaders led the way for the buses packed with the Class of 2024 to arrive in our bus loop. The excitement inside was mounting in this moment, and here is a video clip of the Seniors walking into the Wentworth gym, packed with all of the students and staff from Blue Point, Pleasant Hill and Eight Corners Schools.
After walking through the gym, the parade led through the Wentworth-student-and-staff-lined-hallways, back to the buses and over to SMS. We love this tradition and we all wish the Class of 2024 (fun fact: this is the very first group of graduating students who attended the new Wentworth School for all three years in third, fourth and fifth grade!) the very best as they reach for their future dreams!
Portland Wheelers Came to Wentworth
The Portland Wheelers, a nonprofit providing outdoor adapted biking fun, came to Wentworth today and provided an opportunity for many of our students to ride bikes! Special thanks to Cybil Kipp, one of our amazing Occupational Therapists, for organizing this event. Judging by the smiles, a fantastic time was had by all!
3rd Grade Trip to Maine Wildlife Park
Wentworth third graders recently took a field trip to the Maine Wildlife Park. This trip connects to their research writing project on native Maine animals, is a great culminating event and bonding activity for the students. Here is a photo of Ms. McPherson's class, which represents the joy and learning all of our third graders experienced on this special trip!
Budget Update
SCARBOROUGH COMMUNITY - YOUR VOTE MATTERS!
School Budget Validation Referendum Vote at Scarborough High School on June 11, 7 am - 8 pm Early voting and absentee ballots are available now For more information visit www.scarboroughmaine.org/departments/town-clerk/elections
FY25 Budget highlights – Investments for effective teaching and learning This budget allows us to… School leaders have diligently weighed building and district-wide priorities to craft a budget that puts the needs of our students, staff, and community first, respects the fiscal challenges we continue to face responsibly, and invests in the resources necessary to continuously improve learning for all.
Unmet needs…
Each year school leaders work to balance district budget priorities with the capacity of our community to provide additional resources. This year that work was complicated by the continued increasing complexity of student needs weighed against concerns about the impact of property tax revaluation on Scarborough taxpayers. As usual, some valuable proposals were discussed and eventually deferred by school leaders during the budget development process. These items are identified here as areas of unmet need for potential future investment.
Recent data analysis by the Scarborough Building Advisory Committee compares Scarborough with other towns and school districts in our area (See the Benchmarking & Programming Subcommittee Presentation – April 2024 on our website at www.scarboroughschools.org/building-project/documents). Many school districts are facing large tax rate increases for the coming year due to a combination of economic pressures and loss of COVID-related grant funding; projected increase estimates range from 5% to 9% for several of our closest neighbors. In Scarborough, stepping down from the use of these grant funds has been a strategic, multi-year process. We are grateful for the willingness of our community to avoid a fiscal cliff by investing in this transition over time.
Welcome to Wentworth, New Third Graders!
On Monday, school leaders and third grade student Ambassadors had the opportunity to provide a warm welcome to the incoming students from Eight Corners, Pleasant Hill and Blue Point Schools. First, all the second graders met in the Wentworth cafeteria for a presentation from Mrs. Crosby and Mr. Stoner. As part of the presentation, they heard from current third graders, selected by their teachers, to represent the entire third grade and share about Wentworth from their perspective.
The Ambassadors were so thoughtful and focused, and provided great insight about the transition to Wentworth!
Next, the second graders took a tour of the school. Ambassadors once again took the lead, with each current third grade representative describing their assigned location to classes as they rotated around our school. One of the stops included a mini performance by the Gym Dandies, and another one of the stops on the tour was our school garden. At the garden stop, each second grade student , assisted by Ms. Justham, Ms. Hewitt and her class, had the opportunity to plant a sunflower seedling that will grow up over the summer and greet our newest students as they enter Wentworth this fall. This is one of our favorite and most special traditions!
We hope the second graders left so excited to begin this next phase!
Amazing Fifth Grade!
5th Grade Warrior Challenge, DARE Recognition & Year End Celebration
We enjoyed a perfect weather day to celebrate our fifth graders at their Warrior Challenge and DARE wrap up event.
Students crushed the epic obstacle course complete with inflatables and accompanied by accessible-to-all backyard games and activities. It was fun to have parents watch the excitement! Then, we all took a quick stroll to meet up with Officer Greenleaf who briefly recognized students for their DARE participation. Teachers facilitated a quick student share focused on favorite memories, what students are looking forward to, and/or what they will miss about Wentworth and more! Finally, fifth graders enjoyed a frozen treat all while rocking their new DARE t-shirts!
The photos are evidence that a great time was had by all!
Band Concerts
It was so wonderful to celebrate the progress and success of our fifth grade musicians at their spring concerts! Fifth grade musicians from the Blue and Green Learning Communities performed on May 28, and musicians from the Red and Purple Learning Communities performed on May 30 - both evenings were supported by a full house, standing-room-only audience! Thank you, Scarborough Community, for your ongoing support of the arts in our schools.
Congratulations, musicians, on a wonderful performance! Best wishes to Mr. Fletcher as he heads off on his new adventure to a thriving music scene in the South with his family. Thank you for all you have done to build a second-to-none music program and for the countless young musicians you have inspired. We know you will keep a steady beat in NOLA!
Summer Garden Help Needed
Calling all Summer Garden Helpers !
It’s that time again!
We need garden helpers to come and water, weed, and help harvest the bounty this summer.
We donate produce to those in need in the Scarborough Community through the Wentworth Cafe during the summer months. The fall crops will be both donated and sampled by students.
As school ends on the 14th. We will need helpers from June 15th through the end of August. We ask that you commit to a full week( Sunday through Saturday) and then, we will create a schedule with all those that have volunteered. Please let me know time periods to avoid when you may be away or otherwise occupied.
Let me know your thoughts and I will be in touch with you with the schedule and times to come in and learn the ropes about the beds and plans for the summer. Please include your phone number and child homeroom teacher.
You may respond to Catherine Hewitt at chewitt@scarboroughschools.org or send a note with your child.
The garden needs you and I can't tell you how much your time and attention is appreciated. Thanks for making this garden possible!
The Garden Leads,
Catherine Hewitt, Janeen Chin, Deb Justham, Pat Barnosky
Wentworth School End of year Medication Pick-up
Dear Parent/Guardian,
Please be sure to pick up all your child’s medications that are stored in the health office, no later than 2:30 pm, on June 14th, 2024. Any medicine left at school after that time must be discarded. Per School Board Policy, medication cannot be stored in the clinic over the summer.
Both you and your child’s physician must sign a new form at the beginning of each school year. The permission to administer medication form may be accessed on your school’s website in the Health Service section or attached below. The medication policy JLCD may be accessed online in the Scarborough School Department Board of Education Policies section J-Students. We also accept asthma action plans and food allergy plans signed by your child’s physician in addition to your signature on the permission to administer medication form.
Medications and required paperwork may be dropped off by an adult on August 27th, 28th, and 29th, 2024. Here is the link for the permission form for medication:
Medication Administration Permission Form-PrescriptionMedicationJLCD-E1.pdf
Please contact the clinic directly with questions or concerns at 730-4610/4611. Medication orders may be faxed directly to the health clinic at 730-4797.
Have a wonderful summer and we look forward to working with you again in the fall.
Sincerely,
Anne Ornstein and Cindy Fasulo
For Incoming Third Grade Students
Don't worry, this was provided for K-2 schools to share as well!
We are looking forward to welcoming all of our new students; please....
Returning Instruments
Wentworth School Instrumental Music Program
If your young musician is continuing in 6th grade band and you are renting an instrument do not return your instrument to Music Arts. You may think that your son/daughter might not practice much this summer so it would make sense to return it and then rent again this fall. Financially this is the worst thing you can do. The money you have already paid goes toward owning the instrument. If you return the instrument, you will automatically lose all of that credit.
If your child will not be continuing in the instrumental music program at the middle school here is how to return the instrument if renting from Music Arts. Please call Music & Arts (888) 731-5396 or email Ken Bart at kbart@musicarts.com and get a rental return confirmation number and tape it onto the instrument case. I am not able to collect instruments if there is not a rental return confirmation number.
Instruments need to be returned to Mr. Fletcher by 6/11/24 since this is the last day the Music & Arts representative is visiting Wentworth.
You may also return the instrument to Music & Arts in West Falmouth at:
106 Gray Rd
Falmouth, ME 04105
(207) 797-3494
If you have any questions please contact me: cfletcher@scarboroughschools.org or
730-4695
Have a great summer!
Chris Fletcher
5th Grade Band Teacher
For Incoming Sixth Grade Students
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First Annual Wentworth Book Swap
Anything Look Familiar?
Please have your child check the Lost & Found
As summer break approaches, these are the final days to check the lost and found for any items that have been misplaced or left behind. Any unclaimed items will be donated after the last day of school.
Contact Us
*please update dismissal plans before 1:30 PM*
Email: kcrosby@scarboroughschools.org
Website: https://sites.google.com/a/scarboroughschools.org/wentworth/
Location: 20 Quentin Drive, Scarborough, ME, USA
Phone: (207)730-4600