MASSABESIC HIGH SCHOOL

RSU 57 & Massabesic High School

"Preparing students for success in an ever-changing world."

Hello Mustang Nation,

I hope this newsletter finds you well after a wonderful weekend of Maine weather in the fall - we are certainly being spoiled with crisp nights and mornings and warm sunshine throughout the day.

I am confident that the events of last week still weigh heavily upon the minds of our staff, students, and community. Serious and important work continues behind the scenes to ensure that our school campus is as safe a place as possible each and every day. I am calling upon our student population and community to take that responsibility seriously and work together toward a school environment we all desire.

It is important to take this opportunity to help dispel some inaccurate observations or interpretations of important messaging provided to our students and community last week in response to a threat received by our school. I do not believe these inaccurate observations or interpretations represent the majority of our community, but even the smallest instances of inaccurate information can have large impacts related to safe and effective school operation. In no way did I (or would I) encourage students to withhold information from parents/guardians related to school safety - rather, and quite pointedly, I indicated to our student population (and by extension the community) that reporting unsafe school environment conditions must happen with a trusted adult on this campus FIRST so the safety issue can be addressed immediately. On a campus of more than 1,000 people each second and minute is incredibly important when responding to safety concerns to ensure the protection and health of all who visit our campus on a daily basis. It is unfortunate that anything other than what has been stated above would be believed in terms of messaging to students - we respect the relationships and bonds among families and we would never ask students to work against those strong connections. I am proud of our student population and the way in which they have responded and advocated for their desired school environment - I continue to believe in our students and their abilities to take part in keeping one another accountable to school safety. Additionally, as I stated on Thursday of last week, I believe in our community as well - despite disagreements or differences that arise occasionally, we are united in our desire for the best environment possible for all our students. Finally, I believe fully in our MHS staff who come to work each day to ensure our students are cared for, supervised, protected, inspired, and uplifted.

Our greatest tools to ensure school safety are communication with one another, nurturing relationships between our staff and students, and saying something when we see something.

I look forward to welcoming our students back to campus tomorrow morning.

As a reminder, our upcoming week will follow the Green/White color rotation schedule below.

Monday 10/7 - WHITE

Tuesday 10/8 - GREEN

Wednesday 10/9- NO COLOR - NWEA TESTING

Thursday 10/10 - WHITE

Friday 10/11 - GREEN

Take care,

-Mr. Thurlow

Do you plan to apply to a 4-year college? Does the college you plan to apply to require the SAT? If any of your colleges' admission requirements include the SAT, now is the time to register for the test. How do you check on your college's admissions requirements? Admissions requirements can be found on each college's admissions webpage - and these requirements can slightly vary from college to college.

SAT Test Registration Information

Students register themselves for the SAT test at https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/sat and the cost is $68.

If the student qualifies for an SAT fee waiver, the attached form needs to be signed by the parent/guardian and returned to Ms. Deborah Curtis in the guidance office.

IMPORTANT: Students interested in taking the SAT should read the information on the SAT website.

https://bluebook.collegeboard.org/students/download-bluebook

The SAT is now digital and some of the information on how to prepare for the SAT test has changed.

Calling All Businesses, Industries, & Community Partners!

Massabesic High School is hosting an Annual Career Fair on October 23, 2024, from 7:30-11:30 am in the school’s gymnasium.

Our goal is to inspire the youth in our community to be Career and College ready. It is important for students to explore different career fields in a variety of interest areas or even explore options they have not yet considered. The Annual Career Fair enables students to connect with local companies and helps spread the word about your company and job openings.

We cordially invite you to be a part of this great event. If you are able to join us, you will be responsible for running a booth and discussing with students your workday and the skills and education needed to be successful in your particular career field. If you have any flyers or job postings available, ‌this would be a great opportunity to bring them.

If you are interested in representing your business, please complete the form linked here.

Please feel free to email Marianne Stephenson if you have any questions mariannestephenson@rsu57.org.

Registration for MHS Athletics is now open.

Please visit ParentVUE at:

https://me-wat-psv.edupoint.com/Home_PXP2.aspx

then click on Online Registration in upper right corner, and then select 2024-25 Athletics Registration

Monday, October 7 - MHS College Kick-Off Event

Wednesday, October 9 - Early Release Day

Wednesday, October 9 - NWEA Testing for Grade 9 & 10 ONLY

Wednesday, October 9 - Intervention/Academic Study Hall for Grade 11 & 12 Students

Thursday, October 10 - Community Forum - Addressing Student Mental Health &

Social-Emotional Well-Being

Tuesday, October 15 - Picture Retake Day

Sunday, October 20 - Mustang Monster Dash & 5k Fun Run

Wednesday, October 23 - MHS Career Fair

Thursday, October 24...7:30 AM - 10:30 AM - PSAT Testing

Friday, October 25...7:30 AM - 10:30 AM - PSAT Testing

You are always welcome to call our Maine Office at (207) 247-3141, schedule a meeting, or email members of our administrative team members directly (emails listed below):