RSU 16 Community Connection

Consistent attendance at our schools in RSU 16 lays the foundation for students to make the most of the learning opportunities and enriching activities available daily. Consider the array of educational experiences captured in the images and envision the challenge of replicating those for absent students. While we strive to provide alternative means, nothing compares to the firsthand engagement that occurs when students are physically present in our classrooms, where dynamic learning experiences are prevalent throughout most of the school day!

Did you know that...

- Chronic absenteeism in the early grades correlates with reduced literacy and mathematical achievement over multiple years?

- Chronic absenteeism at the middle and high school level is one of the strongest predictors that a student will fail to graduate on time or even drop out altogether?

- Students who have regular attendance at school have been shown to achieve at higher levels than students who do not have regular attendance?

- Students who fail to read at grade level by the end of third grade are four times more likely than students who achieve proficiency to drop out of high school. Adults without a high school education generally earn lower incomes and experience higher unemployment than their peers who do earn a high school diploma, putting them at greater risk for poverty?

- students who are chronically absent in the early years of their education may not learn crucial school readiness skills (abilities such as critical thinking, problem solving, and creative thinking), and can fall behind their peers in social-emotional development?

(from https://www.attendanceworks.org/ April, 2024)

About 30 students represented our school in a variety of categories. Social studies teachers Sean Galipeau-Eldridge and Chris Frazier and English Language Arts teacher Angela Gilbert chaperoned the trip.

Results were announced late in the afternoon, and Whittier Middle School was well represented on the podium.

• Ali Starbird won first place in the websites category. She qualified for National History Day in Washington, D.C. this June.
• Scarlett Quimi finished in second place in the exhibits category. She also qualified for National History Day.
• Isabella Lizotte finished third in the papers category.
• Ava Banaitis and Meghan Komanetsky received a special award for their project's connection to science.

Today some of the student council provided a yogurt parfait bar for PRHS and Whittier Staff!

Emma MacMahon, Emma Martin, Emily Bartlett, Ethan Castonguay, Mable Tyler, Autumn Demilia, Olivia Austin and Elise Landry are all in the pictures. The staff had positive feedback and we also wrote cards to all the staff. Thank you to Blackies for providing discounted fruit and donations!

A HUGE thank you to everyone in the Whittier community for your efforts in our "Campus Clean Up" Friday! We cleaned up the entire campus, all of the athletic fields, and the sidewalks along the street in just a half hour! We made a tremendous difference working together! Thank you!

PCS Second Grade students would like to thank Cindy Crepps from Meadow Ridge Perennial Farm, for teaching our kids about plants and plant care. We appreciate the PTA for providing this opportunity!!

Whittier Middle School and Poland Regional High School was well represented at the ACDA State Festival. The ACDA provides Maine choral students in grades 4–9 with an honors festival experience explicitly focused on adolescent voice change, inclusive of all genders. Big thanks to Mrs. Edwards for all of her efforts in making this opportunity possible for our students.

Congratulations to ESS and MCS School Counselor, Mrs. Dodge who graduated with her Masters in Counseling (School Counseling) from the University of Southern Maine!

Congratulations to Whittier's Writing Teacher, Ms Adler! She shares, "May 4, 2024 - Star Wars Day; also, USM Graduation Day. Today, I graduated with my Master’s Degree in Teaching and Learning from the University of Southern Maine. I completed the degree requirements over the course of the last two years while maintaining a full-time position as the 7th/8th grade Writing teacher at Whittier. The stars on my cap were signed by my students and colleagues as they too were a part of this journey. I mentioned Star Wars Day because the orchestra played the Imperial March for our walk out! Thank you, all, students, staff, and administrators for your amazing support."

Thank you to Michelle Smith, Kirsten Johansen, Julie Brown, Bill Flynn, Kristin Ross, Liz Howe, Sarah Rose, Elaine Fryda, Patrick Martin, Chad Petherbridge, Ryan Szantyr, Michael Hayashida, Shannon Briner, Erik Anderson, Kat Meader, Ken Chutchian, D’Arcy Robinson, Barbara Bell, and Emily Stephanson for chaperoning the prom!

Angela Gilbert (far right) leads a small group discussion during our last New to RSU 16 Cohort meeting at Poland Provisions.

Our Tip Line represents one approach our schools and communities may use to share the responsibility of school and student safety and well-being. This Tip Line provides students, staff or other members of the public with a safe and confidential way to report a threat or potential threat to student or school safety. Call 911 in cases of immediate emergency. It is located on our website: rsu16.org and scroll down.

School Calendar

Access the full school calendar on our website to stay informed and organized. We appreciate your partnership in creating a successful and well-prepared school year for your child.

Each year, RSU 16 must share with families, under the Title I statute, our dashboard distributed by the Maine Department of Education. To access the dashboard, go to https://www.maine.gov/doe/dashboard

RSU 16 accepts funding through the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965. These funds are commonly referred to as the “Title funds” or “Title grant money”.

A summary of Title Grants and Goals for 2024-2025 is below.

District Goals

• Goal #1: Improve the consistency and effectiveness of reading instruction to increase student achievement.

• Goal #2: Improve the consistency and effectiveness of math instruction to increase student achievement.

• Goal #3: Decrease the percent of the student body chronically absent.

The allocations and use of funds are as follows:

• Title I: Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged - $415,471.59 (+$84,342.81 in Title II transfer to Title I) = $499,814.40

• Title I, Part A is a federal program designed “To provide all children significant opportunity to receive a fair, equitable, and high-quality education, and to close educational achievement gaps.” Title I, Part A can support early learning and Kindergarten to grade 12. Title I, Part A programs and services provide customized instruction and curricula that helps these students meet academic standards and take an active, engaged interest in what they learn and can do. As the oldest and largest federal education program, Title I, Part A programs build equity of opportunity for children whose struggles often keep them on the academic sidelines.

• Title I is a federally funded program that provides supplemental academic support and extended learning opportunities to low achieving children in high poverty schools. The purpose of Title I is to ensure that all children have a fair and equal opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and achieve proficiency on Maine’s challenging academic standards.

• Our Title I (and Title II) funds pay for the salaries, benefits, and supplies of our Title I Literacy and Math teachers and provide professional development for our Title staff. Funds are also used for PreK-6 Parent Engagement activities with a focus on math and literacy. Title I funds are also used to support homeless students and pay a stipend for our Homeless/McKinney Vento liaison.

• Project Title: Safe and Healthy Students - $3,000 ––– Funds will be used to purchase an SEL (Social-Emotional Learning) curriculum for PRHS and provide a set aside for family engagement.

• Project Title: Professional Learning - $40,000 ––– Funds will be used to enhance teaching and learning by providing professional development opportunities and resources to teachers. This project allocates funds for curriculum and assessment development work and stipends, attendance and travel at conferences and professional learning resources.

• Project Title: Professional Learning - $10,774.51 ––– Funds will be used to differentiate and accelerate student learning through program licenses and subscriptions to meet district and building goals for math and literacy.

RSU 16 is accepting public comment on the ESEA application through July 30, 2024. Click below to share your thoughts about the application’s goals and priorities.