We are quickly approaching the end of the school year. Our staff and students are busy wrapping up state testing, final exams, projects, concerts, academic and athletic competitions, and many exciting field trips. I want to remind families to review our end-of-year activities schedule below. June 15 will mark our last day of school for students. This will be an early release day.

The Biddeford and Saco School Departments teamed up with APEX Youth Connection, one of our valued community partners, to submit a grant proposal to the State of Maine in an effort to bring a local Boys and Girls Club chapter to our community. We are happy to announce the application received the state's highest ranking, and Saco and Biddeford account for 2 of 10 awardees state-wide. We are thrilled to offer additional after-school enrichment opportunities for middle-level students next year. We believe it is essential to offer a robust selection of after-school programs in our communities to engage our youth after the school bell rings. We are proud to promote academic enrichment, physical activity, arts, and nutrition opportunities for the students we serve.

I want to take a moment to highlight and congratulate our Math Teams at Biddeford Middle School. Our coaches, Suzanne Tighe and Jessica Larson held weekly practices with their teams in preparation for the math competitions. Hard work paid off, and the teams were rewarded with an incredibly successful season, including six first-place finishes.

Students at Dayton Consolidated School have been busy collecting sneakers to “Stuff the Bus.” Led by Jen Shaw, pre-k ed-tech, the school set a goal to collect 150 pairs of gently used sneakers. Every pair collected helps raise money for the school and keeps sneakers out of landfills. This evening, DCS is hosting a community event: a family movie night; please consider cleaning out the closet and donating your gently used sneakers to this worthy cause.

This past weekend our soon-to-be graduates celebrated their senior prom. This is the first of many traditional activities that lead up to graduation day. On June 3, 2022, graduation will be at Waterhouse Field (weather permitting).

As summer approaches, I encourage families to check out our area's many camps and activities. Our community offers camp opportunities for students of all ages, from theater to high adventure, day camps, and sleepaways. Summer camp is an excellent way for kids to be engaged, learn, socialize, get outside, and take a break from electronic devices.

Please read through the remainder of this newsletter as we highlight some of the fantastic achievements that are happening within our buildings.

Sincerely,

Jeremy Ray

Superintendent of School

Students from Biddeford Middle School (BMS) showcased their skills this season with several first-place wins in state-wide virtual math competitions. Each team from grades five, six, and seven met with success. The thirty-four students had six first-place team finishes.

Backrow: Bailey Betters, Elian, Al Mshakheel, Ella Cabana-Flick, Thomas Rainey, Marcus Perkins

3rd Row: Madlyn Burton, Jodi Gosselin, Levi Keler, Cali Jacques, Jackson Wood, Jackson Donovan

2nd Row: Fletcher Belanger, Aaron Arsenault, Emily Donovan, Laken Mills, Oliver Bean, Dimah Ajeel, Kyleigh Froehlich, Braeden Enman, Ethan Pettyjohn

Front row: Alijah Thor, Benton Henry, Jaxon Grant, Caiden Charland, Shayleigh Kennedy, Calvin Daly, Zackary Godin, Lina Ajeel

Missing from photo: Wyatt Richards (5th), Lola Laverriere (6th), Grady O’Connor (7th), Kyle Normand (7th)

The Biddeford Education Foundation (BEF) is pleased to announce our 5th Annual Pillars of Pride Silent Auction. The event is scheduled for October 1, 2022. More information about the event and ticket sales is forthcoming. Biddeford Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created to support the needs of students within our community that fall outside of the regular school budget. Through grant monies and fundraising efforts, the foundation has been able to assist in providing food and clothing to families in need. In addition, the Foundation has focused on supporting our increasing homeless population by helping to identify affordable housing to ensure children have a safe place to sleep each night. The foundation also supports teacher mini-grants allowing educators to think outside the box for innovative learning opportunities that would not otherwise be funded. For more information about BEF, please visit our website.

Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has provided the school department with a limited supply of at-home COVID-19 test kits. Test kits will be available to staff and families upon request while supplies last. If you are interested in receiving a kit please contact your school nurse.

Home Test Kit Instruction Sheet - linked here

CDC Close Contact Guidelines - linked here

This week, the United Way of Southern Maine (UW) and Gorham Savings Bank teamed up with Dayton Consolidated School as part of the UW’s Week of Caring. Six volunteers from Gorham Savings Bank spent the day helping to improve our school grounds. Upon arrival, volunteers immediately got to work painting the building, building benches for outdoor learning, gardening, hanging bird feeders to attract wildlife, and cleaning sand from the schoolyard. Many people from the Dayton community donated supplies and equipment to make the day a success. The grounds of our school are now beautiful, and we are incredibly grateful to our volunteers and the United Way for choosing us.

To honor and celebrate perseverance and resilience this school year, Biddeford Middle School held a Hope Week from 5/16-5/20 for everyone in grades 5-8. Inspired by both the Yellow Tulip Project and May's Mental Health Awareness Month, the BMS community spent the week reflecting and sharing moments of strength, perseverance, and HOPE. Yellow tulips are in bloom in the BMS Hope Garden at the front entrance of the building!

A Grade Level Configuration Committee has been established with representation inclusive of school board members, district administrators, teachers, and parents. Meetings were held on April 28, May 5, and May 19, where the committee began discussing what grade levels will be housed in each building. Over the coming weeks, the committee will explore multiple options to develop the best plan to meet the needs of our students. Information can be found on the district website by selecting the Grade Level Configuration tab.

Biddeford - Pre-K/Kindergarten Registration

Dayton - Pre-K/Kindergarten Registration