Scarborough High School
February 4, 2022
Dear Students, Families, and Staff,
Second Semester has begun! Spring planning is in the air and there will be more about “Save the Dates” after February vacation. There is always a lot to plan in the spring! Diplomas and Caps and Gowns have already arrived and have been processed and stored. With production and shipping challenges these days, we wanted to be prepared and ahead of schedule.
We have received good feedback on our plan for the week of January 24 and January 31. Students were able to meet with teachers for help finishing Quarter 2 work as well as getting make up exams completed if needed. The time was used wisely by those who needed time to finish the quarter and the semester successfully. While this plan allowed us to do some catch up work, it also allowed us to get the new semester started on time. We appreciate all of the efforts to make this work for our students.
Here are some important dates for February and early March:
- Friday, February 4: Advisory time focused on SEL (10:40 – 11:15 AM)
- Monday, February 6: Student SEL (Social Emotional Learning) Survey given to SHS students during AEAST (Academic Enrichment and Support Time) (10:40 – 11:15 AM). We want to check in with our students and see how they are doing.
- Thursday, February 10: Panorama Survey given to students during AEAST (9:20 – 9:55 AM) This is a district wide initiative.
- Wednesday, February 16: Early Release at 12:55 PM
- Friday, February 18: Advisory time focused on SEL (10:40 – 11:15 AM)
- Monday, February 21 – Friday, February 25: No School, February Vacation
- Wednesday, March 2: 6:00 PM – Third Quarter Parent Meeting. This is a Zoom meeting and an agenda and link will be sent on Monday, February 28
- Thursday, March 3: Parent Teacher Conferences, 2:45 – 7:15 PM. Registration begins on Wednesday, February 16, at 6:00 AM. Here is the link to make your appointments: https://scarboroughschools.schoolsoft.com/login
- Monday, March 7: Eighth Grade Step Up Night for Families, 6:00 PM in the Auditorium
One Act Play
Panorama Survey for Students
As you may already be aware, building our social-emotional learning (SEL) skills is an important goal for our school this year. Between Jan. 30 and Feb. 18th, students are scheduled to participate in confidential SEL surveys in our efforts to gauge where they are and assist in planning for them and our school.
We will be asking for your child to reflect on their own mindsets and experiences within school via a short online survey which they will be completing during the school day. The survey shouldn’t take more than 15-20 minutes to complete. The survey content will ask students to self-reflect on their Growth Mindset, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Positive Feelings, Challenging Feelings, and Supportive Relationships.
We are asking that all of our students participate in the surveys, as their responses will provide invaluable insights into their experiences and how we can improve and adapt our school to their needs. The responses to these surveys will be completely confidential. Their teachers will not know their responses. Only school counselors and school leaders will be able to see individual responses. We are partnering with a third-party vendor to support us in administering these surveys. To learn more go to Panorama Education.
These surveys are optional. If you do not wish your child to take part in the survey, please let your school counselor and principal know. We thank you and your family for being our valued partners as we work together to educate the children in our district.
Career and Technical Education (CTE) at WRVC and PATHS
The annual informational presentation for WRVC (Westbrook Regional Vocational Center) and PATHS (Portland Arts and Technology High School) is being planned for all sophomores during AEAST on Tuesday, February 8 (9:20 – 9:55 AM). All sophomores are required to attend. This will be a virtual presentation. Students who are interested in a CTE vocational program for their junior and senior years will continue to work with Student Services to go through the process to get registered. Here are the links to both vocational programs if you would like to learn more about it!
Westbrook Regional Vocational Center: http://westbrook.mainecte.org
Portland Arts and Technical High School: https://sites.google.com/view/pathsrecruiting/home
New Classrooms at SHS
As many of you know, in June 2021, our school budget was approved and that budget included the renovation of space in the high school in order to create two additional classrooms - a general classroom as well as a STEM (Science – Technology – Engineering – Math) classroom at the Gorham Road end of our building. This space was once an Industrial Arts area and has more recently been used as a garage. The job has gone out to bid and now we are preparing to begin the renovation. During February vacation they are likely to work on demolition and the renovation phase should begin in early to mid-March. This project should be completed in mid-May. We are excited to add these two learning spaces to our building. Be on the lookout for signs of construction in the Gorham Road area of the building. We will keep you posted on progress in this monthly letter.
Quarter Two / Semester I Grades
Snowstorms aside, grades should be ready for viewing in PowerSchool on Tuesday, February 8.
Thank You!
Scarborough High School would like to thank Detective Joe Royle for all of the time he spent here this week to educate our parents and students about online safety. Detective Royle of the Maine State Police ran a Parent Night for our families on Tuesday evening and then did 4 student workshops on Wednesday and Thursday. We appreciate all the time he invested to keep our students safe online! Thank you, Joe!
Program of Studies
Visual Art News
The 2022 Scholastic Art Awards have been announced and several Scarborough students have won major awards!
- Risa Sanders won a Silver Key Award in Photography.
- Anita Smith won a Silver Key and an Honorable Mention in Drawing & Illustration, as well as two Honorable Mentions in Digital Art.
- Easy Ocampo won a Gold Key and an Honorable Mention in Ceramics, as well as an Honorable Mention in Painting.
- Isabelle Liu won a Gold Key Portfolio Award and three Silver Keys in Painting.
Pool Testing
Scarborough High School continues with its pool testing program. This testing occurs weekly on Monday mornings (excepting the weeks of Martin Luther King, Jr. day and Memorial Day, when we will test on Tuesday).
Below you will find a link to the consent form. This sign-up process should take no more than 5 minutes for you to complete using a computer or a smartphone. We also have paper copies available if you would prefer that, as well as consents available in multiple languages. Please note that if your child is already 18, they should fill out their own form using the link for adults. If you need to provide consent for more than one child, please complete the process separately for each child. Click on the appropriate link below to access the online consent form.
- Minors ( < 18 years of Age): https://testcenter.concentricbyginkgo.com/minor-consent
- Adults ( > 18 years of Age): https://testcenter.concentricbyginkgo.com/invite-by-code
Here is the access code that you will need to input for high school students:
- Scarborough High School Access Code: RED-STORM
Pre-Screening Tool for School Attendance
As we enter the cold and flu season, please make sure you are considering this pre-screening tool daily before sending your child to school.
We hope everyone is able to enjoy February outdoors or indoors as suits your needs! Take care and be well!
Building Leadership Team
Jacob Brown, Assistant Principal Gr 10 & 12
Susan Ketch, Principal
Michael LeGage, Director of Athletics and Activities
Nathan Theriault, Assistant Principal Gr 9 & 11