Message from the Superintendent
Good Afternoon RSU 57 Community,
I hope this newsletter finds you all healthy and surviving the onslaught of winter weather. Similarly, I hope that our RSU 57 families and staff are feeling recharged and rested from last week’s school break.
Heading into the month of March there is much happening in RSU 57. The process of creating the district budget is in full swing. Our Finance Committee and I are taking a detailed and thoughtful look at the budget. Together, we will prioritize proposing a budget that supports the growth and improvement of RSU 57 schools and programming, while balancing the fiscal realities of our community members in these times of high inflation for most goods and services. I’m confident that the School Board’s final proposed budget will be good for students and will also be respectful of taxpayers.
Additionally, I would like to share an update on the work of our Strategic Planning Committee. Thank you to those in our community who have taken the time to complete the Strategic Planning Community Survey. This feedback is vital to the work of the Committee and will help inform the goals and action steps our district establishes with the formalization of a Strategic Plan. We’ve had over 600 respondents to date and this high level of participation is greatly appreciated. For those who have not yet completed the survey but would like to do so, you can find it HERE. The next steps in the Committee’s work will be to establish specific goals in the areas of (1) Students, (2) Staffing, (3) Community Connections and (4) Facilities and Resources. I see our district is poised to make great strides both in the short and long term and I’m eager for the finalization of our Strategic Plan to guide our work across every school building and classroom in RSU 57.
Lastly, I would share that it’s clear that we are not yet out of the winter weather. Please be sure to monitor your phone and/or email for announcements regarding potential school delays or snow days as the weather does look particularly challenging this coming week. Additionally, notifications are posted on our RSU 57 Facebook page and with the three major local TV stations. With snow day decisions we always prioritize student and staff safety while balancing the desire to maintain the original school calendar to the greatest extent possible. These early morning decisions are often difficult ones to make, so please know that we do our best to make as informed decisions as possible.
Wishing you all a safe and productive week ahead.
Dr. Stephen Marquis
From the Office of the Asst. Superintendent
Dear RSU 57 Families.
I wish you all a happy Monday and hope this newsletter finds you well. In this newsletter I’d like to share a resource with families that I have found particularly helpful as both an educator and as a parent. Navigating the digital world of media with my own three children can certainly be a challenge. Understanding ways in which I can foster the emotional competency of my own kids has been something I’ve had to work at as a dad. As a teacher and as a school administrator, helping my students build social and emotional skills has been one of my priorities because my experience has told me that children with strong social and emotional competence are more likely to be successful academically and in life. One resource that I have used successfully as both a parent and as an educator is the vast amount of helpful information found on Common Sense Media’s website. Below is a link that will bring you to their Social-Emotional resource page and when you scroll halfway down on the page you will see some Family Engagement resources. Students today are “digital natives” which means their interactions with social media, traditional digital media and newer modes of entertainment like television streaming services are second nature to them. For many of us raised before the advent of cell phones and Netflix some of this landscape can be intimidating. Hopefully this resource will be one that for those who feel intimidated in supporting their student’s use of these new types of media will find helpful.
Wishing you all a safe and happy week ahead.
Kyle Keenan
Assistant Superintendent
Regional School Unit 57