Scarborough High School
March 5, 2021
Dear Students and Families
While for some, March seems like a long month, here are a few things to look forward to - Daylight Savings Time begins and the sun sets later, Saint Patrick has his Day, and Spring begins on March 20, but, we need to beware the Ides of March! There’s always something!
We would like to congratulate Oak Hill Players for their show ZOOMSICAL that ran last weekend. It is so great to see students able to work on their passions, talents, and interests even if in an entirely new way! Congratulations on the show and all of the creative effort that went into making it possible. Also, this week, the Bands and Chorus were able to start indoors in-person playing in class. I know they are very excited to get together and make music in person! The arts are safely coming back!
Lastly, we want to wish our Academic Decathlon Team good luck at the virtual State Competition on Saturday, March 13. Best of luck on your tests, speeches, interviews, and the Super Quiz! You have studied and worked hard and we’re sure you will do your best!
Red/White Schedule: March 8 - April 2
For organizational purposes, here’s the month’s schedule:
March 8 - Mar 12
- Monday, March 8: RED 2 Day, Cohort A in person - Cohorts B & C remote
- Tuesday, March 9: WHITE 2 Day, Cohort A in person - Cohorts B & C remote
- Wednesday, March 10: RED 1 Day, Cohorts A, B, and C remote
- Thursday, March 11: RED 2 Day, Cohort B in person - Cohorts A & C remote
- Friday, March 12: WHITE 2 Day, Cohort B in person - Cohorts A & C remote
March 15 - March 19
- Monday, March 15: RED 1 Day, Cohort A in person - Cohorts B & C remote - PLEASE NOTE THE TIME CHANGE OVER THE WEEKEND AND SPRING FORWARD
- Tuesday, March 16: WHITE 1 Day, Cohort A in person - Cohorts B & C remote
- Wednesday, March 17: WHITE 2 Day, Cohorts A, B, and C remote
- Thursday, March 18: RED 1 Day, Cohort B in person - Cohorts A & C remote
- Friday, March 19: WHITE 1 Day, Cohort B in person - Cohorts A & C remote
March 22 - March 26
- Monday, March 22: RED 2 Day, Cohort A in person - Cohorts B & C remote
- Tuesday, March 23: WHITE 2 Day, Cohort A in person - Cohorts B & C remote
- Wednesday, March 24: RED 2 DAY, Cohorts A, B, & C remote - SAT Day for JUNIORS
- Thursday, March 25: RED 2 DAY, Cohort B in person - Cohorts A & C remote
- Friday, March 26: WHITE 2 DAY, Cohort B in person - Cohorts A & C remote
March 29 - April 2
- Monday, March 29: RED 1 Day, Cohort A in person - Cohorts B & C remote
- Tuesday, March 30: WHITE 1 Day, Cohort A in person - Cohorts B & C remote
- Wednesday, March 31: WHITE 2 Day - Cohorts A, B, and C remote
- Thursday, April 1: RED 1 Day, Cohort B in person - Cohorts A & C remote
- Friday, April 2: WHITE 1 Day, Cohort B in person - Cohorts A & C remote - QUARTER 3 ENDS
Eight Grade Family Step Up Night Information
Monday, March 8, at 6:00 PM, SHS will be hosting its annual Eighth Grade Step Up Night. This will be a virtual meeting and the link is here. Information shared that night will include:
- Communication
- Network of Support at SHS
- Study Center
- Student Services
- Multiple Pathways and Opportunities
- Graduation Requirements
- Course Registration Process
- SHS Schedule
- Typical Schedule for Freshman
- Course Expectation Criteria
- Athletics & Activities
In addition, there will be two videos that have been created to provide more information. One is a video tour of the building led by some of our students, and the other is a video answering questions 8th grade students had about the transition from MS to HS from Crew/Rise meetings recently. These questions will be answered by current students at the high school because we think you’d like to hear what they have to say to your questions.
We hope you will be able to attend this event, but things will be posted on the MS and HS webpages after the event if you’d like to catch up at a later date.
Parent Night Meeting Question and Answers
Wednesday night this week, we had our quarterly Parent Meeting. There were two questions that came up and we wanted to provide answers for everyone!
Q1: Is there a Makeup date set up for the junior SATs on March 24?
A1: No, there is no make up date for this testing day. However, just like fall 2020, if regional testing sites (like South Portland) are not open for students out of their district, SHS will plan to be a testing site in September and administer the SAT again at that time. Please note that if we run SATs in the fall, the school will not be covering the cost of testing.
Q2: What if a student is ill or quarantined on their AP exam day?
A2: We are planning to give AP EXAMS during the second of three windows. We will be testing the two weeks prior to Memorial Day, information forthcoming. This window has some testing in-person (pencil to paper) and some testing on-line. If a student is scheduled to take a test that is in-person, they can be moved to the third window as a make-up option. If a student is doing an on-line exam, they will be able to do it from home. If they are ill and not able to do the test at all, they can be rescheduled for the third window. **Please note: In general, we are planning on students taking their AP Exams in the building whether they are Cohort A, B, or C. If there are technical issues, we want students to be here so we can assist them right away.
Spring Parent-Teacher Conferences
Spring Parent-Teacher conferences will be held Thursday, March 11 from 2:45 - 7:15 PM, and Thursday, March 25 from 2:45 - 5:15 PM. Sign up has already opened up for these dates, to sign up for a conference, please go to the link here.
March 12 Is a School Day for Students
March 12 was originally planned as a Staff Day. When the School Board rearranged some days before school began for the year to give teachers additional time to prepare, this day was exchanged for summer preparation. As a result, Friday, March 12, is a regular school day. Cohort B will have an in-person day, and Cohorts A & C will be remote.
Juniors: March 24 is SAT Day
SHS will be hosting our junior students on Wednesday, March 24 for SAT testing. Testing will begin promptly at 8:00 AM. Room assignments will be posted outside Student Services and the Cafeteria. Students should bring some #2 pencils and a calculator with them for this test. As always prior to testing, students should get a good night's sleep, and they should have a good breakfast before coming to school. We will be providing some drinks and snacks, but students may want to bring their own and that is OK. If your student will need a ride to school and home on that day, please fill out the form here. Busses will pick up students at 12:00 noon. Busses doing runs that day may not be the usual bus number that students usually have, so don’t worry if it is a different bus.
Planned Absences
If you are planning to be absent from school, please remember that you need to start this process by bringing a note from home about the planned absence. This note should include your name and the dates and reason for the absence and should be signed by a parent or guardian. The student will receive a form in Admin II to take around to teachers for them to sign.
Once the form is completed, it needs to go back to Admin II for approval and to be noted in PowerSchool attendance. If you are a Cohort C student planning an absence, you should contact Lisa Newcomb at 730-5102 or lnewcomb@scarboroughschools.org and a plan will be developed to get this approved without you being in the building.
Budget Update
Schools and the Central Office have been working on preparing the budget for the FY22 school year and SHS is no exception. The goal was to keep discretionary spending as level as possible and the HS managed to bring regular costs in at a slightly lower level than last year (we are down $2300.00 in requests).
In addition, the Math Department is in need of new textbooks and on-line components for Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II. These costs will be found in the Curriculum cost centers, not the HS.
We are again looking to add two classrooms to the high school, a STEM classroom as well as a general classroom. These rooms would be created in what used to be our former Industrial Arts area near Gorham Road beyond our Alternative Education classrooms. Grades 3 - 8 have dedicated rooms for their STEM programming, and the HS would like to have rooms for this subject area as well for the type of learning and the space needed for these types of classes. This request will be found in the CIP budget. These spaces were cut last year during the budget process, but we hope to have them make it through this year.
Lastly, we are currently looking at our Social Workers at SHS. We have two that are part time and we are looking to partner with Special Education funds to increase some time. We have had increased needs with students during this pandemic and we hope to increase their time to have more support available for our students to meet these requests.
Below are upcoming dates for the budget process:
- March 9 and 10: Building and Department Presentations to the School Board
- March 18: School Board First Reading
- March 31: Budget Presentation (Town/School)
- April 7: Town Council First Reading
- April 15: School Board Public Hearing
- May 5: Town Council Public Hearing
- May 6: School Board Second Reading
- May 19: Town Council Second Reading
- June 8: Referendum Vote
Health and Safety Reminders
As we work our way through the year, it is exciting to see vaccinations taking place and positive movement in working our way back to normal. However, it is important to stay vigilant in doing things to keep everyone at SHS safe and healthy. Some important reminders…….
Daily Self-Screening
Each day, before coming onto SPS property, students and staff must complete a self-assessment for COVID-19 symptoms. Certain responses will require an employee to immediately contact their supervisor or a student to contact a nurse and remain off SPS property. Questions include:
1) Have I been out of the state (with the exceptions of: NH and VT) in the last 14 days?
2) Do I or have I been living with anyone who is sick or quarantined?
3) Do I or have I been around anyone exhibiting these symptoms within the last 14 days:
- Do I or have I had a loss of taste or smell?
- Do I or have I had shortness of breath?
- Do I have a fever or feel feverish?
- Do I have a cough or sore throat?
- Do I feel unwell today?
Face Coverings
- All staff and students will be provided with face covering/masks and staff provided face shields and must wash them daily if worn. Staff and students may choose to wear their own face covering/mask.
- Upon entering SPS property, all staff and students must wear a face covering. When there are no others in the same room and the door is closed, a person may remove their face covering: for example, working or eating alone in a closed conference room, office, or classroom. Should anyone enter the space, a mask should then be put on.
- Staff must wear face covering/shield when preparing food and working with or in proximity to employees or students..
Hygiene
1) All staff and students must follow practices for proper hand hygiene throughout the day, including when:
- Entering the building
- The person's hands are visibly soiled
- After coughing or sneezing
- Before and after: eating, using the restroom, or touching bodily fluids
2) All staff and students must practice the following proper CDC infection control measures:
- Staff should notify their immediate supervisor and Human Resources at hr@scarboroughschools.org if they, or anyone in their household, has been confirmed to have COVID-19.
- Students or Parents should notify the Nursing staff if they, or anyone in their household, has been confirmed to have COVID-19.
Shared Objects
Teachers should do the following with respect to shared objects:
- Discourage the sharing of items that are difficult to clean or disinfect.
- Keep each child’s belongings separated from others
- Ensure adequate supplies to minimize the sharing of high touch materials to the extent possible (e.g., assigning each student their own art supplies, manipulatives, and other equipment) or limit the use of supplies and equipment by one group of children at a time and clean and disinfect between use.
- Avoid sharing electronic devices, toys, books, and other games or learning aids.
- Remove any furniture, toys, rugs, and other items that cannot be easily cleaned each
- day. Building leaders will coordinate with the Facilities Department to assist with this task.
If food is offered at any event, have pre-packaged boxes or bags for each attendee instead of a buffet or family-style meal. Avoid sharing food or utensils.
Social Distancing
While on school grounds, students must maintain 3 ft of distance between other students and 6 ft of distance between staff
During lunch, students must maintain 6 ft of distance between other people when their mask is off.
**Please note: We appreciate all of the efforts that are being made and felt like these reminders would help ensure everyone feels safe as we continue through Semester II. Although our building safety protocols have continued to allow us to keep in-person hybrid instruction going, since February vacation we have seen an uptick of positive Covid-19 cases that appear to be coming from community spread which is causing more quarantining of staff and students. We need the entire school community to maintain these safety protocols both in and out of school.
Program of Studies
As students begin the process of registering for classes for the 2021-22 school year, please be aware that the Program of Studies, which can be found on the HS Web page, has been updated and approved by the School Board for courses for next year. There is a lot of good information in the Program of Studies, including information from WRVC and PATHS on our Career Technical Education programs.
Cohort C Students: Materials Pickup Reminder
Teachers are working hard to get materials organized and ready for pick up weekly. However, there are a great deal of materials that are not ever getting picked up in Admin I. Students need to get these materials to be successful in their classes. Please make sure to develop a plan to pick up these materials regularly! Thank you!
Tech Support for Staff and Students
Due to a shortage of tech support staff, for now we will not have a full-time Tech Support person in the building. Students, if you have a problem, please contact techsupport@scarboroughschools.org, and someone will respond as soon as possible.
Staff, if you have a problem, please do a Technology HelpDesk ticket located on the Staff Intranet page.
Please Note...
If a student at SHS takes a COVID-19 test, results must be provided to the Health Services Staff prior to returning to school or school related activities.
Please remember to:
- Pre-screen before coming to school
- Wash or sanitize your hands often
- Keep your distance
- Wear your mask properly
Be safe and be well! Happy Saint Patrick’s Day and welcome to Spring later this month!
Building Leadership Team
Jacob Brown, Assistant Principal
Susan Ketch, Principal
Michael LeGage, Director of Athletics and Activities
Nathan Theriault, Assistant Principal