The winter season seems to be winding down a little bit and we are sixteen days away from the official start of spring on March 20th. I say “official” because it is often not too spring-like in Southern Maine for a little while yet!

Here at Scarborough High School we are certainly thinking about and planning spring events. Spring Parent-Teacher Conferences began last night, spring sports have begun their sign ups, and there are many spring traditions to plan and enjoy. We are certainly hoping for our events to be moving in a positive direction. We are hoping that things keep progressing in a positive direction and that our spring traditions will look more like they did before 2020!

Here are some things to look forward to this month:

• Thursday, March 3: 2:45 - 7:15 PM - Parent-Teacher Conferences

• Thursday, March 3: School Board approves the Program of Studies for the 2022-23 School Year

• Monday, March 7: 6:00 PM in the Auditorium - Eighth Grade Step Up Family Night

• Wednesday, March 9: Early Release Day, 12:55 PM Dismissal

• Monday & Tuesday, March 14 & 15: School budget presented to the School Board/Finance Committee

• Thursday, March 17: 2:45 - 5:15 PM - Parent-Teacher Conferences

• Friday, March 18: Staff Day, no students

• Friday - Sunday, March 18, 19, 20: One Act Play Performances at 7:00 PM in the Auditorium

• Tuesday, March 22: Music Department Concert, 7:00 PM - Band will feature a Guest Conductor at this concert!

• Wednesday & Thursday, March 30 & 31: Concert Band Festival at SHS

• Friday, April 1: End of 3rd Quarter

Eighth grade registration runs from March 23 through April 4.

High School registration:

• April 4 - 8: Academic counseling - teachers offer their recommendation to students

• April 25 - 29: Online course registration in English classes

• April 29: HS Online Course Registration Closes

• May 2: SHS determines course and section needs

• May 3 - 6: Teachers review student course registrations and flag concerns

• May 9 - 13: Principal meets with Dept. Heads to review course & section numbers

• May 16 - 26: Develop the Master Schedule

• May 27: Master Schedule is completed

• June 1 - 3: Counselors work with students to make any needed schedule changes

• June 6: Distribute student schedules without teacher names

• June 17: Course Reconsideration Forms due to the Principal

On March 21 and 22, the SHS Bands will welcome Guest Conductor Mark Zielinski from the University of New Hampshire. He will be rehearsing the bands during the day on Monday and Tuesday, concluding with the concert on Tuesday night. In addition to working with Mr. Zielinski, students are also working with UNH student teacher Noah Smith. The Wind Ensemble will perform a portion of the concert alone, and then all three bands will combine for the remainder of the concert. This concert will also feature our chorus students as well.

The Portland Stage Company came into the school to put on a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and then ran interactive workshops about theater, Shakespeare, and rhetoric with all the English 11-2, 11-3, and 11-4 class this week!

Please see this document for details regarding upcoming Senior events!

April 8th is the deadline for applications for the Keller BLOOM Program at the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in East Boothbay, Maine, May 15 - 20, 2022. For any juniors interested in marine science, laboratory research and the health of the oceans, this program is a great opportunity. You will have a chance to work directly with marine scientists and experience what it’s like to work in this field. Scarborough High School students have been among the 16 students across the state selected for this program in past years. SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION BY APRIL 8th!

Stay in the loop! Join the Career Exploration Opportunities G-Classroom to receive regular updates on opportunities like the one above and much more! Classroom Code: gnfdlvx

The Civil Engineering class is participating in the 2022 Fluor Engineering Design Challenge. The students will design a ball run using a ping pong ball, paper, and tape. The goal is to make the ball run as slow as possible. Any design will be accepted. The students can redesign the runs as many times as needed. Failure is a part of the process and is encouraged. One final design will be submitted for each group.

If all criteria are met, the designs will be submitted to Fluor Industries prior to March 20, 2022. All entries will be selected randomly. Contestants across the world are competing. Winners chosen will receive $1000 for their school. Good luck to the Civil Engineering class.

Students - if you have a school chromebook that you are not using (you may have your own device which you prefer) please feel free to turn it in at any time to Ryan Marshall (IT) in the Learning Commons. This will mean that we have less devices to collect in the spring! Thank you!

On Thursday, February 17, the School Board voted to change the plans for any remaining snow days this year. The last official day of school for grades 9 - 11 will be Friday, June 17. In our schedule, June 17 is an exam Make Up Day. Should we have an additional need for a snow day for this school year, it will be designed to be an asynchronous low tech/no tech day that will not be made up at a later time. Daily attendance will be taken during AEAST/Advisory time (Mon, Wed, Fri - 10:40 - 11:15 AM; and Tues, Thurs - 9:20 - 9:55 AM). Most teachers will be using a form for attendance. In addition, students should check in to their Google Classrooms for the classes they would have attended that day (2 - 4 classes) to get the small assignment the teacher has created for them. Students are going to have a few days to get this assignment turned in because we know that some students will have personal responsibilities that day or may not have power. If your child does not get their attendance recorded on the snow day, they should speak directly with their AEAST teacher to get that cleared up. Teachers will be talking to their classes so students know what the plan is for each course they are taking.

As the school system works through the budget process for fiscal year 2023, here are some dates that should be of interest to you:

• Budget Presentation (Town & School) - Wednesday, March 30, 7:00 PM - Town Hall

• First Reading: School Board - Thursday, March 17, 7:00 PM - Town Hall

• First Reading: Town Council - Wednesday, April 6, 7:00 PM - Town Hall

• Public Hearing: School Board - Thursday, April 28, 7:00 PM - Town Hall

• Public Hearing: Town Council - Wednesday, May 4, 7:00 PM - Town Hall

• Second Reading: School Board - Thursday, May 5, 7:00 PM - Town Hall

• Second Reading: Town Council - Wednesday, May 18, 7:00 PM - Town Hall

• Referendum Vote: Tuesday, June 14 - Scarborough High School

These dates are current now, but could be changed by the Board or the Council.

Applications for the Seeds of Peace Camp program are due March 15th. We will conduct interviews during the week of March 15. If you are a 9th or 10th grade student and are interested in learning more about this opportunity and the application process, please complete this form and we will share more details with you!

What is Seeds of Peace Summer Camp all about?

Seeds of Peace Camp applications are due by March 15th. Students in 9th & 10th grade are encouraged to apply. The Seeds of Peace Camp program invites 9th and 10th grade students to spend June 26th to July 9th at a summer camp on Pleasant Lake in Otisfield, Maine where they will have the opportunity to live with and learn from other high-schoolers from different backgrounds, experiences, and identities from your own as you take part in camp activities, dialogue, and action-oriented learning. Scholarships are available to help with or cover the cost ($4,000) to attend! The following video includes more information about the Seeds of Peace Summer Camp. Students interested in learning more about this opportunity and the application process can complete this form and we will share more details! FMI: czavasnik@scarboroughschools.org

• Check out this video for more about Seeds of Peace Summer Camp in Maine!

This is a workshop designed for families, students and staff: Getting a Leg Up on Preparing, Planning and Affording Higher Education

The second session of the workshop “Getting a Leg Up on Preparing, Planning and Affording Higher Education will be held on Thursday, April 7th from 6:00 - 7:00 PM. This event is organized by Town & Country Federal Credit Union (TCFCU) and the Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) and builds on the previous session held on March 3rd (Preparing Financially and the impact of Savings).

Part II on April 7th from 6:00 - 7:00 PM: Building a List of Schools, Comparing Offers and Financing Options - in this session you will learn tips for researching schools from a financial aid perspective, understanding the types of financial aid available, and building a list of schools that offer the best financial fit for your family. We’ll also help you compare financial aid offers and review college financing options.

While the event is free, pre-registration is required. Please register here.

• Speakers - Mary Dyer, Financial Education Officer, Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) and President of Maine Jump$tart Coalition; and Mila Tappan, College Access and Outreach Manager, Finance Authority of Maine (FAME)

For more information, please contact Linda Halleran at linda.halleran@tcfcu.com

Scarborough High School’s Model UN Team is hosting a fundraising event ANTIQUE SHOW. This event is held to raise money for Model UN college scholarships for graduating seniors. The show will feature over 50 dealers of antiques and vintage goods offering an eclectic mix of antiques, vintage items, jewelry, and collectibles.

WHEN: Saturday, April 2, 2022

WHERE: SHS Cafeteria

TIME: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

ADMISSION: $6.00 per person

For students who have signed up and paid for an AP Exam, here is the master schedule:

Save the dates! This is for the planners out there!

• Wednesday, April 6: Early Release Day, 12:55 dismissal
• Friday, April 15 - 22: Spring Break (there is no school on Friday, April 15)
• Saturday, May 14: Prom at the Italian Heritage Center, 7:00 - 11:00 PM
• Wednesday, May 18: Early Release Day, 12:55 dismissal
• Wednesday, May 18: May Awards Night, 6:00 PM, Auditorium
• Tuesday, May 24: Music Department Pops Concert, 7:00 PM, Auditorium
• Wednesday, May 25: AM Band Parade Practice
• Thursday, May 26: AM Band Parade Practice
• Monday, May 30: No School, Memorial Day Holiday
• Thursday, June 2: Last Day of Classes for Seniors!
• Friday, June 3: Senior Class Trip to Point Sebago
• Monday, June 6: Senior Final Exams and Marching Practice
• Tuesday, June 7: Senior Final Exams and Marching Practice
• Tuesday, June 7: 5:00 PM, Senior Class Picture in Alumni Gym
• Tuesday, June 7: 6:00 PM, Senior Awards Night, Auditorium
• Wednesday, June 8: Senior Final Exams and Marching Practice
• Wednesday, June 8: Baccalaureate, 7:30 PM, St. Maximilian Kolbe
• Thursday, June 9: 9:00 AM, FInal Assembly, SHS Students and our Rising Freshmen!
• Thursday, June 9: 9:45 AM, Senior Stroll with K-8 Students and Senior Families, Memorial Park
• Thursday, June 9: Final Marching Practice following the Stroll
• Sunday, June 12: SHS Commencement, Cross Insurance Arena, Portland, 7:00 PM
• Monday - Thursday, June 13 - 16: Final Exams for Grades 9 - 11
• Tuesday, June 14: Elections at SHS, School Budget Referendum
• Friday, June 17: Make Up Exams if needed, Last Day of School

Scarborough High School continues with its pool testing program. This testing occurs weekly on Monday mornings (excepting the week of 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

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 has a good month of March and joins us in welcoming spring on March 20th!

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