Portland Public School Department News

The schedule for construction of Portland’s new Ocean Avenue elementary school is on track despite a delay in state bonding for the project.

The Maine Department of Education has delayed bonding for 12 school construction projects, including the one in Portland, in order to shift more money to state aid for general educational programming.  As a result, the Portland bonds will be issued in October 2009, about six months later than originally scheduled.  The school still is expected to open in time for the 2011 school year.

Baxter School, which is on the site of the new building, will stay open for the full 2008-2009 year.  The school houses part of the Portland Adult Education program and the Office of Multilingual and Multicultural Programs.  Plans are underway to relocate those programs next summer.

The Portland Public Schools’ Multilingual Parents’ Network will present a discussion about “Violence Prevention, Safety and Trauma: Building a Safer City Together” on Saturday, October 18, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Multilingual and Multicultural Center, Baxter School, 150 Ocean Avenue, Portland.

Panelists will include Mark Adelson, assistant director of the Portland Housing Authority, Portland Assistant Superintendent Jill Blackwood, Bonnie Blythe, executive director of Maine Citizens Against Handgun Violence, Edward Laboke of the Sudanese community, Acting Portland Police Chief Joseph Loughlin and Steve Wessler, executive director of the Center for the Prevention of Hate Violence.

This community conversation is for Portland’s immigrant and refugee parents, teenagers and supporters and authorities to begin to plan together to make Portland a safer place to work and play and raise children. The Community Counseling Center, Center for Grieving Children and social workers from the Portland Public Schools will provide support.

Interpreters for Acholi, Arabic, Farsi, Khmer, Serbian/Bosnian/Croatian Somali, Spanish and Vietnamese will be provided. Other languages are available upon request by calling 874-8135.

Refreshments will be provided. This program is provided by a grant from Caring Across Communities, a national program of the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation.

Ellen Norton, a teacher at King Middle School, received more than $1,000 in classroom equipment and supplies from OfficeMax on October 1 as part of the company’s “A Day Made Better” initiative.  Norton, who has taught art for 39 years, was nominated by the school for her innovative approach to teaching and dedication to student success.

Students and teachers assembled in the art room and watched as OfficeMax employees presented Norton with a new desk, a digital camera, art and classroom supplies.  Norton was totally surprised and delighted.

“Nothing like this ever happened to me!” she said, as she sat in her new chair looking over the gifts in the enormous OfficeMax gift box. 

“A Day Made Better” draws attention to the fact that teachers spend more than $4 billion of their own money on classroom supplies each year.  OfficeMax collaborates with the nonprofit group, Adopt-A-Classroom, on the initiative.  Norton was one of more than 1,200 teachers honored nationwide.

Portland Public Schools, Add Verb Productions and Portland’s Real Life Real Talk Coalition are partnering to offer performances of “You the Man” at Deering High School on Tuesday, October 21 at 7 p.m. and at Portland High School on Tuesday, October 28 at 7 p.m.  Both performances are free and recommended for adults and high school students.
 
“You the Man,” written and directed by Cathy Plourde of Add Verb Productions, provides a way for a community to set the tone for a productive, open dialogue about issues that plague our society: unhealthy relationships, sexual assault and dating abuse.

The Real Life Real Talk coalition offers workshops to classroom teachers and their students, professional development opportunities for educators and parent workshops.  For more information, contact Susan L. Steele at steels@portlandschools.org.

Students in the early childhood occupations program at Portland Arts and Technology High School High (PATHS) can take a college-level course this fall without ever leaving the school’s campus.  Students can earn both high school and college credit for the course, which is offered through a partnership between Southern Maine Community College (SMCC) and the school district.

SMCC offers “Introduction to Early Childhood Education” through its School-College Partnerships pilot program.  The program gives students early college opportunities with the goal of increasing the number who pursue higher education, said Susan Williams, the program’s director.

Irving Williams, who heads the PATHS early childhood occupations program, said he was unsure how his second-year students would do tackling a demanding college curriculum when the course was offered for the first time last year.  He discovered that students rose to the occasion.

“It makes them feel grown up. ‘Here I am, a high school senior, and I’m doing college-level work,’” Williams said.  He also noted that it is much easier for students to attend college courses at their high schools during the regular school day than to get to a college campus for a class.

In addition to the PATHS course, SMCC is offering an anatomy course at Portland High School this fall, and an introduction to psychology course at Deering.  Both of those courses meet after regular school hours and they are open to both qualified high school students and members of the community.

Portland high school students also can earn free college credit by taking courses at SMCC, the University of Southern Maine and other institutions, or by enrolling in some online courses.  Students can graduate from high school with up to six college credits that are accepted anywhere in the University of Maine system and by many other colleges, too.  That saves students money when they get to college.

At PATHS, students in the automotive and graphic arts and printing courses can earn college credit through a written agreement between the school and Central Maine Community College (CMCC).  Portions of those courses use CMCC’s curriculum and assessments.  Students who successfully complete the courses are awarded college credit towards their associate degree when they register at CMCC.

Five students in the Portland Public Schools have been named National Merit Semi-Finalists.  They are: Nathaniel Jewett, Brian Furey and Mark Kinner of Portland High School and John Clarke and Eric David Mason of Deering High School.

The students were chosen based on their scores on the Preliminary SAT exam.  Of the 1.5 million students who took the test, they scored among the top 16,000.  Finalists will be named in February 2009.  

National Merit also named the following Commended Students: Sidney Dritz, Nathan Buck, Eoin McCarron and Cathryn Cunningham of Portland High and Illaria Dana and Kevin MacDowell of Deering.

About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for exceptional academic promise.  Although they will not continue in the 2009 competition for National Merit Scholarships, Commended Students placed among the top five percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2009 competition.

Another Deering student, Adaline Lining, has been chosen as a qualifying student in the National Achievement Scholarship Program.  That program names the top four percent of the more than 150,000 African-Americans who requested consideration when taking the same qualifying examination.

Lincoln Middle School in Portland will be featured on WCSH6 during October as part of its Schools That Shine program.  Lincoln was chosen because of its innovative programming related to sustainability. 

During the past two years, Lincoln built a geodesic dome containing a pond ecosystem, installed solar panels and created vegetable beds to teach students about alternative energy, ecology, local foods and other topics related to sustainability.  The school has received grants from Toyota, Fairchild Semiconductor, National Semiconductor, the JTG Foundation, the Maine Public Utilities Commission and an anonymous donor, as well as many in-kind donations.

WCSH6 will begin airing a public service announcement about Lincoln this week.  The spot also will appear on the station’s Web site: www.wcsh6.com. 

As a Schools That Shine winner, Lincoln will receive $1,000 from WCSH6 and Dunkin’ Donuts.  The money will be used to support the next phase in Lincoln’s outdoor classroom project, including completion of planting beds and landscaping, purchase of composters and implementation of a school-wide recycling program. 

TV3, the educational access television station managed by the Portland Public Schools, will offer a free, two-hour video workshop for secondary students and adults who would like to volunteer for the station by taping events and activities in the schools.  The workshop will take place on October 29 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Portland Arts and Technology High School, 196 Allen Avenue, Portland.

Participants will learn how to operate TV3’s digital video cameras and audio equipment.  Those who successfully complete the course will be able to check out TV3’s equipment to tape events and activities in the Portland Public Schools for broadcast.

Space is limited at the workshop and pre-registration is required.  To reserve a spot, email TV3@portlandschools.org or call (207) 874-8173.

Deering High School has hired Michael Murphy as the new varsity girls’ basketball coach.  Murphy, a teacher at Scarborough Middle School, served most recently as the head girls’ varsity coach at Westbrook High School.  He previously coached the girls’ varsity team at Scarborough High Schools. 

Murphy has been director of the Winning Hoops Basketball Camp since 1987.  He coached Deering’s junior varsity and freshmen boys’ basketball teams from 1982 to 1985.  He was a standout player for the University of Southern Maine, earning first team New England honors in 1981-82.

“Mike has had tremendous success in every level of coaching and playing basketball,” said Deering Principal Kenneth Kunin.  ” He shows a keen understanding of building character while developing successful athletes.”

The Deering girls’ basketball team won state titles in 2004 and 2008.  Murphy replaces Michael D’Andrea, who resigned as coach last month.   

The Reiche School community invites students, staff and area residents to participate in the First Annual Reiche International 5K Road Race on Sunday, October 19 at 9:30 a.m.

This is a road race for all levels and ages, for the serious and not so serious runner, with a carefully mapped route through Portland’s scenic West End neighborhood.  The single loop course starts and ends at Reiche Elementary.  Except for one climb behind the Western Prom Cemetery, the route is fast and flat.  The route map is posted on the race Web site.  

In deference to the upcoming holiday, all participants are invited to wear a costume (not mandatory).  There will be a festive award ceremony after the race.  With or without costume, this promises to be a fun running event for everyone who participates! 

The 1st Annual Reiche International 5K is a PTO fundraiser supporting Reiche’s multinational student body that represents 32 nationalities.  Funds raised with entry fees will go to enrichment programs for Reiche students.

The “Race Entry” registration form may be downloaded from http://www.reicheinternational.com.  If at all possible, we encourage participants to pre-register before October 10.  In the “Registration” section of the “Race Entry” form, please note that the student registration fee is $10.  Registration forms should be sent to: Reiche International 5K, c/o Reiche PTO, 166 Brackett St., Portland, ME 04102. 

For additional event details and/or questions please contact Kevin Butterfield, Reiche parent and PTO member, at k.butterfield2@verizon.net.