May 9th, 2022

Dear Families,

MANY thanks for your generous donations to the Teacher Appreciation Week Fund! We were able to supplement parent and local business food donations to purchase flowers and table decorations, a large salad to accompany Tuesday's pizzas, morning coffee from local roasters, and lunch on Friday from Maiz, a locally owned Colombian Street Food restaurant.

We can't do what we do without parental involvement and support. It's been an eventful year - topped off by last week's flood in the Kineo wing. Having cards and treats to look forward to each day last week put a huge smile on staff members' faces and given them a boost of energy as we head toward the final weeks of 2021-22.

Also, a huge appreciation for the parents of our Kineo students. We had a flood that closed that week for the week. Parents and students were so supportive as we pivoted to remote learning. The students did a great job all week and they were very excited to return today!

From the logistical side of things there are a few things that are helpful for families to know regarding entry and dismissal:

  • Our bus loop is not available for parking between 7:45-8:15 and 2:30-3:15.

  • Students that are not scheduled to ride a bus cannot ride on a bus without special permission. Students that are scheduled to ride a bus must ride on their designated bus. Our busses are at capacity and cannot accommodate additional riders.

  • Once students arrive on campus they should enter the building.

Thank you for supporting these messages at home!

Thanks for your continued support and please reach out with questions to kingsecretary@portlandschools.org.

Caitlin LeClair

Important Dates:

May 12: Progress Reports go home

May 26: 7th grade students dismissed at 11:30

June 14th:

Last day of school- 11:50 dismissal

Celebrations and Shout Outs

  • Monhegan culminated their expedition last Wednesday and had the opportunity to meet (virtually) with Sen. Angus King.

  • On Thursday, May 5th, Sebago students hosted Troy Moon, the Sustainability Coordinator for the City of Portland, as part of Sebago 6's Rise Up expedition focused on sea level rise. Together they talked about relevant climate science, what we can and are doing here in Portland, and the equity and social justice elements of climate change. Troy even posted about his visit on the Portland Sustainability Office's social media!

  • Friday, May 6th was El Education's Better World Day. A group of our 7th grade students joined 5th grade students from Presumpscot and 11th grade students at CBHS to collaborate with a local artist creating an art installation for Payson Park. See the press release and photos below.

  • The KMS food garden was also built on Better World Day. Nicole Fogg, Zack Mullin, and the 21st Century Club students will be our first gardeners. Roberto Rodriquez and Lily Chaleff from Cultivating Community have been invaluable consultants in pricing and purchasing materials, designing the space, and developing a garden plan.

Food-service volunteers needed!

Several PPS are currently severely short-staffed with food-service workers. If you have any weekday availability between 11:00 - 2:00 and would like to pitch in and help feed kids at one of the Portland schools, please contact Naila Wissa at wissan@portlandschools.org. Please spread the word. Thank you!

Photos!

Better World Day Press Release

Portland Public Schools Students To Celebrate Better World Day May 6 Students from Casco Bay High School, King Middle School and Presumpscot Elementary School will collaborate with Maine environmental artist Pamela Moulton on Better World Day 2022 to help create sculptures for a public art project in Portland this summer. PORTLAND, Maine – On Friday, May 6, three of Portland’s public schools that are part of the EL Education network – Casco Bay High School, King Middle School and Presumpscot Elementary School – will team up to participate in Better World Day. Small groups of students from the three schools will work with Pamela Moulton, a Maine-based environmental artist, assisting her in creating the giant immersive sculptures that will be a part of her "Every Tree Tells a Story," a public art installation commissioned by TEMPOart and planned for Payson Park this summer. The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Casco Bay High School, located at 196 Allen Avenue. Better World Day is an annual, national event showcasing student learning that contributes to a better world, according to EL Education. EL Education, formerly known as Expeditionary Learning, emphasizes high achievement through active learning, character growth, and teamwork. On Better World Day, the organization’s website says, “students present learning projects and engage in acts of service that demonstrate the power of EL Education’s vision for public school: a place where children become great scholars and active citizens with the capacity to make a positive impact.” This year, the PPS students are collaborating with Moulton, a multi-disciplinary environmental artist. Moulton builds large-scale art installations “that engage the public, sparking conversations about environmental problems our planet faces,” according to the Center for Maine Contemporary Art’s ArtLab, which is collaborating with her on the upcoming “Every Tree Tells a Story” art project. “Her present work uses abandoned fishing gear to create whimsical interactive sculptures that are both weirdly fun but also show nature’s perilous beauty. These playful immersive sculptures are created through community hands and it takes an army!” The PPS students are part of that community army. CBHS juniors began their contribution earlier this month. Each junior worked with Moulton for two full days as a part of their Junior Journey 2022. The nature of the Junior Journey varies from year to year, but always is an opportunity to expand students’ sense of their world and who they are through service and adventure learning. On May 6, the high school juniors will serve as mentors for the seventh- and fifth-graders assisting the artist with her project on Better the World Day. “We are thrilled that our juniors will once again get to partner with the fabulous Pamela Moulton – and work alongside fellow students from King and Presumpscot to help create art for Portland that is fun, environmentally friendly and visually wondrous,” said CBHS Principal Derek Pierce. Moulton said, “The CBHS Juniors taught me so much during our weeklong collaboration! The coral chair, inspired by their hard work and brilliance, is driving the direction of one of my sculptures! THANK YOU, Casco Bay High School! I can’t wait to continue our collaboration on May 6!”