Parents & Guardians

Group "A" and "B" cohort

The South Portland School district approved a hybrid plan for students to return to school that would allow for physical distance between students and adults as recommended by the Maine CDC and the Maine DOE. Group "A" meets in-person at school on Mondays and Thursdays. Group "B" meets in-person at school on Tuesdays and Fridays. The remaining 3 days per week will be distance learning at home. The 2-days per week spaced apart instead of back-to-back will help ensure in-person teaching and learning at least every three days to maintain a sense of momentum and rhythm of the week. More information about this plan is on the district website and our Mahoney school website. Concerns or questions about this plan should be directed to our principal, Mrs. Carrie Stilphen.

What are the classes?

During this unusual hybrid teaching and learning time, teachers are creatively combining content areas. A class called "Humanities" now is two subjects: English Language Arts and Social Studies. The Math and Science topics also are combined together in one class that is "Math & Science". This allows flexibility to either blend the content areas together or, to dedicate more time to a particular content area as needed. Each class is longer this year, too - 75 minutes now (plus, an additional 30 minutes before or after or during that class, for movement breaks). Students stay in one classroom for instruction, rather than moving from class to class; instead, to maintain safe cohort groups not in touch with other groups, it is the teachers who will move from class to class to join that cohort group.

How are "Related Arts" determined?

Related Arts still flourish at Mahoney and teachers are creative with these classes also - allowing for both in school and at home learning! For most students, the Related Arts class on in-person days will be one class for each trimester. To begin the year, Grade 6 will start with Digital Literacy; Grade 7 will start with STEAM (combination of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math!); and Grate 8 will start with Health. Then, these Related Arts classes will rotate to the next grade for each of the three trimesters. On the learning from home days students will NOT have the same Related Arts class that they have on in-person days. On Wednesdays, students have Band or Chorus, and will be able to work individually or with small groups with their other teachers. On the other two at-home learning days, students will have their regular Connections check-in, then Math/Science and Humanities classes. Physical Education is also on one distance learning day so check out Mr. Fluet's website. Some students who have an individual education plan (iep) or require additional supports for individual instruction may have a different Related Arts plan.

Section 504 Plan

Students who have a 504 Accommodation Plan will continue to have accommodations throughout the year. These accommodations may look a a little different on in-school days but the goal is the same no matter where the learning takes place: to ensure equal access to the student's education. As the School Counselor, I am the case manager for the Section 504 Plan and I can meet with parents to update and review the plan, as well as to check-in to make sure the accommodations are precise, necessary and are working. Plans are usually updated once per year with notification to parents in advance to set up that meeting. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns about a 504 Plan.

What if I have concerns about my child?

Your child's Connections / Homeroom teacher is often a great first point of contact. If you would prefer to reach the school counselor to discuss any concern, however, I am happy to be available to you - no matter what is the issue. As the school counselor, I have the opportunity to work with every child in the school, whether in classrooms, in small groups, with a handful of peers for some situation, a lunch group, or a one-on-one meeting about a concern. And to have someone to listen. If your child regularly sees the social worker or an outside counselor from Sweetser or another agency, I defer to that practitioner instead, but I am available to be a back-up for immediate concerns if that adult is unavailable.

How do you work with students?

School counselors focus on students’ academic, career and social / emotional needs. At the middle school level, the academic is often around goal-setting, self-advocacy or study skills and understanding expectations of school; the career generally involves supporting diverse career speakers or field trips, or exploring interests; and the social / emotional needs includes solution-focused problem-solving for a wide range of personal issues, whether related to friendship, family, school or other personal or emotional concerns. The evidence supports that students' academic success increases when they are able to address social or emotional concerns that are in the way. School Counselors provide a student-centered, safe, nonjudgemental space - whether in person or virtually or on the phone. We listen. We help student's recognize feelings and safely explore and express them as we help problem-solve - to try out what might work and to learn how to change.

How is it different during a pandemic?

We look at it this way: that how we do the work is different, but what work we do is still the same. Like you, we have adapted. And still are adapting! Your routines and schedules at home have changed, but your responsibility for the care, health and safety of your children is still the same. You might feel this responsibility more acutely. School Counselors provide an essential support for all students - advocating for equity and promoting social emotional well-being - as we also support goals of academic excellence. In this pandemic, the social emotional health and wellbeing may be more acute for some students and families and I am creating resources to help recalibrate, relax, focus on the here-and-now. For other students, plunging into academics may be the remedy: a focus on a future-goal and the love of learning. We know some students may need strategies to cope with what seems unfair right now, and may need more assurance and recognition for what parts are going right.

Throughout - we school counselors stay connected with our state and national agencies, and with each other - in order to notice and respond to trends so that we can best support all in our community and continue to adapt with care and reasonableness.