TODAY at 4 p.m.: Join us for a tour of the South Portland High School Athletic Complex! During the tour, you’ll learn about the current status of the SPHS stadium and athletic facilities and hear about the proposed improvements. Read more about the school referendums on the November 5th ballot here: www.spsdme.org/referendums
Halloween Trunk or Treat is happening 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, October 26 at the South Portland Community Center! 🎃 See the attached flier for more details about this free event.
It is National Coming Out Day, and we would like to give a special thank you to Out Maine, who held three sessions at today's conference on intervention strategies that prioritize LGBTQIA+ safety, education, and student leadership in schools. South Portland Schools is committed to fostering a safe and supportive learning environment for our LGBTQIA+ students, educators, and staff.
Today was an exciting conference day for our educators and staff! Sessions held throughout the day offered immersive and thought provoking opportunities for SPSD staff to advance their knowledge and personal growth on topics of key relevance to their role as champions of education justice. We welcomed presenters from organizations including Atlantic Black Box, Jobs for the Future, Marigold Mindfulness, New England Arab American Organization, Portland Museum of Art, South Portland Historical Society, South Portland Human Rights Commission, The Telling Room, and so many others. Thank you to all of our presenters who helped make today so successful!
We hosted the first of two tours of the South Portland High School Athletic Complex last night. Community members are welcome to join us again next week, Wednesday, October 16 at 4 p.m., to learn more about the current status of the SPHS stadium and hear about the proposed improvements with Athletic Director, Todd Livingston. Read more about the school referendums on the November 5th ballot here: www.spsdme.org/referendums
The Marching Band performed at Westbrook High School on Saturday and earned an overall ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars—the first of this season! Their next performance is on Saturday, 10/19 at Marshwood High School.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine is hosting two special programs: Fun Fridays for elementary-aged students and Basketball Open Gym for 7th graders and up. For more information, email mlee@bgcmaine.org or call (207) 874-1075.
Today in Julie York's Video Production class, students conducted interviews with community partners! 📹 Students are working on creating PSAs for the South Portland Food Cupboard and the South Portland Holiday Toy Drive. Here, Director of Community Partnerships Gretchen McCloy is being interviewed as a part of this project.
SoPo Unite's October Tip of the Month: Prescription Drug Safety
South Portland School families and community members are invited to take a tour of the High School stadium facilities on Wednesday, October 9 at 6:30 p.m. and Wednesday, October 16 at 4:00 p.m. Please meet at the ticket booth for the tour. During the tour, you’ll learn about the current status of the SPHS stadium and athletic facilities and hear about the proposed improvements. Read more about the school referendums on the November 5th ballot here: www.spsdme.org/referendums
It's National Custodian Day! Thank you to the hard work of our custodial team who helps keep our schools safe and clean every day.
The Out of the Darkness - Greater Portland Community Walk is happening this Saturday, October 5 at 10 a.m. at the Eastern Promenade. Click here for more information and to register: https://supporting.afsp.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.event&eventID=10223&fbclid=IwY2xjawFpT2hleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHTz0gDvu6cU878o9ketwGkVPIfLFSRqptzmaz-rP_gP3Xk4K1FcjG5iRGg_aem__VVAUB328l66OrrFk9mPoQ
Happy October! First graders at Skillin Elementary are enjoying the fall weather and playing in the leaves at recess 🍂
2nd graders at Brown Elementary were joined by Superintendent Matheney this week for story time! 📖 He read the book titled "Together We Grow," which is also this year's district theme.
Upcoming at the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine 🪁 Afterschool programs are back and ready to foster creativity, curiosity, and collaboration in students ages 5 to 10. Programs range from exploring Maine’s aquatic species to creating a theatre ensemble show. 🪁 Plus, the 5th annual Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival is happening Saturday, September 28 in collaboration with Indigo Arts Alliance and other statewide partners (Dollar Day$ Event). This celebration honors children’s book authors and illustrators of the African Diaspora and will feature literary activities, art-making workshops, read-alouds, and more. See the attached fliers for more information or visit www.kitetails.org.
At last week’s band competition, South Portland received an overall score of ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 Stars!
Attendance Awareness Month continues! School matters, and so does good attendance. 6% fewer students in the district missed a substantial amount of school last year than the year before, and we want to continue that success! Find resources about building good attendance habits for the rest of the school year and beyond here: www.spsdme.org/page/attendance
Early release day means professional development time for educators! Educators across the district met to go over curriculum work, complete trainings, and more. Pictured here, related arts teachers from the elementary schools met at Skillin to discuss adapting specials for inclusion.
The Teen Center at Redbank Community Center is a free afterschool program available for South Portland students in grades 6-12, Monday through Friday from 2:15 pm to 6:00 pm. Find more information online at https://southportlandme.myrec.com/info/activities/program_details.aspx?ProgramID=29983.
The Red Riots Varsity Football team played their first home game at Martin Memorial Field on Friday against the Bangor Rams! 🏈 Final score: Red Riots 42, Rams 26. Click here for the full athletics schedule and join us on game day: https://www.mpaschedules.org/public/genie/1142/school/87/
