Dear South Portland School Department Families and Staff,
With a new school year just around the corner, I look forward to welcoming everyone back for a year filled with learning, growth, and community across our district.
To help families plan for a great start, the important back-to-school dates are below. Make sure to mark your calendars and keep an eye on your email inboxes for more information:
Back to School Events for Families
Elementary Meet and Greet Events for Families (at each school)
Pre-K and Kindergarten: Wednesday, August 26, 4 – 5 PM
Grades 1 – 4: Wednesday, August 26, 4:30 – 5:30 PM
High School Open House
Wednesday, August 26: 4:30 – 6 PM at SPHS
Middle School Back to School Night:
Grades 7 – 8: Tuesday, September 22, 4:30 – 6 PM at SPMS
Grades 5 – 6: ThursdaySeptember 24, 4:30 – 6 PM at SPMS
Monday, August 31: First day of school for Grades 1 – 12 (Full day)
Tuesday, September 1: First day of school for Kindergarten with early dismissal for Kindergarten only at 12:40 PM (Full day for other grades)
Wednesday, September 2:
First Day for PreK
Second day of school for Kindergarten with early dismissal for Kindergarten only at 12:40 PM (Full day for other grades)
Thursday, September 3: Full day for all grades
Friday, September 4: Full day for all grades
Monday, September 7: No School – Labor Day
Bus Routes: The Transportation Department uses My Ride K-12 to provide information about bus routes to families via a computer or a smartphone app. Please visit the Transportation website for more information.
Important District Update: Policy JIJC (Student Personal Electronic Devices)
As we work to prepare our students for 21st-century learning while ensuring our classrooms remain focused and free of unnecessary distractions, a new district policy regarding student personal electronic devices is going into effect. This update aligns our district practices with the new Maine law imposing a ban on student use of personal electronic devices during the school day.
The intent of this policy is to support a focused learning environment, minimize distractions, and promote student social and emotional well-being by regulating the use of student personal cell phones, smart watches, and other personal electronic devices (PEDs) during the school day.
Under Policy JIJC, the core principles guiding device use across Pre-K through Grade 12 are rooted in respect, safety, and academic focus:
School Day Prohibition: Students will only use school-provided devices during the school day. All students are prohibited from using cell phones and other personal electronic devices with internet or cellular network connectivity for the duration of the entire school day—from start to dismissal—unless an explicit exception applies. Prior to the start of the day, personal devices must be powered off, stored away as directed by the school, and not worn or accessed.
While adjusting to this change will take a collective effort from our school community, we are confident that the payoff in student focus, engagement, and well-being will be worth it.
School principals will be sending out their start of school letters in the next week.
Thank you for your partnership, support, and dedication to our students as we begin a new school year.
Sincerely,
Angela Atkinson Duina, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
South Portland School Department