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Casco Bay High School dismissed school early today, Friday, Dec. 2, due to a significant number of students and staff out because of the flu. The school is expected to reopen on Monday, Dec. 5.

One new member, two returning members and five student representatives will be sworn in at the Portland Board of Public Education Inauguration Ceremony on Dec. 5. The Board also will vote to elect a new chair and vice chair for the coming year.

The Rising Tide Leadership program, which provides pre-college summer program experiences for Portland Public Schools students from immigrant families, is now in its fifth year. Apropos of year five, and thanks to the generosity of donors, the program recently awarded five $5,000 scholarships – rather than the usual two scholarships – to five PPS high school students. Read on to learn who this year's winners are.

The City of Portland’s Public Health Division, working with Northern Light, will offer an additional flu and COVID bivalent booster vaccination clinic on Saturday, December 10, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, at 39 Forest Ave. Flu and COVID vaccinations will be available to the public, insured and uninsured.

The traditional Turkey Day football game between Portland and Deering high schools is scheduled for Thanksgiving Day, Thursday. Nov. 24, at Fitzpatrick Stadium. Kickoff is at 10 a.m. this year for the 110th edition of the game.

It’s the time of year to remind everyone about the Portland Public Schools' inclement weather policy and how such decisions get made.This year, bad weather events will be traditional “snow days.” That means our schools will be closed and students will not be expected to go to school in person or learn remotely. Educators will not be expected to work. We will make those days up at the end of the year. 

At its Nov. 15 meeting, the Portland Board of Public Education held a caucus to take an informal vote to select new leaders for the coming year. The Board unanimously chose current Board Chair Emily Figdor to lead the Board again and chose at-large Board member Sarah Lentz to be Vice Chair. A formal vote will take place at the Board's Inauguration on Dec. 5.

Deering High School hosted an all-events speech and debate tournament on Nov. 19 that was very successful, according to teacher Molly Callaghan, who co-coaches Deering’s outstanding Debate Team, along with Krista Simonis. Although the school has hosted tournaments in the past, this year’s Deering High Machigonne Meet was the first for the school since debate contests are back in person this year following the pandemic.

As you may have heard, there was an active shooter threat at Portland High School the morning of Tuesday, Nov. 15, that turned out to be a hoax. Shortly after that situation was cleared, we received another threat that morning at Casco Bay High School. Working with police, this threat was determined to be a copycat hoax event.

Deering High School students have been busy taking advantage of extended learning opportunities (ELOs) this fall, according to Sydney Williams, Deering’s ELO coordinator. Recent ELO experiences have focused on youth leadership and careers in medicine.

Superintendent Xavier Botana and Board Chair Emily Figdor comment on the school budget autonomy vote and congratulate Julianne Opperman, who won the District 3 Board seat after a ranked choice voting runoff on Nov. 9.

Coming off big wins at the State Championship last February and with team members qualifying for nationals this spring, the Deering High School Debate Team is looking strong again this year, according to teacher Molly Callaghan, who co-coaches the team along with Krista Simonis. In an exciting new event this year, Deering also will be hosting an all-events speech and debate tournament on Nov. 19.

The Foundation for Portland Public Schools (FPPS) has just completed its 14th annual teacher grants program cycle. Seventy-six teachers, ed techs, librarians, and others have been awarded grants totaling $59,261. These grants will benefit thousands of students – from preK through Portland Adult Education – in 15 schools across the Portland Public Schools (PPS).

Three seats are up for election to the Portland Board of Education on Nov. 8: two at-large seats and the District 3 seat. Only the District 3 seat is contested on the ballot. Portland voters will also vote on Question 5, which would allow the Board to set the bottom line of the school budget before sending to voters for a final say.

The city of Portland’s Public Health Division, working with Northern Light, is offering a flu and COVID bivalent booster vaccination clinic on Friday, Nov. 4,  from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM at 39 Forest Avenue. Flu and COVID vaccinations will be available to the public, insured and uninsured, ages 12 and older.

The Portland Board of Public Education on Oct. 18 approved another community representative to serve on the Superintendent Search Committee. The appointment of Lucy Shulman, a Portland resident who is an adjunct instructor at Portland Adult Education, brings the number of community representatives on the committee to eight. The Board approved the appointment of the seven other community representatives at its Oct. 11 meeting.

The Portland Board of Public Education voted Oct. 18 to approve a new three-year collective bargaining agreement with the union representing the district’s educational technicians. The new contract recognizes the important work of these key employees and makes the Portland Public Schools more competitive with other districts. The contract runs from Sept. 1, 2021 to Aug. 31, 2024, with wage increases retroactive to that earlier date.

At its Oct. 11 meeting, the Portland Board of Public Education voted unanimously to pass a high school alignment resolution, which commits the district to taking a closer look at ensuring consistent programming and opportunities for students across all three high schools. The Board also voted to appoint seven community members to the Superintendent Search Committee and agreed to consider at its Oct. 18 meeting the appointment of an eighth member representing Portland Adult Education.

Unity Day, which is Wednesday, Oct. 19, is an important part of this month. Everyone is encouraged to wear orange to unite for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion to prevent bullying in school.

On Oct. 6, four seniors from Deering High School went on a field trip to West Bath for the first Maine Construction Career Day, hosted by Mid-Coast Excavation, Inc. “All four students operated those big machines and we also got to spend lots of time talking to local construction, paving, electrical, ceiling and tile companies,” said Sydney Williams, Deering’s extended learning opportunities coordinator. She added, “We got to keep the hard hats."

The Portland Public Schools needs school crossing guards. Be a local hero to help students get to and from school safely! Rewarding part-time work with no nights, weekends or holidays. Earn $32 per day for less than two hours work!

The Pihcintu Chorus is performing at the Rines Auditorium at the Portland Public Library on Saturday, Oct. 15, at 2 p.m. This free event is a great opportunity for the Portland Public Schools community to show up and support the girls chorus, which welcomes immigrant children from around the globe and helps restart young lives through music.

Deering High School BIPOC Students are featured in this Sept. 24 National Public Radio story about a new program called "Lift All Boats,” which seeks to help young Mainers of color learn how to lobster.

The Portland Public Schools is proud to announce that Portland High School (PHS) has been named one of the top schools in the state for “College Success,” according to GreatSchools, a nonprofit providing school information to parents and families across the nation. This recognition honors schools that excel at preparing students to enroll and succeed in college, as determined by available data in each state.

Thanks to a new Maine law, school meals are free for all Maine students, but it’s still very important to fill out a free-or-reduced school-meal application. Completing the applications provides the Portland Public Schools with family income data that helps the district receive the federal and state funding we need.