Dear Deering,

The New Year means we are approaching the end of the first semester. Just a few weeks remain to solidify our learning and springboard to the second semester. Don’t forget that Learning Center is our dedicated time for students to retake and revise work, and also to seek extra help from their teachers. They are here for you!

The last two days of the semester have special schedules. On January 23rd, students will attend their first and second blocks in the morning and have time to access teachers for help in the afternoon. On January 24th, students will attend blocks 3 and 4 in the morning and be able to access teacher help in the afternoon.

Don’t forget that all your hard work leads to something. College acceptances are starting to roll in: Yale, MIT, Columbia, Wesleyan, Bentley, Boston College, Bates, Colby, and SMCC are among the first to make offers to the class of 2025. We are excited, too, to be sending a number of Seniors in January to start college early through SMCC’s Spring Ahead program. Once again, we are one of the biggest sending schools for this program. We also have many Seniors who are already ready for high quality jobs as well Seniors who will continue their studies at Portland Adult Education. We are excited for all the diverse educational and career next steps ahead for our Seniors!

 

MONTHLY UPDATES

Help Needed. We are in the process of building benches for Deering’s hallways and need some help finishing. We are looking to arrange a small volunteer session on a weekend morning to cut some plywood to fit frames. If you are comfortable with power tools and basic woodworking, contact giessj@portlandschools.org.

New Hires. DHS science teacher Jeff Burnap will be graciously stepping up to support Deering as an additional assistant principal for the remainder of the year, and we are in the final stages of hiring someone to take over his courses. We are also welcoming two new social workers,Amanda Atkinson-Lewis and Mariela Jácome; an Extended Learning Opportunities coordinator, Jane Evans; and a math teacher, Bob Lansing.

Snow Days. If we have three full weather closure days this year, any subsequent snow days would be set up as remote learning. Students would check in with each class on Google Meets at the normal class start time and receive assignments. If we get close to this scenario, we will share more detailed instructions.

 

Yearbook Parent/Student Pages are available for purchase with this form.

Do you have 8th graders at home? We’d love you to bring them to tour the school 6-7:30pm on January 6. You can also visit the Transitioning to High School page to find detailed information about the process and a comparison of our high schools. 

Upcoming Wednesday Long Advisories. On Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, we have a 10-minute advisory. This is when we share important information. Students should be here at 8:20 each morning so they don’t miss it. On Wednesdays, we have advisory for a full hour. Here’s what is happening on Wednesdays this month:  

• 1/8: 12th graders will do Capstone presentations for any student doing SpringAhead, then discuss academic honesty. 9th, 10th, and 11th graders will discuss academic honesty.
• 1/15: We will discuss study and time management strategies for the upcoming exam blocks. Each student will make a plan to finish strong.
• 1/22: Advisories will compete in a brief advisory challenge, and then have time for study groups the day before exams.
• 1/29: 9th graders will do a lesson that is part of our guidance curriculum on exploring their strengths. 10th, 11th, and 12th graders will analyze their S1 grades and attendance and work with their advisor to set goals for the spring.

 

ACCESS: Our multilingual students will take the ACCESS test in their ESOL classes between 1/6 and February break. There are four parts, each taken on its own day. It helps us make sure we are providing the right classes to students. Students take it each year until they score a 4.5 out of 6. It is a legal requirement for Deering to test all students who have not scored a 4.5, even if they have opted out of other services. Here’s when students will test: 

• Students in Fall Academic Language: Monday 1/6, Tuesday 1/7, Thursday 1/9, and Monday 1/13
• Students in English 1A, English 2A, and English 3A: Monday 1/13, Tuesday 1/14, Thursday 1/16, and either Friday 1/17 or Tuesday 1/21. 
• Students in Spring Academic Language: Wednesday 1/29, Thursday 1/30, Monday 2/3, and Tuesday 2/4. 

Students doing Spring Ahead, not enrolled in an ESOL class this year, or receiving special education services will test on other schedules. Students who miss a day will need to make up their missing sessions. If you have a question about a specific student, contact Rebecca Schouvieller (schour@portlandschools.org). 

Here is the simple slideshow and in-depth handout that will be reviewed with students in class before they test if you would like to learn more. 

FAFSA Night. Deering High School FAFSA Night (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), will be on January 14th from 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM. All Deering High School seniors and parents are invited to come in for assistance completing the online FAFSA form (www.fafsa.gov). Finance Authority of Maine (FAME), HS Guidance Counselors and Make It Happen! Staff will be on hand to provide processing support. Interpretation will be available.

Attendance: You should receive a personalized update about your student’s attendance for the year in early January. 

Our goal is 95% attendance, or missing no more than 1 day a month. Right now, the typical Deering student has missed 5 days, which means they have been present 93% of the time. Absences add up! Missing “only” two days a month means missing a full month of learning by the end of the year.  

If your student has missed more than 5 days so far that weren’t part of a family plan, now is a great time to have a conversation together with your child to see what is getting in the way of attendance and to make a plan to overcome obstacles like oversleeping, stress, apathy, or having mild symptoms like a headache or a stuffy nose. Your students’ school counselor is eager to work with your family to support attendance. They can be contacted via ReachMyTeach or by calling the school at (207) 874-8260