Happy New Year. I wish every one of you a joyful, healthy, and energized start to 2026. As we begin this new chapter together, I want to pause and thank each member of our community. Your daily commitment, professionalism, and creativity are what give our school its strong learning culture.

Over the past term, I have seen that commitment in action. From the confidence and joy on display in Mamma Mia! to the high levels of academic engagement across subject areas, our students continue to rise to the expectations set before them. These moments remind me why our work matters.

On 18 December, we celebrated forty-one Deering students who are joining Southern Maine Community College through the Spring Ahead program. It is the highest participation in the region. Since 2019, Spring Ahead participation has increased by 173%, with students earning 389 college credits. This represents real progress in college and career readiness and meaningful, long-term educational mobility for our learners.

This success did not happen by chance. It reflects deliberate, evidence-informed supports and interventions. I want to explicitly recognize our school counsellors and instructional staff, whose targeted advising, careful case management, and thoughtful scaffolding have helped students navigate college-level coursework and complex enrolment processes. Your work is making a lasting difference.

At the same time, our equity imperative must remain front and center. As we plan for 2026, our work cannot stop at expanding opportunities only. We must ensure equitable participation and success for every student. Let us refocus refining outreach so all students are aware of available opportunities; strengthening differentiated supports to help students meet grade-level rigor and embedding culturally responsive practices so learners across all backgrounds can access post-secondary pathways. 

Equity is not an add-on. It must guide how we design program, allocate resources, and measure success. Our goal is clear: every student should be positioned to thrive.

To our students: take a moment to reflect honestly on what you will do differently this year. Make one concrete commitment. Join a club, volunteer, run for a leadership role, start a project that brings people together, or challenge yourself by enrolling in a more demanding course. Commitments are stronger when they are shared. Tell a friend, teacher, or coach about your goal and ask them to be an accountability partner. Find someone who will check in, encourage you when you hesitate, and celebrate your progress. Small, consistent steps, paired with regular check-ins, turn intentions into real growth. And as you work towards your goals, remember that leadership also means helping others succeed. Tutor a peer, invite someone new to join your group, or help make school events more inclusive. When you support others, you strengthen our whole community, and your own growth becomes more meaningful.

To our staff and wider community: please continue to champion equitable opportunities so every learner feels seen, valued, and supported. Your daily choices matter to our students, to our school, and to the wider community we serve. We are living in challenging times, and that reality asks something of each of us: to be intentional, and to lift one another up. I believe in us as a community, and I expect us to show up fully, because our everyday actions shape our shared future.

I am excited to see how we will step up, support one another, and make this year better for everyone.

Dr Ahmed