August 19, 2025

Hello Deering Students and Families,

Happy August! Hope you are out enjoying all the beauty a Maine summer has to offer! While it’s still summer, Deering staff are working hard to get ready for this new school year. We’re so excited to welcome you back in a few weeks! We’re looking forward to continuing our success as one of the most diverse high schools north of Boston, helping everyone feel welcome and find belonging as All One School, to continue to help all our students grow and develop with their Minds On and increase our academic success by Learning Together! 

A NOTE FROM ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL MR. BURNAP

We may be starting this school year without our new interim principal, Ms. Schouvieller. She is dealing with a family illness, and Mr. Burnap will be stepping in, along with our new assistant principal. You will also see Dr. Abdullahi Ahmed and Ms. Alyson Dame in the hallways and office, helping out as needed. Our teachers and leadership team are ready for this year! 

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

This year, the first day of school is Tuesday, September 2nd; this is a full school day for ALL STUDENTS. School starts at 8:20 am, so please plan to arrive before 8:20 am! Breakfast will be available starting at 8:00 am. All buses will be running a normal schedule.

SCHEDULES

You can see 2025-2026 schedules by logging into the Parent Portal or Student Portal. Student passwords will be reset on August 28, at which point students will not be able to log in, and will have to wait to receive new passwords on the first day of school. If you don’t have a Parent Portal, please contact Ms. Liz Davenport (davenl@portlandschools.org), and she  will help you create one. Please know our Guidance department may still make changes in August to finalize schedules, including possible advisor shifts. We will have printed schedules available for students on the first day of school as well. If a student wants to make changes to their courses, counselors will be available for an Add/Drop period the first week of school (September 2-5).

9th GRADE WELCOME NIGHT 

On Tuesday, August 26th, from 5:30-7:00 pm, rising 9th grade students and their families are invited to a special orientation to 9th grade. Students will be able to pick up their school laptop, meet their advisors, and hear more about their 9th grade experience. . 

OPEN HOUSE

On Wednesday, September 10th, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm, we will hold an Open House for all students and their families. This is a chance to come together as a community, meet your students’ teachers, see their classrooms, and explore table displays featuring information about academics, athletics, and clubs. We will also be hosting a special session for families to meet our new administrators, as well as have time to chat with our Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Schools, Dr. Abdullahi Ahmed. 

THE SCHOOL DAY

Deering classes start at 8:20 each day, so please make certain that your student arrives at Deering before 8:20. School dismisses on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday at 2:50, with Wednesday being an early release day, dismissing students at 1:50.

We start each day with a ten-minute Advisory class (15 minutes on Wednesdays) in which students receive important announcements and updates. On Thursdays, Advisory will be for 40 minutes at the end of the day and will include guidance lessons, course selection, college/career preparation, mandated tests and surveys, emergency drills, and other important activities. Advisory is a required part of the day, and all students should be present for Advisory.

Classes end at 2:50. School dismisses at 1:50 on Wednesdays so that teachers can attend training. You can keep track of the daily bell schedule here. 

Breakfast is available at no cost starting at 8:00 am, and lunch is provided at no cost as well. 

ATTENDANCE

Attendance matters! Students are most successful if they are on time and present every day. Our goal is for students to be present 95% of the time or more, which means students should only miss 1 day or less a month. If you miss 2+ days of school a month, you are considered chronically absent, and it becomes difficult to earn your credits and progress through high school. If your student will be late or have an excused absence, please call the school at 207-874-8260, or communicate attendance via Reach My Teach.

Maine State Law and the Portland School Board of Education define excused absences as:

• Personal illness 
• An appointment with a health professional that must be made during school hours 
• Observance of a religious holiday 
• A family emergency 
• Planned absence for personal or educational purposes, which has been pre-approved by the Principal. (Students who do not receive pre-approval before the travel date will have unexcused absences.) 

TRANSPORTATION AND PARKING

All Deering students travel for free on the Metro bus with a METRO bus pass. Students who need to set up their Metro account can download the mobile app “Dirigo Pass” by UMO. You create an account with your school email. Your username is your student ID and your password is PPS(student id). If you need more assistance, please see Ms. Aguirre in the athletic office when class is not in session, preferably before or after school, at lunch, or between classes. 

11th and 12th-grade students who drive to school can visit the main office to purchase permits to use our parking lot. Each permit costs $10.  9th and 10th-grade students who drive to school can use on-street parking spots on Leland and Ludlow Streets, but may not park in the school parking lot.

Students who have yellow bus transportation will be receiving route information via ReachMyTeach from our transportation department before school starts.

ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE INFORMATION

The number of expected classes varies by grade: 

• Grades 9-11 students are required to have 4 classes per day, both semesters. That means they will not have study halls or blocks off. 
• Grade 12 students need at least 6 total classes over the year (3 per semester). If students have a block off, they are expected to be off campus or in the library. Blocks off require a family signature; please see your counselor on the opening days of school
• Exceptions: Students with extenuating circumstances who are unable to maintain a full schedule due to medical conditions, familial responsibilities, specialized programming, or other unique needs can work with their School Counselor, Social Worker, and Administrator to see if a special plan is warranted for their courses.

Returning students may notice that their school counselors and social workers have changed. Here is the updated list:

If your student wishes to participate in any of our fall sports (Football, Girls & Boys Soccer, Field Hockey, Girls & Boys Cross Country, Girls Volleyball, Golf, Sideline Cheer, or Esports), you may register now at Arbiter Sports (DHS Sports Registration). Pre-season practices and team tryouts begin on Monday, August 18th. But there is still plenty of time to sign up for all DHS sports! In order to participate in sports at DHS, you will need a current physical examination and medical clearance from your doctor (which is good for two years). All students must also be academically eligible for the fall season per PPS grade policies, based on their final grades from the last school year. You may register online now for any DHS sport or sports season. You can learn more about DHS Athletics, our sports, coaches, or see fall sports schedules at: deeringathletics.org. 

Deering also offers more than 45 student clubs, including Student Government, Debate, Drama, Key Club, NHS, Trivia Team, Grupo Latino, BSU, and Model United Nations. Students can sign up for and learn more about our club offerings at our DHS Club & Activities Fair this fall.

IN CLOSING

You can find much more information about Deering, including our family handbook, at our website. If English is not your preferred language, please use the translate button at the top right corner of the website. You can also follow along with school updates and announcements on our social media accounts and newsletters: Facebook, DHS Instagram, DHS Athletics, and DHS Newsletter.

Let us know if you have any questions.  We are excited to see you and look forward to a great year!

Sincerely,

All of us at Deering High School