Principal’s Memo – November 17, 2023
Posted on
November 17, 2023
Happy Friday,
We’ve been experiencing some interesting weather and temperatures these past few weeks. Winter is definitely beginning, and that means it’s a great time to remind you about the importance of appropriate attire for our students. Our younger students spend time outside for recess, and even our older students utilize outdoor spaces for a variety of reasons. If your child is in need of some winter clothing, you can reach out to our school counselor, Ms. Milligan who will be happy to assist you. Boots, coats, hats, and gloves/mittens are available. They are also necessary to play outside during Maine winter months.
The next memo will not be until Friday, 12/1 as next week is a short week for Thanksgiving. We have school on Monday and Tuesday, and are off the rest of the week. Enjoy the Holiday with your family. 12/1 is also the last day of Trimester 1, and we plan to be sending out digital report cards the week after.
Parent Teacher Conferences
Thanks so much for your participation in Parent Teacher Conferences. Even with the need to reschedule one of our days we had over 60% participation which is amazing. It is always a pleasure to collaborate with families! If you were unable to make a conference and would like to discuss your child’s progress, please reach out to their teacher(s) to set up another time that would work for everyone.
Middle School Dance
Tonight our PTO is supporting a middle school dance. This includes students in grades 6-8. It is $5.00 to enter, and goes from 6:00 to 8:00 in our cafeteria. Grade 6-8 students need to have been present in school today to attend.
Vision & Hearing Screenings
We will soon be completing our State Requirements for vision and hearing screenings. Vision and hearing screenings are necessary to help identify concerns that can affect a student’s progress at school. You will be notified and asked to follow up with your child’s primary care physician and/or specialist if further action is needed.
Hearing screenings will be conducted on 3rd and 5th graders. Vision screenings will be conducted on our 3rd, 5th, and 7th graders. Please reach out to our school nurse, Katie Gagnon, at kgagnon@rsu23.org if your child has had a comprehensive vision or hearing exam with a specialist in the last 12 months, or if you would not like your child to be screened.
Student Chromebooks
We are seeing a high number of students who are forgetting to bring their chromebook to school. This creates a lot of problems for the school day, number one is their inability to access their education. While we are doing everything we can to supply those students with a device for the day, our supply is limited, and with the amount of students forgetting their devices, some days we are loaning out our entire stock. Please help us by reminding your child to bring their device every day. Thank you for your partnership with this.
State Waiver for 11/26 & 27
Our district submitted a waiver to the Maine Department of Education to not make up the school days that were canceled due to the events that took place in Lewiston. That state has granted that request, keeping our last school day as Friday, June 7.
RSU23 Holiday Concert
Our RSU23 Holiday Concert is scheduled for Thursday, December 14th, right here in the LMS gymnasium. Doors open at 5:30 and the concert starts at 6:00. We hope to see you there.
Snow/Remote Day Information
Please see the snow/remote day memo sent out by Superintendent Suttie.
Healthy Snacks for Celebrations
With the holidays fast approaching, it is a great time to remind everyone that we do have a district wellness policy that addresses healthy snacks for celebrations and events. We ask that any time you are thinking about sending in food for celebrations you check with your child’s teacher who will work with administration to ensure that our celebrations are in line with our district policy. Thank you.
OOB Chamber of Commerce Celebration by the Sea
On Sunday December 3rd, OOB Chamber of Commerce is hosting a celebration by the sea. The events will take place at Veteran’s Memorial Park and at the Chamber from 3:00 to 5:30. For more information, visit oldorchardbeachmaine.com
Yearbooks are on Sale NOW!
LMS Yearbooks are now for sale and include 2 free custom pages that you can design yourself! Please reach out to Lori Gaudreau (lgaudreau@rsu23.org) with any questions.
Arrival & Dismissal Safety Procedures
I would like to remind everyone that for the safety of our students and staff the back side of our building including our parking lot is not a thruway. We have seen an increase in the number of vehicles using this as a cut through from Jameson Hill Road to Emerson Cummings Blvd and vice versa. We appreciate everyone’s cooperation with this in order to keep our students safe!
Family Vacation Forms
During the school year some families take vacations and ask that we excuse their children from school days. This is not a problem, however, we do have forms to sign off on in order to help students understand the expectations of making up missed work. The forms can be found in the main office. Thanks for your help!
A reminder of a few upcoming dates:
- Wednesday 11/22-Friday 11/24 – No School Thanksgiving Break
- Wednesday 12/6 – Early Release Day
- Thursday 12/14 – RSU 23 Music Department Holiday Concert
- Thursday 12/21 – RSU 23 School Board Meeting 6:00 PM OOB Town Hall
Have a great weekend, and a Happy Thanksgiving
Matt Foster