Principal’s Memo – May 3, 2024
Posted on
May 3, 2024
Good morning LMS Families,
May is here! Things are really starting to happen fast as we begin to look to the end of the school year. Please be sure to check the important dates section at the end of this memo, and pay close attention to the information you are receiving from your child’s teacher or team of teachers regarding upcoming events. We take every opportunity to get outside, go on field trips and plan amazing end of year experiences for our students, and we want you to have all of the information. Should you have any questions about the end of the year and things that are occuring, don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher.
Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week
Next week is Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week. It is a great opportunity for us to show our gratitude for the work that the amazing team here does for our students. You don’t need to do anything over the top, in fact, something that goes a long way is a hand written note of thanks from you and/or your child. Staff truly appreciate those little things that they can cherish for a long time. If you decide to have your child write a note of appreciation, here are some thoughts and ideas that might assist you:
- Keep it simple. A blank piece of paper with a story or anecdote about what makes their teacher so special will go a long way.
- Be specific. Rather than having a student say, “Thanks for your help,” try writing “Thank you for helping me figure out those math problems that were giving me such a hard time!”
- Student art work is always a nice touch!
No reason to let this be a stressor for you. It is only meant to be a small reminder of how much we appreciate our teachers and staff. You can find a complete list of staff members on our website.
Student Council Spirit Week
Our LMS Student Council has put together a spirit week starting next Monday with the theme of Better Together (Healthy Friendships). Here are the dress up themes for each day:
- Monday: Team Bonding – Wear your favorite sports jersey
- Tuesday: Mismatch/Whacky – Be comfortable around each other, even if your socks don’t match and your hair is a mess
- Wednesday: Twin Day – Dress alike, look sharp, and feel good about yourselves
- Thursday: Better Together – Dynamic Duos & Sidekicks
- Friday: Box of Crayons Day
- 3rd Grade Orange
- 4th Grade Red
- 5th Grade Green
- 6th Grade Yellow
- 7th Grade Purple
- 8th Grade Blue
Middle School Dance
The middle school dance that was scheduled for before vacation has been rescheduled for Friday, May 17th from 6:00-8:00. Hope to see our middle schoolers there!
Spring Athletics
Our Middle School Athletic teams are in full swing. If you’re interested in catching our student athletes in action, you can find our schedules here. Go GULLS!
Lost & Found
We have many items in our lost and found. If you think your child has lost some items, please encourage them to check over the items just outside the gymnasium. Thank you!
Maine Through Year Assessment
Teachers and staff are working to establish our schedule for the spring administration of the Maine Through Year required state assessment. We will be administering this assessment over the first few weeks of May. Each grade level team of teachers will set aside time to assess students. The test is an adaptive online assessment that creates a personalized experience for each student. While administering this Assessment is mandated by the DOE, it is also a great tool to measure student progress and growth. It helps assist teachers in identifying students who may be at risk for not reaching grade-level benchmarks so interventions can be provided early and often. The assessment also can help identify students who are surpassing grade-level benchmarks so enrichment opportunities can be provided to further the learning that is already occurring. This is a very useful tool for helping us to ensure that all students get the specific learning support they need so all students can be successful. The DOE also requires us to assess students in grades 5 and 8 in science. If you have any questions please reach out to myself or your child’s classroom teacher.
Pre-K and Kindergarten pre-registration for Jameson Elementary
Pre-K and New Kindergarten registration for the 2024-25 school year is open on the RSU 23 website.
Food Pantry Information
If your family would like to receive weekly food bags sent home with your child, please contact our School Counselor, Judy Milligan at jmilligan@rsu23.org or by calling 934-4848. We have received a contract with The Good Shepherd Food Bank with a sponsor of Youth Full Maine to provide food for our pantry. We receive food from these organizations every other week. We also receive donations from the Old Orchard Beach Food Pantry and private citizens in our community. The food we receive varies with each delivery however all food is nonperishable. You are also welcome to pick up the food yourself by letting Mrs. Milligan know that you need a food bag left either at the front office or left outside for a no-contact pick-up. A bag can be packed for you any day just by asking.
Student Medication Procedure
Students may require medications for various reasons throughout the school day, this includes over the counter medications, prescribed medications and emergency medications. Per school policy all medications at school need parent permission, doctors orders and to be administered by the nurse or trained personnel. Medications are stored in the nurse’s office and the student’s parent shall deliver medication needed for school. The intent of this policy is to promote safe administration of medications to students and a safe environment for all our students.
A reminder of a few upcoming dates:
- Tuesday 5/14 – RSU 23 Regional Budget Meeting
- Thursday 5/16 – RSU 23 School Board Meeting
- Friday 5/17 – Middle School Dance 6:00-8:00
- Monday 5/27 – Memorial Day – No School
- Wednesday 5/20 – LMS Evening of the Arts 5:30-7:00
- Friday 6/7 – Grade 8 Promotion
- Monday 6/10 – Last day of school
Enjoy the weekend,
Matt Foster