School Notes

Orientation day set the stage for this school year’s newest teachers in Sanford.

Photo: Sanford School Department

Compiled by Carolyn Cadigan

New Sanford school teachers benefit from a day of orientation: The Sanford School Department kicked off the new academic year by hosting a comprehensive and engaging orientation day on Aug. 27 at Sanford High School for the district’s newest teachers. The day began with a welcome from Superintendent Matt Nelson, followed by a session of community-building circles to encourage team bonding. The morning continued with a technology orientation as well as a review of various human resources topics. Recognizing the importance of student well-being, a session was presented on suicide prevention, equipping educators with vital knowledge to support their students. Teachers learned to recognize warning signs and gained strategies for creating a supportive classroom environment that promotes an inclusive and empathetic atmosphere where students feel safe and valued. Following a lunch hosted by the Sanford Federation of Teachers, Nelson delivered closing remarks before new staff had the opportunity to spend time in their respective school buildings with their assigned mentors and building administrators. For the full story, including a list of new teachers organized by school, go here.

A new website for a new school year: A new website for St. Thomas School went live in time for the start of the new school year. The website breaks out several categories — About Us, Admissions, Academics, Family Info, News & Events, and Faculty & Staff — to help navigate and access information quickly. See the new website here.

This school year, a focus on student value and staff impact: The Sanford School Department launched its 2024-2025 school year in the Sanford Performing Arts Center on Aug. 28 with a powerful message: every student matters, and every adult is important. Carl J. Lamb (CJL) Elementary School’s Show Choir, under the direction of music teacher Hattie Skvorak, kicked off the morning with an uplifting performance by CJL students Breyana Bolduc, Alanna Carter, Olan Clock, Maggie Green, Kinley Martineau, Aoife McGuckin-Welsch, Daisy Peters, Ivy Peters, and Kiara Rohner. Following the performance, the school department’s three pillars for student success – student achievement, school climate and culture, and capacity building – framed the introduction of the school year’s goals. School safety was also emphasized as a continuing priority. Superintendent Matt Nelson stressed the importance of engagement, prioritizing relationships, and encouraging staff to focus on making strong connections with students, colleagues, and families — creating an environment where students feel valued and motivated to succeed. The presentation concluded with a powerful metaphor: the dash between birth and death years on a tombstone, which represents the sum of one’s work and the impact of one’s daily actions. This school year, the department’s collective dash, its shared goal, is to ensure that students are healthy, safe, engaged, supported, challenged, and prepared. For the complete story, go here.