As we continue to build a supportive and engaging learning environment for all students, it’s essential to emphasize the importance of consistent school attendance. School is more than just academics; it’s a space where students build social connections, develop important life skills, and establish the foundation for lifelong learning. Chronic absenteeism needs to be reduced across Maine and the nation.

Why Does Attendance Matter?

1. Academic Achievement: Research shows that students who attend school regularly are more likely to read proficiently by third grade, perform better in middle school, and graduate high school on time. Chronic absenteeism—defined in Maine as missing 18 or more school days in a year—puts students at a higher risk of falling behind academically, impacting their confidence and future educational goals.

2. Social and Emotional Growth: Schools are vibrant communities where students learn how to collaborate, communicate, and navigate social situations. Regular attendance allows students to build meaningful relationships with peers and staff, providing a support system that contributes to their social and emotional well-being.

3. Preparation for the Future: Consistent attendance is a key factor in building habits of responsibility, time management, and reliability—qualities that benefit students not only in school but also in the workforce and in life.

Tracking and Addressing Chronic Absenteeism in Maine

Recognizing the importance of attendance, Maine has implemented statewide efforts to track and reduce chronic absenteeism. This data helps us identify trends, tailor interventions, and measure our progress in re-engaging students. By setting clear goals and closely monitoring attendance patterns, we can work together to ensure that every student has the opportunity to succeed.

A Community Effort

We all play a role in promoting consistent attendance. Whether by encouraging students, communicating the benefits of daily attendance, or supporting families with challenges that may affect school presence, we can make a positive impact. Thank you for your partnership in making every school day count!

I’m excited to share our ongoing commitment to school gardens across all RSU 12 schools. These spaces are more than areas to grow plants; they’re living classrooms where students engage in hands-on, real-life learning.

School gardens enrich education by connecting lessons to the world around us. Science becomes real as students observe plant growth, ecosystems, and weather impacts. Math comes to life when they measure garden plots and track growth data. Language arts flourish through garden-inspired writing and journaling. Research, such as the findings of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, shows that garden-based learning improves academic performance and engagement.

Beyond academics, gardens teach teamwork, problem-solving, and resilience. Students learn to plan projects, overcome challenges, and celebrate shared successes—preparing them for future endeavors. Importantly, school gardens also promote healthy eating. Studies indicate that children who garden are more inclined to eat fruits and vegetables, fostering lifelong healthy habits.

Our gardens are supported by teachers, students, families, and local volunteers, strengthening community bonds and enhancing the learning experience. To continue this growth, we seek partnerships with local farms and experts to enrich our programs and provide sustainable, meaningful learning opportunities.

We invite community members to join this initiative. Whether you have gardening experience, volunteer time, or simply a passion for education, your involvement helps us nurture a love of learning, connection, and curiosity in our students—one garden at a time.

Students have completed their fall testing in the areas of Reading and Math. Students in grades 3-8 completed the Maine Through Year assessment as part of mandatory State testing. Students in grades K-2 complete the NWEA (Northwest Evaluation Association) Measures of Academic Progress tests. Happily, the Maine Through Year test is designed by NWEA and is very similar in format to the NWEA tests given to our younger students. This means that students and teachers are familiar with the design and reporting features so that they can understand results quickly. Teachers use these assessment results to inform instruction and interventions to help all students succeed.

Our teachers engaged in differentiated professional development for their November Workshop Day. The professional development topics were developed in response to staff feedback and examination of student outcomes and aligned with district goals. Teachers were able to propose alternative topics for approval. The learning included topics ranging from implementation of the EL Education Reading program, exploration of Math resources for intervention, review of neuroscience and its implications for designing trauma-responsive learning environments, Google apps for education, critical thinking in visual arts, and more. Teachers shared resources and reflections about their learning in a digital space that allows for review by colleagues and fosters future collaboration.

It is hard to believe that we are almost to Thanksgiving break already! October certainly flew by! We had our 27th annual Fun Run led by Linda Peterson, and this year we added a fun (modified) staff run as well. I love that when I say “I have a fun idea for a staff fun run, who wants to join me?” I immediately get a group of staff agreeing to run in inflatable costumes in front of the entire school. As we waddled around the shortened course where some could see and some couldn’t really move their legs, the kids were giving high fives and over and over again I heard “This is so much fun!” and I knew that the idea was a success. Next year, however, our staff said maybe we should train a bit first! Howie was going to join us, but was busy accepting the Superintendent of the year award!

This month we have our parent teacher conferences, and the Scholastic book fair arrived yesterday. All of our students who participated in the summer reading program will get a free book from the book fair, and teachers will get $5 off when they spend $20 because of the success of last years’ book fairs. Our plan is to keep it open through Parent Teacher Conferences again. A huge thank you goes to Rosie Del Tejo Williamson for planning this and making it happen every year!

Palermo special education teacher Holly Morgan, along with several other RSU 12 staff members have provided an amazing opportunity to our students by competing in the local Special Olympics.  Last week, they competed against other schools in bowling at Sparetime Recreation.  Holly has written grants and has organized the practices and games.  Soon they will be competing in the swimming competition.  Way to go RSU12!

Every year we connect our kindergarten students with a 5th grade “book buddy”.  On Friday afternoons, our 5th grade students read and explore books with their buddy.  The students, young and old love this experience and there is such a bond built that lasts years.  We are so proud of our students and how they care for and help out the younger students.  

 We have our Parent Teacher Conferences on Monday and Thursday nights this week. Our teachers are eager to see parents and share the amazing work from the students.  Students also enjoy showing off their work and explaining their days at school.  Our book fair will also stay open for those nights. Our kids (and staff!!) love shopping at the book fair and it is something we look forward to every year.  Next up are the holidays that bring such a wonderful time of year.

November is a very busy month at WHES with winter sports cranking up, students are preparing for our Winter Concert in early December, our first trimester of the year is drawing to a close and our Fall Parent / Teacher Conferences will be held just before Thanksgiving.  Let’s also not forget the Veterans’ Day and Thanksgiving holidays that play an important role in the November calendar.  It seems impossible that I’m writing about the close of the first third of our school year and, earlier in this paragraph, I actually mentioned the word December! School years have so many benchmarks that break the year into smaller chunks of time and, because of that, it truly makes time move by very quickly.  Howie has even started talking about budget preparations!  Where does the time go?  Ultimately, the challenge for teachers and administrators is to address these significant dates in the school year with continued enthusiasm and seriousness.  It is not significant that we may have approached too many Thanksgivings or holiday seasons to count (or that we’d want to count!), rather, we must remember that it may only be a learner’s fifth or eighth and the delight and exuberance that they feel can never be misunderstood or diminished.

So…we enter another amazing month that begins a very busy holiday season but we do so with commitment and, hopefully, with enjoyment for all the season offers.

This week we will be having Parent/Teacher conferences, and will be reviewing academic, behavioral, and attendance data with parents.  Another important data point to share is the NWEA scores students achieved this fall, and how their progress in math and reading scores has come along since their last test date.  

Much of these academic, behavioral, and attendance points were celebrated at our October assembly on Thursday.  We started the assembly with our now-traditional K-2 costume parade, and our wildcat, Lynx, joined in the fun.  During the assembly we celebrated Top AR readers, math masters, great behavior, perfect attendance so far, outstanding effort in specials, and our students of the month.  Additionally, we were able to congratulate our fall sports teams.  

Fall sports season has concluded and we are so proud of our Windsor Wildcats!  The boys and girls soccer teams both won the Sheepscot Valley Athletic Conference Championships, which is a first as far as any of us can recall.  The cross country team came in second place in the CAL Championships.  Congratulations to all!

Kelly Lamoreau, our Student Council Advisor, took over 30 middle school students to the Annual Leadership Conference in Bath recently.  This is an amazing opportunity for our students to learn about leadership skills while meeting other like-minded students from across the state.  

October is Bullying Prevention Month, and we joined in the district Spirit Week by making each day special in a fun way, while also learning about bullying facts, prevention, and remediation.  We have had many students complete their Bullying Prevention posters in an effort to spread the word. 

RSU 12 serves the towns of Alna, Chelsea, Palermo, Somerville, Westport Island, Whitefield, and Windsor.

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