August 16, 2024
Dear Student(s) and Parent(s)/Guardian(s):
Welcome back! We hope your summer was filled with exciting adventures and memories you will cherish! We are excited to start the 2024-2025 school year and look forward to seeing all 9th - 12th grade students on Thursday, August 29th. This will be a RED day. We will see Freshman only on August 28th for Freshman Orientation.
We have been diligently working throughout the summer to get ready for the school year. The following are some highlights from the high school:
Please welcome the following staff to the high school-
· Chris Spaulding- Athletic/Co-Curricular Director
· Ilunga Mutombo- Guidance Counselor
· Peter Webster- World Language Teacher
· Paige Polley- English Teacher
· Robin Northway- Music Teacher (additional music opportunities!)
· Jonathan O’Donnell- Science Teacher
· Abby Gordon- MLL Teacher
· Joanna Turner- Educational Technician
· Ted Clark- Study Hall Monitor
Student arrival time- 7:00am (class starts at 7:30) Dismissal time- 2:00pm
Nutrition- Breakfast and Lunch are free again this year. Free and Reduced lunch forms still need to be completed by ALL families, regardless if they qualify or not. Please complete and return the form included in this mailing.
Updates to our school/building- Our big project this summer was installing a new PA system at the high school! We have upgraded our paging system and added bells. These updates will support communication, minimize overall disruptions within the building, and ensure timely arrival to classes by all students.
PowerSchool- If you have not already done so, please go into your parent portal in PowerSchool and update your information. This is an important tool to ensure you are communicating with your child and their teachers regarding grades, class schedules and monitoring attendance. Please find your PowerSchool information included with this letter so you can update/complete your individual student’s information. There is also a free app that will provide timely notifications. All media/field trip/medication distribution/sport & club permissions/etc… will now be electronic. The forms in PowerSchool need to be completed for all returning students.
Technology- All students will be assigned a laptop within their advocacy class. They will have 1:1 access to laptops throughout the day. If you would like to sign one out to bring home each day, please see the front office for a technology form. There is a $40 technology fee. The fee for all students who qualify for free/reduced lunch and McKinney Vento will be waived.
Communication- Communication is key to your child’s success! Be in the know- ensure we have your email on file so you receive the high school announcements that are sent out daily and viewable in PowerSchool!
Student handbook- The Lisbon High School student handbook is available on our school website to review and answer any questions you may have. A current version of the student handbook can be found at lisbonschoolsme.org.
Attendance- Research shows a strong connection between school attendance results in increased academic performance. Our attendance goals are to communicate and recognize the importance of school attendance, review and monitor students who are at-risk or chronically absent, and develop individual plans for students who are at-risk or chronically absent, to include assisting and supporting students/families. The attendance procedures and protocols for calling out of school are located in the student handbook (www.lisbonschoolsme.org).
Safety Plans/Procedures- ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) will continue to be our district safety protocol. ALICE safety measures will be reviewed with staff and students at the start of this school year. Please find the FAQ for parents worksheet included in this mailing.
Resources for our youth- Statistics continue to show an increase in usage of teen vaping. We have partnered with Healthy Androscoggin to educate and support our students with this topic. Free vaping resources have been included in our announcements! The School Board approved a new procedure to support a healthy and safe environment for our students. The updated protocol and procedure can be found in our student handbook located on our district website.
Open House- Please join us on Wednesday, September 5th for Open House (5:00-6:00pm) to meet our existing and new staff that your child may have for classes this year!
The following forms will need to be completed and returned to the Lisbon High School main office: Student Health Information form, Emergency Information form, and the Economic Status form.
We look forward to a great year together! If you have any questions, please feel free to call the main office at (207) 353-3030.
Sincerely,
Susan E. Magee
Lisbon High School Principal