District Update – Barbara Powers, Superintendent of Schools

Opening of School 

The teachers and staff of the Falmouth Public Schools have worked very hard to be ready for the first day of school, which is Wednesday, September 1 for grades 1-9 and Thursday, September 2 for kindergarten and grades 10-12.  Preparations have included grade level open houses, parent orientations, new teacher meetings, summer curriculum work, administrative retreats, and two days of professional learning and preparation in the heat of this week!

We welcomed 415 students to Lunt School, 312 to Plummer-Motz, 692 to Falmouth Middle School, and anticipate 705 students attending Falmouth High School this year for a total enrollment this fall of 2,124.   It’s the largest population of students attending the high school since it opened in 2001! 

New Programs at Lunt School 

John Flaherty and his professional staff are pleased to offer two new programs at Lunt School, grades K-2, this fall.  First, several new kindergarteners in need of specialized instruction will be taking part in a new therapeutic kindergarten program designed to specifically meet their needs.  They will also be placed in kindergarten classrooms with their age peers for periods of the day, but the program will allow them to enjoy a successful learning environment as part of their first public school experience.   

Second, the new Lunt School Play and Learn program will be serving about 30 students beginning this fall during their off-kindergarten hours.  This enriched learning and care experience, paid for by parents, is a pilot offering.  Various all day kindergarten options are being researched and explored in preparation for both budget development purposes and the move to the new building, where space is going to be available for this kind of expanded learning opportunity for our youngest students.

New Elementary School Construction Project 

The school construction project remains on schedule for an opening one year from this fall.  To prepare for that move, TRANSITION PLANNING is the name of the game.  Our K-5 staff and principals John Flaherty and Karen Boffa are working with an enthusiastic team of teachers to answer the following essential question:  How can we best combine the talents of three staffs (K-2, 3-4 and 5) into one in order to transition into a K-5 elementary school that best meets the needs of all of our students?  In addition to the overarching question, these teachers have generated a long list of topics requiring advanced planning as the move gets closer, and hope to address them all throughout the year.

Meanwhile, the Middle School principal, Sue Palfrey, and her faculty and staff are preparing for their own transition to a smaller, focused school supporting students in grades 6-8.  The question they have elected to research is: How can we utilize the research on Middle Schools in order to transition into a grades 6 to 8 Middle School that best meets the learning needs of our students?  Sub-committees are pursuing various areas of inquiry as they address the essence of their task.

We are very hopeful that the new stadium field located behind the new school will be open for regular use by our high school field hockey, soccer, and football teams by mid to late September.  The artificial turf is fully installed, yard markers and the school logo are sewn in place, the new home bleachers and press box are being erected this week, and the track installation is underway.  The key to our opening if the stadium field for fall sports is going to be enough dry weather to allow the final surface of the track to cure.  We can only hope for a sunny September!

School Board Workshop – Tuesday, September 7 

Also construction-related, on Tuesday, September 7 at the regularly scheduled School Board workshop, there will be a presentation by the Percent for Art committee of the recommended visual arts installation in the new elementary school.  The process for soliciting ideas, selecting four top artists, and finally choosing a final product has been lengthy and thoughtful.  Come see what the committee has in mind as a very creative addition to the school by an artist who has strong ties to Maine.  The meeting will begin at 7:00 in the music room. 

Other agenda items will include further discussion of the rubric entitled “Global Best Practices in Context” which began at the retreat in late August; consideration of Maine School Management Association’s guidelines regarding the collection of student social security numbers; and, a brief review of the new FOAA protocol being introduced by both the town and the schools following One Falmouth Committee research.

 I will continue to offer monthly updates on this website and keep timely topics of interest before you as the year unfolds. We strongly value the relationship we have with our parent and community partners in the education of Falmouth's students!