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Job Fair!
Job Fair!
jperkins@sanford.org
Congratulations!
Nominations are now open for the 2025 York County Teacher of the Year and 2026 Teacher of the Year.  Members of the public are encouraged to nominate educators who demonstrate exemplary skills that inspire students and colleagues, and who help focus attention on the importance of public schools among everyone in the Sanford community.  Nominations can be made through a form on the Maine Teacher of the Year Website  from now until 5:00 p.m. on Friday, January 31st, 2025. (Click here for the form) They are accepted by students, parents, caregivers, community members, school administrators, colleagues, college faculty members, and associations/organizations. Recognize an educator today who has continued to inspire, educate and care for their students!
Ashlee Ridlon
Author visit
jperkins@sanford.org
As the new school year got underway, the Sanford School Department welcomed students and staff to clean, safe, and well-prepared facilities, thanks to the efforts of our custodial and facilities team over the summer months.   The Sanford School Department oversees an impressive array of facilities, including ten buildings that required management for cleaning, maintenance, and grounds care.  These facilities encompassed a total of 634,000 square feet of building space and spanned 262 acres of land.  At the heart of our school preparation efforts was our hardworking custodial team who took center stage this summer, undertaking a comprehensive cleaning of all facilities. Their work went far beyond routine maintenance, involving a process that touched every corner of our schools.  Staff moved and cleaned furniture, washed lights, walls, and windows, and conducted necessary room repairs. One of their most significant tasks was scrubbing and refinishing floors throughout the buildings, ensuring a fresh and welcoming environment for returning students and staff.  The custodial team faced and overcame challenges during their summer work. They navigated scheduling conflicts with summer programming and demonstrated remarkable flexibility in adapting to last-minute changes.   While the custodial staff focused on deep cleaning, our maintenance team was equally busy with crucial projects. They replaced the boiler at Willard School, installed new doors in the SMS Library and main stairwell, and added climate control to the SPE Library.   Other notable projects included: Installing playground equipment at Margaret Chase Smith School. Setting up an entry heater at Carl J Lamb School. Implementing sound deadening measures at Sanford High School  Our grounds care responsibilities expanded this year to include mowing and maintaining Sanford High School sports fields. This new task totaled 20 additional hours of work and was efficiently managed with the addition of a part-time seasonal staff member.  The combined efforts of our custodial, maintenance, and grounds staff ensured that Sanford schools were clean and safe and enhanced and improved for the new academic year.  As students and staff returned, they found their spaces ready and welcoming, setting the stage for a successful year of learning and growth. Thank you to our Facilities and Maintenance teams!
Attendance Awareness
Stay informed with news and updates by downloading the Sanford School Department app on your mobile device.  The app allows parents to choose the school(s) they want to get notifications from.  You can access the live feed, see sports schedules, check out the dining menu, access important documents, receive emergency notifications, and more.  Just look up Sanford School Department, ME, in your app store.
The Sanford School Department launched its 2024-2025 school year in the Sanford Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, August 28th, with a powerful message: every student matters, and every adult is important.  Carl J. Lamb's Show Choir, under the direction of music teacher Hattie Skvorak, kicked off the morning with an uplifting performance. Thank you to Carl J. Lamb students Breyana Bolduc, Alanna Carter, Olan Clock, Maggie Green, Kinley Martineau, Aoife McGuckin-Welsch, Daisy Peters, Ivy Peters, and Kiara Rohner. Following the performance, School Committee Chair Paula Cote welcomed and thanked staff on behalf of the committee. Superintendent Matt Nelson then welcomed returning staff and new staff joining the Sanford School Department, expressing gratitude for everyone involved in preparing for the opening of school.  The Sanford School Department's three pillars for student success – student achievement, school climate and culture, and capacity building – set the stage for introducing the goals for the upcoming school year. In addition to the goals, school safety was emphasized as a continuing priority for the Sanford School Department. Mr. Nelson stressed the importance of engagement, prioritizing relationships, and encouraging staff to focus on making strong connections with students, colleagues, and families. He highlighted that these meaningful relationships help form the foundation for effective teaching and learning, creating an environment where students feel valued and motivated to succeed. Staff were also encouraged to "adjust their lens" heading into the 2024-2025 school year when facing new challenges to see the positives in their work. This adaptability ties with the district's focus on "spotlighting-the-right" and building strong relationships with students, families, and the community. The presentation concluded with a powerful metaphor: the dash between birth and death years on a tombstone. Staff were posed a thought-provoking question: "What does your dash stand for?" This dash, it was explained, represents the sum of one's work and the impact of their daily actions.  Mr. Nelson emphasized that one's legacy is measured by every life they touch. Relating this concept to the upcoming 2024-2025 school year, it was framed as the School Department's collective dash. Their shared goal is to ensure that students are healthy, safe, engaged, supported, challenged, and prepared.
Sanford High School Kaitlyn Gardner (Admin Assistant to the Principal) Michael Gauthier (Physics Teacher), Matthew Guertin (Math Teacher), Linden Hollins (Chemistry/Physics Teacher), Anna Silva (Social Studies Teacher), Charlene Foss (SpEd Tech), Megan Kiley (Virtual Learning Ed Tech), Matthew Ouellette (Support and Transition Ed Tech) Sanford Middle School Abigail Hanson (6th Grade Teacher), Joshua Hyssong (Instructional Band Teacher), Deborah Leclerc (Seal Team) Sanford Regional Technical Center Shawnda Williams (Health Occupations Teacher), Jenna Holmes (Health Occupations Teacher) Carl J. Lamb Beth Baldarelli (SpEd-Self Contained Teacher), Holly Brown (2nd Grade Teacher), Denise Bergeron (SpEd Ed Tech), Jessica Harmon (Self-Contained Ed Tech), Laurie Morse (K Literacy Ed Tech), Alethea Pettine (Library Ed Tech), Aaliyah Studer (SpEd Ed Tech) Margaret Chase Smith Ayla Alrich (3rd Grade Teacher), Pamela Legere (1st Grade Teacher), Taylor Nygren (4th Grade Teacher), Lee Paula Perkins (4th Grade Teacher), Ashley Brochu (Self Contained Ed Tech), Angela Kepner (K Literacy Ed Tech), Suzi MacDonald (Behavior Ed Tech) Sanford Pride  Lindsey Jenkins (1st Grade Teacher), Haley Kennedy (3rd Grade Teacher), Makenzie Smith (Art Teacher) BRIDGE Eric Stephens (Social Studies Teacher), Sara Tremblay (Ed Tech)
jperkins@sanford.org