Margaret Chase Smith School

Sanford schools came together to celebrate Halloween with a series of community events that brought families, students, and staff together for evenings of fun and festivities. On Thursday, October 23, Sanford Middle School hosted their annual JMG Haunted Woods, offering students a thrilling walk through the shadows. That same evening, Sanford Pride Elementary welcomed families for Trick or Treat in their gymnasium, providing a safe and festive environment for young students to collect candy. Carl J. Lamb Elementary rounded out the night with their Trunk or Treat event, where creatively decorated car trunks delighted students and families alike. On Thursday, October 30, Margaret Chase Smith School hosted their PTA Halloween event, continuing the week of Halloween celebrations across the district. These events showcase the strong sense of community across the Sanford School Department, with staff and volunteers working together to create memorable experiences for our students and their families.

Sanford Schools Celebrate Halloween in Style

October 31, 2025

Sanford schools came together to celebrate Halloween with a series of community events that brought families, students, and staff together for evenings of fun and festivities. O...

Dear Families, We're reaching out today because we know that many families in our community may have questions about how the recent federal government shutdown could affect household resources. Please know that our school is here to support you, and we want to make sure you have the most current information and know where to turn for help if you need it. If you or your family are worried about food during the government shutdown, help is available. School Meals will Remain Available for All Students All students can still get free breakfast and lunch at school every day. Find Local Food Assistance If your family needs food support, call 211, or visit the Good Shepherd Food Bank’s Food Pantry Locator to find help near you. Visit www.gsfb.org/get-help/food-map or scan the QR code. General Assistance Families can apply for General Assistance, which can help meet basic needs including food, housing, utilities, medical costs and more. Visit www.maine.gov/dhhs/ofi/programs-services/general-assistance. Continue to Apply or Renew SNAP Benefits You can still apply for or renew SNAP during the shutdown. If you qualify, doing this now will help make sure your benefits are ready as soon as funding resumes. Apply or renew at: www.mymaineconnection.gov. For Federal Employees: If you or someone in your household is a federal employee impact by the shutdown, additional resources and support information are available at the following link: https://tinyurl.com/bdzdsu2p We understand this news may be stressful, and we are here to support our students and families however we can. Sanford Schools will continue to monitor the situation and share updates as more information becomes available. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your school’s school counselor, outreach staff or administrative office if you need help connecting to local resources.

Resources During the Government Shutdown

October 30, 2025

Dear Families, We're reaching out because we know that many families in our community may have questions about how the recent federal government shutdown could affect household ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6I9PNpy6gh0

Sanford School Department Hosts Safety Information Night

October 30, 2025

The Sanford School Department hosted a Safety Night in the Performing Arts Center on Tuesday, October 21, offering families and community members an opportunity to learn about the...

Flu shots

October 21, 2025

Get your free Flu vaccine at MCS on November4th. Complete the consent form and return to the School nurse by Monday October 27th.

Teachers Invest in Professional Learning During In-Service Day

October 16, 2025

On Friday October 10, while students enjoyed a day off, Sanford School Department teachers and staff were hard at work—investing in their own learning to better support our studen...

Margaret Chase Smith Elementary School music teacher Heather Hastings recently received national recognition for her work in music composition. Hastings recently traveled to Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville, Maryland, where her original piece "Unwavering" received its premiere performance by the school's top wind ensemble. During her visit, she had the opportunity to work directly with the student musicians, attending their rehearsal and offering feedback on their interpretation of the work. “Unwavering” was written as a dedication to Gladys Stone Wright, one of the very first female band directors in the United States. “For a composer, it is always a wonderful experience to have one’s music performed by a live ensemble and to hear the art come to life,” Hastings said. At the premiere performance, she was presented with her competition award by Dr. Pam Klena, President of the Women Band Directors International (WBDI). This December, Hastings will be honored at the WBDI luncheon with a lifetime membership to the organization and will have the opportunity to showcase her compositions to band and orchestra directors from across the country. “I am honored to receive this award and have my work recognized on a national level,” Hastings said. “The students in the Wootton Wind Ensemble gave a lovely premiere of Unwavering, and I hope that they enjoyed the performance as much as I did.

MCS Music Teacher Receives National Recognition for Original Composition

October 10, 2025

Margaret Chase Smith Elementary School music teacher Heather Hastings recently received national recognition for her work in music composition. Hastings recently traveled to Thom...

https://www.applitrack.com/sanford/onlineapp/default.aspx?Category=Maintenance%2fCustodial

Sanford School Department Safety Informational Night

October 6, 2025

Please join our student resource officers and Central Office administration for an overview of school safety in our schools on Tuesday, October 21, 2025 at 6 pm in the Sanford Per...

Upcoming Free Flu Vaccinations

October 3, 2025

We are pleased to announce that the Sanford School Department is partnering with MaineHealth to offer free flu vaccinations for students this fall. Protecting our student's healt...

School Connected Play and Learns have started Weekly one kicked offlast week with 14 children in attendance! It was a wonderful opportunity for ourlittle learners to explore and grow together. Monthly one will start onOctober 6th, 2025 and run the first Monday of eachmonth! Joint Professional LearningOpportunity: Thismonth, stafffromour Sanford Public Pre-K classrooms will collaborate with community Early Learning Centers, including All Friends, Curtis Lake Church ELC,Headstart, Little World 2, and Kids Kove ELC. Together, we will engage in a day of collaborative learning around a new earlymath programcalled Young Mathematicians. Learnmore here.

October First 10 News

October 2, 2025

Welcome to the October edition of First 10 Sanford's newsletter! This month brings exciting developments as our School Connected Play and Learns kick off, welcoming families with ...

As the new school year got underway, students and staff walked into clean, safe, and refreshed buildings thanks to the summer efforts of the Sanford School Department's custodial and facilities team. October 2 marked National Custodian Appreciation Day—a perfect opportunity to recognize their commitment to creating welcoming learning environments. The Sanford School Department oversees an impressive array of properties, including multiple buildings that require year-round management for cleaning, maintenance, and grounds care. This summer marked a significant milestone as the team entered the season fully staffed for the first time in years, and the results speak for themselves. At the heart of the summer preparation efforts was the hardworking custodial team, who undertook comprehensive cleaning of all district buildings. Their work went far beyond routine maintenance, involving a process that touched every corner of each school. Staff completed deep cleaning throughout every building—tackling furniture, walls, windows, and light fixtures. They repaired walls, touched up paint, stripped and refinished floors, and thoroughly cleaned tiles and carpets. "It's exciting to hear how the work that the team has done directly impacts the students," shared Director of Facilities and Maintenance Jason Dudley at a recent school committee meeting. The custodial team faced and overcame challenges during their summer work, navigating scheduling conflicts with summer programs, food services, sports camps, and community events. They demonstrated flexibility in coordinating all this work while accommodating the busy summer schedule. While the custodial staff focused on deep cleaning, the maintenance team was equally busy with infrastructure upgrades that directly impact student safety and learning environments. At Sanford Middle School, they addressed wastewater drainage issues and upgraded the library with modern LED lighting that can be dimmed for Promethean board use. Sanford Pride Elementary School received new HVAC starter motors, with a complete rooftop unit replacement scheduled for October. At Carl J. Lamb School, the team replaced an HVAC expansion tank and painted fresh blue hallways on the first floor. Safety improvements were a major priority this summer. At Cobb Stadium, the crew upgraded five tiered aluminum bleachers and removed outdated home and away bleachers. Working alongside the Parks and Recreation Department and Public Works, they transformed the space into a safer facility for student athletes and community members. At Carl J. Lamb, they installed a safety fence separating the parking area from the bus drop-off lane, directing everyone to use the designated crosswalk. Dudley emphasized the importance of this work: "Staff is able to monitor that and monitor when the buses are coming. So it's a definite safety upgrade for us." Margaret Chase Smith School received upgraded handicap bollards and repainted bus lane signage to improve traffic flow and safety. The team also supported expanding academic opportunities by retrofitting a classroom for the new sports medicine program at SRTC and extending compressed air lines in the welding and machine shops. They even helped the IT department modernize classroom technology by removing outdated display boards and installing new mounting brackets. Superintendent Matt Nelson shared his appreciation for the custodial work during the school committee meeting, emphasizing that "our facilities are the first step to having good education." The combined efforts of the custodial and maintenance staff ensured that Sanford schools were not only clean and safe but 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.

Celebrating Sanford's Custodial Team

October 2, 2025

As the new school year got underway, students and staff walked into clean, safe, and refreshed buildings thanks to the summer efforts of the Sanford School Department's custodial...

Margaret Chase Smith Elementary School hosted its first-ever "Lunch with a Loved One" event last Friday, bringing families together for a celebration of community and connection. An impressive 71% of families joined in, making the picnic burst with smiles, laughter, and special moments. Families and friends arrived with picnic blankets and lunches ready to share quality time with their students. As a special reward for reaching 100 positive referrals, Principal Hallisey and Assistant Principal McGuckin wore their pencil costumes at lunch. They will continue to wear them to boost their theme this year and reward students for their hard work. Each grade level had a dedicated half-hour lunch period to spend with their families. Student Den ambassadors helped direct students to their loved ones, and families checked in with staff to make the event run smoothly. When asked about their favorite part of the lunch, one of the den ambassadors summed it up perfectly: "We’re having fun and spending time with family." The feedback from families was overwhelmingly positive, with many sharing, "We'd like to do this in the spring too!" This event was a beautiful way to promote family engagement and create lasting memories

Lunch With a Loved One at Margaret Chase Smith

September 29, 2025

Margaret Chase Smith Elementary School hosted its first-ever "Lunch with a Loved One" event last Friday, bringing families together for a celebration of community and connection....

Wear Red

September 17, 2025

Friday September 26th Wear Red/Spartan/Coyote gear for Respect

September is School Attendance Awareness Month!

September 11, 2025

Governor Janet Mills has proclaimed September as School Attendance Awareness Month in Maine, and we are excited to join schools across our state in celebrating the importance of b...

Your Right to Know: Teacher and Paraprofessional Qualification Information

September 11, 2025

On December 10, 2015, President Barack Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) into law. ESSA replaces the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). In accordance with ESSA, sc...

The Sanford School Department is spotlighting employees at all of our schools. If you know an employee who you feel should be highlighted, please email Sam Bonsey (sbonsey@sanford.org) or fill out the employee spotlight form here. This spotlight is on Margaret Chase Smith nurse Melissa Phillips. How long have you been working in the Sanford School Department? This will be my fifth year working in Sanford Schools. I was the district float nurse for 2 years and this will be my third year at MCS. What is your favorite part about working in Sanford? I love working with and taking care of all my elementary school students, but I think my favorite part about working here is the incredible team of people I work with. Everyone is respectful, supportive, and uplifting of one another. The people you work with have a significant impact on the day to day workplace experience. I appreciate the positive energy, transparency, and consistency that I see in the day to day. I truly enjoy coming in to work each morning! What’s your favorite TV show or movie? Shawshank Redemption or The Notebook If you could describe yourself in three words, what would they be? Compassionate, Dependable, Athletic If you could visit any place in the world, where would it be? I would go hiking in Switzerland. Iced Coffee or Hot Coffee? Hot Coffee Playlists or Podcasts? Podcasts- I love radio Theater Ocean or Lake? Lake Sunrise or Sunset? Sunset Facebook or Instagram? Neither..haha

Employee Spotlight

September 5, 2025

The Sanford School Department is spotlighting employees at all of our schools. If you know an employee who you feel should be highlighted, please email Sam Bonsey ( sbonsey@san...

MCS Picture re take day

September 3, 2025

Picture re take day is Wednesday September 24th.

The Sanford School Department recently hosted its annual District-Wide Welcome Back Event at the Sanford Performing Arts Center, bringing together faculty, staff, and administrators from across all schools to celebrate the start of the 2025-26 academic year. The gathering began with a performance from the Sanford High School Chamber Singers, featuring students Ava Allen, Callia Curtis, Avila Cyr, Rebecca Horton, Jordyn Martin, Cynthia Carroll, Keaghan Gagnon, Will Kane, Logan Hamblin, and Evan Lynch. Under the direction of Sanford High School music teacher Ryan Geary, these students took time to rehearse during the summer before taking the stage. Following their musical presentation, each student introduced themselves, shared which schools they attended, and spoke about teachers who've had a lasting impact on their academic journey so far. School Committee Chair Amy Sevigny then delivered opening remarks that challenged both new and veteran staff members to be supportive colleagues. "I want you to all think about when you were that new person on the job, whatever job that was. Do you still remember the first person or the people that welcomed you and made you feel part of the team?" She challenged staff to be supportive, collaborative, encouraging, respectful, and positive colleagues. Whatever the day brings, be the coworker that you want to have. Because a strong school community thrives when each member feels valued and supported. Sanford Superintendent Matt Nelson expressed deep gratitude for the collaborative efforts throughout the district. "I want to thank you as our faculty and staff for all that you do for our students and what you do each and every day with them," Nelson said. A significant portion of the event welcomed new staff members joining the Sanford team across all district schools, including all elementary schools, middle and high school, SRTC and SCAE Adult Ed. The presentation also included Superintendent Nelson introducing the district's updated mission to "prepare all students with future-ready skills and knowledge to empower success in a rapidly changing world" for the first time to staff after it was recently approved by the School Committee. This mission is supported by Core Principles and Beliefs on Learning that focus on creating safe learning environments, developing future-ready skills, ensuring equitable access, adapting learning systems, and strengthening community collaboration. These principles work together to support the district's Portrait of a Future-Ready Graduate vision, preparing students to be critical thinkers and creative problem-solvers, emotionally intelligent collaborators, adaptable and resilient individuals, engaged citizens, and lifelong learners.

Sanford School Department Welcomes Staff for 2025-26 Year

August 29, 2025

The Sanford School Department recently hosted its annual District-Wide Welcome Back Event at the Sanford Performing Arts Center, bringing together faculty, staff, and administrat...

MCS Staff

August 28, 2025

Opening day 2025/2026 school year

Sanford School Department Welcomes New Teachers for 2025-2026 School Year

August 27, 2025

The Sanford School Department started the new academic year on a high note, welcoming its newest educators with an extensive orientation day at Sanford High School on Tuesday, Au...

The 2025-2026 bus routes for the Sanford School Department are now available on Versatrans. On Tuesday, August 19th, emails were sent to parents/guardians with transportation information and Student ID numbers. If you did not receive an email, please contact your child's school to verify your email address and obtain your child's Student ID number. Please note, due to a bus driver shortage, some bus routes have been combined to begin the school year. This change will result in longer ride times for some students. We appreciate your patience as we continue to search for additional drivers. If you are interested in becoming a driver or monitor, contact Ledgemere, our transportation provider. If you have any questions, please call your child’s school directly or Ledgemere at 207-324-4888.

Bus Transportation For The 2025-2026 School Year

August 20, 2025

The 2025-2026 bus routes for the Sanford School Department are now available on Versatrans . On Tuesday, August 19th, emails were sent to parents/guardians with transportation i...