From the Superintendent
The advent of a new school year often brings with it a flurry of emotions. Though I'm entering my 33rd year as an educator, I still find myself both excited and nervous heading into a new year, and I'm sure this is the case for most of our students, staff, and families.
This year, unlike any recent ones, will be consumed by major construction activity on campus as the One Campus project takes shape. As I write this message, the turf field project is complete and will be ready for student athletes very shortly. The Gyger Way parking areas (GHS pool side) have been reconstructed to accommodate another 57 spaces, along with road, sidewalk, and landscape upgrades. The new PK-1 school site is being prepped for eventual construction of the building itself, with expected completion in July 2027. The new Facilities building, which will replace the existing one located at the new PK-1 school site, is halfway to completion. And site work has begun on the new classroom wing at MIW, with expected completion next summer. I am happy to report that these projects are on schedule and under budget at the time of this writing, and it is our goal to continue this trend.
With multiple construction projects and contractors on site this summer and for the foreseeable future, the upcoming school year will be both exciting and challenging. As the new year begins, we will be providing regular communications about construction progress and traffic/parking updates in the district newsletter.
Administrators and staff have worked hard to set the stage for a successful year, with special thanks to our facilities and transportation staff for getting our buildings and buses ready for students and staff on day 1. Please note the information below regarding parking on campus as there are important changes due to the One Campus project. For quick reference, here's a reminder about the schedule for the first week of school:
Tuesday, September 2 First day for Grades 1-9
Wednesday, September 3 First day for Grades 10-12
Thursday, September 4 First day for Kindergarten
Friday, September 5 First day for Pre-Kindergarten
Wishing you the very best as wind down the summer and start the 2025-26 school year together.
Regards,
Jeff Porter
All staff welcome back August 26. We look forward to welcoming students back starting Tuesday!
Notices from the Office of the Superintendent
Tonight at 8:00 PM!
Tune into WMTW tonight at 8:00 PM to watch the coverage of Teen Voices: A conversation about mental health. 
🚧 Campus Construction & Traffic Update - Important Parking & Safety Info 🚧
As we gear up for the new school year, please be aware that significant construction is underway across campus. This will impact traffic flow and parking availability, so we ask for your patience and cooperation as we work to improve our facilities.
Mabel I. Wilson School
🔨 Construction Details:
- MIW – Great Falls Construction is actively working on the addition of the building. A steel delivery is expected between the end of September - early October.
- This project has displaced parking near the library and Kindergarten wing.
- The contractor and district are prioritizing student safety—all equipment is staged safely on the hill.
🚗 Parking Updates:
- Parents should use the GHS lot for student drop-off and pick-up.
- NO parent parking is permitted in the District Office lot, this lot is reserved for staff only.
- Please abide by the NO PARKING signs around campus.
Greely High School
🚗 Parking Updates (on the Gyger Way/ Gym side of GHS)
You might have noticed the construction trucks over the summer. Significant work was completed to improve the parking and traffic flow into our school. We are very pleased with the end result.
- Additional Parking in the parking lot near the Gyger Way entrance
- Two way Traffic flow
- Widened parking spots
- Organized traffic flow into and out of parking area
- Widened pedestrian sidewalk along the school
- Construction will continue into the fall on the Maintenance Building. As a result, parking on the field side and back of the pool is not available.
🎓 Student Parking - READ CAREFULLY:
- NO students are allowed to park in the District Office or GMS lots.
- Parking is restricted to GHS Juniors and Seniors only.
🚌 Transportation Reminder:
With tight traffic expected during construction, we strongly encourage students to ride the bus whenever possible to reduce congestion.
🦺 Additional Construction Updates:
- GHS parking lots were expanded over the summer, creating more capacity for student and visitor parking.
- The Maintenance Building is 50% complete.
- The new turf field will be ready by the end of this month!
- Additional taller fencing will be installed around the perimeter of the New PK-1 School site to help mitigate airborne dirt and debris.
⚠️ Safety Reminders:
- Be safe and courteous around construction equipment and vehicles.
- Construction vehicles are entering/exiting via Tuttle Road, directly across from the Fire Station access road.
- Do NOT park on the edges of Campus Drive or MSAD #51 Blvd. With construction on campus this poses a safety concern if vehicles are parking in NO PARKING zones.
- Police will be monitoring parking on Tuttle Road.
Thank you for your continued support and cooperation as we work to make our campus better for everyone!
Grand Opening Ceremony
School Calendar Reminder
Over the years, the school calendar has followed a consistent pattern: if there is a day off during a given week, the Wednesday of that week is a full day; otherwise, Wednesdays are early release days.
This year is a bit different. You will notice that there are two Wednesdays—January 7 and February 25—that are full days, even though they do not follow this usual pattern. Please note that this is not a mistake or a typo.
The bolded outline around the 7th indicates that there is a recognized major religious holiday. Those are listed on the second sheet of the calendar.
Destruction of Special Education Student Records
Notice to all persons who ever attended MSAD #51 Public School and received Special Education or 504 Services and were born prior to June 30, 1998 or to their custodial parents: MSAD #51, Cumberland/North Yarmouth School Department may have educational records in its possession for those students and will destroy such records after December 16, 2025. If you would like to have these records rather than having them destroyed, please contact the Special Education office located at 357 Tuttle Road (PO Box 6A), Cumberland, Maine 04021 or by phone at 207-829-4835 to make arrangements for obtaining the records. MSAD #51 shall maintain permanently a record of a student’s name, address, phone number, grades, attendance record, classes attended, grade level completed and year completed.
Special Education Child Find
Any school age child who is schooled in the towns of Cumberland and North Yarmouth, is entitled to a screening for possible special education needs. The district is responsible for the identification of all resident children requiring special education in accordance with applicable rules.
If you suspect your child has a disability requiring special education services, you can request a referral from the Office of Instructional Support at 207-829-4835 or you can contact the building principal of the school your child would attend if they were not being privately or home schooled. If your child is found to be a student with a disability, special education and supportive services will be offered in accordance with applicable rules.
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MSAD #51 Board of Directors Information
All meetings will take place at 6:00 pm in the Gyger Room at Greely High School. For those of you unfamiliar with that room, the Gyger Room can be accessed from the GHS parking lot (the side without the electronic sign).
September 4 - Regular Meeting
Remember you can watch our meetings on YouTube LIVE (http://bit.ly/msad51livevideo)
Links
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Board of Directors Meeting Videos
Useful Links
Greely Center for the Arts Events
If you would like something included in our weekly newsletter, please send a brief write up with title along with a JPEG or PNG image of your flyer (if applicable) to Melissa Porter for approval. The deadline each week is Wednesday. Any requests received after Wednesday will be reviewed for possible submission in the following week's newsletter. All approved submissions will be posted on the district's website.
Not all items in this email are MSAD #51 sponsored programs. If you need more information, please contact the group or organization that is sponsoring the event.
357 Tuttle Road, PO Box 6A, Cumberland, ME 04021
Contact Us | 207.829.4800