From the Superintendent
As we start the new year, my thoughts go out to the families of Brayden Callahn and Simon Gonzalez, the two children who died in bus accidents before the holidays. The best way to honor their memories is to examine our own safety practices and extend a plea for the community's help in keeping all our children safe.
School buses carry the community's most precious commodity- your children. Bus drivers treat your children as if they are their own while riding on buses. After meeting with the district's bus drivers, here's some reminders and concrete ways that the drivers generated that can help keep our students safe as they travel to and from school aboard our bus fleet:
- Since school began in September, there have been over 100 instances of vehicles passing buses with their red flashing signal lights activated. Please, please never drive past a bus when their flashing lights are displayed. This is the most preventable kind of accident there is.
- There are multiple blind spots around a bus that impair a driver's vision. Never allow your child to run alongside a bus or walk behind a bus, as drivers cannot see your child.
- If your child misses the bus, make other arrangements for them to get to school and do not follow a bus or have your child "chase" the bus.
- Bus drivers know their routes better than anyone else and know the potential dangers and road conditions that can be avoided. Please relay to your child the importance of following the instructions of their bus driver at all times.
- Students should always stand several feet back from the road while at the bus stop and should wait for the bus to make a complete stop before walking toward the bus.
- During winter months, students should not wait for the bus on snow banks. A student could easily slide down a bank into the path of an oncoming bus or other vehicle. Buses, like other vehicles, are susceptible to road conditions, but due to their size and weight they require significantly more time and distance to come to a complete stop.
- Parents/guardians, please make sure your child understands the critical importance of learning and following their driver's signals for crossing the street in front of the bus.
- Bus drivers operate large, heavy vehicles with many, many students on board, often without assistance. They are multi-tasking constantly and their first and primary focus must be on driving and safety. Please talk with your child about the importance of appropriate behavior on the bus to reduce distractions so that their driver can focus on the road. Simply put, buses are extensions of the school and are not playgrounds.
- Younger children should always be accompanied by an adult at bus stops for pick-up and drop-off.
- Whenever possible, drivers will make attempts to pick up students on the right side of the bus to avoid crossing students on busy roads. We recognize this means longer wait times for the bus in many instances, but please know it is for the sake of safety.
Many thanks to our incredible team of dedicated drivers who work tirelessly to keep your children safe. Thank you for your help with these important safety considerations. It truly takes an entire community to ensure the continued safety of all students while traveling to and from school each and every day.
Regards,
Jeff Porter
The third grade class finished up unit 2 in CKLA on animal classifications! The entire third grade went to a special presentation at the GCA on Friday before break to see Sparks Ark present and share animals within vertebrate kingdoms.
Notices from the Office of the Superintendent
Full Day Wednesday
A reminder that this Wednesday is a full day.
👷 Hard Hat Chats
We’re thrilled to launch Hard Hat Chats, a brand-new, student-led interview series that goes beyond the fence line to spotlight the professionals building our One Campus One Community. In each episode, student hosts step onto the construction site to sit down with the architects, engineers, project managers, and skilled tradespeople who are bringing the vision to life. Hard Hat Chats gives our community an inside look at the people, processes, and passion behind the project—from early planning to concrete pours—and highlights how real-world experience connects to student aspirations. Tune in, learn something new, and get inspired by the stories shaping the future of our One Campus One Community.
📺 Watch the first episode now! — available on our channel: https://youtu.be/_41-msOU1qA?si=EIQw-U63XRFUPz81
GHS students—ever wondered what it takes to bring a project like this to life? If you’re interested in the behind-the-scenes details of this project and want to learn directly from the experts, join us!
MSAD #51 Pre-K Lottery for 2026-2027 School Year
MSAD #51 (Cumberland-North Yarmouth) will continue its small public Pre-K Program for 32 students (16 each session).
The program will run half days (an AM session and a PM session), four days per week (M, Tu, Th, F) for approximately 145 days during the school year. On the occasional full day Wednesday, both morning (AM) and afternoon (PM) Pre-K sessions will be held. The program is located at Mabel I. Wilson school and is in partnership with Child Development Services.
Per State law, in order to be considered your child must be 4, but not 5, years old before October 15, 2026 and you must be a resident of Cumberland or North Yarmouth.
Screenings will take place in person at Mabel I. Wilson School for eligible children during the second week of February.
If you are interested in your child being included in the Pre-K lottery, please fill out the interest application no later than Friday, January 23, 2026.
School Meals on Remote School Days
Breakfast & lunch may be provided on remote school days. For those who are interested, we provide shelf-stable meals to be sent home with your student. We recommend requesting two days worth of meals in case of a big storm. To request a meal the day before a storm you may inquire with the front office at your student’s school. They will discreetly provide the meals for your student. If you have any further questions or concerns please reach out to Director of Food Services, Jon Carlson at [email protected] or call 829-4824.
Stay Connected
Click on the icon above to connect with MSAD #51.
Find all the ways MSAD #51 shares information.
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).
January 15 -PreK Workshop
Remember you can watch our meetings on YouTube LIVE (http://bit.ly/msad51livevideo)
Committee meetings this week:
January 6 - Curriculum Committee
January 6 - Policy
January 8 - Finance
January 9 - Facilities
Links
Meeting Dates, Agendas & Minutes
Board of Directors Meeting Videos
One Campus Project Information
For comprehensive information regarding the School Building Project, please visit the project page at: https://www.msad51.org/
Project Updates
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