Gorham High School 

Summer Newsletter 

Monday, August 19, 2024

Dear GHS Students and Families,

I am excited to welcome you back to Gorham High School! 

I hope that our students are enjoying a fun summer vacation. I am writing today to share some information about the start of the new school year, which is just over a week away. Freshmen begin on Wednesday, August 28th and sophomores, juniors, and seniors begin the next day on Thursday, August 29th.

New this year, we will host our annual Senior 101 and open house before school starts on Tuesday, August 27th. 

Senior 101 is an opportunity for seniors and their parents or guardians to hear from our post-secondary specialist, Trisha Cherry, about important activities and deadlines seniors need to be thinking about as they prepare for graduation and their life after high school. Senior 101 begins at 5:00 p.m. in the auditorium. 

Open House is a chance for students and their families to tour the building, find their classes, meet teachers, ask questions, and more. From 6:00-7:30, the building will be open, teachers will be in their classrooms, school counselors will be stationed outside the Guidance Office in case anyone needs their schedule or a map of the building, and Mr. Daggett will be in his office for any student who still needs to pick up their new iPad. Freshmen and any other new student and their parents or guardians are invited to attend a welcome message in the auditorium from 6:15-6:30.

In closing, I am sure many incoming 9th graders are filled with nervous excitement about their transition to high school. It's totally normal to be anxious at the start of a new school year, especially if you are starting it in a new school. I think you'll be assured by the positive, warm, supportive environment Gorham High School has to offer, and encourage you to check out the following incredible video featuring two incoming 9th graders (Sophia and Wyland) and two upperclassmen (Amelia and Chuma). The video was shot and edited by Class of 2024 graduate Izak Young as part of his senior project. GHS is a great place! 

Brian Jandreau 

A Tale of Two Schools(or click on the image above)

The Schedule for Next Week

Freshmen Day - Wednesday, August 28th

On the 28th, 9th graders will begin the day with an assembly where students will be introduced to the GHS staff, followed by time in advisories where students will have a chance to get to know each other, see old friends, and meet new ones.  After the advisory period, students will be divided into book groups where they will discuss the summer reading texts they received before leaving middle school.  Students should be sure to bring their summer reading book to school on the 28th.  Following book groups, students will go to each of their classes, meet their teachers, have lunch, and learn how to get from one class to the next. The purpose of “Freshmen Day” is to help the 9th graders feel more comfortable in their new school. Click here to see the schedule for the day: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LSjBiWbqzV9pLXQE26TYrW3zTIJrqSGYd2LJJGbvvek/edit?usp=sharing

All Students - Thursday, August 29th

On Thursday, August 29th, all students will begin in their advisory. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors will be called by grade to the auditorium for welcome presentations. All grades will have their class picture taken during this time too. Following class meetings, we will run an 8-period schedule so that students can meet each of their teachers. Students who attend a CTE center need to attend an information meeting with Ms. Cifelli and Mr. Sawyer. The Maroon-White alternating bell schedule will begin on Tuesday, September 3rd.

Important Information for Students and Families (listed in alphabetical order)

Activity Bus

The Activity Bus (i.e. late bus) runs Monday through Thursday to transport students home at approximately 4:00 p.m. Only students who stay after school for academic help or to participate in a school-sponsored club or athletic program will be able to ride the Activity Bus. The Activity Bus will begin on Tuesday, September 3rd. 

Air Conditioning

Good news! We should have air conditioning beginning around the start of school. Our hope is that it will be functioning by the first day of school, but without a doubt, it should be operating by early September. 

Athletics

Any student who plays sports at GHS should check out the GHS Athletics page for important information: https://ghs.gorhamschools.org/o/ghs/page/athletics

Attendance/Absences/Tardies/Dismissals

Absences: When a student is absent, a parent or guardian needs to call the school at 207-222-1100 to let us know that your student will be absent. Please know that state law provides the following reasons a student may be excused from school:

1. Professional appointments that cannot be scheduled outside the school day such as court, medical and dental appointments. These should be verified by appropriate documentation from these offices.

2. Illnesses verified by a parent. In all cases of illness, the school reserves the right to require verification by a physician or school nurse.

3. School related field trips or activities.

4. Religious observances.

5. Death, serious illness, or other emergency situations in the immediate family as deemed appropriate by the administration.

6. College or educational visitations approved at least three days in advance.

Tardies: Any student who is late to school needs to check in at the main office or the attendance office in the gym lobby to receive a pass before heading to class. Again, a parent or guardian needs to call the school at 207-222-1100 to let us know that your student will be tardy. 

Dismissals: Any student who needs to leave school early needs to have their parent or guardian call the school at 207-222-1100 to let us know in advance. We will provide the student with a pass that allows them to leave school. 

Important! We do not accept notes from home. Parents or guardians need to call the school at 207-222-4940.

Bell Schedule

We have an alternating block schedule at GHS. Maroon Days (periods 1-4) and White Days (periods 5-8) alternate every other day. Each week, we will have one advisory on Maroon Day and one on a White Day. Please visit our website to see the updated schedule: https://ghs.gorhamschools.org/o/ghs/page/bell-schedule

Calendar

You can see the school calendar on our website here: https://core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/4724/GSD/4436097/Gorham_School_Department_Calendar_2024-2025.pdf

Communication, News, and Updates

Please note that you can contact any GHS staff member by calling 207-222-1100 or sending an email to firstname.lastname@gorhamschools.org.  For more specific contact information, please see below:

Instead of weekly newsletters this year, information will be communicated through our website, iOS and Android apps, and our social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and X.

GHS Website https://ghs.gorhamschools.org/o/ghs

GHS Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gorhamhighschool/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gorhamhighschool/

X: @brianjandreau

We have updated our website and our app for iOS and Android devices. Please check out our new and improved website here: Gorham High School Webpage

And follow these instructions to download and set up the new and improved app (for those with the old app, you can delete it as we have switched to a new vendor for our app)...

Guidance Department Updates

School Counselor Caseloads

Schedule Changes

The GHS Student Support Services Department holds an add/drop period during the first two weeks of each semester.

After the add/drop period, students are strongly discouraged from withdrawing from courses. Students should make a good-faith effort to seek academic support for the course in question. For example, the student should show they have met with the teacher for additional support. If it becomes necessary for a student to consider a schedule change, the student must:

1. The student should discuss the change with his or her teacher(s), school counselor, and parent(s)/ guardian(s).

2. If a change is warranted, the student must complete a Withdrawal Form and obtain all required signatures.

3. The student should return the Withdrawal Form to their school counselor who will make the changes to the schedule.

4. Students must follow their original schedule until the course withdrawal has been completed and processed.

For course withdrawals made after the add/drop period, but within the first five weeks of the term, a grade of W will be posted for the quarter and will show on the grade report. For course withdrawals made after the first five weeks of the term, a grade of WP or WF will be posted for the quarter and for the final grade and will show on the grade report and the student transcript. If the student is passing the course at the time of withdrawal, a WP grade will be assigned. If the student is failing the course at the time of withdrawal, a WF grade will be assigned. A grade of WF or WP is not counted in the student GPA.

iPads

We will be offering our second round of iPad pickup on Tuesday August 27th from 12pm to 2pm and again from 5:30pm to 7:00pm (this is the same time as Open House).

• Pickup will be on the side of the High School by the crosswalk. Door number 7.

• All you need to bring is a check for the iPad Protection Fee (Made payable to "Gorham School Department") for $25 or cash. Sorry we do not accept credit or any digital payments at this time.

• If the money is an issue please reach out to Administration as we do not want any student to be without their ipad. You should work that out with Administration before coming for pickup.

Food Nutrition Program

The Gorham School District will once again provide free lunches and breakfasts to all students during the 2024-2025 school year. The meals include an entrée, small milk, fruit and/or vegetable. Menus are available on the school website and the Dining Services facebook page. 

In addition to these free lunches, the cafeteria at the high school will offer à la carte items available for purchase. These items will include desserts, specialty drinks, snacks, and additional entrees. The à la carte items must be paid for with funds added to the student’s account prior to the day of purchase. Funds can be added to the account via PayPams or by cash in a labeled envelope.

Free Meals

Meals are free when the following components are included: an entree, fruit, vegetable, grain, and an 8 oz. milk. Students must choose at least three of these components, and one of these MUST be a fruit or a vegetable.

Lockers

Students may be assigned their own locker for the school year if they want one. Any student who wants a locker should see Ms. Ryan in the gymnasium lobby office or email her at laura.ryan@gorhamschools.org

Mobile Devices

We will continue the mobile device policy we started last year where students are required to place their mobile phones in “phone hotels” when in class. Students may retrieve their phones from the “phone hotel” when a teacher deems it necessary or when class is over. Students may use phones before school, during lunch, during passing time, and after school without restriction as long as they refrain from the following conduct:

• Use of a phone during class when it is not permitted by a teacher;

• Taking pictures in locker rooms, bathrooms, etc.;

• Taking any picture/video of another person for the purpose of ridiculing the other person (falling asleep, attire, chewing food with mouth open, etc.);

• Use of a phone or any device to cheat; or

• Use, whether in or out of school, of a phone or any other device to harass another member of the Gorham school community.

The Anxious Generation

At Gorham High School, we have noticed a significant increase in the number of students who suffer from anxiety. In fact, the number of referrals our social workers have received for anxiety has tripled over the past eight years. In his award winning book The Anxious Generation, Dr. Jonathan Haidt attributes much of this to the “overprotection of kids in the real world and the underprotection of kids online.” He goes on to propose four rules:

1. No smartphones before high school.

2. No social media before age 16. 

3. Phone-free schools.

4. More independence, free play and responsibility in the real world.

We believe his research and book are deserving of a community-wide discussion and will be hosting a community book talk (see below). In the meantime, please check out the recent piece on CBS Saturday Morning featuring Dr. Haidt (click on the image):

Nursing

Greetings from the Nurse’s Clinic!

It is with great enthusiasm that I welcome the start of the 2024/2025 school year! I am available by phone, email, or in person to answer any questions related to your students' health and wellness while they are at GHS. 

Below are links to important forms and answers to some commonly asked questions. 

Health Forms

All district wide health forms are available on our website. A direct link to those forms is available by clicking this link: Health Forms

Physicals

In order to participate in athletics at GHS, students must have an up-to-date physical on file (within the past 2 years). You may use the district’s Physical Form or your doctor may send in a letter. This communication can be mailed, emailed, or faxed back to GHS. If you send the communication to me, I will share the information with our Athletics department. 

Medications 

• ACETAMINOPHEN and IBUPROFEN- Each year we are required to obtain consent for giving out over the counter medications. These medications will NOT be administered prior to written consent. The form can be found here: OTC Form

• If your student needs to take daily or as needed medication, at school, during the 2024-2025 school year you will need to drop off those medications to the Nurse prior to the start of school starting. Please email me to set up a time to drop off medication. Your child's medical provider must also complete and sign an order for that medication to be dispensed.  Medication MUST be in a pharmacy labeled bottle. Your provider may use this form: Request for School Personnel to Administer Medication or the order can be on their letterhead. 

• If your student has Asthma and will carry an inhaler (or you prefer to keep one in the clinic), they must have an Asthma Action Plan on file. This plan needs to be signed ANNUALLY by your physician. 

If your student has allergies or another diagnosis that may require the use of emergency medications (i.e. epinephrine auto-injector or seizure medication) please have the appropriate plan on file. This plan needs to be signed ANNUALLY by your physician. 

Allergy Action Plan

Seizure Action Plan

Warmly,

Carlye Homan, BSN RN 

carlye.homan@gorhamschools.org 

 207.222.1105 Office

 207.839.7742 Fax

Parking

We have made some changes with regards to parking this year. Parking has been an issue at GHS for decades, and it is going to get worse due to potential expansion as a result of increasing enrollments over the next two to four years. There are only 240 numbered spots at GHS, and 117 of them need to go to staff. If voters pass a referendum this fall, then we will be expanding the cafeteria and adding six modular classrooms, and this project will make it so that no one will be able to park in the dirt lot off of Morrill Avenue. 

As students who have parked in the dirt lot know, it became untenable where many students got blocked in and other students needed to be called from class (disrupting their education) to move their cars, where accidents were more likely, and where safety became an increasing concern (see the picture to the right). 

Meanwhile, in the so-called “senior lot,” we counted an average of 40-50 open spots each period of the day (see the pictures below where you can count many open spots); this was due to the fact that many seniors had privileges, were taking classes at a local post-secondary school, or had an extended learning opportunity off campus. Many community members inquired, after driving by GHS during the school day, how we could have a parking problem with so many open spots. Cleary, given all the parking issues, continuing our past practice of providing only seniors with a parking spot would be mismanagement of a scarce resource. 

We know that our seniors will be disappointed by this decision as it has been a right-of-passage for many years, but we hope that they will be able to understand the reasons that we need to make this change. 

This year, all parking except those designated for staff (spots numbered 1-117) will be first-come, first-serve. Students may continue to park along the stadium field and in the dirt lot until which time construction begins. Everyone should note that parking along Morrill Avenue is posted as 1-hour parking. 

Students should review the maps below as a reference for where they should park. Any questions about parking can be directed to Ms. Cifelli or Mr. Sawyer. 

School Pictures

Picture day is Friday, September 6th.

Here is what to expect on picture day:

1. When an order is placed online, the parent/guardian will receive a camera pass via email. This can either be printed or texted to the student and brought to picture day. The photographer will photograph the printed camera pass along with the student.

2. If a student is not able to print their camera pass, that is not a problem. We will match up the student to their order manually in the production process.

3. A parent may order from the flyer up until 24 hours after picture day. After 24 hours, the online ordering access may close. This will allow our imaging team to "Pull" all orders submitted and match them with the students photographed.

4. When pictures are returned to school, all students that purchased pictures will receive their prepaid package. Any student that was photographed but did not order a package, will receive a "Proof" (PX) of their picture that was taken on picture day.

All proof packages offer parents a second opportunity to order prints. All orders are subject to shipping and handling costs of up to $8.50 and will be shipped directly to home.

Access School Picture Day Flyer and Web Banner Access the site by clicking here: www.pictureportal.org or copy and paste this into your Chrome browser. Be sure to bookmark this for easy use in the future. Google Chrome is the required browser to run this site, when logging in if you do not have Chrome you can safely download it from the link on the login page.

Then click on Photo Events on the left menu. Find the event for your upcoming picture day (school pictures, class groups, etc.). Click the View (first icon) to download the Flyer or to resend the email for your web banner link.

If you do not have your login information, on the login screen you can click Forgot Password to have your password reset and emailed to you.

Feel free to contact our data department by emailing schoollist@barksdalephoto.com or your Sales Representative with any questions that you may have about picture day.

Spiritwear

Our Back-to-School Sale starts on Tuesday! Everything will be discounted 30% sitewide! Click here or on the image below to get your GHS Spiritwear!

Sale Details

• Sale Dates: 8/20/2024 - 9/24/2024

• 30% off all merchandise

• Free shipping on orders over $75

• $5 shipping on orders under $75

• No code is needed!

Transportation

For detailed information regarding transportation and bus routes, please visit the Transportation Department website by clicking on the image below:

Visitors

Only those adult visitors who have legitimate business at GHS will be permitted in the building during the school day. All visitors must check-in at the main office and receive and wear a visitor’s pass while they are at GHS. Students are not allowed to have friends or younger siblings visit or accompany them during the school day without prior approval from GHS administration. 

Volunteers

To learn more about volunteering at GHS or another school within the Gorham Schools should review the following webpage (click on the image):

Any parent or guardian interested in volunteering should contact Kelly Reed at: kelly.reed@gorhamschools.org.