Dear Parents and Guardians:
I wish to take this opportunity to welcome you to a new school year. The week has been busy with new professional learning, many new student registrations, hiring numerous staff positions, and most importantly, the arrival of 1318 students! The bounce in everyone’s step is a testament that the “first day of school” is still a big deal for both students and staff. Perhaps it’s the new shoes/sneakers, but I like to think that all of us enjoy one another and new learning.
This summer we completed numerous building maintenance projects, including the final phase of the window project at Brownstone, the abatement and removal of tiling on the second floor of Brownstone, and the retiling of the office suite at Gildersleeve School. These are longstanding projects that have been on the “to do” list for a while.
Please note that parent/student handbooks for each school have been updated to reflect the many policy changes approved by the Board of Education last year. An online version is on our district website under the “Schools” link.)
I am also including an attachment that contains brief biographies of our new teachers and staff members who have joined Team Portland this year. Please note that the Board of Education will be meeting on Tuesday evening, September 4, at 7:00 PM in the Portland High School library media center. These meetings are usually sparsely attended. I know the Board would love to have increased attendance from community members. All are welcome!
As we celebrate Labor Day, let us thank all those teachers and staff members who will work so hard on behalf of your children and this community in the coming year. Happy long weekend!
Most sincerely,
Philip B. O’Reilly, Ed.D.