Frank H. Harrison Middle School named a Spotlight School by the New England League of Middle Schools

In early March, HMS welcomed several visitors from the New England League of Middle Schools (NELMS), who were on-site to complete their evaluation of the school's programming and instruction. After a thorough review process, we received word that HMS has been identified as a NELMS 2024 Spotlight School!

During the visit, the reviewers identified a range and variety of indicators that demonstrate Harrison Middle School's "commitment to effective instructional and assessment practices, collaboration, teaming, and a solid understanding of the young adolescent based on current research and best practice reflecting 21st-century learning expectations."

HMS is one of only two Maine schools, and 30 throughout New England, to earn this distinction.

Congratulations to Principal Mandy Lewis, Assistant Principal Tom McDowell, and all the staff and students at HMS. They impressed the evaluation team on many fronts, specifically the positive, safe, and inclusive culture at the school, the outstanding instruction in each classroom, and the level of student engagement in academic, advisory, and after-school programs.

The school will receive its banner soon, and we will celebrate the school at a School Committee meeting in April!

YHS Science Bowl Team wins State Competition

YHS Science Bowl team members Chris Irankunda, Sebastien Martinez, Annabelle Vinnakota, and Natalie Waloven (pictured below) spent Saturday, March 9 competing in the Maine State Science Bowl Championships.

The team went 5-0-1 in the round-robin portion of the day and was seeded first overall going into elimination round. The Clippers defeated Falmouth in the semi-finals before taking on Cape Elizabeth in the championship round. While the match was tied at the half, the YHS team pulled out a thrilling 4-point victory in the second half!

By virtue of their victory, the team is invited to compete in the National Science Bowl Tournament in Washington, D.C. at the end of April. Way to go, Clippers!

STEAM night at YES engages hundreds

Parents and students working with materials

Over 350 students, along with hundreds of siblings, parents, guardians, grandparents and others arrived at Yarmouth Elementary School on March 6 to engage in dozens of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) programming. The event was organized by YES's amazing STEAM teacher, Nicole Colfer, and sponsored by the Yarmouth Education Foundation. This short video gives you an idea of the different activities in which students (and family members) engaged.

Robotics teams rock the competition, qualify for World Championship.

YHS and HMS Robotics Teams were a force to be reckoned with at the Maine VEX Robotics State Championship held at The Point in South Portland on March 9.

YHS fielded four teams (comprised of 22 students) and 40 HMS students formed seven teams in the competition. Amazingly, three teams qualified for the World Championship being held in Dallas, Texas in April, with the HMS team placing first and bringing home the State Championship for the third year in a row!

You can read more about the competition here.

Will Lachance, Mathieu Charrette, Adam Strobel, Pablo Sonenberg, and Crosby Ney hold the "Build Award."

Noah Heselton, Will Huckle-Bauer, Max Miller, and Adlai Goodwin; Team Phishy - Middle School State Champs!

YHS athletes win individual gold at State Skiing and Track Championships.

Congratulations to Brooke Boone, a senior at YHS who won both the Slalom and the Giant Slalom at the State Skiing Championships, leading the team to a second-place finish. Read more here.

Brooke slicing it up on the slopes

Congratulations to Abby Noble, who captured the State Championship in the 55-meter sprint. YHS had 11 top-ten finishes at the State Meet! Read more here.

Abby sporting her medals

Kindergarten Registration is open

Kindergarten registration is now open! To be eligible, students must be five years old by October 15, 2024.

Please click on the online registration portal to start the registration process. This form will ask for general information about your family and your child to begin the pre-registration process.

You can find answers to Frequently Asked Questions on the Rowe school website.

Rowe School Captain's Crew supports Maine Needs

The Captain's Crew is a rotating group of students developing leadership skills from every first grade classroom at Rowe School. In March, the team learned how the non-profit Maine Needs helps connect people in the community with items they need.

In response, the Crew held a donation drive that brought in more than 2500 items (diapers, wipes, books, gift cards) to support those in need!

Yarmouth Art Students at PATHS earn recognition

Quincy Schnee and Ava Fox, YHS Students who attend the Commercial Arts program at Portland Arts and Technology High School (PATHS), have each been recognized as Scholastic Art Award winners for 2024. More than 1,500 submissions were received from across the state of Maine, and Quincy and Ava are among the few who were honored.

Quincy's diorama

Ava's graphic novel

YHS Boys' Ice Hockey earns its first State Championship

The Yarmouth High School Boys' Ice Hockey team - a cooperative team with students from Cheverus High School - defeated Camden Hills 4-3 on Saturday, March 9 to bring home the Class B State Championship. The team finished the season with a record of 18-2-2 on its way to the first State Championship in program history. Congratulations, Clippers! (Read the full Forecaster article here.) Forecaster photo taken by Ben McCanna.

YHS dominates District II jazz musicians' list

18 students have been named to the District II Honors Jazz Festival, and five of them are from YHS! This is an amazing accomplishment, with the group set to perform in Fryeburg on April 25. YHS participants include Liam Hannah, Piano; David Dealaman, Drums; Milo Sannoklis, Alto Sax; Tristan Hardel, Trumpet; Finn Marianski, Tenor Sax. (This is an updated article, as not all auditions were completed prior to our last edition.)

Swim Teams bring home Sportsmanship Banner

Both the Boys' and Girls' Swim Teams at YHS distinguished themselves as the outstanding sportsmen and sportswomen of the year, being honored with the Maine Principals' Association's Sportsmanship Banners in their respective divisions. We say "Thank You" to these athletes and their coaches for representing themselves, their families, and our community with dignity and class!

School Committee adopts proposed FY25 Budget

On Thursday, March 14, the School Committee adopted a budget proposal to be presented to the Town Council. The explanation of needs, along with the line item proposal, may be found at this link.

The slide deck providing an overview of the proposal is linked here.

The budget will be considered by the Town Council and the voters of Yarmouth according to the following schedule:

Thursday, March 21

Budget Presentation to Town Council - 7:00 p.m. - Log Cabin

Thursday, April 4

Town Council – Public Hearing I and First Reading - 7:00 p.m. - Log Cabin

Thursday, May 2

Town Council – Public Hearing II and Second Reading/Adoption - 7:00 p.m. - Log Cabin

Tuesday, June 4

Town Meeting – 7:00 p.m. at YHS Auditorium

Tuesday, June 11

Budget Referendum – 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at YHS Gym

COMING EVENTS:

Buy your tickets HERE!

Total Eclipse of the Sun - EARLY DISMISSAL - April 8

Please be reminded that to help keep students safe, Yarmouth Schools will be dismissing early on April 8 to allow students to arrive home before the eclipse is in full effect (which will result in 97% coverage of the sun here in Yarmouth at approximately 3:30 p.m.). It is important to remember that it is harmful to look directly at the eclipse without protective eyewear in place.

YHS and HMS will dismiss at 1:00 p.m.

YES and Rowe School will dismiss at 2:00 p.m.

Learn more about the eclipse here!

Spring arrives at 11:06 P.M. Tuesday, March 19!

Read more about the Spring (Vernal) Equinox in the Almanac

Clippers keep Marchin' on!