Welcome to our October newsletter! We are pleased to share what is happening at Yarmouth High School and give you a closer look at the learning, experiences, and people that make up our school community. In September, we asked you which values you most want your students to learn and practice at YHS. Perseverance came first, followed by Lifelong Learning, with Integrity and Empathy tied for third.

For this month’s newsletter, we asked staff to share news, stories, and messages connected to Perseverance. You also told us you would like to see more student work, so we have included more examples of what our students are learning and creating.

We hope you enjoy reading this month’s newsletter. Please read to the end and complete our short October survey. Your feedback helps us continue to improve how we share the work of YHS with our community.

All biology students participated in a field trip on September 30th to Old Orchard Beach & Ferry Beach State Park as part of their Ecology Unit. Throughout the unit, students investigated how human disturbances affect ecosystems. While on the trip, students worked in lab groups to sieve designated areas of the beach for microplastics. After data collection, students participated in beach clean up, as well as an afternoon session of their choice. Afternoon sessions included nature journaling, invasive species removal, a native species scavenger hunt, writing postcards to local legislators about plastic pollution, learning about dune ecology from a Ferry Beach State Park ranger, and learning about phytoplankton from UNE graduate students. Students were able to analyze their samples back at school to determine the type and amount of microplastics at different distances from the waterline. Students compared their own data sets to samples from around the globe to understand the scale of plastic pollution in marine environments. Thank you to the families who donated snacks for students on the trip!

Freshmen enjoyed a field trip on October 7th to Fort Williams Park in Cape Elizabeth. It was a beautiful day for students to participate in a variety of team-building activities in their advisor groups, write postcards to residents of local assisted living facilities in Yarmouth, learn some local history, and explore the geology of the rock formations along the Maine coast. Students' observations of rock types, weathering, and erosion will anchor their next Earth & Space Science investigation as they continue to learn about geologic processes. Thank you to all of the families that donated snacks and the parents who volunteered to help prepare and serve lunch to students at the park!

Yarmouth High School will be having our annual influenza vaccination clinic during the school day on Tuesday October 27th.  We will be partnering with Maine Health to provide this clinic to our students and staff.

Attached you will find the insurance verification form, the vaccine administration consent form and vaccine information sheet. Please return completed forms to school by Friday October 23, 2026 if you wish to have your student participate in our flu clinic.

You may print these forms and send them back to school with your student, bring them to our office or scan and email them to your school nurse. If you need printed copies, just reply to this email. We can send a hard copy home with your student. 

Flu & Covid Clinic Consent Form

Insurance Information Form

VIS-Flu Version 1-31-25

This informational evening is for students and parents that are interested in playing a winter sport at YHS.  Room locations will be posted at both school entrances.  Our winter sports include:  boys basketball, girls basketball, girls ice hockey, boys ice hockey, alpine skiing, nordic skiing, and coed swimming  Please be sure to register for winter sports at  https://schools.snap.app/yarmouthclippers  

Senior Ads for the Yearbook are due Monday, November 2. Full description of how to submit materials for the ads is on the YHS Website under the Parent drop down menu

Photo by Tyler Emerson, grade 10

Photo by Jed Tucker, grade 10

Families do a great deal to support their children through the ups and downs of growing up. Research on learning and brain development reminds us that everyday moments can help young people build resilience, manage frustration, and develop confidence in their ability to face challenges.

1. Help Them Work Through Problems

When your student encounters a problem, giving them a little time to work through it can help build independence. Sometimes the most helpful question is, “What do you think your next step could be?”

2. Make Room for Mistakes

When something does not go as planned, talk about what the experience taught them. Recognizing progress, adjustments, and lessons learned helps students see that ability develops through practice and experience.

3. Listen Before Offering Advice

A disappointing grade, a difficult assignment, or a disagreement with a friend can feel significant in the moment. Listening and helping students consider what they can learn or do differently can help them move forward without dismissing how they feel.

Resilience is not about getting everything right or never feeling discouraged. It is about learning to respond to challenges, drawing on support when needed, and finding a way forward. These small moments can make a difference over time.

Photo by Joanna Pires, grade 10

These conferences are intended to give parents/guardians the opportunity to meet individually with their student's teachers for five minutes and get an update.  More information to follow

YHS Playmakers will present Little Shop of Horrors on November 19, 20 and 21 in the Yarmouth Performing Arts Center. Tickets will go on sale October 31 at 10:00am.

Little Shop of Horrors is a horror-comedy rock musical by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman that follows a clumsy florist assistant who nurtures a blood-thirsty alien plant in exchange for fame, fortune, and romance.

Ideas percolate through this school all the time, but one truly stuck: creating a space for students to engage with nature year-round, connecting with the food that sustains us.

Ideas face roadblocks, but they succeed when people start living them. Students advocated for a greenhouse, faculty wrote grants and adapted curricula, and administrators championed the vision. It became a reality when YEF trusted and funded the idea. Then came the hurdles: location, water access, supply chain, permitting, and endless meetings. Yet, the idea persevered.

Today, that green home is taking shape. Volunteers like Chuck Parker, faculty, and students are giving their time—climbing the dome, driving nails, and hoisting beams to build a structure that will stand the test of time.

Rebellions are built on hope. What is more rebellious than looking at global challenges and choosing self-reliance? We’ll grow our own food, harvest electricity and heat from the sun, and share knowledge so others can do the same.

Cheers to the perseverance of our green home.

Photo by Luke Brown, grade 10

Hi YHS families! The Yarmouth High School Student Senate is excited to announce that we will now be including recaps of our activity in the monthly newsletters. For those unfamiliar with the Student Senate, we are one part of the school’s student government (along with Class Councils—more on that later). The Senate is comprised of students from all grades, and we meet weekly to work on initiatives to improve the school community. In the past, we’ve brought therapy dogs to school, discussed new laptop policies with administration, and worked to standardize retake and grading policies across disciplines. Our other primary function is to serve as a go-between for administration and the general student body. Our work is separate from that of Class Councils, which each include only representatives from one grade and focus on fundraising and event planning (prom, homecoming, spirit week, etc). 

The Senate is off to a strong start this year having finalized elections for all grades – big congratulations are in order for the freshman class in particular, from which 16 students stepped up to run for student government! We have also selected two students, Rachel Wick and Sam Bessey, as representatives to the district-wide tech committee, where they will be exploring various technology options in order to inform the School Committee about which to consider purchasing for the 2027/2028 school year.

The Senate looks forward to keeping you all updated on our projects throughout the year!

Elise Garcia, Coltrane Vitalius, Co-Presidents

Shad Schumacher, VP

Henry Shannon, Clerk

The Compass Project invites Yarmouth High School students to explore who they are and how they will contribute to the world. In partnership with families, staff, and local organizations, our goal is to equip students with the skills and perseverance needed to create a fulfilling life in a changing world.

Here is what students can look forward to this year:

9th Grade: Freshmen will focus on community building and self-discovery within advisories, classes, and during field trips to Fort Williams and Boston. 

10th Grade: Sophomores will choose a career exploration trip in the spring. To prepare, they will build starter resumes, complete career assessments, and receive professionalism training.

1th Grade: Juniors will participate in a job shadow of their choice. In preparation, they will receive professionalism training, build resumes and have access to career assessments. For program information, check out our  parent letter  and overview. 

12th Grade: Seniors will wrap up their YHS journey by sharing advice with rising freshmen and participating in practical skills workshops.

Connecting the Dots: Across all grades, students will participate in LifeX activities to see how their classroom learning applies to the outside world. To make meaning of these experiences, students will complete reflections ahead of registration conferences and year-end events. 

Partner With Us! 

We are actively seeking partners for job shadows, career exploration trips, adulting workshops, and our summer opportunity fair. To get involved, please complete this form  or reach Rebecca Spear or Eliza Kenigsberg. Thank you for your support!

Thank you for reading to the end of our October newsletter. As we look ahead to November, our focus will be on Lifelong Learning, and we have included a short questionnaire to hear your thoughts on this important value.

CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE OUR THREE-QUESTION SURVEY

Thanks for being part of our Yarmouth High School community. Have a great weekend!