The Navigator - September 2025
We are back! The beginning of a new school year brings about the usual feelings of excitement and nerves, but once it is underway, the routines and rhythm of the year make summer vacation seem like a distant memory. That sentiment is certainly true this year. With only three weeks behind us, we have already accomplished so much!
Morse welcomed just two new faculty and staff members to start this school year, the smallest turnover that I can recall for Morse:
We are welcoming Kelsey Ortiz back to the math department after one year away from Morse. It is great to have Ms. Ortiz back at Morse.
Sue Sullivan has joined us as a special education Ed. Tech in the SSP Program. Ms. Sullivan comes to us from South Portland High School with many years of experience.
In addition to welcoming the Class of 2029 to Morse, we have also welcomed several new upperclassmen to 826 Shipbuilder Drive, including five exchange students from Germany, Italy, Czech Republic, and Spain. These exchange programs are certainly mutually beneficial; often I feel that what they bring to Morse is even more impactful than what we provide them for an experience. In any event, we are happy to have these students as part of our classes, teams, and clubs this year.
Morse and Bath Tech hosted an open house on 9/17 from 5:00 to 6:00 PM. The Morse Student Services Team also hosted a post-secondary planning session for senior students and families in the Montgomery Theater from 6:00 to 7:00 PM. We usually have this event a little later in the month; it was nice to meet some of our families so early in the school year.
I am sure you have heard that one of our very own teachers is a finalist in the selection of the next Maine Teacher of the Year. Dawn Lee, our Library Media Specialist and Unified Literacy Teacher, is a natural choice for this accolade. I have relayed many times how culture-shifting unified academics and athletics have been for the Morse community, and Dawn can be credited with much of this academic programming. Dawn has also led efforts to address food insecurity at Morse with the food pantry, while also running successful library and research programs. Morse hosted the ME Teacher of the Year selection committee for a site visit this week, and wrote this summary of the visit. No matter what happens with the final selection of the Maine Teacher of the Year, Dawn’s candidacy has showcased some of the great work that occurs daily with our students and staff at Morse.
Another event that occurred quite early this school year was Spirit Week! Spirit Week fell early due to our fall athletic schedules and it was one to remember. Most of our teams found success in home games, races, and competitions this past week. This included a stunning win from senior cross-country runner Levi Riggs as he got dangerously close to breaking the 16-minute threshold. Boys and Girls soccer had huge wins this past week and the football team topped it off with a nail-biting victory over Brunswick in the final 20 seconds of the game. Our stands have been full of students, and the positive energy is high. In the end, the class of 2026 pulled out a come-from-behind win over the other three classes (and faculty) to put their class on the board in the gym as the 2025 spirit week champions!
Speaking of high energy, the Homecoming Dance was this past Saturday, and 391 students attended the dance! We usually have between 200 to 250 students attend a dance; this is more students than I can recall in my time at Morse. Again, the positive energy was high, and students seemed to have a great time; it was fun to be a part of the big event.
There is nothing more important than having clear and sensible plans for the case of a school emergency. We have already had two evacuation drills this school year; with over 600 students and 100 staff members, we are able to evacuate the building and account for everyone in approximately 5 minutes. We partner with the Bath Fire & Rescue, who attends most of our drills. We also partner with the Bath Police Department for our response to school safety concerns. As I am sure you are aware, Morse uses the ALICE protocols in the event of a threat to school safety. We have held one training session with the staff and full student body already and have reviewed the plans with the Bath Police Department. We hold four ALICE drills and several evacuation drills each school year.
Have you downloaded the Infinite Campus App? I highly recommend having this app in order to monitor your student’s grades, attendance, etc. The Infinite Campus link is below and you can download the app to your phone or tablet wherever you get your apps.
A reminder that there will be no school on October 10th due to a professional development day for RSU1 faculty and staff. There will also be no school on October 13th in observance of Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
Looking farther ahead to the end of next month, the first quarter grades close on Halloween; hopefully your students will deliver all treats for grades and no tricks. Speaking of Halloween, we will not be permitting any costumes at Morse for Halloween this year.
Thank you for your continued involvement in your students’ education and Morse High School!
Eric Varney
Class of 2029 Parents/Guardians,
On Wednesday, October 8, all freshmen will be participating in our annual Community Service Day event. The purpose of this day is to promote civic engagement and instill a sense of community pride amongst our students, while also fostering a willingness to better both themselves and society by giving back. Consisting of guest speakers and performing acts of service at one of several sites of their choosing, students will depart Morse High School on buses or vans at 9:30 and will then return to school by 1:50. All students will be dismissed from school at the regular time of 2:05. Some sites will provide students with lunches, while bag lunches will be provided by the Morse cafeteria staff to students at sites that do not. All dietary restrictions/medical needs will be appropriately accounted for. Any student wishing to bring their own lunch is more than welcome to do so.
Please find below the list of sites that students will be working at:
Bath Fire & Rescue
Bath Community Forestry Committee
Bath Housing
Bath Area Senior Center
Chocolate Church
Fisher-Mitchell School
Georgetown Community Center
Growing to Give
Maine’s First Ship
Morse HS Raised Garden Beds
Midcoast Youth Center
Patten Free Library
Phippsburg Elementary School
Phippsburg Land Trust
Plant Home
Reid State Park
Sagadahoc Preservation
West Bath School
Woolwich Central School
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the high school.
Thank you for your support,
Cam Bishop
All Students
Considering college after Morse or just looking for a way to stay active in high school? RaiseMe offers you an incentivized way to explore colleges and track your activities. You’ll receive a micro scholarship offer which may later equal scholarship at participating colleges for each activity you add. https://www.raise.me/join/1016673764
Interested in Driver’s Ed: Merrymeeting Adult Ed offers the course at Morse. The next session starts on Oct 28th.
*NEW FOR 2025/2026!*
We will allow all families and students to download directly to Josten's for allll the memories they want to capture.
ALL GRADES, ALL EVENTS: Submit to "School Life"
ALL SENIOR DEADLINES: Submit to "Portraits"
Here is the link for the new way to submit photos: LINK
Summer was a busy time for Morse High School music students! Whether it was summer festivals, camps, or local music groups, several of Morse students chose to spend their summers getting out into their communities and spreading their love of music.
♪ Cass Amaral (Class of 2026) worked as a camp counselor and performing musician in the Encore Coda music camp in Sweden, ME.
♪ Lillian Curtis (Class of 2027) was accepted to the University of Maine Summer Youth Band Camp in Orono.
♪ Gracious Emery (Class of 2027) performed with the Harpswell Community Band this summer, under the direction of past Morse music interim teacher John Morneau and Nina Andersson.
♪ Finn Whitlock (Class of 2027) was accepted to the Encore Coda Music Camp in Sweden, ME, and spent four weeks in the camp as a performer.
Additionally, Nathanael Amani (Class of 2029), Anna Booth (Class of 2026), Anderson Brown (Class of 2028), Lillian Curtis, and Finn Whitlock all performed in the Midcoast Wind Ensemble in Topsham, ME, under the direction of local music teachers, including Mr. Gordon from Morse High School.
The 2026 Special Olympics USA Games will unite 3,000 athletes, 1,500 coaches, 10,000 volunteers, and 75,000 fans from all 50 states. Through the power of sports and inclusion, the USA Games will spark a change that transforms lives, communities, and the world.
A HUGE congratulations to our youth leaders Lucas Leathers and Ryan Harrington! Mr. Bingham will also serve as a mentor for Team Maine in Minnesota next year!
Upcoming service projects
Oct 24th: Purple Pinky Event at Morse. For a suggested donation of $1, students can have their pinky finger painted purple and raise money and awareness for Rotary’s polio eradication efforts.
Oct 29th: Blood Drive in partnership with the Totman Family in support of their son, Thomas. Students aged 16 and up are encouraged to register to donate. Not yet 16, you can sign up to volunteer in support of the blood drive.
Welcome back from the Technology Department!
As a reminder, food and drink should not be consumed around your Chromebook. Also, please do not store food or liquid with your Chromebook. A "sealed" water bottle stored in your backpack is still prone to leaking and can quickly ruin anything in your bag. Damage related to liquid or food will likely mean expensive repair or replacement of your Chromebook.
Sophomores, we have seen some damaged Chromebooks from over this summer and saw plenty near the end of last school year. Please be sure to use the clear protective covers issued with your Chromebooks. They help protect against the most common damages like screen breaks, damaged buttons, and chunks broken off the body. We will be doing a Chromebook check-in again, and we will be expecting to see those covers!
Serving students for 18 years, the Morse High School Food Pantry is located in the Morse Library. The food pantry provides services to approximately 94 students per day.
We are in need of canned goods, snack foods (individually packaged), and personal hygiene items. If you would like to donate to the Morse High School Food Pantry, the following is a list of suggested food and personal hygiene items:
Pasta Noodles
Pasta Sauce
Macaroni and Cheese
Peanut Butter
Canned Pasta
Cereal
Shelf-Life Milk
Applesauce
Canned Fruit
Canned Vegetables
Soup
Pretzels
Nutri-Grain® Bars
Granola Bars
Peanut Butter Crackers
Goldfish®
Cheez-Its®
Animal Crackers
Toothpaste
Toothbrushes
Deodorant
Dental floss
Feminine hygiene products (tampons; sanitary pads/napkins)
Questions? Please contact Dawn Lee (dlee@rsu1.org) or Brenda Fagan (bfagan@rsu1.org), Morse High School Library, 443-8250, extension 1080. Thank you!
RSU 1 is now using an electronic Volunteer Registration process. If you are interested in volunteering at one of our schools, please complete the registration form here: RSU 1 Volunteer Registration Form, 2025-2026. Please allow two weeks prior to a field trip or event for application processing.
The next meeting of the BHSAA/MHS Alumni Association will
October 15, 2025 at 6 PM in the Fishbowl. The agenda will include
plans for the 2026 Alumni Weekend June 12th-14th. All class agents and representatives are encouraged to attend.
This 2026 marks the 135th year of the Alumni Association and we are actively seeking new membership on the standing committee. Please consider joining our crew to spread the Shipbuilder Spirit going forward. We meet about 5 times a year and host the Senior Tea in May and the events of Alumni Weekend.
Patten Free Library has a beautiful Teen Space open to everyone in grades 6-12. Play a game on our new Atari, watch DVDs, read or study in our comfy chairs, work on a craft project, and enjoy the view of the Kennebec from the loft. The Teen Space is also home to our Teen Pantry, a free resource of snacks, toiletries and school supplies. The Teen Space is open during all library hours and we can't wait to see you!
