Dear Parents, Guardians, and Staff,
As we wrap up another successful school year, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to our students, families, and staff for your continued support and partnership. This year has been full of growth, learning, and meaningful connections, and we are proud of all that our school community has accomplished together.
FREE SUMMER NUTRITION
As we head into summer, I want to highlight an important resource for families: free summer nutrition programs. For many children, school breakfast and lunch are essential meals during the year, and we want to ensure no child goes hungry when school is out. Thanks to the USDA, free meals are available at designated summer sites for all children 18 and under—no registration or ID required. Additionally, Youth Full Maine will continue to support families through free food distributions across the area. We encourage all families to take advantage of these valuable resources (see below for dates/times/locations) to help keep our students nourished and ready for the year ahead.
EMERGENCY TEXT ALERTS
Please note that District-related text alerts are sent from the number 98900, and while families are legally allowed to opt out of receiving these messages, doing so means you will no longer receive emergency updates via text—only by email. If you’ve previously opted out and would like to start receiving text alerts again, simply text START to 98900. Please note that it can take up to 48 business hours for the change to take effect.
FORUM UPDATE
I’d like to take a moment to thank the families who joined us for Beyond the Buzzword: A Forum on Bullying, Behavior & Belonging held at Saco Middle School - your voice is essential in this work. For families who were unable to attend, please review the slideshow from the forum and complete this brief four-question survey to provide your input, including the best timeframe for future forums. We encourage all families to take a moment to share their feedback by June 15th.
Over the summer, school administrators will review all the information gathered—both from the forum and the survey—and begin planning additional forums starting this fall. Our goal is to work collaboratively to create the best possible learning environment for students while building resilience, empathy, and belonging across our school community.
One of the key takeaways from the forum was that families are looking for more resources and education, particularly around issues that impact student behavior and development; therefore, each Superintendent’s newsletter will now include a “Parent Resource” section (see below) As this is our last newsletter for the summer, it seems appropriate to focus on smartphone readiness and healthy tech use—an area parents identify as a current struggle. The below podcast and tip sheets offer practical strategies for navigating digital media, building healthy habits, and supporting child development in an increasingly connected world.
Enjoy Summer,
Jeremy Ray
Superintendent of Schools
Public Vote:
Please mark your calendar to vote for the 2025-2026 School Budget on Tuesday, June 10th from 7am-8pm at Thornton Academy. Although it’s a challenging year, we continue to seek innovative ways to meet budget constraints, and with your support, we can continue making a positive difference for students.The proposed budget is available online (Linked here).
Are you eligible to receive $120 for each of your school-aged child(ren)?
New Students Only
If you have a child turning the age of four (4) for Pre-K or five (5) for Kindergarten before October 15, 2025, please pre-register them as soon as possible via this link to ensure screening is completed prior to Fall. Tours will be made available in the coming months, and additional paperwork may be required. Please note returning student registration for current Pre-K-7th grade students will be open in early August. Parents will receive a SnapCode to the email address on file.
Site Walk: June 9th from 3pm-5pm (off Mill Brook Road)
Planning for the construction of Saco Primary School (Pre-K/K) and Saco Elementary School (grades 1-5) continues to move along. We are looking forward to hosting a site walk of the property on Monday, June 9th, from 3pm-5pm, off Mill Brook Road. The initial tree clearing is completed, and we look forward to sharing renderings with staff and the community during our site walk. Additional landmarks are quickly approaching with State Construction Committee and State School Board meetings in Augusta early this summer. These meetings will finalize the project specifications before going to bid later this summer.
To provide additional feedback related to the building project, please complete this feedback form.
Fifty students from Saco Middle School recently attended the MLTI Student Conference at UMAINE, joining nearly 1,000 students from across the state. Several SMS students led a drone technology session, showcasing the skills they’ve developed through the school’s MLTI grant, which funded the purchase of seven drones. Their presentation highlighted how our students are using technology in creative and practical ways, including the footage for our new schools. The conference focused on topics such as AI, cybersecurity, and digital media, helping students build confidence and connect classroom learning to real-world applications. Click here to read the full story.
Screen Deep Podcast
Parents and caregivers today face what can feel like momentous (and fraught) decisions about how and when to introduce new technology to children. Episode 14 of Screen Deep, Assessing Child Readiness for Tech, is an extended conversation between host Kris Perry and pediatrician Jenny Radesky, MD. Dr. Radesky offers tips for parents navigating these tough choices and advises them on how best to support children’s health and skill-building in the process.
Listen now to this and future episodes of the Screen Deep podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon Music and iHeartRadio.
