DISTRICT UPDATE

December 5th and 6th at 7:00PM

December 7th at 2:00PM

Biddeford Middle School Performing Arts Center

Twin City Theater Academy proudly presents Disney’s Dare to Dream JR. a 60-minute musical revue that follows an eager group of trainees on their first day at a fictional Walt Disney Imagineering Studio. As the group sets out to help each other discover their dreams, they work together to explore the power of dreams to unite, inspire, and make anything possible.

Dare to Dream JR. turns a century of Disney magic into a theatrical celebration of music, creativity, and the dreams that live inside us all. Tickets are $5 and are available at the door.

Our Biddeford Regional Center of Technology Culinary Arts students launched their first-ever holiday pie fundraiser this season—and it was a tremendous success. To ensure the highest quality, the class limited the number of orders, then spent the week skillfully preparing every crust, filling, and topping with care. The students also assembled 81 pie boxes in advance, creating an impressive (and photo-worthy!) display of teamwork and pride. As families picked up their pies ahead of the Thanksgiving break, the project not only supported the Culinary program but also showcased the talent, dedication, and real-world learning happening in our kitchens every day.

Biddeford Adult Education’s First Teachers Family Literacy Program has been nationally recognized as one of only three programs in the country to receive a $10,000 grant from the newly launched Barbara Bush Fund for Family Literacy. This prestigious award follows the Foundation’s in-depth review of the program’s family learning events and parent–child literacy activities, highlighting the meaningful ways Biddeford families engage in learning together. The funding will allow the program to expand early literacy activities, parent workshops, and family events, strengthening the support available to our community’s youngest learners. Click here to read the full article.

Eagle Bank recently visited the Alternative Pathways Center (APC) to present a generous $500 donation, selected by their members during a recent open house. The gift followed ongoing conversations between the bank and APC teacher Andrew Burnell about ways they can support students—beginning with an invitation for students in the Adulting 101 class to visit the bank for real-world learning experiences. Adulting 101 helps students explore post–high school pathways such as college, careers, trades, travel, or military service, while building essential financial-literacy skills like budgeting and understanding the true costs of each option. This donation will directly support materials and opportunities that strengthen students’ readiness for life after graduation, and we are deeply grateful for Eagle Bank’s partnership.

Pictured left to right below: Eagle Bank Vice President Chris DiBenedetto, Alternative Pathways Center Director Danielle Mooers, Eagle Bank Retail Banking Team Leader Jessica Owens, and Alternative Pathways Center Teacher Andrew Burnell.

Congratulations to Grace Murphy, who has been newly named Battery Caption Head for a world-class Spartans Drum and Bugle Corps! The Spartans Drum and Bugle Corps is an independent, non-profit organization that is highly respected in the drum corps activity and competes in the Open Class division of Drum Corps International (DCI). The corps is known for its educational and developmental mission, fostering values of respect, responsibility, and integrity through its summer tour and competitions.

Congratulations to Tamarah Whitehurst of Dayton Consolidated School who was nominated for the 2026 RISE (Recognizing Inspiring School Employees) Award by the Maine Department of Education—a tremendous and well-deserved honor. This statewide recognition celebrates school employees who go above and beyond to keep students healthy, safe, supported, and ready to learn. Tamarah’s nomination praised her warm personality, exceptional communication skills, and the way she makes every student and family feel respected and included. We are grateful for her unwavering dedication to the Dayton school community and proud to see her impact recognized at the state level.

The Welcome Center is now fully staffed! The Biddeford, Saco and Dayton School Departments are thrilled to welcome Tara Rivera as the Director of Family Engagement. She joins Renata O'Donnell at the Biddeford Middle School after working for the Opportunity Alliance and working several years in the South Portland schools. Tara and Renata will assist families needing extra time and support in registering students to schools, screening ML eligibility, and making best interest determinations for McKinney-Vento (homeless) students. Welcome, Tara!

Check out all the upcoming events in Biddeford! The Yodel community calendar compiles activities from across the City of Biddeford to help you find family fun, live music, art events, outdoor adventures, and more! Anyone can download the Yodel app, and any organization can set up a Yodel login to add their event.

Yodel is brought to you by your friends at the City of Biddeford, Biddeford & Saco Chamber of Commerce, Biddeford Schools, and Heart of Biddeford.

Throughout the school year, we will strive to maintain clear and open lines of communication. Our school websites, newsletters, mobile app, and social media will keep you informed about important dates, achievements, menus, and exciting happenings within our school community.

• Newsletters: Superintendent Newsletters will be sent the first Wednesday of each month and Principal Newsletters will be sent the third Wednesday of each month via email. They will also be posted on the website, social media, and mobile app.

• ReachMyTeach: This two-way communication platform makes it easy to connect families through the languages they speak and the devices they use every day. This platform allows families to communicate directly with classroom teachers effortlessly through text, email, or WhatsApp, on-demand video interpreters, and scheduled conferences. There is no need to download an app and families can learn more by clicking here.

• Website & Mobile App: Our website platform syncs directly to a mobile app! The mobile app will feature important news, a live feed for updates, daily menu, and more. Parents also have the option to choose the district and specific schools to stay updated and receive notifications directly to their phone: Biddeford (website | iPhone Download | Android Download) and Dayton (website | iPhone Download | Android Download).

• Social Media: We encourage parents and guardians to follow the District's social media page, as well as their child's school Facebook page: Biddeford & Dayton.

• Emergency Text Alerts: 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.