RSU 57 & Massabesic High School

"Preparing students for success in an ever-changing world."

Hello Mustang Nation,

Thank you for your diligence and patience as we all worked to adjust to the new semester and new slate of classes for many. Adjustments to your schedule should be made as a request through your Mustang Time teacher (they will fill out a Google Form on your behalf) and your School Counselor will schedule a meeting with you. Our Add/Drop timeframe ends on Friday, February 7.

The annual Winter Ball will be held on Saturday, February 8 from 6:00 - 9:00 pm. Tickets will go on a sale this week - please see the flyer below. As a reminder, students must be in good behavioral standing with the school in order to attend this event. If you are planning to bring a guest to this event from another school the Guest Dance Form is linked in this newsletter.

Skills USA Recognition Assembly: Please mark your calendars for Friday, February 7 for a special assembly to recognize students in our SRTC programs. We will dismiss from Block 2 at 10:20 (regular time) to the gymnasium and the assembly will run approximately 25-30 minutes when we will dismiss to Block 3. We will be holding our PM VOC bus until AFTER the assembly to allow all students to participate and be recognized.

On February 12th MHS be administering the Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey. A schedule for this day is linked below in this newsletter. The survey is entirely web-based for students and will most likely take place in Mustang Time groupings. Our entire district is administering this survey in order to appropriately track progress over many years in addition to understanding more about our students in their current environment. An informational letter for parents/guardians and families is linked below.

February 14 ERD Extended Bell Schedule to Accommodate Student Council Pep Rally - linked below in this newsletter.

As a reminder, our upcoming week will follow the Green/White color rotation schedule below:

Monday 02/03 - WHITE

Tuesday 02/04 - GREEN

Wednesday 02/05 - WHITE

Thursday 02/06 - GREEN

Friday 02/07 - WHITE

Take care,

-Mr. Thurlow

Winter illnesses are upon us! As a reminder, your child must be kept home for 24 hours from the last episode of vomiting and/or diarrhea and must be 24 hours fever-free without the use of fever-reducing medication (IE: Tylenol or Ibuprofen). This is VERY important especially this time of year where illnesses are spreading like wildfire and it is RSU 57 district policy. Your child will be sent home if it is reported to the Nurse or found that they are outside of these parameters or are at school ill. If you have any questions regarding whether your child should return to school or stay home, please do not hesitate to reach out to Nurse Kayla!

By Karissa Niehoff, Chief Executive Officer, National Federation of State High School Associations and Michael Burnham, Executive Director, Maine Principals’ Association

If you’re a fan of high school sports, we need to talk. When you’re at the game, do you lose control? If so, everyone sees it—the teachers, the officials, the other fans, the parents, and most importantly, the student-athletes. They see you at your worst. And it leaves and impression—not just of you and the school but all Maine high school athletics.

Research consistently underscores that kids look to adults as inspiration for who they want to be and how they want to live. That’s because adults set the tone. Adults show what behaviors are acceptable and what aren’t. Adults mold perceptions of what it is to be good and bad, and adults pass down the tools to help tell the difference.

So, ask yourself, what difference are you creating? And what molds are you setting?

When you’re around kids, do you act like a role model? Are you on your best behavior, knowing that your actions have an impact? Or do you see watchful eyes fixed on you and think this is my moment? The effect you have on young minds is beyond measure. It’s deep and lasting, and it’s up to you to make it positive. Maine high school athletics are a place for positivity. They’re a place for encouragement and growth where young people should feel safe to find themselves, learn from their mistakes, and excel.

Negativity and bad behavior, on the other hand, stop growth in its tracks. They erode confidence, shrink identity and eat away at esteem until nothing is left. Our student-athletes deserve better. Our student-athletes deserve your support, understanding and a pledge to lead by example.

We must show them what it means to keep your cool, especially when facing adversity. It’s an essential life skill and one that often takes a lifetime to learn. So, let’s start now. At the next game, when the stakes get high and tensions rise, what impression will you leave?

Simmer down or sit down. Let’s show them how its’ done.

Visit BenchBadBehavior.com to join the #BenchBadBehavior movement.

In an effort to reduce hallway disruptions during the Lunch Blocks, we will have classrooms eat lunches by area or corridor. Your classroom will eat the same lunch on both Green and White days. Lunch times are the same as the first semester. Please see your classroom assignment below.

A Lunch (10:45 - 11:05)

Tompkins, Christie, Bridges, Swett, Howell/Lipp, Matthews, Garcia, Farrington, Halpin-Desmarais, Estes, Villmore, Leavitt, Andrews, O’Hara (Library), Vaccarro, Bouzakine, Durham

B Lunch (11:11 - 11:31)

White, Yerxa, Tremblay, Hoar, Todd, Martin-Moore, Whitehouse, Porter, Goulet, Pellegrino, Blair, Brown, Bickmore, Macisso

C Lunch (11:40 - 12:00)

Lambert, Mercier, Paine, Gregory, Gribbin, Henderson, Poulin, Stephenson, Piirainen, Hebert

D Lunch (12:07 - 12:30)

Nduaguibe, Carroll, Keefe, Rosado, Homer, Landry, Mourmouras, Durham, ABELS, Pennell, Prentiss, Doiron, Nadeau

Friday, February 7: Skills USA Recognition Assembly

Saturday, February 8 - Winter Ball

February 10 - February 14: Spirit Week sponsored by Student Council

Friday, February 14: Pep Rally sponsored by Student Council

February 17 - 21: Winter Break (School Closed)

Wednesday, March 19 - Blood Drive sponsored by Student Council

You are always welcome to call our Maine Office at (207) 247-3141, schedule a meeting, or email members of our administrative team members directly (emails listed below):