Massabesic Middle School

September 26, 2025

Greetings MMS Families,

We are off to a great start this school year! Students have settled into the rhythm of our daily routines, and it’s been wonderful to see so much hard work, curiosity, and excitement in classrooms across the building. Our first day of MEA testing went smoothly—students were focused and gave their best effort. As a school, we look forward to reviewing the data together and using it to guide our next steps for continued growth.

Beyond the academics, it’s been exciting to see our students engaged and having fun in all corners of the school. Fall sports are already underway, and this week we also opened registration for our after-school clubs and activities. We are fortunate to offer such a wide range of opportunities for students to explore their interests and connect with peers outside of the classroom. Be sure to check out the list and descriptions by clicking on the button below to see what’s available!

Thank you for your continued support in helping us create a positive and enriching school experience for all students.

Sincerely,

Kelly Grantham, Principal

Amy Troiano, Assistant Principal

September 29 - October 3 - Kindness Week (see flyer and announcement below)

October 2 - Maine Through Year Math Assessment

October 8 - Early Release Day (12:00 dismissal)

October 9 - NWEA Science Assessment

October 10 - No School for Students (Staff In Service Day)

October 13 - No School (Indigenous Peoples' Day)

October 22 - Early Release Day

Dear Parents/Guardians,

October is National Bullying Prevention Month, a month-long event to prevent childhood bullying and promote kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. For the next few weeks in advisory, all middle school students are participating in lessons focused on anti-bullying. These lessons are designed to help students recognize what bullying looks like, understand its impact, and learn strategies for standing up for themselves and supporting their peers. Our goal at MMS is to create a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment where every student feels a sense of belonging.

Next week, we will be celebrating Kindness Week starting Monday, 9/29! Each day during Kindness Week will have a theme for students to participate in to show their kindness and earn team points. The days can be found in the attached spirit week flyer. Additionally, we will be running our Small Acts of Kindness Challenge. Every teacher will have kindness cards available, and when teachers notice an act of kindness, it will be written on a card and placed in their team's collection box. The team with the most acts of kindness and the highest participation in Spirit Week will have the MMS Spirit Week chain displayed proudly in their hallway.

We are looking forward to seeing students put what they’re learning into action. Choosing kindness, looking out for one another, and helping us make our school and community the best it can be.

Thank you for your continued support,

School Counseling Team

Do you want to make a difference at our school? Do you have creative ideas for fun events, school spirit days, and ways to help our community? The Student Council is the perfect place to share your voice and become a leader!

Who Can Join:
All students who are ready to work as a team, plan activities, and represent their classmates.

Why Join:
✔️ Plan school events and spirit days
✔️ Build leadership and teamwork skills
✔️ Make our school an even better place for everyone

Meeting Time: First and Third Tuesdays, beginning October 7

Location: MMS Library

Come share your ideas, meet new friends, and help create positive change.

Your voice matters—let it be heard!

Questions: Mrs. Ruth Miller, ruthmiller@rsu57.org

From Mr. Milazzo: In guitar class this year we have been diving into plenty of different skills in guitar. We have focused on building up the strength in their fingers to press reliably on the frets. The first song we learned to play on the guitar was the melody line to the song "Smoke on the Water". The students' skills are developing nicely and our next challenge we are facing is the playing of some simple chords. The students have been such enthusiastic learners and I can't wait to teach them more.

The BusRight app will allow you to, in real-time, follow your child’s bus route to and from school, receive notifications when the bus begins and ends its route, view the expected arrival time at your child’s designated bus stop, and receive ad-hoc communications from the Transportation Department, including bus cancellations.

Parent invitations were sent in early August. The message came from support@busright.com with the subject “You’re Invited to BusRight”. Your invite contains a link to create an account with BusRight and instantly link you to your student(s).

Start by downloading the BusRight app from the App Store (iPhone) or Google Play (Android) ahead of the official launch in August.

We strongly recommend that you watch the short BusRight app walkthrough video to better understand the app's functionality and navigation. The video can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CN7tVb7_YWY

Have Questions?

Questions or issues regarding the use of the BusRight app should be directed to support@busright.com.

Questions about your child's bus stop or route and how it is appearing or not appearing in the BusRight app should be directed to the Transportation Department at busright@rsu57.org.

Students participating in after school clubs or athletics may access the MMS/MHS Activity Bus.

Please review the attached schedule, located on the RSU 57 Transportation website and linked below, for bus and stop locations. Help your student identify which late bus and stop will work best for your family on days that they will be staying after school.

Do you have the ParentVUE app? Please be sure to download the Parent VUE app or access the site online to view your student's gradebook, assignments, schedule and more. Student gradebooks are updated frequently and we ask that you regularly check your student's account. Please contact our main office for assistance if you have trouble activating or accessing your account.

Be sure to read the MMS Family Handbook

Website: https://middleschool.rsu57.org/
Location: Massabesic Middle School, Old Alfred Road, East Waterboro, ME, USA
Phone: (207) 247-6121