RSU 21 Community News 02-06-26

Dear RSU 21 Community,

Back in the fall I came into work and asked my office if they had any plans for the weekend. One of them said that the finale for The Great British Bakeoff was airing and said that this event was their “Super Bowl.” I liked the way he said that because it indicated clearly that it was a big deal to him. It was an annual ritual of high-stakes excitement and engagement that he celebrated with his friends. It got me thinking about how we all have our own Super Bowls, in both our personal and professional lives. Aside from the actual event on Sunday, my Super Bowl is creating a student focused, well-balanced and fiscally responsible budget.

Although the Super Bowl will be underway in two days, our budget drafting is right in the middle of its season. As the Superintendent/Coach of this team, I am happy to report that things are going well: our team is full of all-stars, the departments are collaborating well and we’re feeling confident about what we’ll be able to deliver in the first round of the RSU 21 Budget Playoffs: a world-class education that that puts students first while remaining fiscally responsible to taxpayers.

Unlike football teams, we don’t have the opportunity to practice. When we are here, we are on the clock and every minute counts. Our administrative team has been focusing on teaching and learning, as well as efficiency on both the micro and macro scales of functionality. And our faculty staff has been keeping boots on the ground, ensuring that this well-oiled machine keeps producing top tier talent and prepared students.

The beauty of this process is that no matter how difficult the process can be (anything worth doing is difficult), RSU 21 always wins the Super Bowl. In the end, we will find a path forward and we will provide exceptional services to our community. As they say after hoisting the Super Bowl trophy...We’re going to Disney World!

Best,

Martin Grimm

We all we got, we all we need! Go Pats and go Rams!!

Bus stop safety is a top priority. Every morning and afternoon, the time students spend waiting for, boarding, riding, and exiting the bus requires care and attention. Students receive regular training from transportation safety trainers and bus drivers on safe bus stop behavior and proper road-crossing procedures. Review the procedure here: Bus Stop Road-Crossing Procedure

Morning Expectations:

• Wait at the location listed in the BusRight app, arriving about five minutes early.

• Wear reflective backpacks, hats, or jackets for visibility—especially on dark winter mornings.

• Do not approach the bus until it has fully stopped and the door is open.

• If crossing the street to the bus, wait for the driver’s signal before crossing.

Afternoon Expectations:

• Walk directly away from the bus toward home or drop-off; do not walk along the side or rear of the bus.

• Do not check mailboxes immediately after exiting—this is dangerous.

If a student drops an item near the bus, never try to retrieve it on your own. Alert the bus driver and follow instructions.

Red Light Violations:
We are often asked if we take action when drivers ignore bus red lights and stop signs. All buses are equipped with cameras, and we work closely with local police departments to address motorists who illegally pass stopped buses. As we modernize our fleet, we continue to update our camera systems to capture even clearer, usable evidence for enforcement.

By reviewing these expectations with your students, families help reinforce the training provided by transportation safety trainers and bus drivers. Together, we can keep every bus stop safe and ensure students arrive at school and home safely every day.

In our newest segment, The RSU 21 Community News will be highlighting anyone in our community (employee, student, or volunteer) that YOU think has done or consistently does something spectacular. To make a submission, please fill out this very brief form.

This week's champion comes from Bus 21. Here is what a parent had to say about Margaret:

For the 6 years that my boys have been in RSU 21, Margaret has been there day in and day out with a welcoming smile, impeccable timeliness, and the patience of a saint. I can't imagine a more difficult job than safely getting a bus load of the most precious cargo to and from school each day... Being the first adult that these students see to start their school day, I am grateful for her smile and "hello". I hope all bus drivers realize how impactful they are on a daily basis.

Viva la Margaret!

Kennebunk Elementary School: KES once again participated in Global School Play Day, which took place on Wednesday, February 4th this year. This is an international event which celebrates unstructured play for young children and was a wonderful day for staff and students alike. Play is a crucial part of a child's social, emotional, and academic development. Providing children ample time for free play allows them to explore creatively, solve natural conflicts that arise, and think deeply about their world.

Mildred L. Day: It was wonderful to have a full week of school at MLD! The highlight of the week was our Day of Play on Wednesday morning, followed by an exceptional training led by the Emergency Responders from Kennebunk and Kennebunkport. This important training ensures that all staff are prepared to respond effectively in the event of an emergency. The session emphasized a coordinated team approach, with practical applications ranging from responding to safety incidents to addressing playground injuries. We are grateful to the emergency response team of Drew Bunck, Jason McClure, Jason Champlain, Lawrence Angis, Shane Brooks, and Dean Auriemma for spending the afternoon with us and for their continued partnership in keeping our school community safe.

Kennebunkport Consolidated School: This week, our students participated in the annual Global School Play Day, which is an international event that involves unstructured play for children. Play is a critical component for learning, especially for young students.

Sea Road School: This week in the library, all 4th and 5th graders are learning about media literacy by exploring five common advertising and marketing techniques. With the Super Bowl approaching, students are watching classic Super Bowl commercials and identifying which techniques are being used.

This lesson helps students recognize advertising strategies and understand their purpose so they can become thoughtful, informed consumers. Families can join the fun with an optional at-home challenge sent home with some students to identify advertising techniques while watching commercials this Sunday.

Middle School of the Kennebunks: This week our grade 8 advisors have been holding parent/teacher conferences in order to help finalize high school schedules for the class of 2030. A lot of work has gone into helping students select the appropriate classes and ensuring they are on a path for success. Thank you to parents and guardians for your partnership during this process!

Kennebunk High School: The KHS Ski Team will travel to Pleasant Mountain next week for SMAA Regionals. The KHS Theater is working on a performance of 'Antigone in Munich' with shows coming at the end of the month.

Also from KHS: Hello to the communities of Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Arundel and beyond!

My name is Shannon LeBlanc, and along with my colleague Rebecca Moy, we are reaching out for your help. This year, the 10th grade students at Kennebunk High School are going to create a memorial dedicated to former Kennebunk High School alumni who have served in the military. Our hope is to create a student driven research project where they can connect with former students from the high school and interview them about not only their experience at K.H.S., but also their involvement in the military.

The end product will be a slideshow that will be displayed in one of the hallways of K.H.S. so current students can see alumni who have performed their civic duty by serving in the U.S. military. The goal is to have a brief biography as well as a photograph for each veteran. We would also like to potentially create a link on the RSU 21 website so that others can also see the result of this project.

What we are asking is that if you have any contact information for past K.H.S. alumni or their families that served in any branch of the military (including Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines, Merchant Marines, Navy, Space Force, National Guard or Reserves), to send either Rebecca or I that information. It can be either an email or a mailing address. We are hoping to assign students to various veterans during the third quarter, so that they can connect with them and interview them for the project. Thank you for taking the time to read this and please feel free to reach out to us with any questions.

Gratefully,

Shannon S. LeBlanc: sleblanc@rsu21.net

Rebecca Moy: rmoy@rsu21.net

The Brick Store Museum is proud to host hundreds of creative artworks made by the youngest artists in our communities, featured in back-to-back art exhibitions by Mildred L. Day School (January 8 – 18), Sea Road School (January 23 – February 1) and Kennebunk Elementary School (February 5 – 22). These artworks are on display in the Museum’s ground-floor galleries, and make for a colorful, fun visit to the Museum in the middle of winter.

Admission to the Museum is free during the Elementary Art Show for the entire community to come in and enjoy. The tradition of showcasing local elementary school art began in the 1950s at the Brick Store Museum, and came back to life in the 2010s to celebrate the incredible work of both students and their teachers. To honor each student’s participation in the art shows, the Museum recognizes their artistic spirit with a new pack of crayons for each student. Community members can help support this gift to each student by visiting brickstoremuseum.org/donate.

Learn more about the exhibition and related events on the Museum’s website at www.brickstoremuseum.org; plus explore additional like half-day art classes for young learners, and program opportunities year-round.

Friends of the Kotzschmar Organ’s upcoming performance Recomposed on February 7 at 3:30pm at Merrill Auditorium is an immersive, 75-minute concert that proudly features artwork created by students from our district. Stage-to-ceiling projections will include floral-inspired artwork by KHS AP Art and Unified Art students, collaborative pieces created by Girl Scout Troop 1289 (2nd and 4th graders from RSU 21), and sculptural artwork developed with students, led by KES teachers and artists, Liz Winter and Oksana Thomas. Beyond the artwork itself, the project has created meaningful learning experiences for students, including conversations about creative collaboration, shared responsibility, time management, and the many careers that exist in the arts. Designed to be visually engaging, serene, and accessible to audiences of all ages, Recomposed offers our community an opportunity to celebrate the creativity, care, and talent of its students, teachers, and families while gathering for a bright, reflective moment during the winter season. More information can be found at foko.org and tickets can be reserved using discount code RSU21, which makes all student tickets free and adult tickets BOGO free, at https://porttix.com/whats-on/recomposed/ .

School Board Meeting

Monday, February 9th

5:30 PM Business

6:30 PM Workshop

Location: KES/A102

Communications

Tuesday, February 10th

5:00 PM (KES/A102)

Wellness

Wednesday, February 11th

3:30 PM (KES/A102)

Finance

Thursday, February 12th

8:30 AM (KES/A102

Policy

Thursday, February 12th

12:30 PM (KES/A102)

Full Calendar

GO RAMS!

District Contact Information

2025-2026 School Calendar

2025-2026 Instructional Calendar

Job Postings

24/7 Hotline

Click Here

Call or Text 988 or 1-888-568-1112

Kennebunk

Kris Fogg

207-604-1394

Arundel

Wendy Lank

207-985-4201 ext. 113

Kennebunkport

207-967-4401

Kennebunk Chamber of Commerce

Laura Dolce

207-967-0857