❄️ 🎁 South Portland Holiday Resources 🎁 ❄️
Visit spsdme.org/holidays2026 for more information on holiday support and ways to help. (➡️ Swipe for Español, Français, Lingála, and Português)
If your family is seeking holiday support, the application is available online (due November 1, 2026.) This application is for families who live in South Portland and have children at home from ages 0-18 years old.
If you are in a position to give, please visit our website for ways to support your community this holiday season through volunteering and donating.
South Portland Holiday Toy Drive is a local non-profit organization dedicated to supporting youth in South Portland with holiday gifts.
October 19-23, 2026 is School Bus Safety + Maine School Bus Driver Appreciation Week! 🚌
Thank you to our bus drivers, bus aides, mechanics, dispatchers, crossing guards, and support staff for their dedication to ensuring students travel safely to and from school each day.
Visit spsdme.org/bus-safety for more information on school bus safety and sharing the road.
Thank you to our bus drivers, bus aides, mechanics, dispatchers, crossing guards, and support staff for their dedication to ensuring students travel safely to and from school each day.
Visit spsdme.org/bus-safety for more information on school bus safety and sharing the road.
Every day counts for attendance and learning at South Portland High School! This week, school leaders surprised students who were on time and ready in class with a short game break. A little bit of fun adds to a positive school culture where students are eager to come to school!
There will be a School Board Meeting tomorrow, Wednesday, October 14th at 6 p.m. in the South Portland High School Lecture Hall.
For the School Board meeting agenda, visit spsdme.org/schoolboard.
To stream the meeting live on SPC-TV, visit tinyurl.com/SPSDBoardMeeting.
For the School Board meeting agenda, visit spsdme.org/schoolboard.
To stream the meeting live on SPC-TV, visit tinyurl.com/SPSDBoardMeeting.
SoPo Unite Tip of the Month: Strengthening Parent-Child Connection and Communication Skills
October 2 is National Custodian Appreciation Day! From keeping classrooms and common areas in order to responding to unexpected messes and helping our buildings run smoothly, their hard work makes a meaningful difference in our school communities. Thank you for helping make our schools places where everyone can learn, work, and feel welcome.
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📩 Subscribe to our district newsletter, featuring news and updates from our schools and community! Sign up to receive weekly email updates from the Office of the Superintendent: http://reachmyteach.com/.../South_Portland_School_Department
📩 Subscribe to our district newsletter, featuring news and updates from our schools and community! Sign up to receive weekly email updates from the Office of the Superintendent: http://reachmyteach.com/.../South_Portland_School_Department
Happy National Hispanic Heritage Month!
Each year, National Hispanic Heritage Month is observed from September 15 to October 15 and honors Hispanic and Latino histories and cultures. To celebrate, the South Portland High School Learning Commons has a display with an assortment of books by Hispanic and Latino authors. There are also resources, book recommendations, music playlists, and more available on our district website: www.spsdme.org/page/hispanic-latino-american-heritage
Each year, National Hispanic Heritage Month is observed from September 15 to October 15 and honors Hispanic and Latino histories and cultures. To celebrate, the South Portland High School Learning Commons has a display with an assortment of books by Hispanic and Latino authors. There are also resources, book recommendations, music playlists, and more available on our district website: www.spsdme.org/page/hispanic-latino-american-heritage
South Portland High School students may ride Metro routes 21, 24A, and 24B by showing the bus operator their South Portland High School student ID for free.
For more information, visit Greater Portland Metro's website: www.gpmetro.org/about-us/pass-programs/
For more information, visit Greater Portland Metro's website: www.gpmetro.org/about-us/pass-programs/
Join us next week for a Community Forum on Elementary School Reconfiguration:
🗓️ 5:30-7 PM Monday, September 28
📍 South Portland Middle School Multipurpose Room
We invite you to participate in our upcoming forum to review and discuss the options currently under consideration for elementary school reconfiguration in South Portland. Childcare and interpretation will be proviced.
For more information, visit spsdme.org/reconfiguration.
🗓️ 5:30-7 PM Monday, September 28
📍 South Portland Middle School Multipurpose Room
We invite you to participate in our upcoming forum to review and discuss the options currently under consideration for elementary school reconfiguration in South Portland. Childcare and interpretation will be proviced.
For more information, visit spsdme.org/reconfiguration.
Every day matters. Every student counts.
Regular attendance helps students stay connected to learning and strengthens classroom communities.
🔗 Find resources about building good attendance habits for the rest of the school year and beyond at spsdme.org/attendance.
Regular attendance helps students stay connected to learning and strengthens classroom communities.
🔗 Find resources about building good attendance habits for the rest of the school year and beyond at spsdme.org/attendance.
It's Arts in Education Week! 🎨 🎭
Art education–including both visual and performing arts–supports students’ creativity and imagination. It develops critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and self-expression while deepening students’ understanding and appreciation of diverse cultures and perspectives.
This week and beyond, we recognize and celebrate the power of the arts in education and the lasting impact they have on our students and communities.
Art education–including both visual and performing arts–supports students’ creativity and imagination. It develops critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and self-expression while deepening students’ understanding and appreciation of diverse cultures and perspectives.
This week and beyond, we recognize and celebrate the power of the arts in education and the lasting impact they have on our students and communities.
SoPo Unite Tip of the Month: Get Involved with SoPo Unite
There will be a School Board Meeting today, Monday, September 14th at 6 p.m. in the South Portland High School Lecture Hall.
For the School Board meeting agenda, visit spsdme.org/schoolboard.
To stream the meeting live on SPC-TV, visit tinyurl.com/SPSDBoardMeeting.
For the School Board meeting agenda, visit spsdme.org/schoolboard.
To stream the meeting live on SPC-TV, visit tinyurl.com/SPSDBoardMeeting.
We invite families, staff, and the public to attend community forums, listening sessions, Steering Committee meetings, and School Board events to help guide elementary reconfiguration.
Please visit spsdme.org/reconfiguration for upcoming engagement opportunities.
First week of school: ✅
We have made it through the first week back to school! We hope you enjoy the holiday weekend and we look forward to seeing students back in class on Tuesday, September 8.
We have made it through the first week back to school! We hope you enjoy the holiday weekend and we look forward to seeing students back in class on Tuesday, September 8.
Welcome back! 🚌📚 We hope all our students have a wonderful first week back to school filled with connection, discovery, and learning! Here’s to a fantastic school year ahead!
Yesterday morning, we welcomed all staff from across the district to come together and kick off the start of the school year. We celebrated being together as a district, reflected on the year ahead, and heard heartfelt messages from staff and students, including special guest speakers Mayor Elyse Tipton and School Board Chair Rosemarie DeAngelis. We can’t wait to welcome our students back next week!
Last week, South Portland Schools held an orientation for new teachers and ed techs joining the district. They had the opportunity to meet one another, learn more about the district, and get acquainted with their new roles. We can’t wait to welcome them back alongside all of our staff this week as we prepare for the new school year and the return of students!
Parent Workshop - Breaking the Cycle: Empowering Your Anxious High Schooler
🗓️ Wednesday, August 26 from 5:45-6:45 p.m.
📍 South Portland High School
This 1-hour session provides parents and guardians with evidence-based strategies to shift from managing their child’s anxiety to building their capacity for resilience and:
Identify "Accommodation": Learn to spot the subtle, everyday behaviors that inadvertently maintain your teen's anxiety cycle.
Build Tolerance: Understand why avoiding discomfort prevents growth and learn how to foster "psychological flexibility," allowing your teen to face challenges rather than retreat.
Practice Effective Communication: Gain practical scripts and strategies to express empathy while remaining a steady, non-anxious presence during your teen's moments of high distress.
Implement Actionable Change: Learn how to create a "Graduated Exposure" plan at home, helping your teen navigate feared situations at their own pace without becoming overwhelmed.
Free and open to South Portland School parents and guardians.
🗓️ Wednesday, August 26 from 5:45-6:45 p.m.
📍 South Portland High School
This 1-hour session provides parents and guardians with evidence-based strategies to shift from managing their child’s anxiety to building their capacity for resilience and:
Identify "Accommodation": Learn to spot the subtle, everyday behaviors that inadvertently maintain your teen's anxiety cycle.
Build Tolerance: Understand why avoiding discomfort prevents growth and learn how to foster "psychological flexibility," allowing your teen to face challenges rather than retreat.
Practice Effective Communication: Gain practical scripts and strategies to express empathy while remaining a steady, non-anxious presence during your teen's moments of high distress.
Implement Actionable Change: Learn how to create a "Graduated Exposure" plan at home, helping your teen navigate feared situations at their own pace without becoming overwhelmed.
Free and open to South Portland School parents and guardians.