Central Community Elementary School

Hello CCES Families! Please find below two videos from Mr. Glynn. Here is your 1st Weekly Family Message video: https://youtu.be/gj5t14q_92k (watch 1st) Breathing with Mr. Glynn: https://youtu.be/pxn4EPFY8vw Thank you! #BaxtersDen

“This summer, Miss Lavoie got a new kitten named Yoshi and spent a lot of time fishing with her friends and family!” #CCESSTAFFSUMMERVACA

Mrs. Lee relived her childhood by riding the carousel and the swan boats in Boston Garden. She also visited the mansions in Newport Rhode Island. There was also a cool art display of elephants. #CCESSTAFFSUMMERVACA

Please see an important email that went out today: Dear Families and Caregivers, As we make some of the final preparations for the opening of the 2024-2025 school year, I want to let you know about the recent work the District has done with regard to learning about the impact extended cell phone use is having on our students and their mental health. Back in March, administrators and Board Members began to study the topic of extended cell phone use and its impact on the developing brain. Several teachers joined us in this effort. As we learned about the four foundational harms extended cell phone use is having on our students' mental health, we became very concerned because what we were learning resonated with us. The four foundational harms that have been identified in extended smartphone use among adolescents include social deprivation, sleep deprivation, attention fragmentation, and addiction. What we have been seeing in our students aligns with the research we have studied. The District cell phone use policy is not changing. Since its inception, it has restricted cell phone access during the school day unless an adult authorized it. In recent years we have become very relaxed in allowing students to access their phones during the school day. We did not know the harm this was causing to our students' mental health or the real time social engagement cell phone use was blocking. It is our goal to provide students a cell phone free school day so they are better connected to their learning, and their peers, in real time. As staff return next week, we will be working on how we will be talking to our students about why we are moving to a cell phone free school day. Students will be expected to turn off their phones and put them away upon entry into the school buildings. If you need to reach your student, please call the school office. In addition, we have partnered with Brooke Shannon, the founder of the nation-wide Wait Until 8th campaign. She will be with us on Wednesday, August 28th from 6-7pm at CCES to talk about how parents of elementary and middle school aged students may make decisions about the purchase of a phone for their child. Our goal is to support parents in how they navigate this very important topic. There will be several door prizes drawn that have been generously donated by our community based businesses. I hope to see you there. If you have any questions, or wish to talk to me further about this work, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. Mental health matters. Sincerely, Mrs. Sperrey Superintendent

Mrs. Marsh has been all over New England with her family this summer. They went to New York, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Maine! Here are a few pictures she wanted to share!

Mrs. Coffin has been busy this summer! She shares : We rented a beach house on Amelia Island in Florida. We relaxed and spent all day at the beach having fun as a family. #CCESSTAFFSUMMERVACA

We can't believe it is almost time to welcome our bear cubs back to school! Before we do, we have lots of information to share with you! Here is our August/September newsletter! https://secure.smore.com/n/0knbs

Mrs. Graham spent a week relaxing on Virginia Beach and exploring the area with her husband and two of her daughters.. #CCESSTAFFSUMMERVACA

Mrs. Donaldson spent some time camping in Camden with her son this summer! #CCESSTAFFSUMMERVACA

A completed (signed by physician and parent) medication permission form is required for all students needing medication at school, including inhalers and EpiPen's. Attached is a form you can print at home, fill out, and send back in. Or you can get a form from our office!

Mrs. Bryer has had an adventurous summer. Check out what she has been up to! I took a 10 day trip to Alaska in July. We fished in the Kenai River, took a Glacier cruise in Seward and got to hold a piece of the Glacier, and visited Homer Spit. I also hiked Tumbledown Mountain where I had to crawl through a cave, pull myself up huge boulders, and got to swim in a pond near the top. #CCESSTAFFSUMMERVACA

Mrs. Hart has had a very busy summer thus far! Let's check out what she has been up to! #CCESSTAFFSUMMERVACA "We spent July Fourth in NYC and was able to climb all the way up the to the crown of the Statue of Liberty and then went on a Cruise to the Bahamas! The cruise ship had zip lining, a carousel and even rock climbing!"

Mrs. Weymouth went on a cruise to ALASKA this summer with her husband! They sailed on the Royal Caribbean. You'll have to ask if she was warm or cold during her vacation! !! #CCESSTAFFSUMMERVACA

Check out what Mrs. Jack has been up to this summer so far! #CCESSTAFFSUMMERVACA When I haven’t been in my pool I have been busy taking a few webinars. I am learning about the Science of Writing. I am also doing the AIMS modules on Literacy. Miss Swett and I attended an amazing conference in Nashville. We danced with KOO KOO and Jack Hartman. We listened to Gerry Brooks. We attended a few sessions with Jake Daggett who is amazing and very energetic

Although our 2023-2024 school year has come to a close, we still have lots of exciting things happening this summer within our building! Please check out our first ever summer newsletter with additional information to help guide you through our summer months before we are back together again! https://secure.smore.com/n/qmcsf

On our last student day, and their last day, please join me in thanking Cormier's Bus Service and Leighton's Bus Service for their many, many years of dedication in the transportation of our students! Your safe transport of thousands of students over the past several years has not gone unnoticed! Thank you for taking such great care of our kids!!!

Check out some of these great summer opportunities from the Bangor YMCA for our students at CCES. If you have additional questions please reach out to the Bangor YMCA for additional support.

Our final CUBS award of the year were handed out on Monday evening! Miss Jackson gave Mr. Clark the CUBS award for all of the effort he's put into building a fun and engaging program for all of our students. No matter what grade level or skill level, Brian is always trying to make connections and to help students to feel confident and proud of themselves. He also always has the best jokes! " Miss Rolfe nominated Mrs. Marsh for " helping me settle into my position in first grade. She has answered the millions of questions I have had and never appears to mind. Each day she checks in and is always giving reminders about upcoming events or deadlines. She not only has supported me in my endeavors but also has created a safe and engaging learning environment in her room that I have gotten to observe on multiple occasions. "

We want to extend our BIGGEST thanks to our volunteers who helped with field day this week! Each day was a huge success and our volunteers made all the difference! Thank you for supporting our students!!!

I can't believe I am sharing the FINAL newsletter of the year! This school year has flown by! It has been a wonderful experience watching students grow and learn this school year! Here is our June Newsletter: https://secure.smore.com/n/w2yvr