RSU 67

Dear Parents, Students, Staff, and Community Members, As you probably already know, when important issues arise, RSU No. 67 relies on an emergency communication system to efficiently and effectively communicate with all of you. Although staff made sure that all information was uploaded to the communication system, the system did not perform the tasks as expected. This is unacceptable. Although we use multiple platforms to get information to you (e.g., social media, phone calls, etc.) we know that many of you did not receive the important information we tried to share with you. Please know that we are working with our provider to rectify this problem as quickly as possible. When we receive word that the problem has been resolved, we will schedule a test alert for everyone in our system to ensure that it is working correctly. We appreciate your understanding and patience in this matter. . Dr. Paul Austin, Superintendent

RSU 67 Summer Program ended this week. A group of students spent the week learning about rocks and minerals. They broke open some rocks and geodes with families who came to celebrate the last day.

RSU No. 67 last student day is Tuesday, June 11th. Students will be dismissed at 11:30 am.

A reminder that the budget presentation and voting by article is on Thursday, May 23, at 6:00 p.m. in the Mattanawcook Academy cafeteria.

Due to the impending storm, all schools and offices in RSU 67 are closed on Thursday, April 4.

February is the month. for the Read to ME Challenge. See the RSU No. 67 News section for more information.

There is a 2-hour delay this morning, January 25th.

Due to the impending storm, there will be no school in RSU 67 on January 10.

All after school activities are cancelled for today, December 18th.

Due to the storm, all schools in RSU 67 will be closed on December 4, 2023.

Good morning, RSU No. 67 will be doing a scheduled test of the all-call system on Tuesday, November 21, 2023, at 3:30 p.m. We are doing this test to ensure that our all-call system is functioning correctly. Please reach out to your child's school with any questions.

Our phones are working correctly now. Thank you so much for your understanding.

Our phones are currently down due to a power outage last night. We are working on getting them back as soon as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

Dear families and members of the RSU 67 School Community, Many of you are waking up this morning and just hearing about the horrific mass shooting that occurred in Lewiston last night. Although we are a large state geographically, we are small in numbers and this tragedy will likely impact many of us in one way or another. Today, my thoughts are with the innocent victims and all those impacted by this horrific shooting. While we are a long way from Lewiston and there is no suspected risk to our school community, I have requested that the Lincoln Police Department be present at all our schools as staff and students arrive today. I have also engaged the district's crisis team, and counselors will be available for anyone who needs support in processing this terrible event. As Mainers, we are strong, we are resilient, and we will persevere. If you have any questions about supporting your child through this difficult event, please contact your school counselor or school administrator for assistance. Warmly, Dr. Austin Superintendent of Schools ​

Please join us on October 23 at 6:00 p.m. at Mattanawcook Academy for the Safe Schools Forum.

We are currently experiencing difficulties with our phones. MA and MJHS phones are not working at this time. We are working with our provider to fix it as quickly as possible. We are also working on a long-term solution. If you need assistance, please call the RSU 67 District Office at 794-6500 or email the individual directly. We appreciate your understanding in this matter and will update you when we have more information.

IT ALL STARTS WITH VISION Superintendent’s Corner – August 7, 2023 Greeting RSU 67 staff, families, students, and community members: In just over 3 weeks from today, the doors of Ella P. Burr, Mattanawcook Junior High School, and Mattanawcook Academy will again open to students and families, signaling the official start of the 2023-2024 school. I hope that you have all had a fantastic summer. While schools have been closed since the middle of June, it has been a very busy summer. For the new school year, you will find many improvements around the district which include a newly paved parking lot and entrance to Mattanawcook Academy, new heating units in both Ella P. Burr and Mattanawcook Junior High School, updated tile floors at Mattanawcook Academy, expanded playground fencing behind Ella P. Burr, and fully refurbished wood floors on the top floor of Mattanawcook Junior High School. The District Office has officially relocated to 25 Airport Road in Lincoln, and by the end of this week, we hope to have the two large District Office portables that are next to Ella P. Burr removed from the property. This will eventually allow us to expand the playground, entrance, and parking lot near the back side of the school. Finally, as the new year begins, several new staff members have joined the district over the spring and summer and they are excited to begin working with you. With all the improvements to our facilities and the addition of several outstanding new staff members, it is going to be a wonderful school year. As we prepare for the opening of schools, I am especially excited about the implementation of our new strategic plan that was approved and adopted by the School Board last spring. This strategic plan was developed by teachers, administrators, community members, and members of the School Board, utilizing input that we received from RSU No. 67 students, families, parents, staff, and community members. Our strategic plan represents a roadmap to the future, anchored by a new district vision: “RSU No. 67 strives to excite and inspire learning through a rigorous, relevant, and future-focused curriculum that empowers students to be active participants, critical thinkers, and problem solvers who are well prepared to pursue their aspiration.” The 2023-2024 school year will start with vision and we are excited to begin the work with all of you. The first day of school is just around the corner with grades PreK – 9 starting on Wednesday, August 30th, and then all students attending on Thursday, August 31st. We hope that you and your families are able to enjoy these last few weeks of summer to the fullest. We hope to see you all very soon! Until next time… Paul Austin Superintendent of Schools

The phones at the District Office are temporarily disabled due to the move. If you need to contact anyone who works at the office, please email them directly. You may call Mattanawcook Academy or Mattanawcook Junior High, Monday through Thursday 8 am to noon if you are unable to send an email. We will keep you posted when the phones are working again. A reminder the office is closed Monday, July 10- July 12. We anticipate everything being operational by July 13th.

June 12, 2023 Greetings staff, students, families, and RSV No. 67 communities, It has been a great year in RSU No. 67 and much has been accomplished. To name just a few things, we updated our safety and security plans, fully reviewed building safety, established a School Resource Officer program, completed a full revision of the scope and sequence of our curriculum, completed a 5-year strategic plan, and began significant facilities heating and ventilation upgrades. It has been a busy year and I am incredibly proud of how hard our students, staff, faculty, and administration have worked to move the district forward. We have amazing students, an engaged community, and outstanding support staff, faculty, and administrators. I am immensely proud to be part of this district and the work we are doing to provide every student with the very best education possible. Despite all that has been accomplished this year, we know there is still a lot of work ahead of us. To implement our newly developed strategic plan, we have set lofty goals and we have high expectations. As we look to the 2023-2024 school year, we will continue to highlight the importance of safe and secure schools, and we are committed to improving student academic outcomes through a rigorous and relevant curriculum. We have expanded our full-day/full-year Pre-K program to ensure that all 4-year-olds who reside in Chester, Lincoln, or Mattawamkeag have access to high-quality Pre-K programming, and we will offer "Jobs for Maine's Graduates (JMG)" program to students at Mattanawcook Academy. Through the use of federal funds, the district hopes to complete a new multi-purpose court at Mattanawcook Academy, and we will continue substantial upgrades of the heating and ventilation systems at all three schools in the district. We are excited about the year ahead, but we recognize that none of this is possible without your support. Tomorrow, Tuesday, June 13th, is the scheduled District Budget Validation Vote. Polls are open at Mattanawcook Academy from 8 am to 8 pm and at the Chester and Mattawamkeag town offices from 8 am to 6 pm. If you reside in one of these three towns and are able, I ask that you please vote tomorrow. In order to meet our contractual obligations and to provide services to our students, the 2023-2024 RSU No. 67 budget will increase by 3.7% this year. However, with increased state support and by using a portion of our undesignated fund balance, the district is requesting less funding from each of the towns of Chester, Lincoln, and Mattawamkeag. This means that we are asking for fewer local tax dollars from taxpayers. In addition to voting on the proposed 2023-2024 budget tomorrow, voters will also be asked if they wish to continue the budget validation referendum for the next three years. A yes vote means that the current process of having a budget meeting in May to approve the budget, followed by a validation referendum vote in June will continue. A no vote will mean that the budget will be approved and set at the annual budget meeting in May each year, with no budget validation referendum needed in June. I know people are busy, but voting takes just a few minutes and I ask that you please come out to vote tomorrow. Your voice matters and everyone here at RSU No. 67 sincerely appreciates your support! Respectfully, Paul Austin, Superintendent of Schools

On May 9, RSU 67 choral students in grades 6-12 participated in an afterschool vocal workshop with the Maine Steiners acapella group. Students got to learn about vocal arrangements and practiced with the group.