Deering student update and elementary schools report highlight academics, extracurriculars, ACCESS testing and mobile makerspace

Zachary Lee, student representative from Deering High School, told the Portland Board of Public Education on Feb. 4 that Deering students were beginning a new semester with schedule changes that allow some students to take college classes earlier and focus on fewer classes. Lee reported recent shifts to Deering's grading policy for work completed under special COVID-era circumstances, staffing updates (an interim assistant principal while Miss Schulweiler is on maternity leave), and guidance-counseling work to prepare students across grades for postsecondary options.

Lee also summarized extracurricular and athletic highlights: the Deering Players' winter one-act production (selected by students) with performances planned for March 5 and regional festival dates; success in debate (state champions in public forum and students qualifying for national tournaments); participation in District 2 Chorus; a new ski and snowboard club; a Science Olympiad result that placed the school as the top-performing team from Maine at the MIT invitational; and winter-sports participation at four-year highs. Lee noted a fundraising trivia night for the track team on Feb. 15 and that senior Evan Legasse reached 1,000 career basketball points.

The board then heard an elementary-schools update from Doctor Atkinson (elementary update presenter). Atkinson listed January highlights and "big lifts," including the ACCESS English-language proficiency assessment for multilingual learners, midyear interim assessments, foundational reading checks (Early Bird for K-1 and DIBELS for grades 2-5), and a pre-K lottery. Atkinson said the district runs 18 pre-K classrooms with a total of 264 student seats; applications received after the lottery window are added to the waiting list. Board members asked whether a substantial waiting list exists; Atkinson and other staff said the waiting list is continuously updated and that, when checked last week, one staff member reported roughly 16 people on the waiting list but that available space still existed.

Atkinson described the district's mobile makerspace, which provides hands-on STEAM and computer-science learning across elementary grades and island schools. "The mobile makerspace provides all elementary students with hands on learning in STEAM and computer science," Atkinson said, adding that the district aims to have foundation and grant funding cover consumables and startup costs while the local budget covers personnel. Atkinson said the foundation and community partners have invested about $236,000 in the program since it began. Upcoming events noted included a district professional learning day this Friday focused on culturally responsive teaching and curriculum planning and a Longfellow School community dinner scheduled for the next evening.

Board members asked clarifying questions about the All City concert date and unified basketball schedules; student and staff representatives said they would follow up with exact times and locations. Members and student representatives complimented the student report and thanked Lee for the update.