Gorham High School Prom 2008
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Note from the Principal
Communicating Student Achievement
For a number of years now the Gorham School Department has been moving toward communicating to students and parents how students are progressing on content standards. For some, this has caused concern. What will happen to grades? Will there still be honor rolls and honor scholars at the end of four years? How will this effect college acceptance? These are all very real and legitimate questions. With this "Note from the Principal" I would like to begin a dialogue with the larger GHS community about reporting on standards.
Why is Gorham moving toward a Standards Based Reporting System?
Maine adopted the Maine Learning Results in 1997. These, along with the district curriculum, identify the knowledge and skills that students are to possess. The primary purpose of this reporting is to provide more accurate information to students and parents about achievement in relation to these learning standards. For example, in Social Studies, one of the Maine Learning Results standards is: Economics, including economic knowledge, concepts, themes, and patterns and individual, cultural, international, and global connections in economics. In this increasingly global world, this is a critically important standard.
In the current grading system, and the system we all grew up with, a student takes a social studies course (or any course) and receives a grade. The grade is based on many things including perfonnance on tests and quizzes, papers, projects, many and varied homework assignments, and so forth. And, for each teacher or class, grades are calculated in different ways. At GHS individual teachers try to communicate clearly bow grades are determined so students and parents understand the make-up of the grade.
A single grade, however, of a B+ or C, or a 91 or 81, does not by itself communicate how well students are learning the various standards, such as the economic standard above. It is possible that a student could know very little about economics and still obtain a grade of a B+ or an 81.
So, in short, reporting on Learning Standards is a way of communicating to what degree a student is learning specific material.
Will reporting on standards mean that students will not receive grades?
The short answer is no. A student will still receive a grade for courses they take, each quarter and each year. These will still be reported on a transcript for colleges. In addition, however, we will report how students are progressing on specific standards. We are still working on what this will actually look like. What follows is an approximation for a math class.
The scale of I - 4 shown next to each standard is the scale the state uses and can be read as follows. Based on the student's demonstration of knowledge on this standard so far, they will likely:
4 = Exceed the standard at the end of the year.
3 = Meet the standard at the end of the year.
2 = Partially meet the standard at the end of the
year.
1 = Not meet the standard at the end of the year.
na = Standard not assessed this marking period.
In addition, we will report on students effort and conduct in the course.
This reporting will communicate to students and parents how well they are meeting state learning standards, not just how well they are doing in the class as a whole, a measure that will continue to be reported through the grade. In addition, this will not take the place of other important fonns of communication such as progress reports, student-led conferences, phone calls and emails .
What if you have questions or concerns?
There will be scheduled a number of public forums when we will present a more full picture of reporting on standards and obtain your feedback as well as answer your questions. The first one will take place in January on an evening yet to be detennined. In the meantime, I welcome any questions you may have. We look forward to continuing the dialogue with you.
NEW! Increase your WORD POWER. Click on the "Vocabulary Power" button to view the vocabulary words, their meanings and origins.
Want to help earn money for special projects at GHS? Encourage your family to shop at Hannaford and participate in the Hannaford Helps Schools program this fall. Purchasing certain products will yield a voucher at check-out, which can be brought to school or dropped into the High School tower as you exit the store. Last year we won over $1700 because of vouchers turned in!

End of the Year Calendar

Tuesday, May 13: School Council
Thursday, May 15: School Council
Monday, May 19: Senior Internship Begins
Juniors not in school because of SAT’s
Wednesday, May 21: Class meetings for class elections.
Freshmen: 7:50 – 8:20
Sophomores: 9:35 – 10:00
Juniors: 12:28 – 12:45
Thursday, May 22: Early Release (Faculty Meeting 12:00 – 3:50)
Junior Model UN from 12:00 – 3:30
Tuesday, May 27: Academic Awards @ 6:30 PM
Wednesday, May 28: Chorus Concert @ 7:30 PM
Thursday, May 29: Senior Internship Ends
Friday, May 30: Last day of classes for seniors. Those who “interned” will
be meeting period 1 to debrief. They will not attend their
Period 1 class.
List of senior failures to guidance by 2:30.
List of Senior Homerooms and Community Service to John
Sunday, June 1: Band Concert @ 3:00 PM
Monday – Thursday, June 2 – 5: Marching Practice for seniors
June 2: 8 – 11:00
June 3: 8 – 11:00
June 3: 8 – 11:00
June 4: 8 – 11:00
Wednesday, June 4: Spring Athletic Awards @ 6:00 PM
Thursday, June 5: Team Leader Meeting
Senior Night @ 6:30 PM
Sunday, June 8: Graduation @ 1:00 PM, Merrill Auditorium
June 13: Step Up Day
Finals: June 17 – 20
Tuesday, June 17: Periods 1 and 4
Wednesday, June 18: Periods 2 and 6
Thursday, June 19: Period 3 and 7
Friday, June 20: Period 5
Last day of school

Gorham High School's New Principal

ChrisWe are pleased to announce that Chris Record will be new Principal of Gorham High School. Chris is currently Assistant Principal at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School. Chris Record grew up in Wilton, ME and attended Mt. Blue High School in Farmington. From there he went to Bates College in Lewiston, ME and received a Bachelor of Arts in History in 1995. After Bates, he became an alternative education teacher in Hendersonville, NC and then served as an assistant director of an adolescent group home in Taunton, MA. Record was then drawn back into academia and pursued his post-baccalaureate teaching certificate from Bridgewater State College in Bridgewater, MA. Prior to his appointment in 2004 as assistant principal at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School , he served there as a social studies teacher from 2000-2004. Recently, Record was named the Maine Principals' Association Assistant Principal of the Year for 2008. In May of 2008 he will receive his Master's in Educational Leadership from USM. He currently lives in Turner with his wife and two children.

Attention SENIOR Parents! PHOTOS FOR SENIOR SLIDE SHOW NEEDED!!!!! Please drop off photos of your senior in the High School office to possibly be added to the slide show.  We are looking for individual or group photos.  If you place your name and address on the back of the photos, I will return them to you.  Call with any questions, Deb (Villacci) Scogin 939-5354.
Class of 2008 Internship Information
Information Sheet
Application Form

Goal:  To provide an opportunity for eligible seniors to intern with a business/community partner for 45 hours.  It is expected that seniors will pursue an internship in an area that they are passionate about or very curious about and will seek to use it as a learning experience.
The College Guide This guide was created by the Gorham High School Guidance Department. The guide should be useful to both Juniors and Seniors.

Click here for Project Graduation 2008 Info.