From the Superintendent
What has become one of the most recognized speeches in American history almost didn't happen. On August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had finished addressing a crowd of 250,000 at the Lincoln Memorial and went to sit down. But a fellow pastor called out, "Tell them about your dream, Martin."
Without preparation, the civil rights leader rose and delivered a second speech, and one for the ages, declaring "I have a dream that one day every valley shall be engulfed, every hill shall be exalted and every mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plains and the crooked places will be made straight and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together...with this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood."
At yesterday's presidential inauguration, Rev. Lorenzo Sewell invoked Dr. King's words in the spirit of the slain civil rights activist, rehearsing in dramatic fashion the now-famous finale, “Free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty, we are free at last.” President Donald Trump challenged the nation to "Strive to make his dream a reality, to make his dream come true" in some of his first words upon assuming the presidency for a second time.
Indeed, we all must do our part to carry out Dr. King's dream of a better tomorrow, a dream that goes back to the founding of our nation. Our children will soon inherit the society that we have helped to shape, good and bad alike. Let us remember that they are watching us, for what we leave them will become their reality and-- our legacy.
Regards,
Jeff Porter
GHS students are hoping for snow as we approach the last week of January with no snow days yet.
Notices from the Office of the Superintendent
Bond Rating
On January 22nd, MSAD#51 will go to market for a bond anticipation note of $16 million to provide the initial funding for the new school project. Rather than through the Maine Bond Bank we issue our bonds directly to the market. This is due to the district's high bond ratings, to save on interest as our bonds are typically priced at lower rates than the Bond Bank, and the ability to add a ten-year call provision that would allow us to refund the bonds should interest rates decline. On January 13th we received the highest Standard and Poor’s Global Short Term Rating of SP- 1+ and affirmed the district’s Long Term Rating of AA+. The S&P long term rating of AA+ is the highest level of “High Grade” ratings and just one notch from the highest S&P rating of AAA. The stable outlook is due to the district's strong economic fundamentals, stable operating performance, limited capital needs over the medium term, and a strong local economy.
Many thanks to our Director of Finance, Scott Poulin and our finance office staff for their hard work.
Superintendent's Report
Click here to view the latest Superintendent's Report.
Website Updates
If you haven't been to our website lately there have been some minor changes. Including an addition of a History of MSAD #51 page that can be found under About Us and a Board Committee page that can be found under Board.
Applications Close on Friday!
MSAD #51 (Cumberland-North Yarmouth) will continue its small public Pre-K Program for 32 students (16 each session).
The program will run half days (morning and afternoon session) four days per week (M, T, Th, F) for approximately 145 days during the school year. The program is located at Mabel I. Wilson school and is in partnership with Child Development Services.
In order to be considered, your child must be 4, but not 5, years old before October 15, 2025 and you must be a resident of Cumberland or North Yarmouth.
If you are interested in your child being included in the Pre-K lottery, please fill out the interest application linked here no later than Friday, January 24, 2025.
Screenings will take place in person at Mabel I. Wilson School for eligible children during the second week of February. You will receive an email from MIW with your screening date and time.
Stay Connected
Click on the icon above to connect with MSAD #51.
Find all the ways MSAD #51 shares information here.
MSAD #51 Board of Directors Information
All meetings will take place at 6:00 pm in the Gyger Room at Greely High School. For those of you unfamiliar with that room, the Gyger Room can be accessed from the GHS parking lot (the side without the electronic sign).
February 6 - Regular Meeting
Remember you can watch our meetings on YouTube LIVE (http://bit.ly/msad51livevideo
Links
Meeting Dates, Agendas & Minutes
Board of Directors Meeting Videos
Community Partners
Our Community Partners are strong supporters of various areas of the school. Without them, our students would not have many of the wonderful opportunities and experiences that they receive.
Parent University
Join us on Wednesday, January 22 for an evening of high energy juggling and comedy! Jason and Steve will dazzle us with their dynamic performance while showing us the importance of setting goals and making positive choices. This event is FREE and for Greely families of all ages. Space is limited, so please register prior to the event. Register Here
PTO Takeover Night with the Maine Celtics
Join us on Thursday, February 13th at the Maine Celtics game and help support your PTO!
Get your tickets here!
Community Notices
Community Notices are not affiliated with MSAD #51. Please contact the organization directly with any questions. For a full listing of Community Notices, please click HERE.
Become a High School Official
Greely Girls Basketball Community Night
Greely's Got Talent 2025
Useful Links
Greely Center for the Arts Events
If you would like something included in our weekly newsletter, please send a brief write up with title along with a JPEG or PNG image of your flyer (if applicable) to Melissa Porter for approval. The deadline each week is Wednesday. Any requests received after Wednesday will be reviewed for possible submission in the following week's newsletter. All approved submissions will be posted on the district's website.
Not all items in this email are MSAD #51 sponsored programs. If you need more information, please contact the group or organization that is sponsoring the event.
357 Tuttle Road, PO Box 6A, Cumberland, ME 04021
Contact Us | 207.829.4800