Whitefield Elementary School

We are accepting applications for Pre-K and Kindergarten registrations. Screenings for both will be held in June. Please contact the school with any questions and to request a registration packet.

The Scholastic Book Fair will continue to run Monday thru Thursday during the school day. Thank you to those that have already purchased items. All proceeds will be used to purchase new books for the Learning Commons.

FYI: Free Drive- Thru Farm Stand Information

A big shout out and thank you to CMP for coming out and re-threading our flagpole. In a wind storm last month the rope broke. We hope to have our flag back up early next week!

FYI: Chelsea School has a 6 hour a day cook position open! Go to svrsu.org to apply!

The votes are in and here are the results! South Portland (Kaler Kooks) and RSU 12 (Whitefield Wildcats) will be advancing to the finals round of the 2021 Maine Farm to School Cook-off! The finals competition will be held on May 5th at the Child Nutrition Culinary Classroom in Augusta.

Whitefield Wildcats move on from Regionals to State Competition! Congrats to Whitefield team! …and Good Luck in the Finals on May 5th! South Portland and RSU 12 will be advancing to the finals round of the Farm to School Cook-off on May 5th! A total of 10,874 votes were casted. Great job by everyone for sharing the voting link and promoting to your family, friends and school community.

RSU 12 Nutrition Department is entered in the State of Maine Virtual Farm to School COOK OFF. Deadline to vote is right NOW! April 2nd. Everyone PLEASE VOTE for RSU 12 at this link, https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=q6g_QX0gYkubzeoajy-GTm3ajDsVwW9HtXW_ixaL5hdUN0E2NzRYRlZEVDlOSkhVNVMzMkhaRU1LNS4u

Whitefield School is now accepting Pre-K applications and Kindergarten registrations for next year. If you or anyone you know has a child they would like to enroll in one of these classes for the 2021/2022 school year, please call the school at 207-549-7691 or email aperkins@svrsu.org. Children must be 4 yrs old by October 15, 2021 to be eligible for Pre-K and 5 yrs old by October 15, 2021 to be eligible for kindergarten.

RSU 12 Budget Presentation to the Whitefield Selectboard is today, March 30, 2021 from 5:35 pm until 6:00 pm. You can view and listen to the presentation at the following link, https://networkmaine.zoom.us/j/83056700931

RSU 12, RSU 14, RSU 54 and South Portland! Each team was tasked to create a breakfast and lunch video, while following recipe guidelines of the competition. This criteria includes producing meals that meet the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) meal pattern, and include at least three local ingredients and one USDA food. Within the videos, teams were asked to provide details on local ingredients, USDA foods that were used, techniques used, feasibility, and anything else the team would like to share. This virtual cook-off is the first step on each teams journey to becoming the “2021 Farm to School Cook-off Champion”. Please review and vote for your favorite team, using the link below. The link will be available from March 22, 2021 through April 2, 2021. The top two finalists will be announced on April 5, 2021. These two teams will advance to the Farm to School Cook-off Finals Competition on May 5, 2021 in the Child Nutrition Culinary Classroom in Augusta, ME. Best of luck to all teams! https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=q6g_QX0gYkubzeoajy-GTm3ajDsVwW9HtXW_ixaL5hdUN0E2NzRYRlZEVDlOSkhVNVMzMkhaRU1LNS4u

April Vacation - Camp Chelsea info:

There is no school on Friday, March 26th. It is a teacher workshop day. A pre-packed breakfast and lunch for Friday will be going home on the bus for all student on Thursday.

We are now accepting Pre-K applications and Kindergarten registrations for next year. If you or anyone you know has a child they would like to enroll in one of these classes for the 2021/2022 school year, please call the school at 207-549-7691 or email aperkins@svrsu.org Children must be 4 yrs old by October 15, 2021 to be eligible for Pre-K and 5 yrs old by October 15, 2021 to be eligible for kindergarten.

If your Whitefield student participates in Camp Chelsea also known as Community Learning Center, then please note there will be no after school sessions for the rest of this week.

Maine DOE Child Nutrition Kicks off Virtual Farm to School Cook-off The Maine Department of Education is following in the footsteps of many schools and going with a hybrid model for this year's 2021 Farm to School Cook Off. Celebrating its 6th annual competition, the Maine Farm to School Cook-off is a statewide culinary competition for teams of school nutrition professionals and students to promote local foods in school meals. The 6th annual competition is organized by the Maine Department of Education, Child Nutrition team. On March 22nd the Maine Department of Education (DOE) Child Nutrition team is kicking off the virtual competition. Four teams are participating in the competition this year including, RSU 12, RSU 14, RSU 54 and South Portland. Voting will take place starting today, March 22nd through April 2nd for school staff, family and friends to vote for their favorite cook-off team! Each team was tasked to create a breakfast and lunch video, while following recipe guidelines of the competition. This criteria includes producing meals that meet the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) meal pattern and include at least three local ingredients and one USDA food. Within the videos, teams were asked to provide details on local ingredients, USDA foods that were used, techniques used, feasibility, and anything else the team would like to share. This virtual cook-off is the first step on each team’s journey to becoming the “2021 Farm to School Cook-off Champion”. The top two finalists from the virtual competition will advance to the Farm to School Cook-off Finals Competition on May 5, 2021 in the Child Nutrition Culinary Classroom in Augusta, ME! Please note all necessary precautions will be taken, including face coverings and social distancing of teams in the culinary classroom. To vote for your favorite cook-off team please visit: https://www.maine.gov/doe/schools/nutrition/programs/localfoods/cookoffvoting Finalists will be announced on April 5, 2021. For more information on Maine’s Farm and Sea to School program, visit https://www.maine.gov/doe/farmtoschool

FYI: Please get out and vote! Whitefield Representatives to the RSU 12 School Board Meet the WRITE IN Candidates Tomorrow is voting day in Whitefield. Citizens will be voting for local officials. There is no one officially on the ballot for Whitefield’s representatives to the RSU 12 School Board. However, there are FOUR candidates running as WRITE IN Candidates. Meet the candidates below. Deborah Talacko - RSU 12 Board - 3 Year Term – WRITE IN I am writing to introduce myself and ask that you consider me as a write-in candidate for the 3 year term on the RSU 12 Board. I was born in Maine and I have lived in Whitefield for 20 years. I am currently employed at the Togus VA Medical Center as a nurse. In addition to that I have lots of experience working in school systems, both as a volunteer, as an employee in the classroom, and most recently as a school nurse. I believe that Whitefield School is the heart of our community and I am committed to advocating for not only a solid curriculum, but also for a community for our children where they feel safe, supported, and challenged to become the best they can be. My granddaughter attends Whitefield School and I have a strong commitment to represent our school in RSU 12. Suzanne Balbo - RSU 12 Board – 2 year term – WRITE IN Suzanne Balbo grew up in Maine and has been living in Whitefield since 2012. She was an elementary school teacher for 12 years, operated a farm in Whitefield with her husband, Clint, for several years and is an active environmentalist. Since her term began in August, Suzanne’s focus had to be on academic practices during the pandemic, but she looks forward to putting more energy into the Curriculum Committee. She also wishes to join the Anti-Bullying Committee and will focus on climate science and social justice initiatives. She is committed to the Whitefield community and has the time and energy to advocate for the specific Whitefield School needs in the context of RSU 12 as a whole. Bonnie Nichols - RSU 12 Board – 3 year term – WRITE IN Bonnie Nichols is running for the three-year RSU 12 Board term. Bonnie and her five children moved to Whitefield from South Gardiner last July. Bonnie is currently a very busy mom attending UMA, working part time as a case manager and raising five children. She said she is anxious to get involved in the community and is very invested in the school as a parent and community member. Stephen Smith, Jr. - RSU 12 Board - 2 year term – WRITE IN Steve Smith, Jr. is the oldest of the five children of Marylou and Steve Smith, Sr. Steve, Jr. runs a law firm in Augusta focused on family law, personal injury and criminal defense. Steve points out that Whitefield School has consistently ranked low in academics and discipline. As a result of this concern, Steve felt compelled to send his children to a private school, but feels strongly that other Whitefield parents should have access to a strong Whitefield School for their children. He wants the curriculum to be focused on core subjects while returning to normal teaching and athletic practices. He is committed to having the school achieve the highest possible quality.

Ms. Northrup and Emily are twinning today!

Happy St. Patrick's Day from PreK!

8th graders, Emma and Kennedie, are helping Miss Vicki make green pancakes for tomorrow's breakfast. Green pancakes on St. Patrick's day has been a long standing tradition at Whitefiled School thanks to our beloved and greatly missed, Mr. Cullenberg. Tomorrow's school breakfast is not only to celebrate St. Patrick's Day but also to honor Mr. Cullenberg.