Downeast School -

Don't forget to RSVP for our Family Matters PEAK event April 11th 5:30-7:00 pm! If you need a form please contact your child's classroom teacher!

Friday, March 15, 2024, is a Teacher in-Service Day. All students, with the exception of Abraham Lincoln School, will have a day off from school. Abraham Lincoln School students will have a remote learning day. Abraham Lincoln School was canceled on February 13 due to a water main break. This was an unexpected cancellation. The school is required by the State of Maine Department of Education to make up for the canceled day.

Due to a fire off Ohio St. many buses will have to reroute due to the road being closed. Buses all over the city may be running behind getting students home today due to the bus garage being impacted.

Happy Ramadan! Ramadan Kareem! March 11 through April 9, 2024, marks this year’s observance of Ramadan for the Muslim community worldwide. This is one of the holiest times of the Muslim faith and is a month of celebration, prayer, and reflection for Muslim families.

Superintendent Search Input Requested With the announced retirement of Superintendent James Tager, the Bangor School Committee has initiated a search process to hire a new superintendent. The school committee has the responsibility and authority to make this hire. It has identified additional diverse representatives of the community to serve on the search / interview committee. The school committee is asking for input from you as to skills, knowledge, personal qualities, and characteristics that you think would be helpful as superintendent of schools in Bangor. Please reply using this link:https://www.bangorschools.net/forms/superintendent-search-input

UMA-BANGOR “GIVE KIDS a SMILE Day” FREE DENTAL Cleanings FOR KIDS ONE DAY ONLY! 8AM-5PM Friday, February 23, 2024 LIMITED APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE. PLEASE CALL IMMEDIATELY! 207-262-7872

Reminder! Downeast School Grade 3 Winter Concert Tonight @ 5:30 pm!

Good morning this is James Tager, Superintendent of the Bangor School Department. Due to icy road conditions, the Bangor School Department will have a two-hour delay for all schools on January 25, 2024. This delay will help to ensure the safety of our students and staff during the morning commute. A limerick to brighten your day There once was a school day so gray, With icy roads causing delay. For two hours we'd wait, As ice sealed our fate, In class, we’ll eventually find our way.

Reminder Downeast School PTO Meeting tomorrow Tuesday January 23rd @ 5:30 PM.

Due to the winter weather forecast for this afternoon, January 16, 2024, there will be no after-school activities after regular school dismissal. Buses will depart from BHS at 2 pm. Middle Schools at 2:30 pm and PreK-5 School at 3 pm.

Happy MLK Jr. Day. Every year, MLK Jr. Day reminds us of our commitment to public service, finding remedies to injustice, and commitment to all members of our community.

The Bangor School Committee Meeting scheduled for January 10, 2024, has been cancelled due to the impending winter storm.

Hello, this is James Tager, Superintendent of the Bangor School Department, with a winter weather haiku and an important message for families. Schools hushed, doors closed, Snow's decree, a day of rest, Kids play, laughter flows. Due to the most recent National Weather Service forecast for tomorrow, Wednesday, January 10, 2024 of a mixed precipitation winter storm with strong winds that may cause power outages throughout the Greater Bangor Region, I have decided to call a snow day. All BSD student activities as well as the School Committee Meeting scheduled for Wednesday are cancelled. For the safety of everyone in the BSD community and to give families time to make plans for tomorrow, I feel that making a decision tonight is best. Be safe.

The next Bangor School Committee meeting will be held in the BHS Library on January 10, 2024. Please enter through the Peakes Auditorium entrance. The agenda and other materials for the meeting can be found at the following link https://www.bangorschools.net/page/school-committee

Happy Kwanzaa! Kwanzaa is a week-long holiday honoring African culture. It falls between Dec 26 and Jan 1 each year. The seven principles of Kwanzaa are: unity; self-determination; collective work and responsibility; co-operative economics; purpose; creativity; and earth.

Merry Christmas! The original meaning of Christmas was to celebrate the birth of Jesus. The story of the Nativity and the events surrounding the birth of Jesus are particularly important in religious celebrations of Christmas. Many traditions that are around today have their roots in pre-Christian winter festivals, including the importance of candles and decorations made from evergreen bushes and trees, symbolizing everlasting light and life.

The Bangor School Department has launched a new app to keep families informed. Please download the new app today. The old app will be discontinued as of December 31, 2023.

Happy Yule and Winter Solstice! Countries all over the world have been celebrating and honoring these astronomical events for thousands of years, from building structures that line up with the solstice to holding loud festivals in their honor. Yule is celebrated in many ways. In some countries, it is a two-month celebration that starts in the middle of November, a 12-day celebration that starts on the winter solstice, or a three-day feast that starts on the night before the winter solstice. On the winter solstice, people from many pagan cultures honor the sun and the middle of winter. Modern-day pagans celebrate Yule on the day of the winter solstice. At Stonehenge in England, people celebrate by gathering before dawn after the longest night to watch the sunrise through one of the stones. Yule celebrates the sun’s rebirth by giving each other gifts, having parties, and thinking deeply about one’s faith. This is a time of fresh beginnings, rebirth, transformation, breaking bad habits, and creativity.

Families, faculty, and staff, This is James Tager, Superintendent of the Bangor School Department. All schools will be open tomorrow to provide a warm and safe environment for students. Our generators are currently working and we believe it is important to offer a warm place to learn and a good meal for all students. Be safe, be well, and thank you for entrusting us with your students. Enthusiastically Yours, James Tager Superintendent

The safety and well-being of our students and staff are our top priorities. Due to severe weather conditions overnight, including downed trees and power lines, and multiple roads being inaccessible, we have determined that it is unsafe to open our schools today.  In consideration of everyone's safety, we've decided to close all schools on December 19, 2023. Students, families, faculty, and staff, please stay safe. Enthusiastically yours, James Tager Superintendent