TO: RSU #74 Board of Directors
FROM: Jean Butler
DATE: March 26, 2025
PreK-5 ELEMENTARY REPORT
Despite periods of lingering snow, spring is upon us, and we are looking forward to the days when
students no longer have to bundle up in winter jackets, snowpants, hats, mittens, and boots to go
outside to recess. Spring fever is in the air for all of us!
Our NWEA testing window opens April 13th and runs through May 29th. We administer this assessment
three times a year to students in grades K-5 to measure their reading and math skill development. We
use the NWEA MAP Growth Assessment for Grades K-2 three times a year. The State of Maine
requires us to administer the NWEA Through-Year Assessment as the official Maine Educational
Assessment for students in grades 3-5 every fall and spring. In the winter we administer the NWEA
MAP Growth Assessment to those students to check their progress. Grade 5 students also take a science
assessment in May every year. To prepare for the spring testing, teachers work on test-taking skills and
emphasize the importance of trying hard and doing your best work on these tests.
The Solon Elementary School PTO is sponsoring their annual Father-Daughter Dance for girls in
grades PreK-5 across the district and their dads (or other significant adults in their life) on Saturday,
March 28th from 6:00-8:00 PM. This year’s theme is “Under the Sea.” Erik Carey is providing the
music for this event, and the Solon staff and PTO members are in charge of refreshments. This is
always a special event for our girls, which they look forward to all year long. Later this spring the
Solon PTO will sponsor a Mother-Son Night.
To promote health and wellness, Solon Elementary School is holding two Walking School Bus
activities this spring. This activity will take place on April 14th and May 19th. Students and staff will
meet at the Solon Thrift Shop at 7:15 AM. Parents will sign permission slips for the bus drivers to drop
their children off at that location, and others will drop off their children there. Staff members will walk
to the Thrift Shop to meet the students. The walk will start around 7:20. When students and staff arrive
at school around 7:40, they will enjoy a healthy breakfast prepared by our cook, Cindy Lawrence.
The district’s Community Literacy Team is sponsoring a free family event called “Adventures in
Literacy” for district students in grades PreK-5 an their families on April 16th from 5:00-7:00 PM at
Carrabec Community School. We are excited to have Maine children’s author and Skowhegan native
Lynn Plourde to headline our event this year. She will offer two presentations, one for grades PreK-1
students and the other for Grades 2-5 students. In these presentations Lynn will read some of her newer
books such as How to Talk Monster and The Bionic Boy as well as talk about her career as a writer and
her inspiration for some of the books she has written. In addition to seeing Lynn Plourde, families will
enjoy a Subway dinner and participate in book-themed activities (some connected to books by Lynn
Plourde) such as arts and crafts, puzzles and games, cookie decorating, a photo booth, and a Story Walk
of her book Moose, Of Course. Students can win raffle prizes, which will each be one of Lynn’s books
along with some related items. Students will receive take-home bags filled with book-related activities
and items. We appreciate the participation of Solon School Board member Laura Layman on our team.
We also appreciate the funding for this year’s event from the Anson Academy Association. We
welcome Board members to stop by our Family Literacy Night and join the fun!
We are in the process of planning our annual Preschool Screening Days for late April or early May with
no definite dates yet. Over the last few years we have held one screening day for all incoming
preschoolers at CCS. This year we plan to hold two preschool screening days, one for students who
will attend preschool at the Garret Schenck School and the other for those who will attend preschool in
Solon. We think this will be smaller and more personal and comfortable for students and families. Both
schools will also hold Preschool Open Houses at the end of the summer for students and families to
attend.
In April we will begin advertising our annual three-week summer school program for grades PreK-5
students called Camp Carrabec. This year we will start on June 29th and run four days a week for four
hours a day though July 16th at Carrabec Community School. Bussing will be provided, as well as
breakfast and lunch for our “campers.” They will participate in three work sessions each day: reading,
math, and arts and crafts. There will be recess games and contests throughout the sessions. This
program is open to all PreK-5 students in the district, and it does qualify as extended school year
services for Special Education students whose IEP’s include those. This has been a popular program
which parents ask about every year.
The calendar said that spring started on March 21st. More snow quickly followed. I’ll know it’s spring
when we see peaks of green grass, those first crocuses peaking out from the soil, the opening of
seasonal ice cream stands, and the first Red Sox game. I wish you a Happy Easter and a lovely spring!
If you have questions about anything going on in my schools, please contact me.