TO: RSU #74 Board of Directors
FROM: Jean Butler
DATE: February 25, 2026
PreK-5 ELEMENTARY REPORT
It has been a very cold winter thus far, but the tide seems to be turning with the advent of higher temperatures as we creep slowly toward spring. Students are enjoying recess time outside, and the schools are engaging in Winter Kids outdoor activities. We look forward to the change to Daylight Savings Time, which will bring later sunsets.
One Winter Kids activity this season will happen on February 27th when the first and second graders from Garret Schenck will take a field trip to Mt. Blue State Park in Weld along with their teachers Tanya Carey and D’Ann Luce, and some parents. Students will have the opportunity to ice skate, snowshoe, and go bird watching. These activities will be guided by park ranger and naturalist Jamie Canton. Students will enjoy eating their lunch outside, and a special treat will be hot cocoa.
Garret Schenck is planning its annual Winter Fun Day for March 4th. Students in grades PreK-5 will be grouped in multiage teams to participate in a series of outdoor challenges throughout the morning,. This activity is part of the school’s wellness plan, and the students and staff always enjoy it.
Because of the success of this event last year, Solon Elementary School will once again hold “March Madness” activities throughout the month. There will be a series of basketball competitions between multiage teams of students on three Friday afternoons during the month. We will also choose eight books with a Maine theme. Each Tuesday a guest reader will read one of the books, and each Wednesday our library media assistant Mrs. Shirley Mellows will read another. Students will vote for their favorite book and books will advance in a March Madness style bracket system until we get a winning book.
On March 20th, teachers and ed techs from RSU #74 will attend the Rendezvous Workshop at UMF put on by the Western Maine Educational Collaborative of which we are members. Two of our Garret Schenck teachers, Jennifer Hebert and Tanya Carey, will be presenting a workshop session on effective strategies for teaching early literacy skills based on the Science of Reading research. Last spring Mrs. Hebert presented a workshop for our K-2 teachers in the district, and there was so much interest in what she was doing to boost student achievement in reading that we applied for and received a grant from the Anson Academy Association to purchase materials she was using for all of our K-2 educators so that they too could incorporate these strategies into their teaching. A couple of weeks ago each of us had to sign up for the three sessions we wanted to attend at the Rendezvous from a long list of options offered by teachers from all over Western Maine. After the sign-ups were completed, we found out that ninety people had signed up to attend the session offered by Mrs. Hebert and Mrs. Carey! We are excited to share their expertise with others from across our region.
If you have questions about anything in my schools, please contact me. Enjoy the rest of the winter!