Burchard A. Dunn School

Dunn School Portrait of a Patriot Parent Forum:  Tonight from 5:30 – 6:30 in the Dunn School library we will be hosting a parent forum as part of the district’s strategic planning process.  Parents are invited to attend & provide input into what skills, values and characteristics a graduate of GNG schools should have.   We encourage all parents to attend & engage in the process.  Childcare will be provided for those who need it. If you have not yet had the opportunity to complete the Portrait of a Patriot community survey I would encourage you to do so.  The link can be found here:  Portrait of a Patriot Survey

Fall Festival:  On Wednesday, October 28th (3rd and 4th grade) and Thursday, October 29th (Pre-K) we will hold our Fall Festival as a celebration of students filling our Safe-Respectful-Responsible Bee jar.  There will be outdoor activities, a bounce house, and students may wear their Halloween costumes on the festival day.  We are looking forward to celebrating the hard work our students have done this fall. 

Scent Sensitivity:  Please be aware that there are scent sensitivities at Dunn School.  We would ask that you make every attempt to avoid strong perfumes, soaps and other scents.  We appreciate your cooperation. If you have any questions please call the office.

Ms. Lindsay’s School Counseling Corner

We are looking forward to having the University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H Camp and Learning Center/Bryant Pond Outdoor Education Staff visit with our 3rd and 4th graders here at Dunn School during the week of October 26th! Each Dunn School classroom will participate in one full day of outdoor team building activities and challenges up in our apple orchard, facilitated by U-Maine outdoor education staff members. We have been so lucky to have this learning opportunity in place at Dunn School for many years. The U-Maine at Bryant Pond outdoor education staff do a wonderful job of engaging and challenging our students to problem solve and practice effective communication skills, all while having the chance to be outside appreciating nature and developing a deeper sense of our school community.

We will be spending much of the day outside in our apple orchard, rain or shine, so please be sure to keep an eye on the weather, temperatures, and send your child to school wearing warm layers of clothing, closed-toe footwear, sunscreen, and bring a water bottle and snacks that can be portable in pockets on their assigned team building day. Classrooms will still attend their regularly-scheduled snack/break, recess/lunch and Special times. Please note the below date that your child’s class will be participating:

Monday, October 26th: Gamage/Robash/Skilling

Tuesday, October 27th: Audette/Gillis/Raymond

Wednesday, October 28th: Early Release – No Team-Building Scheduled

Thursday, October 29th: Carr/Fecteau/Keepes/Haskell

Friday, October 30th: Granholm/Marzilli/Rausch/Dyer

October SEL Lesson – 3rd & 4th Graders:  During the month of October, I have been visiting all 3rd, 4th and 3/4 multi grade classrooms to teach an SEL lesson on identifying tricky peer and friendship situations. We will focus on three common social conflicts that students at this age often get stuck in:

Competition – This tricky social situation occurs when peers try to show that they are better than others through bragging or one-upping.

Rules – This tricky social situation occurs when a friend decides who someone can and cannot play with, bosses others around or only accepts a friend who thinks the way that they do.

Changes – Friendships change over time, and that’s OK. Changes happen when you don’t want to be friends with someone anymore; or if you find that someone doesn’t want to be friends with you anymore. 

We will review different strategies that students can practice and use in order to get “unstuck.” Some of these strategies include taking a deep breath before addressing the issue with your peer; using an I-Message – “I feel__________ when you_________.  Can you please__________.”  to self-advocate; Practicing Positive Self Talk – “No one likes to be bossed around. It makes sense that I’m frustrated. I can stick up for myself or leave the situation.” As well as remembering to Be Friendly – Continue to be friendly even after the friendship has changed – ignoring or avoiding someone can make the situation feel worse for everyone! Students will also have the opportunity to “give advice” to real life scenarios that showcase these three common social conflicts. This lesson helps to promote positive, respectful and supportive student relationships, problem solving, self advocacy, effective coping skills and the ability to manage and adapt to transitions and change. 

Happy October to everyone! Please feel free to reach out to me anytime with questions or concerns for your child.  Best, Lindsay Friberg, lfriberg@sad15.org

From our MTSS Team

Our school is working hard to fill the Bee Jar and earn our next school wide celebration! Families can join in the excitement by celebrating their child’s accomplishments at home, too. Whether your child earns a Bee, a Parent Pick-Up Pass, or a Bus Buck, these are wonderful opportunities to recognize their positive choices and reinforce our schoolwide core values: Be Respectful, Be Responsible, and Be Safe.

Looking for ways to celebrate at home?  Here are some fun ideas!

* Let your child choose what’s for dinner. * Have your child pick a movie for family movie night.

* Allow an extra half hour before bedtime * Give your child a night off from a chore.

* Plan a family game night. * Let your child choose a favorite item at the grocery store.

* Offer a special drop-off or pick-up from school. * Camp in the backyard or build a cozy blanket fort indoors.

* Pack a special treat for school. * Let your child decorate or rearrange part of their room. * Invite a friend over for a playdate. * Arrange for your child to visit a friend’s house.

* Allow some extra computer time. * Let your child choose the radio station or music in the car.

* Plan a trip to the movies. * Go out to eat at a favorite restaurant.

Remember, celebrations don’t have to be big or expensive! A little extra choice, special time together, or recognition of your child’s positive behavior can go a long way in encouraging them to keep making great choices at school and at home.

On our next early release day, October 28, we will host a Fall Festival to celebrate students’ hard work and commitment to following our school code! Students can look forward to lots of fun games and activities for the entire school. Keep up the great work—we can’t wait to celebrate with you!

From the Art Room

3-D Houses:  Third and fourth graders had a lot of fun designing and creating their own houses. First we studied dozens of actual houses and buildings to determine what makes them unique: materials, location, sizes, shapes, landscaping, pattern, texture, etc – and then we created our own. Look closely at the details, because some have themes, and every house has someone (or something) inside!

From the Library

The fall Scholastic Book Fair is coming November 9-13!!!  In school sales will be Tuesday Nov 10th;  after school sales will be 3:15 to 7:00 PM Thursday Nov 12th.  More information to come soon!

From our Patriot Parents

October is National Principals Month! October is National Principals Month, and we want to give a special shoutout to Dunn’s very own Principal Geoff Robbins! Thank you, Mr. Robbins, for your dedication to our students, staff, and families and for all you do to make Dunn such a welcoming and supportive school community. We appreciate your leadership, positivity, and commitment to making Dunn a great place for our kids to learn and grow!

GNG Spirit Gear Flash Sale! The GNG Spirit Gear Shop is back open for a limited-time Flash Sale! Don’t miss your chance to grab some GNG gear and show off your school spirit. The shop closes October 18, so be sure to get your orders in!  You can use this link or use the QR code on the attached flyer.

STEM Night Volunteers Needed! Dunn’s STEM Night is coming up, and we’ll be looking for volunteers to help make this a fun and exciting event for our students and families! Keep an eye out for a volunteer sign-up link coming your way next week. We’d love your help bringing this special night to life!

Math Olympics Is Back! Get ready to put those math skills to the test! Math Olympics will kick off this year on October 28! Be on the lookout for more information coming soon. We’re excited for another year of math fun!

A Little Coffee, A Lot of Appreciation! This past Friday, Dunn Patriot Parents helped treat our amazing Dunn staff to some much-deserved coffee during their Professional Development Day! It was a small way to show our appreciation for all the hard work, dedication, and care they bring to our school community every day. We’re always happy to support the people who do so much for our kids!

Email us anytime with questions, ideas, or ways you’d like to get involved. You can also follow Dunn Patriot Parents on Facebook to stay up to date on news, events, volunteer opportunities, and other happenings through the year.  Email: dunnpatriotparents@outlook.com, Facebook: Click link 

From the Office

Please contact the office if your student will be tardy or absent:  207-657-5050 or email cmcintire@sad15.org.  Please be sure to include your student’s full name.

Current community flyers are available at the Community Events link at the bottom of the MSAD15 website.

Dates to Remember 

Oct 15 Portrait of a Patriot Parent Forum – 5:30 to 6:30 PM, Dunn Library

Oct 28 Early release day – grades 3 & 4 dismissed at 1:00 PM, no preK classes (AM or PM)

Oct 29 STEM Night at Dunn – 5:30 to 7 PM in the gym – free, fun, open to all!

Nov 10 Scholastic Book Fair – in school sales

Nov 11 Veterans’ Day – no school

Nov 12 Scholastic Book Fair – after school sales, 3:15 to 7:00 PM

Nov 17 Picture Make Up Day

Nov 18 Early release day – grades 3 & 4 dismissed at 1:00 PM, no preK classes (AM or PM)

Nov 25-27 Thanksgiving break – no school

Updated October 16, 2026