A Message from Mrs. Hennessey

November is a month for giving thanks. The staff at Memorial is so grateful for the time we spend with the children of New Gloucester! We are also thankful for the wonderful Memorial School families who partner with us every day for the benefit of each of our students. Thanks for all you do! 

The week of November 17th, we will embark on fall parent-teacher conferences. Classroom teachers and special education teachers have reached out to set up appointments. We hope you will find these conferences a productive time to discuss your child’s learning and set goals for the school year.

We also have a few special events and dates coming up this month!  We will have an Early Release and a School-Wide Spirit Day on November 19th. As always, Spirit Days are totally optional. We are so excited for our annual Grandparents’ Luncheon! This will be held on Thursday, November 2oth. We will also celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday with three days off from November 26th – 28th. Please feel free to contact me directly at ahennessey@sad15.org or by phone at 926-4322 at any time!

Grandparents’ Luncheon

Memorial School will host a Grandparents’ Luncheon on Thursday, November 20th. The lunch menu will include turkey and all the fixings. Lunch is $6.00 per guest. Grandparents of kindergarteners are asked to arrive at 10:30 for a classroom activity (lunch will follow at 10:50). Grandparents of first graders are asked to arrive at 11:30 for a classroom activity (lunch will follow at 11:50). Grandparents of second graders are asked to arrive at 12:30 for a classroom activity (lunch will follow at 12:50). 

Patriot Parents PTO @ Memorial School

Patriot Parents PTO is a nonprofit group of families working together to support our school community. We raise funds through events and activities, and those funds help pay for enrichment opportunities like field trips, author visits, and special classroom projects.

Join us Dec. 3 from 5-6 pm!

Our next meeting will take place on Wednesday, December 3, from 5–6 pm at Memorial. At this meeting, we will share updates about school and district-wide fundraisers, plan for events like our Winter Craft Workshop and Friendship Dance, and hear from Memorial staff about ways we can support them. On-site childcare will be provided by the GNG High School Service Club.

Patriot Parent Updates:

  • We were delighted that the kindergarten classes had a great time at Wolfe’s Neck Center in Freeport on Oct. 29, a field trip partially funded by Memorial Patriot Parents PTO. 
  • Thank you to those who purchased items from our Art to Remember fundraiser. The main order window closed on Nov. 12. You can still order keepsakes with your child’s art, but shipping is not guaranteed before winter break. https://arttoremember.com/school/WTB8V4 

A few district-wide PTO events are coming up before the end of the year, including the Turkey Trot 5K on Nov. 22 and Community Night at Brickyard Hollow on Dec. 2 (PTO gets 5% of sales from 5-9 pm). We hope to see you there!

MSAD Inclement Weather Procedures

Please see this excerpt from Dr. Turner’s Superintendent Newsletter:

It may seem early, but winter weather will be here before you know it! MSAD 15 uses three different models for responding to inclement weather. 

They are: 

  • Two-Hour Delay, No Pre-K – we will call a two-hour delay when a little extra time will give the towns and the schools what they need to ensure safe attendance at school. On these days, bus pick-up times and school start times will be delayed by two hours. There will be no AM or PM Pre-K on days with a two-hour delay. Dismissal time and after-school activities will generally stay the same. 
  • Remote Day – we will call a remote day when weather or other events prevent safe in-person school, but there are no widespread power or internet outages. Most of the time, after school activities, practices, and games will also be cancelled. 
  • No School Day – we will call a traditional no school day when weather or other events prevent safe in-person school, AND there are widespread power or internet outages in the Gray-New Gloucester community. These days will be made up at the end of the school year. Most of the time, after school activities, practices, and games will also be cancelled. 

Decisions on weather procedures will be communicated as early as is practical, based on the timing of predicted weather and consistency of weather reports. Inclement weather decisions are communicated to staff, families, and community members who sign up for the community listserv by phone, text, and email. Decisions are also posted on the district website, social media, and with area news outlets.

Remote Learning Days

District administration will be watching the weather throughout the winter. When the forecast is worrisome, Memorial School may be sending home our district-issued iPads in anticipation of poor travel conditions and the potential of a remote school day. When devices are sent, we will communicate this to you through an email and/or Seesaw message. The iPads should stay in backpacks at home unless we actually have a remote school day. If there is no remote school day, please keep the iPad and sleeve in the backpack, ready to come right back to school that day. Should we implement a remote day, we would use the following schedule:

K-2 Remote Day Plan

9:00-9:45:

Live Zoom – Morning Meeting & Literacy (whole group)

9:45-10:00: 

Break

10:00-10:30: 

Live Zoom – Math (whole group)

10:30-12:00: 

Asynchronous work on Seesaw (including Specials) and/or small group/individual sessions with the classroom teacher, Response-To-Intervention staff, or Special Ed services

12:00 – 12:30: 

Lunch

12:30-2:00: 

As needed, small group/individual sessions with RTI or Special Education

Zoom links and assignments will be shared via Seesaw. You can also expect a specific communication from Mrs. Hennessey and your child’s classroom teacher should we need to implement remote learning for any reason.

Save the Date!

We are planning to host a Winter Concert on Wednesday, December 10th! This concert will be held at Gray-New Gloucester Middle School. 

Show timing:

6 pm – Kindergarten

6:30 pm – Grade 1

7:00 pm – Grade 2

Due to parking and bleacher space limitations, we ask that families attend only the sessions in which their child(ren) will perform in. We do recognize that some families (with multiple ‘Lil Patriots) will need to attend more than one session. We greatly look forward to an evening of song!

MSAD 15 -Remote Meal Sign-Up

School meals will be offered when remote learning days are expected due to inclement weather. Shelf-stable meals that meet the USDA guidelines will be sent home with students the day prior to the potential remote day. In the event a remote learning day is not called, these meals are expected to be saved for the next potential remote day. Sign up is required. Please click this link to visit the form and to ensure your child receives these meals.

Dress in Layers

This fall, we will experience outdoor learning and play at every opportunity. We encourage you to dress your child in layers so that she/he can be most comfortable while we are outdoors. 

Updated November 10, 2025