Good Afternoon,
Our students will be taking a field trip to UTC this week. 5th graders will go to UTC on 3/26 from 11:20-1:30 and 4th graders will go on 3/27 from 11:20-1:30 with a 3/28 snow day. If you DO NOT wish to have your student participate, please return the bottom of the field trip form tomorrow. Thanks!
Dear families, teachers, and staff of the Bangor School Department,
We hope this message finds you filled with anticipation for the upcoming solar eclipse that awaits us on April 8, 2024. This celestial event presents a once-in-a-lifetime educational opportunity for our students. To fully capitalize on this extraordinary opportunity, we have made the decision to grant an early release for all students on April 8, 2024. By doing so, we hope to provide families with the chance to come together and experience this natural wonder firsthand. We encourage you to plan activities that will allow your children to witness the eclipse safely and with your guidance. Bangor High School will dismiss at 11 am, the Middle Schools will dismiss at 11:30 am, and Elementary Schools (PreK - 5) will dismiss at 12 pm.
The upcoming solar eclipse offers a remarkable chance for our students to witness a stunning natural phenomenon right here in our own backyard. We recognize the tremendous educational value of this event and have incorporated it into our curriculum to ensure students can learn and explore more about this event. In the weeks leading up to the eclipse, our dedicated educators will be covering related topics in various classes. Students will gain a comprehensive understanding of what causes a solar eclipse, its significance in different cultures, and how it aligns with scientific principles. Through engaging lessons and activities, we aim to spark their curiosity, foster scientific inquiry, and inspire a lifelong passion for learning.
By embracing this rare occasion, we can create lasting memories and ignite a sense of wonder in the hearts and minds of our children. Thank you for your continued support in fostering a love for learning and exploration. If you have any questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to reach out to your child's principal.
Together, let's seize this educational, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and witness the awe-inspiring beauty of the universe unfolding right above us!
Enthusiastically yours,
James Tager
Superintendent
Bangor School Department
Good morning this is James Tager, Superintendent of the Bangor School Department.
Due to current road conditions, the Bangor School Department will have a two-hour delay for all schools March 21, 2024. This delay will help to ensure the safety of our students and staff during the morning commute.
I received this poem from one of our international students:
Snow! Snow! Snow!
As it floats down
And fills the ground.
I turn happy
It’s pretty
And all white!
How beautiful is the earth covered in a white blanket?
It mesmerizes me!
Snow! Snow! Snow!
I love snow!
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
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.
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.
Thank you to students at Fairmount School for joining us at Fourteenth Street School for a schoolwide craft today! We had a lot of fun, and there were smiles everywhere you looked!
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
