Congin School

The rain didn't stop Mrs. McGuire's cougars from having a good time outside! These cougars suited up with their rain suits and got to enjoy some outside time yesterday!

Mrs. Lappin’s 1st graders are practicing their reading with a buddy which is one component of Reader’s Workshop! They love reading with friends and helping each other become better readers!

Check out our GT Art students who had guest visitors come from Maine College of Art and Design. Students learned about the color wheel and established complimentary colors to inform a mixed media animal artwork!

Take a look at these first graders who are working hard on their /s/ sounds with Ms. DeRoche!

Mrs. Morowski’s class is learning about the changing of the seasons in science! Today they celebrated the 1st day of Fall!

Mrs. Dudley's 1st grade class earned all of the 20 points for being responsible, respectful and kind, and they were able to celebrate with a Pajama and Stuffy Day!

Check out Mrs. Rounds’s fourth grade cougars! This week they talked about different types of energy and how they work in our world. To explore solar energy, the students worked on a hands-on project using boxes, foil, and plastic wrap to create their own solar ovens. They were excited to see how the sun’s energy could be harnessed to heat up and melt chocolate and marshmallows—and, of course, they enjoyed the reward of making and eating s’mores!

Take a look at Mrs. Downing's kindergarten cougars who are celebrating learning their first sight words this week! Learning sight words is an important first step in helping our cougars begin to read, and they are off to a great start!

We start our Congin Cougar day each morning with morning announcements! Mr. Bisson has one student join him, and the morning announcements are broadcasted in each classroom. Students have a great time sharing the weather, news, and a daily riddle! Take a look at these brave cougars doing the announcements!

Check out these responsible cougars! For the month of September, students are earning paw stickers whenever they are caught being responsible! We have a goal of 400 by the end of the month!

Building our positive Congin classroom communities is a large focus at the beginning of the year! Check out some 3rd grade examples from Ms. Bertino’s room where students made each other bookmarks with positive affirmations.
Ms. Doherty’s class read books about making mistakes, and they also found out that Pop Rocks were invited by mistake by William Mitchell, confirming for students that we all make mistakes, and that’s what helps us grow!

More pictures from our Responsibility Assembly!

Dear Congin families,

You may have seen in the media that a former Ed Tech, Dan Spring, has been charged with a Class D misdemeanor for allegedly assaulting a student at Congin School. Mr. Bisson and I became aware of the incident in April which prompted an internal investigation. While I cannot share details of the allegation, our investigation, or the outcome, I can confirm that Mr. Spring is no longer employed by the Westbrook Schools and has not been since April.

The safety of our students is our highest priority. Our staff care for them with such love and respect. Please be assured that we do not tolerate conduct like this and that protocols and practices are in place to keep all students safe.

Sincerely,

Peter Lancia, Ph. D.
Superintendent of Schools

Our Cougars had a wonderful time being outside during our Field Day yesterday! Students were able to participate in a variety of activities and had a terrific time!

Today our 4th graders participated in the All City Bees! Students from Congin, Saccarappa, and Canal participated in a spelling, math, and geography bee. Congratulations to: Macey Lafreniere- 1st Place in Spelling Emin Dzabiev- 2nd Place in Spelling Charlotte Hull- 2nd Place Geography Evelyn Beliveau- 3rd Place Geography We are so proud of our Congin cougars!

We have some amazing olympians who participated in Special Olympics last Friday! Our cougars competed in a variety of activities and had so much fun! When our cougar olympians returned to school, they were greeted with cheers and signs to celebrate all of their hard work!

Last night the Westbrook School Committee approved a request to adjust the school calendar. The last day of school for the year will be on Friday, June 13 with dismissal at 10:15am at WMS, 10:25am at WHS, and 11:25am at the elementary schools.

Dear friends, This evening, I will nominate Dr. Christina Boursaw as the next principal of Westbrook Middle School, replacing Laurie Wood who will retire at the end of the school year after 10 years at WMS. Dr. Boursaw currently serves as principal at Gilbert Elementary School, a K-6 school in Augusta where she was honored as 2024 Distinguished Elementary/Middle School Principal by the Maine Principals’ Association. Prior to moving to Maine, she was an elementary and middle school administrator and teacher in Redlands and Beaumont, California. She also served as her district’s Human Resources director and Title IX coordinator, published several articles on teaching, and wrote K-8 units of study integrating literacy and math with Next Generation Science Standards. Christina has mentored aspiring and novice principals, developed mentor programs for teachers, and supported professional development through workshops and coaching. She prioritizes building relationships and dialogue, creating welcoming and inclusive environments for all students, staff, and families, and is eager to get to know our Westbrook community. Please join me in welcoming Dr. Christina Boursaw to Westbrook Middle School! Take care, Peter Lancia, Ph.D. Superintendent of Schools

Our two Congin Cougar interns graduate this weekend! Congratulations to Hailee Conlogue and Jessica Daniels for finishing their program!

Our Congin staff were celebrated today for the last day of staff appreciation! Each Congin cougar was able to give their teacher a flower so that each teacher could build a bouquet!