Students at Margaret Chase Smith Elementary School learn about fractions by using measuring spoons to make recipes.
Photo: Sanford School Department
Compiled by Carolyn Cadigan
Fun with fractions: Students in grades 3 and 4 at Margaret Chase Smith Elementary School are mastering fractions through hands-on learning. Students represented whole numbers as fractions, identified fractions greater than one, and explored equivalent fractions using multiplication. Recently, they brought math to life by measuring ingredients for fun recipes like Island Punch, Watermelon Munch, and Green Monster using colorful rice to visualize fractional amounts.
School protocols and immigration enforcement: In a Jan. 16 letter posted on the Sanford School Department website, Matt Nelson, Superintendent of Schools, discussed recent news reports about immigration enforcement activity in Maine and possible concerns about the impact on Sanford schools and families. Nelson noted that the School Department has protocols and internal procedures regarding any visitors to the buildings and the department’s relationship with law enforcement. Student privacy is protected, and access is only provided when legally required and proper documentation has been presented. Nelson suggests that anyone with questions or concerns should contact their child’s school principal or the Central Office. Read the full letter here.
Bestselling author visits SMS and tells it like it is: Earlier this month, students at Sanford Middle School were treated to a visit from New York Times bestselling author Sarah Albee, who shared her passion for nonfiction writing. Albee, who has written numerous books for middle grade readers including “Why’d They Wear That?” and “Accidental Archaeologist,” met with each grade level in the gymnasium for 50-minute sessions. During these presentations, she shared details on her writing process, demonstrating how writers determine what to include, where to start a story, and how to make complex topics accessible to young readers.
Using her biography of George Washington as an example, Albee invited student volunteers to become “human note cards,” arranging them to show how she structures her books. The demonstration revealed that good writing isn’t just about gathering facts, but about deciding which details matter most and organizing them in a compelling way. Students were surprised to learn that her 24-page picture book required just as much research as her longer works but demanded even more careful decision-making about what to include.
Students also learned what it’s like being an author. Albee explained that she’s currently juggling multiple projects at once — a necessity in children’s publishing where illustrators may take months or even years to complete artwork. Albee noted that the job comes with its own challenges, including rejections and the frustrations of the long publishing timeline. She also emphasized the importance of revision, showing students that professional writers often produce many drafts before sharing their work. She encouraged students to view teachers’ feedback as a gift, explaining that detailed comments show teachers care enough to invest time in helping students improve. Read the full story here.
SHS students earn the honor to perform: Sanford High School has 22 choir and band students attending the Maine Music Educators Association (MMEA) District 1 High School Honors Music Festival on Jan. 23 – 24 at Noble High School in North Berwick. The students will have the opportunity to work with conductors to create music alongside some of the best high school vocalists and instrumentalists in Southern Maine. Auditions, which took place last fall, consisted of singing an Italian aria chosen by the state and doing sight-reading and scales for the vocalists, while instrumentalists were given a piece to learn and perform as well as doing sight-reading and playing scales.
Representing Sanford High School at the festival are:
Treble Choir – Morgan Bailey (soprano), Cynthia Carrol (alto), Callia Curtis (soprano), Avila Cyr (alto), Ava Fagan (soprano), Kai Hamblin (soprano), Rebecca Horton (alto), Jordyn Martin (alto), Loretta Sanfason (alto), Meredith Schoenherr (soprano), and Ariana Young (soprano)
Mixed Choir – Claire Davie (soprano), Keagan Gagnon (bass), Logan Hamblin (bass), Ryan Kane (bass), Braeden Landry (tenor), Josiah Thoms (bass), and Jack Van Gieson (tenor)
Instrumentals – Alessandra Castro (alto saxophone), Alexandra Herring (oboe), Hazel Marcinkowski (clarinet), and Wren Trivilino (clarinet)
To read the full story in The Spartan Times, go here.
SRTC application period is open: Sanford Regional Technical Center is accepting applications for the 2026-2027 school year. Students can apply here through Friday, Feb. 13.
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