Westbrook School Department

Dear friends,

I am writing to let you know that one of our middle school teachers, Ms. Carigan Allie, was involved in a tragic event and injured in South Carolina over the weekend. Out of respect for Ms. Allie and her family, I cannot share additional details. Thank you for understanding. However I can report that she is recovering in a South Carolina hospital and has spoken with Principal Dr. Boursaw. She and the WMS student service team havd been supporting students, particularly those on her team, throughout the day. Ms. Allie and her family have asked for privacy, but they are appreciative of our collective thoughts and prayers.

It is chilling to be so closely connected to such a tragedy and difficult to make sense of such events. Please reach out to your school counselors, social workers, and administrators if your children or you need extra support.

Take care and be strong,

Peter

about 4 hours ago, Dr. Peter Lancia

Dr. Kim O'Donnell

May 19, 2026

Reminder:

Summer Kick Off Event

Westbrook Middle School
6:00-7:30pm
Join us for fun!

Let's talk literacy and math, learn some games and explore some incredible art! Local author Kevin Hawkes will also be speaking in the cafeteria!

Hope to see you there!

about 5 hours ago, Dr. Kim O'Donnell

Congratulations to the members of the National Technical Honor Society at WRVC! New members were inducted this week. This is one of the highest honors for students in career and technical education. We are very proud of you!

11 days ago, Dr. Peter Lancia

Congratulations to the Westbrook High School students recognized at the annual WHS Honors Night. In addition to Honor Roll and highest achievement and effort in every course, students were honored with several prestigious college Book Awards. We are proud of our students!

12 days ago, Dr. Peter Lancia

🎨Spring Art Show Season continues! Join us to celebrate the creativity and hard work of Westbrook student artists across both the high school and middle school programs.

Westbrook High School Art Show
May 12–15
3:00–5:00 PM
WHS Art Wing (3rd floor)
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Westbrook Middle School Art Show – Opening Night
May 19
6:00–7:30 PM
Westbrook Middle School

15 days ago, Rachel Somerville

Congratulations to the new members of the Westbrook High School chapter of the National Honor Society! A beautiful induction ceremony was held on Monday evening. Thank you to our students for their scholarship, character, leadership, and service. We are proud of you!

20 days ago, Dr. Peter Lancia

I was honored to attend a ceremony on Monday at the University of Southern Maine's Center for Teaching Innovation where Governor Janet Mills signed the recent legislation raising the minimum teacher salary in Maine to $50,000. This is a major accomplishment as it will support the recruiting and retention of teachers statewide. Several USM students were in attendance as was USM President Jacqueline Edmonson and Westbrook School Committee members Dr. Flynn Ross, a Teacher Education professor at USM and Erin Cavallaro, Senior Director of Advancement at the USM Foundation. Thank you Governor Mills and our legislature for advocating for our teachers and our students!

20 days ago, Dr. Peter Lancia

Attention Pre-K Parents!
We worked on our lists today and are happy to announce that ALL families will be hearing from us on Monday! We are very excited to offer this opportunity to our families and look forward to working with your child! All parents who completed the form will be invited to join the 2026-27 Pre K class.

We are contacting parents by phone to personally share the good news but also to assist with next steps, including registration and screening. Thank you for your patience!

about 1 month ago, Dr. Kim O'Donnell

🎨 Westbrook Elementary Schools’ Unified Arts Nights are here! Be sure to take a stroll through the hallways and enjoy the beautiful student artwork on display 🎨

about 1 month ago, Rachel Somerville

Colorful poster for Westbrook Schools Unified Arts Nights with information about the evening's events- listing date and time.

Congratulations to WRVC student Riley D., and our own WHS cook and School Nutrition Administrative Assistant Kelly Bourgeois who won the Southern Maine School Nutrition Cook -Off on Friday representing Westbrook as team Blue Blazes. They have now been invited to attend the State of Maine Cook-off on April 8th in Bangor. We had some wonderful feedback from the judges of the cook off (including the School Nutrition Director in Gorham, a chef from RSU 14, and Eric S., a 6th Grade Student at Westbrook Middle School), as well as the staff of the Department of Education Child Nutrition Office.

about 2 months ago, Dr. Peter Lancia

Read the 2026 State of the Schools report!
https://www.westbrookschools.org/page/state-of-the-schools-2026

2 months ago, Dr. Peter Lancia

Please join us for an Information Session about Pre-Kindergarten! We are excited to share details regarding our program and available student options!

Location: Canal School, 102 Glenwood Avenue
Time: 6:00-7:00
March 10, 2026

Please share the information. We are doing our best to fully connect with our community!
Thank you,
Dr. O'Donnell

3 months ago, Dr. Kim O'Donnell

It may not feel like spring outside today❄️ , but spring is definitely in the air for Westbrook Schools Visual Art Department as we gear up for a busy and exciting exhibition season! Congratulations to our talented artists for their creativity and dedication! We are proud to announce:

Maine Region Scholastic Art Show
March 1–16, 2026
Maine College of Art & Design
522 Congress St, Portland, ME
award recipients:

✨ Kylie Hornstra (12) – Honorable Mention
✨ Jack Landry (11) – 2 Gold Key Awards
✨ Kaelynn May McCutcheon (12) – Silver Key Award
✨ Kaelynn May McCutcheon (12) – Honorable Mention
✨ Taylor Hawkes (11) – Honorable Mention
✨ Kenyi Mongu (10) – Honorable Mention
✨ Feisal Omar (12) – Silver Key Award
✨ Lily Allen (11) – Honorable Mention

Youth Art Month Exhibition
February 25–April 5, 2026
Portland Museum of Art
award recipients:
🎨 Liliana Todorov – Grade 2
🎨 Sammy Pearson – Kindergarten
🎨 Mia Waterhouse-Burke – Grade 2
🎨 Carter Carpentier – Grade 5
🎨 Merli Waka – Grade 8
🎨 Hafsa Shuto – Grade 12
🎨 Daphne G. McCannell – Grade 10

*Artwork by Daphne G. McCannell

3 months ago, Rachel Somerville

Due to the forecasted blizzard on Monday, there will be NO SCHOOL tomorrow, Monday, February 23. It will be an old fashioned storm day with no remote learning and no before, after school or evening activities. I hope you had a great vacation and now you have an additional day to enjoy the snow. Stay safe!

3 months ago, Dr. Peter Lancia

Read the February Teaching and Learning News! https://westbrooksdme.edurooms.com/engage/westbrook-school-department/newsletters/february-teaching-and-learning-news

3 months ago, Dr. Peter Lancia

A shout-out to Director Melissa Foye and Miss Alicia for braving the cold at the Westbrook Hannaford parking lot for the Stuff-A-Bus event! Their dedication to filling the bus with non-perishable food items, feminine products, and personal hygiene items is truly inspiring.

We invite you to swing by, say hello, and make a meaningful donation! The bus will be there until 1:00 PM, and your support can make a real difference in our community. Together, let's spread kindness and compassion!

3 months ago, Dr. Kim O'Donnell

Today, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the release party for Westbrook High School's literary magazine, "Whispered Thoughts." It was a joy to listen to students share their literary works, which included short stories, poetry, artwork, and scenes from plays. The depth and quality of their creations were truly incredible and inspiring. This project began last summer with a grant from the Maine Humanities Council. I am looking forward to the spring issue; if today is any indication, it will be fantastic! Congratulations to all!

3 months ago, Dr. Kim O'Donnell

Join the Transportation Department on Saturday, February 7, 2026, for our STUFF-A-BUS event in the Westbrook Hannaford parking lot from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM! We will be collecting non-perishable food items and personal care products, including shampoo, soap, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and feminine hygiene products. Help us support our students! Thank you for your generosity!

3 months ago, Dr. Kim O'Donnell

There will be a two hour delayed start of school today, Tuesday January 27. This will give crews, families, students, and staff extra time to finish clearing snow, especially what fell overnight. This means that schools will open two hours after their regular times and buses will pick up students two hours later than usual. There will be no before school programs, meetings, or activities and PreK is cancelled for the day. Breakfast will be served when students arrive.

4 months ago, Dr. Peter Lancia

There will be NO SCHOOL tomorrow, Monday, January 26 due to the storm. It will be an old fashioned snow day with no remote learning and no before, after school, or evening activities. So everyone can sleep late, play some games, and enjoy the snow, but please be careful if you are outside today and tomorrow. Take care.

4 months ago, Dr. Peter Lancia