August 2024

With just under three weeks before the opening days of school, I am reaching out to welcome you to a new year at Morse! After more than two decades in education, I still look forward to the start of a new school year. The beginning of a new year is a great time to set new goals whether you are a student entering high school for their first year, or a returning student. A new school year offers a special opportunity for everyone to have a fresh start and a chance to refocus on their goals for high school and the next steps in their life. I am always amazed at what students can accomplish in their four years at Morse, accomplishments that set the stage for their next years of life; the days before school starts are a great time for families to discuss students’ goals and what they want this school year to look like.

Please take a few moments to review the following information, which should be helpful as you plan for the start of a new school year:

Start Days and Schedule:

The first day of school is Tuesday, September 3rd for grade 9 students only. As in previous years, we reserve the first day of school to orient our incoming ninth-grade students to high school. School doors open at 7:15 and school starts at 7:40. Upon entering Morse for the first time, students will be assisted in finding their advisory room, where they will receive a fresh copy of their class schedule. Students will spend most of the day in their Advisory groups, where they will learn their class schedule, and become familiar with the building, procedures and traditions that make Morse a special place to go to school. Ninth-grade students will also attend all of their classes for about 15 minutes, where they will meet their teachers, receive a list of needed supplies, and start reviewing course expectations. The intention of this day is to give the Class of 2028 a little more knowledge and confidence before they attend school with all grades present. Students should bring something to write with and something to write on, as well as their school-issued Chromebook (if they attended an RSU1 school in previous years). 

The first day of school is Wednesday, September 4th for all students, grades 9-12.  Please remember that this is a Late Start Wednesday; school starts at 8:40 AM (school doors open at 8:15). Students will report directly to their Advisory, where they will receive a fresh copy of their daily schedule and other important information. Students can also access their schedule now through Infinite Campus (ic.rsu1.org). This first day of school will also include a full-school assembly, a class meeting, and a modified schedule, where students will attend abbreviated classes.

Set For Success: 

All RSU 1, West Bath, and Georgetown students and families are invited to Morse High School on Sunday, August 25th between 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM for our annual Set for Success event. Set for Success is a wonderful partnership between RSU 1 and the Midcoast Youth Center where all students will receive their school supplies free of charge and have opportunities to speak with school staff and other organizations in the community. Students can even receive a free haircut in our cosmetology lab. I welcome all students and families to stop by. 

Bus Transportation:

RSU 1 contracts with First Student to provide free transportation between school and home for all students residing in an RSU 1 community (Bath, Woolwich, Arrowsic, Phippsburg) who would like to take advantage of this opportunity. First Student can be reached at 207-707-4856. The communities of Georgetown and West Bath contract with Bath Bus Service to provide the same services. Bath Bus Service can be reached at 207-504-2196. The following links may be helpful in preparing your student for the first day of school: First Student Bus Routes

Daily Bell Schedule: 

Morse will run the same daily class schedule as we did last year. An image of the schedule is below. This schedule will be explained in classes and Advisory on the first day of school to all new students. Students who attend a Bath Tech program will have a slightly modified schedule that will also be explained on the first day of school.

Builder Block (RTI): 

Morse holds an academic intervention period in the middle of the day on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday which we call Builder Block. Teachers will request for students to attend their builder block during the period that is marked “RTI” on their schedule. This will show on students’ daily schedules on Infinite Campus. Students will have the opportunity to request to see teachers during Builder Block each week on Tuesdays. Students will be trained /reminded of how this works in their Advisory groups on the first days of school and teachers will help students request teachers for Builder Blocks on Thursday and Friday of the first week of school.

Cell Phone & Smartwatch Free School: 

As I am sure you have read from previous RSU1 communications, Morse along with other RSU1 schools will no longer permit the use of cell phones or smartwatches during school hours. This decision was made by the RSU1 school board after considerable deliberation (more on that process can be found here). We are very hopeful that this policy change will have a significant positive impact on student learning and our school environment. All Morse students will be held to the following expectations around cell phones & smartwatches:

• Every RSU1 6-12 student will be issued a Yondr pouch, which is a device that magnetically locks and eliminates access to cell phones and smartwatches. The pouches cannot be opened without swiping it through the locking station at the main entrance.

• Every RSU1 6-12 student is expected to place their phone and smartwatch into a Yondr pouch during school hours. 

• Every RSU1 6-12 student will be provided and is responsible for their Yondr pouch.  Students will receive a pouch on the first day, and similar to their Chromebook, have it assigned to them through their senior year. 

• Students will be expected to lock their individual Yondr pouch upon entering the school in the morning and will be able to unlock it at dismissal (either at the end of the day or if they are being dismissed early, in the office at the time of dismissal). Students who fail to do so will follow the ladder of consequences listed below:

District Frequently Asked Questions: FAQs

Lunch & Breakfast: 

Students eat breakfast and lunch in the first-floor student commons. Lunch occurs during the 4th-period class on Monday and Tuesday. Those teachers will inform the class whether they go to lunch during the first or second lunch period. Lunch occurs opposite from builder block on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, which is listed on their schedule. This will also be reviewed in Advisory sessions on the first days of school. 

We are thankful that all students can eat lunch & breakfast in the cafeteria for free again this school year. The free lunch and breakfast applies to full meals only; there will be a-la-carte items that will be for sale in the cafeteria as well. More information about RSU 1 food services can be found here. Please contact the food service director, Melissa Cole, for more information: mcole@rsu1.org.

In addition to the efforts of the Morse kitchen, we also have our very own food and supplies pantry located in the library. Students are always welcome to stop by the food pantry for a snack, take-home meals, and personal hygiene supplies. 

School Supplies: 

Please make sure that your student brings their school-issued Chromebook, fully charged, to school daily, starting on the first day of school. If they have used their personal device in past years, please have them bring that device. If your student is new to RSU1 schools, we will be issuing a Chromebook to them on the first days of school. Individual teachers will give supply lists to students on the first days of school as well. If your family is having issues purchasing school supplies, we have school supplies for students in the Morse library that are free for anyone to take, no questions asked. 

Stay informed on your student’s progress: 

Morse will continue to distribute information through Infinite Campus, Brightspace, and our website. It is very important that we have the most updated contact information for your family in our system. If you haven't completed your annual update, where we ask you to confirm or update the critical information about your household and family, please do so at your earliest convenience. It should take 3-5 minutes per student and this should have been emailed to you. This replaces the large packets that you previously received on the first day of school. Please plan to complete this update no later than Friday, September 6th.

Here is how:

Log into the Infinite Campus Parent Portal.

Click More > Online Registration from the left sidebar. > Click Start.

Verify all your students are listed then click Begin Registration.

Follow the prompts and hit submit when you are finished.

Troubleshooting:

Don't have a parent portal account? Click New User on the parent portal and enter the activation key you received in your email.

Can't remember your password? Click Forgot Password on the parent portal.

Other problems? Contact Mrs. Levasseur, hlevasseur@rsu1.org 443-8250 - ext 2 or email techsupport@rsu1.org.

Also, please make sure that you have Infinite Campus, the Morse Website, and Brightspace bookmarked on your computer and/or have downloaded the Apps on your phone. This will give you more information about your student’s attendance and grades than you ever thought you should know! If you do not have an active Infinite Campus Account, please contact Lynn Rouillard-Hill at 443-8250 ext 4 & 1 or lrouillard-hill@rsu1.org.  

Respiratory Illness: 

If a student or staff member has a respiratory illness with a fever, they need to stay home until fever-free for 24 hours without medication. You can call the Morse Health Center at 207-443-8250 or email our Nurse, Katrina Barter at kbarter@rsu1.org, for further guidance.

Student Parking: 

All students who would like to park in the student parking lot are required to register for a parking permit with Mrs. Levasseur, hlevasseur@rsu1.org 443-8250 - ext 2, in the main office at Morse. Students will need to show their license, return a completed parking contract signed by a parent/guardian, and pay $10 to cover the cost of the permit. Parking permits will be issued to seniors first; remaining parking spots will be given to underclassmen as available. If a student does not receive a parking permit at the school, they may park at the tennis court parking lot at the McMann Field Complex. Students without a valid parking permit will not be allowed to park in the Morse High School parking lot.

Open Campus Privileges: 

The open campus privileges will continue for qualified grade 12 students only this school year. Grade 12 students have already received a separate email from Mrs. Levasseur, hlevasseur@rsu1.org  443-8250 - ext 2, who is the contact person for open privileges. Students are also welcome to come see Mrs. Levasseur in the main office for the required paperwork. There are a few important reminders about senior open privileges: 

• Parent permission is required for an open period and/or for open lunch to occur.

• Open lunch and open periods during first and last periods do not have a grade requirement, just parent permission

• Seniors whose grades are all C’s or above on the previous quarter’s report card may have opens during any period of the day with parent permission.

• Students must sign out and back in on the clipboard near the door to the main office each time they leave for a senior open privilege. 

• Students are not permitted to bring takeout food back into Morse. Food deliveries are never permitted during school hours.

• Open privileges can be revoked at any time by administration or parents for attendance issues or other concerns.

Open House:

Morse and Bath Tech will host an open house on the evening of September 19th from 5:00 - 7:00 PM. The Morse Student Services Team will also host a post-secondary planning session for senior students and families in the Montgomery Theater from 6:00 - 7:00 PM. All students and family members are welcome to join us for our open house, see the school, and briefly meet teachers. We hope to see you on September 19th!

Although you still have a few weeks left of summer, The Morse Faculty and Staff are excited to welcome our students to a new school year. Please feel free to reach out with any questions in the remaining weeks of summer. See you soon!

Eric J. Varney
Principal
Morse High School