Freeport High School students waiting for the bus after their first day of school Monday. Maria Skillings / The Times Record
Summer has officially ended, and school is back in session.
Freeport High School welcomed ninth graders on Monday, who said they were excited about new opportunities but a little overwhelmed by the size of the school.
Ellie Webster, 14, said she can’t wait to join one of the school’s many clubs.
Freeport High School freshmen complete their first day. Maria Skillings / The Times Record
Hailey LaPointe, 14, said she was a little confused when she first arrived because the building is “so big.” No longer a middle schooler, LaPointe said she is excited about the new athletic opportunities she will have at Freeport High School, especially the ski team.
In addition to some nervous freshmen, Regional School Unit 5 welcomed 67 new students in grades pre-K through 12 from asylum-seeking families, who are currently staying in Freeport at the Casco Bay Inn. The families were recently relocated from a temporary shelter at the Portland Expo, which housed over 200 people.
RSU 5 Superintendent Jean Skorapa said the parents decided to send their children to Freeport schools rather than making them commute to Portland. To prepare for the language barrier and make the children feel as comfortable as possible, Skorapa said the district has three English as a second language (ESL) teachers on staff. She said most of the children speak Portuguese, French or Lingala. Skorapa said the district is in the process of hiring a fourth ESL teacher and an ed tech to assist with multilingual courses.
“We are up and running. It’s been a great first day. Everyone is in good spirits and smiling,” Skorapa said.
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