Latest news with #RSU21
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Kennebunk High School hosts regional Farm-to-School Cook-Off: Here's who won
KENNEBUNK, Maine — School nutrition teams showcased their culinary skills using local ingredients at the regional Maine Farm-to-School Cook-Off held at Kennebunk High School on Tuesday, March 18. The competition, now in its 10th year, featured teams from RSU 21 and MSAD 60 preparing breakfast and lunch meals using locally sourced ingredients. "This event really showcases what school nutrition programs are doing with local ingredients and really showcasing local farmers," said Stephanie Stambach, child nutrition supervisor at the Maine Department of Education's Child Nutrition Office. This year's challenge ingredients included local eggs donated by Maine family farms and pollock from the Maine Coast Fishermen's Association. Teams were also required to incorporate one USDA food item to balance meal costs. Bridging education: RSU 21 hosts special ed professional development day Gary Hoover, kitchen manager at Kennebunkport Consolidated School (KCS), prepared a Jamaican callaloo frittata for breakfast and a Jamaican Pollock Escabeche for lunch. "We're going to season it pretty heavily with jerk seasoning," Hoover explained about the lunch dish. "It's going to get some Worcestershire sauce and a bit more vinegar. A lot of flavor." Hoover was joined in the kitchen by KCS third-grade teacher TrudyAnn Morrison, a native of Jamaica, who came up with the ideas for both dishes. The four-person judging panel included KHS juniors Brayden Collard and Sam Matthews. "I'm pretty impressed at the idea of using local ingredients in a school cafeteria," Matthews said. "If this was at school in the morning, I'd probably be here as early as I could." The regional competition was the first of three planned events. The winning team, MSAD 60, now advances to the state finals in Augusta. "It really sheds a positive light on school nutrition programs and all the great work they're doing across the state," Stambach added. "In Maine, we're really lucky because we have so many local farmers and fishermen that we can showcase in school meals." More: How Kennebunk High School's TA program is transforming classrooms This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Kennebunk High School hosts regional Farm-to-School Cook-Off
USA Today
10-02-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Kennebunk residents urge School Board to ban transgender athletes: RSU 21 defends policy
Kennebunk residents urge School Board to ban transgender athletes: RSU 21 defends policy Show Caption Hide Caption Trump signs executive order banning trans women from sports teams President Trump signed an executive order barring transgender women and girls from playing on school sports teams. KENNEBUNK, Maine — Residents Thomas Moyer and Rodney Sparkowich recently addressed the RSU 21 School Board, urging them to revoke the district's policy that permits transgender girls to participate on girls' sports teams. After they spoke, three residents pushed back. And then, two days later, Moyer and Sparkowich and others who share their views received support for their argument from the highest office in the land. On Wednesday, Feb. 5, President Donald Trump signed an executive order seeking to ban transgender students from playing girls' sports – and to cut off federal funds to schools that do not comply. While school districts and other entities across the country process the president's new executive order, one well-known sports organization already has heeded it. On Thursday, the National Collegiate Athletics Association – the NCAA – announced that only athletes assigned as females at birth will be able to play college women's sports. Maine, however, does not plan to follow Trump's executive order. The Maine Department of Education issued guidance regarding Trump's executive order stating that it applies to the "Federal government/Federal government agencies only and does not inhibit the force of Maine law or locally-adopted school board policies." "Maine SAUs are expected to abide by the Maine Human Rights Act (MHRA), which prohibits discrimination of the basis of protected class in employment housing, places of public accommodation, education, and extension of credit," the DOE stated. Protected classes, they noted, include gender identity and expression. RSU 21 officials said their policy regarding transgender students and school athletics is in step with the policy put forth by the Maine Principals' Association. Mike Burnham, the executive director of the Maine Principals' Association, said the MPA is a state organization that needs to follow Maine law. 'Should the law change, the MPA policy would be reconsidered,' Burnham said. More: Valerie West named assistant principal at Kennebunk High School Why some parents are advocating for banning trans athletes from girls' sports At the School Board meeting last week, resident Thomas Moyer told board members it was unfair for biological boys identifying as female to compete against girls in sports. 'This is not fair to girls because boys, on average, are bigger, stronger, faster, and more powerful than girls, giving boys an athletic advantage,' Moyer said. Moyer stated that a transgender girl has the body of a developing boy. 'Allowing students with boy bodies to compete against students with girl bodies creates competition that is not equitable,' Moyer said. 'Also, transgender girls may prevent girls who are not transgender from having an opportunity to participate or win.' Moyer referred to a federal district court in Kentucky that in January ruled that gender identity is not included in Title IX, the civil rights law that prohibits schools that receive federal funding from discrimination based on sex. 'RSU 21 receives federal funds,' Moyer reminded the board. Moyer urged the board to change its policy on transgender and gender-expansive students. He submitted a petition to the board that he said bore the signatures of 60 individuals in the RSU 21 community who agreed with him. Rodney Sparkowich, who also signed the petition, said girls need 'safe, private spaces' that exclude biological boys. He mentioned two well-known news stories, one involving a girl who suffered a concussion when a transgender female spiked a volleyball during a game and hit her in the face, and another pertaining to a girl who was sexually assaulted in a school bathroom in Virginia by a "boy in a skirt." 'I know that if I had young children, I would want to engage the long view – not just blindly run along with the lemmings watching our RSU 21 kids jump off the cliff to near-certain physical and physiological detriment,' Sparkowich said. Moyer and Sparkowich spoke during the public comment segment of the board's meeting, so by policy, members were prohibited from responding. However, several community members spoke to push back against what Moyer and Sparkowich had said. Amanda Downing, of Kennebunk, took issue with Sparkowich drawing on the Virginia case in support of the argument he made to the board. 'The idea of implying that someone who is transgender wants to have access to a bathroom to commit such a crime is not only inaccurate, it's offensive,' Downing said. 'The only person responsible for that crime is the person who committed it.' Brian McGrath, a Kennebunk resident and the parent of a daughter in the school system, stated he was 'fully supportive' of transgender athletes participating in sports that match with their gender identity. 'The idea that someone would pretend to be another gender to gain a competitive advantage shows a willful misunderstanding of transgender individuals' experiences,' McGrath said. McGrath also disputed Moyer's opinion that the district's policy was unfair. He offered himself as an example, noting that he loves basketball but is not very tall and, therefore, did not get to compete in the sport. 'The idea that fairness somehow comes into play is absolutely ridiculous to me,' he said. 'Frankly, sports are not fair.' More: RSU 21 rescinds job offer for NH teacher arrested on embezzlement charges RSU 21 responds to petition, executive order regarding trans athletes Asked on Wednesday to comment about the petition, School Board Chair Matthew Stratford expressed the district's commitment to the 'safety, well-being, and dignity of all of our students.' 'Our policies are developed to ensure every student can participate in school activities in an environment where they feel safe, respected, and supported,' Stratford added. Superintendent Terri Cooper said RSU 21's policy regarding transgender athletes is in line with state law, with the Maine Human Rights Act, and with the district's 'core values of inclusion, fairness, and student well-being.' 'We remain focused on our primary mission: providing every student with the opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed in a supportive educational environment,' Cooper said. 'All students, regardless of gender identity or expression, have the right to participate in athletics in a way that ensures their safety, dignity, and access to the educational benefits that sports provide.' Cooper said the district's approach prioritizes 'creating an environment where every student can thrive.' 'We've seen firsthand how participation in school sports builds confidence, teaches teamwork, and supports academic achievement,' Cooper said. 'These benefits should be available to all our students. We will continue to implement our policies in accordance with Maine law while ensuring fair competition and maintaining our commitment to student safety and privacy.' In a letter to the RSU 21 community on Friday, Cooper elaborated.'In accordance with the Maine Human Rights Act, we do not discriminate based on gender identity or expression," she wrote. "This position is supported by extensive research showing that inclusive policies lead to better educational outcomes for all students.' Cooper also said the president's executive order does not alter the district's obligations under Maine law or its commitment to 'maintaining a safe and equitable learning environment.' 'Our policies continue to protect all students' rights to participate in athletics consistent with their gender identity while ensuring fair competition and opportunities for everyone,' she said. 'We remain dedicated to fostering an environment where every student-athlete can compete, learn, and grow with dignity and respect.'
