This edition highlights Sanford students shining at the Annual Elks Youth Banquet. We also spotlight SRTC inducting more than 80 students into the National Technical Honor Society, three Sanford Middle School students excelling in the State Stock Market Game, a Sanford senior making her mark in a new Sports Medicine Program, and an SRTC staff member being named the 2026 MPA Administrative Assistant of the Year. You'll find Sights Around Our Schools, highlights from each school, important updates, and ways to stay connected with Sanford Schools.
Sanford Students Shine at Annual Elks Youth Banquet
The Sanford Elks Lodge hosted its annual Youth Banquet on Wednesday, May 6, bringing together students, families, and community members for an evening dedicated to celebrating academic achievement across Sanford's schools.
This year's event recognized outstanding students from Sanford Middle School, Sanford Regional Technical Center, and Sanford High School.
Sanford Middle School was well represented, with Sophia O'Connell and Eamon McGuckin-Welsch both named Junior Student of the Year.
SRTC Inducts More Than 80 Students into National Technical Honor Society
More than 80 Sanford Regional Technical Center students were recently inducted into the National Technical Honor Society (NTHS) during a ceremony held Wednesday, May 6, at the Sanford Performing Arts Center. The event celebrated the achievements of students who have demonstrated excellence in career and technical education programs.
The ceremony honored both returning members and welcomed new junior and senior inductees from programs spanning the full range of SRTC's career and technical offerings. SRTC Director Matt Petermann welcomed attendees, and Career Aspirations and ELO Coordinator Sally MacDougal delivered the NTHS slogan as part of the program.
Sights Around Our Schools
Carl J. Lamb Elementary
Carl J. Lamb School celebrated the season with a series of Spring Concerts and Arts Nights, with each grade level taking its turn in the spotlight over the course of a week. The festivities kicked off with Pre-K and First Grade, followed by Second and Third Grade, and concluded with a special Fourth Grade Concert and Promotion Night. Be sure to check out WSSRTV's YouTube page soon for concert videos.
Margaret Chase Smith Elementary
Margaret Chase Smith School celebrated its fourth annual Variety Show, with students taking the stage to showcase an incredible range of talent. Over the past month, performers have been channeling creativity and courage as the school rolled out its new theme and core value — and it all came together in a fantastic night of entertainment that the whole community could be proud of.
Sanford Middle School
Sanford Middle School students recently used their reasoning skills to calculate volume and solve problems involving circles. They worked collaboratively, sharing strategies and supporting one another to deepen their understanding. Students also enjoyed lemonade to celebrate their efforts and create a positive learning environment!
Sanford Pride Elementary
As part of Teacher Appreciation Week, Sanford Pride Elementary wrapped up the week in style, treating its incredible teachers to bagels and donuts generously provided by Congdon's in Wells. The celebration didn't stop there — staff and students also gathered to hand out raffle prizes to the lucky winners of the 2026 school year.
Sanford High School
The Sanford High School Performing Arts Center came alive with the sounds of incredibly talented students during the annual Spring Concert. The evening featured performances by the SHS Choral Ensembles, including Vox Sparta, Select Treble Choir, Sanford Chamber Singers, and the SHS Chorale, as well as the SHS Band Ensembles. Be sure to check out WSSRTV's YouTube page soon for full concert videos.
Sanford Regional Technical Center
SRTC Culinary Arts students had a great opportunity to cater the grand opening of the York County Regional Training Center in Alfred. From preparation to presentation, these students rose to the occasion, delivering an impressive spread. It truly showcased the talent, dedication, and hard work they bring to their craft every day.
Three Sanford Middle School Students Excel in State Stock Market Game
Sanford Middle School had another strong showing in this year's statewide SIFMA Stock Market Game, with three students finishing in the top 11 in Maine. Billy Chaplain led the way with a third-place finish, while Owen Jutras came in sixth and Laila Matthews finished 11th.
The competition gave students $100,000 in virtual money to invest across a real-time simulated stock market. This isn’t the first time Sanford Middle School students have excelled in the Stock Market Game. Last year, five SMS students placed in the top 10.
For Billy, the path to the podium wasn't a straight line. He found himself near the top of the leaderboard early, reaching first place about five weeks into the competition, only to slip back down.
Sanford Middle School JMG Students Step Outside the Classroom for Career Exploration
Over the past six weeks, 7th and 8th grade Jobs for Maine's Graduates (JMG) students at Sanford Middle School took part in three career exploration experiences, giving them a firsthand look at career pathways they may pursue after graduation.
Students visited the Sanford Fire Department, the Center for Wildlife, and both the Wells and Sanford campuses of York County Community College, including the newly opened First Responder Training Facility in Alfred.
Rather than simply observing, students actively participated in activities connected to careers in emergency services, environmental science, electrical work, and welding.
Sanford Senior Excels in New Sports Medicine Program
When Sanford Regional Technical Center launched its new Sports Medicine Program, it opened a door that one Sanford High School senior was ready to walk right through.
Now a senior with plans to study exercise science at St. Joseph's College next fall, Isabella McCall has become one of the program's standout participants, pairing her classroom learning with a hands-on internship at Maine Health's Sports Performance Center in Sanford.
Isabella admits she wasn't always sure what direction she wanted to take after high school. It was through conversations with teachers and some soul-searching that exercise science started to feel like the right fit.
SRTC Program Highlight: Precision Manufacturing
Walk into the Precision Manufacturing program at Sanford Regional Technical Center and you will find students operating real machines, reading blueprints, and building components from the ground up.
Instructor Joseph Bolduc brings decades of real-world experience to the classroom. Before becoming a teacher, he spent 19 years working as a machinist and toolmaker. He has now been teaching Precision Manufacturing at SRTC for 22 years, and his enthusiasm for the trade comes through in everything he does.
Sanford senior Alex Janousek is a good example of what the program can do for a student. "Machining has been a great opportunity to learn skills that can provide a decent job straight out of high school and provides opportunities to make fun projects that you wouldn't otherwise be able to build, like the engine I built," he says.
The Spartan Times
The Spartan Times, SHS's online student newspaper, features articles by student reporters enrolled in CCP
Journalism or School Newspaper Enrichment courses. Below is an article written by Eliza Allen on Sanford High School celebrating seniors' post-secondary plans for Decision Day.
Journalism or School Newspaper Enrichment courses. Below is an article written by Eliza Allen on Sanford High School celebrating seniors' post-secondary plans for Decision Day.
SRTC's Darlene Breton Named 2026 MPA Administrative Assistant of the Year
Sanford Regional Technical Center Administrative Assistant Darlene Breton has been named the 2026 Maine Principals' Association Administrative Assistant of the Year. The award recognizes school administrative professionals across Maine who demonstrate exceptional dedication, leadership, and service to their school communities.
Breton has served SRTC since November of 1983, making her one of the longest-serving staff members in the center's history. Over that time, she has worked alongside every director the school has had and has witnessed SRTC grow from approximately 300 students to nearly 800 today, serving families across eight partner communities throughout York County.
BRIDGE Program Elementary Students Tour Hannaford's
Students in the Sanford School Department's BRIDGE Program elementary division traded their classrooms for the aisles of Hannaford's in Sanford for a fun and educational field trip last Friday.
Every Friday is "Fun Friday" in the BRIDGE Program, and this one was extra memorable.
Students explored the entire store from the produce section to the seafood department, sampling fresh strawberries, watermelon, cheese, mozzarella sticks, and cookies along the way.
Genest Family Gift Amplifies Both Performing Arts Center and Sanford Middle School
The Sanford High School Performing Arts Center has a new Allen & Heath digital mixing console, thanks to a generous gift from the Gerard and Gertrude Genest Charitable Trust, and the upgrade is already making a difference for students, staff, and audiences alike.
The foundation reached out to the school, asking simply what was needed. Brett Williams, Director of the Sanford Performing Arts Center, said the answer came down to sound. The center had been working with a soundboard installed when the building opened in 2018, one that wasn't quite built for the scale of programming the center has grown into.
See Something, Say Something
As a school system, we are committed to creating and sustaining a comprehensive, coordinated effort to maintain the overall safety and well-being of our students, educators and administrators. Therefore we utilize the “Say Something Anonymous Reporting System” (SS-ARS), a system fully funded by the national nonprofit Sandy Hook Promise. The SS-ARS allows youth and adults to securely submit anonymous safety concerns – anytime, from anywhere – to help identify and intervene upon at-risk individuals before they hurt themselves or others. The system enables school administrators and law enforcement (if needed) to create effective interventions and to help prevent violence, suicide, bullying, self-harm and other forms of threatening behavior.
How to submit a tip to the Say Something program:
- Say Something website (SaySomething.net)
- Say Something mobile app (App Store | Google Play)
- Say Something hotline (1-844-5-SAY NOW | 1-844-572-9669)
Additional Links to Stay Updated With the Community
