Howard C. Reiche School
Encyclopedia
The Howard C. Reiche Community School is a K–5 elementary school
in the West End
of Portland
, Maine
. Marcia Gendron is currently the principal.
The school building was constructed in the 1970s. Buildings in a four-block area were demolished to make room for the school, which was built according to an open-plan design. The two-story building, occupying 5.2 acres (2.1 ha), was designed for 371 students.
, the school was the main elementary school for English as an additional language (ESL) students in the Portland Public Schools
. ESL instruction began at Reiche in 1981 in response to an influx of Asian immigrants in the school's neighborhood after Portland's designation in 1980 as a refugee resettlement city. there were 515 students in the school, of whom 60 percent were from ethnic or linguistic minority groups and of whom 88 percent received free or reduced-price lunch
es. The students spoke 27 different languages other than English in their homes, including Arabic, Spanish
, Somali
, Khmer
, Vietnamese
, Serbo-Croatian
, and Acholi.
There were about 300 students enrolled for the 2010-2011 school year.
A branch library of the Portland Public Library
was located in Reiche School from 1974 until 2010, when the library branch closed. Its space is now occupied by a new community policing center. The building also houses a community health clinic, a community swimming pool
, a community gym and locker rooms, and other community center facilities.
In 1991–1992, Reiche School was designated a Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. In both 2003 and 2004 it was listed as failing to meet federal standards under the No Child Left Behind program. After the initial listing was announced in 2003, Reiche's "failing" rating was criticized by the principal of another Portland elementary school, located in an affluent neighborhood, that had been identified as one of Maine's best-performing schools. Longfellow School principal Dawn Carrigan was quoted in the Bangor Daily News
comparing her school's results with Reiche's and stating her opinion that "there is no good reason to create public lists that compare schools, particularly when students come from different backgrounds." In subsequent years, Reiche school succeeded in getting off the "failing" list by making Adequate Yearly Progress
.
In June 2011, Reiche announced it would become a teacher-led school, forgoing the more common principal leadership. It became one of the few schools in Maine to try the model.
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
in the West End
West End (Portland, Maine)
The West End is a downtown neighborhood in Portland, Maine. It is located on the western side of Portland's peninsula primarily on Bramhall Hill and is noted for its architecture and history. The neighborhood is home to a large number of historic homes and parks and, in 2010, it was called "one of...
of Portland
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
. Marcia Gendron is currently the principal.
The school building was constructed in the 1970s. Buildings in a four-block area were demolished to make room for the school, which was built according to an open-plan design. The two-story building, occupying 5.2 acres (2.1 ha), was designed for 371 students.
, the school was the main elementary school for English as an additional language (ESL) students in the Portland Public Schools
Portland Public Schools, Maine
Portland Public Schools is the public school district in Portland, Maine, United States. The district operates 18 primary and secondary schools. It is the largest and most ethnically diverse school district in Maine, with a student body made up of roughly 20% minorities...
. ESL instruction began at Reiche in 1981 in response to an influx of Asian immigrants in the school's neighborhood after Portland's designation in 1980 as a refugee resettlement city. there were 515 students in the school, of whom 60 percent were from ethnic or linguistic minority groups and of whom 88 percent received free or reduced-price lunch
Reduced price meal
Reduced price meal is a term used in the U.S.A. to describe a federally reimbursable meal served to a child who applies for and qualifies because the family’s income is between 130% and 185% of the federal poverty threshold...
es. The students spoke 27 different languages other than English in their homes, including Arabic, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, Somali
Somali language
The Somali language is a member of the East Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family. Its nearest relatives are Afar and Oromo. Somali is the best documented of the Cushitic languages, with academic studies beginning before 1900....
, Khmer
Khmer language
Khmer , or Cambodian, is the language of the Khmer people and the official language of Cambodia. It is the second most widely spoken Austroasiatic language , with speakers in the tens of millions. Khmer has been considerably influenced by Sanskrit and Pali, especially in the royal and religious...
, Vietnamese
Vietnamese language
Vietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam...
, Serbo-Croatian
Serbo-Croatian
Serbo-Croatian or Serbo-Croat, less commonly Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian , is a South Slavic language with multiple standards and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro...
, and Acholi.
There were about 300 students enrolled for the 2010-2011 school year.
A branch library of the Portland Public Library
Portland Public Library
The Portland Public Library is the name of the public library system for Portland, Maine, USA. It is also the name of the city's main library which is located at 5 Monument Square on Congress Street in the Old Port neighborhood of Portland. The system also has three branch locations: Burbank...
was located in Reiche School from 1974 until 2010, when the library branch closed. Its space is now occupied by a new community policing center. The building also houses a community health clinic, a community swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
, a community gym and locker rooms, and other community center facilities.
In 1991–1992, Reiche School was designated a Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. In both 2003 and 2004 it was listed as failing to meet federal standards under the No Child Left Behind program. After the initial listing was announced in 2003, Reiche's "failing" rating was criticized by the principal of another Portland elementary school, located in an affluent neighborhood, that had been identified as one of Maine's best-performing schools. Longfellow School principal Dawn Carrigan was quoted in the Bangor Daily News
Bangor Daily News
The Bangor Daily News is an American newspaper that was founded on June 18, 1889; in 1900 the paper merged with the Bangor Whig and Courier. The Bangor Publishing Co. publishes the paper in Bangor, Maine, in addition to two weekly papers distributed by the BDN and several others distributed by the...
comparing her school's results with Reiche's and stating her opinion that "there is no good reason to create public lists that compare schools, particularly when students come from different backgrounds." In subsequent years, Reiche school succeeded in getting off the "failing" list by making Adequate Yearly Progress
Adequate Yearly Progress
Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP, is a measurement defined by the United States federal No Child Left Behind Act that allows the U.S. Department of Education to determine how every public school and school district in the country is performing academically according to results on standardized...
.
In June 2011, Reiche announced it would become a teacher-led school, forgoing the more common principal leadership. It became one of the few schools in Maine to try the model.
External links
- School website
- Antioch New England Multicultural Center for Research and Practice Abstract of a paper on the multicultural demographic profile, policies, procedures, and services of the school.