For SAD 61’s youngest students, they will take their first steps into elementary school buildings this Friday as part of kindergarten orientation.

Sessions will be held as follows:

• Songo Locks School in Naples at 9 a.m.
• Stevens Brook Elementary in Bridgton at 11 a.m.
• Sebago Elementary at 2 p.m.

School opens for all students on Wednesday, Aug. 31. There is no school on Friday, Sept. 2 or Monday, Sept. 5, Labor Day.

The next important dates for parents to mark on their calendars are open houses at each school:

• Stevens Brook, Tuesday, Sept. 13 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
• Lake Region High School, Wednesday, Sept. 14 from 6 to 8 p.m.
• Sebago Elementary, Thursday, Sept. 15 from 6 to 7 p.m.
• Songo Locks School, Thursday, Sept. 15 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
• Lake Region Middle School, Thursday, Sept. 22 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

New staff members

Some new faces across SAD 61 include:

At Songo Locks — Nicole Thibault, school nurse; Shauna Vogen, Title 1 math teacher; Ellen Berry, school counselor; Jaimee Smith, Grade 5 teacher; Christine Karcanes, K-2 Academic Support Tech.

At Stevens Brook — Thomas Letourneau, Kindergarten teacher; Miranda Walker, Grade 3 teacher; Janelle Foster, Kindergarten teacher; Emily Howes, Grade 1 teacher.

At Lake Region Middle School — Megan Gillespie, World Language; Sarah Kearsley, 7/8 Science teacher; Chandra Nizamoff, Science teacher; Douglas Maker, Science teacher; Nicole Barton, 7/8 Math teacher; Gail White, school nurse.

Special Services — Amy Boclair, Susan Bryant, Kelsey Doiron, Stephanie LeBlanc, Jennifer Kenyon, Gordon Smith, Special Ed teachers; Maria Davis, Speech/Language.

Buildings & Transportation — Jason Brooker, school bus mechanic, bus garage; Dick Doble, head custodian at Songo Locks School.