2026-2027 Handbook

Elementary Student Handbook

October 7th-  Picture Day

October 9th- Early Release, 12:30 dismissal

October 12th- Holiday, No School

October 13th- Open House- 4-5:30pm

October 13th-16th- Parent/Teacher Conferences

October 19th- MDES PTO Meeting 6:30pm

October 21st- Flu Clinic, 8:30-10am

October 23rd- Early Release, 12:30 dismissal

November 11th- Holiday, No School

November 24th- Early Release, 12:30 dismissal

November 25th-27th- No School, Thanksgiving Break

Dear MDES Families,

We are ending the month of September with a school-wide average daily attendance rate of 95.9%! This is comfortably above our goal rate of 94.5% but is trending down.  Thank you, families, for your continued support of positive school attendance, ensuring good sleep habits and consistent morning routines so that your children arrive at school on time and ready to learn.  I also greatly appreciate your continued communication with our main office to let us know when an appointment, illness or planned family travel keeps your child from coming to school.  Please join me in celebrating the students who met the attendance goal of 94.5% and the students who have perfect attendance for the month of September! They are listed below. 

As you know, our Open House was postponed.  The rescheduled date is Tuesday, October 13th from 4:00-5:30.  This is during our Parent/Teacher Conference week.  The mandatory middle school laptop meeting will take place at the end of Open House (5:00pm).

Please keep an eye on your email inbox for the scheduling link for conferences.  We will send it at the beginning of next week. 

If you haven’t yet, please access your Power School account to update the contact information for your child. We want to make sure we have the correct information in our system. 

Thank you,

Heather Dorr, M.Ed.

She/Her

Principal, 

Mount Desert Elementary School 

4th Grade Day on Swan's Island

Athletic Calendar subject to change.

Athletic Calendar

Come support the Cross Country team at their meet on Monday, October 5th at Lamoine School. The starting time is 4:00 PM–Girls run first.

2026-2027 School Calendar

Mustang Cafe

Art News

The K-8 art students at MDES are excited to invite you to MOMA@MDES at Open House.  This year, during our Open House, you will get to walk the halls and experience an art exhibit featuring works of contemporary art reimagined by our students.  Save the date!

Music News

Garden News

Growing Gardens, Growing Minds: MDES School Garden Project

Library News

Tape Art Workshop

Students in grades 3-8 participated in a Tape Art Workshop at the library with professional muralists Leah and Michael. They decorated the walls of the library with tape creations based on prompts like "books with creatures emerging from them," "under the sea," and "tiger birthday party." For more information about Leah and Michael's work, head to tapeart.com.