
Lyman Moore Middle School is located in Portland, Maine, a few miles from the coast and 50 miles north of New Hampshire.
Portland
has a rich history. The Abenaki Native Americans who lived here
originally called it Machigonne, meaning Great Neck. The English
controlled the town beginning in 1633 and called it first, Casco, and
then Falmouth. In 1676 the Abenaki people returned to destroy the town
and it remained abandoned until 1713. The community was leveled again
during the Revolutionary War, this time by the British. Locals
separated from Falmouth in 1786, calling their new home Portland. 100
years later Portland went up in a massive inferno leaving 10,000 people
homeless. And yet after each setback, Portlanders rebuilt and their
city revived. Today Portland is home to about 64,000 people.
Portland's city seal depicts a phoenix rising out of ashes. It's motto is "Resurgam," Latin for "I will rise again."
Portland
is a designated United States Refuge Resettlement Community. In recent
decades our city has welcomed families from Africa, Asia, the Balkans,
the Middle East and many other lands. Over 1800 of Portland's students
come from homes where over 50 languages are spoken. These students
represent about 25% of the Portland School Districts total enrollment.
North
Deering, where Lyman Moore is located, is a neighborhood that borders
on Falmouth. Lyman Moore draws students from Munjoy Hill, both sides of Washington Avenue, and from the homes surrounding the school.
