November 2025 eNews

Highlights of Upcoming Events

43rd Annual Great Osprey 10k Ocean Run - THIS SATURDAY!

This year marks the 43rd running along the Wolfe Neck Peninsula - join us for this exciting morning event! Proceeds help us assure our programs remain accessible to everyone regardless of their ability to pay. Click the title above for more details, and to register.

Women Coaching Youth Sports - Free Event!

On Saturday, Nov 8th from 10:30am-1:00pm at the J. Richard Martin Community Center in Biddeford, join our partners at MRPA to highlight women coaching in youth sports. Connect with women in other communities, learn how to get involved, and see how you can make a difference!

Email Deb at N2Ldeb@yahoo.com for details.

NEW PROGRAM!

"Winter Basecamp" - Holiday Break Camps

If you are looking for additional childcare for the work days when kids aren't in school, join us for these day camps over winter break! Activities may include outdoor play time - sledding, snowshoeing, hiking on the MLS trails, board games, gym games, arts and crafts and watching classic winter movies. Click the program title above for more details, and to register!

Dick's Sporting Goods Weekend

Coupon Valid November 7th-10th, 2025

If you need to purchase anything for your upcoming winter sports season, consider heading to Dick's Sporting Goods this coming weekend! Maine Recreation and Parks Association (MRPA) has provided this coupon for you get 20% OFF throughout the entire store (not valid online, coupon must be shown at the register).

CLICK THIS LINK FOR YOUR IN-STORE COUPON

Late Fall/Winter Programs - Registration Closing Soon!

Below is a list of programs that start soon - we would love to add a few more participants to each class!

To register for these programs, you can click on their titles or click here to view all of our upcoming programs for fall and winter.

Adult Programs

Art Nights with Sarah Cass

Join Sarah Cass for a variety of art classes this fall and winter! We have Intermediate Crochet beginning 11/4 and running through 11/18, and her annual Holiday Arrangements class is next up, taking place on Dec 2nd. Click the program title above to sign up today!

Photo Editing

Learn how to use LightRoom and Photoshop to organize, edit, and adjust your photos. Participants will complete the class able to make high quality, consistent improvements to their photos. The instructor will share his knowledge and experience from decades in sports and landscape photography.

Wine Tasting with Bow Street Market

Our next wine tasting class will take place on Nov. 12th from 6-7:30pm at the FCS Cafe. We hope to see you there! Sign up by clicking the program title above.

Wok & Cleaver Bootcamp

Sign up for this program to learn how to season, care for, and use a Chinese Wok and Cleaver - all while practicing your favorite stir fry, oven roasting and steamed rice recipes!

Youth Programs

Trading Card Game Camps

At Card Camp, kids learn to play Magic: The Gathering, Pokemon TCG, and more with our Community Programs staff. These camps are offered during Professional Learning and Development days when parents may not have a day off to spend with their families. Click the link above for more info and registration!

Winter Basketball Season



Registration for the Rec Basketball League closes this Friday, Nov 7th - sign up your 3rd-6th grade player today!

Registration for Little Hoopsters (Grades K-2) closes on Monday, Dec 1st. The Freeport group begins on Dec 6th and the Durham group will begin on Dec 13th.

Please reach out if you are interested in coaching basketball this winter! Volunteer coaches are essential for these two programs, and we cannot run them without your support.

Local Events & Activities...

...with Freeport Community Library

Yogurt Making 101

Join FCL on Wednesday, November 19 from 5:30-6:30pm to unlock the secrets of delicious, homemade yogurt guided by UMaine Cooperative Extension Master Food Preserver Volunteer Claire Schreiber. Learn all the essential steps from finding your milk to storing your yogurt, ensuring you can go home and create your own homemade fermented delight (without needing to purchase expensive equipment).

Class will be presented as a demo with opportunities for hands-on time. Please note this class will only cover cow’s milk yogurt, but the process and skills acquired can be applied to other varieties of yogurt.

This event is free and open to the public; class size limited to 20. Registration required at freeportmaine.libcal.com/event/15350822 or by calling the library at 207-865-3307.

Claire Schreiber has been a UMaine Cooperative Extension Master Food Preserver Volunteer since 2018 and has been enjoying homemade yogurt much longer than that! She lives and works in Brunswick, Maine where she lives with her family.



... with "Age Friendly in Freeport/Pownal"



Our partners at Freeport Community Services offer community events taking place regularly at their location at 53 Depot Street in Freeport:

Alzheimer's Association: Caregiver Support Group

On November 13th, beginning at 10:30am, this group will meet downstairs in the FCS Conference Room. Enjoy coffee and connection with peers who are caring for loved ones with any type of Dementia. Trained volunteers will offer support, guidance and comfort to help navigate the journey. All participant information is kept confidential.

Art Van

Every 2nd & 4th Thursday of the Month, from 10:30am-12pm. Meet in the FCS courtyard to create art with your neighbors.

Tech Time with the Library

Every 1st Thursday of the month, from 1-3pm. Meet in the FCS lobby. Come with questions, curiosity, and any gadgets you may need help troubleshooting!

Free Lunch Friday

Every 1st and 3rd Friday of the month, from 12-1pm in the Bradley Room at FCS. Free meals for everyone in the community, prepared by local volunteers.

Gift Cards

Are you looking for a quick and easy holiday gift? Community Programs sells gift cards of any value! Give us a call at 207-865-6171 for details and to purchase.

Reminder to Use Credits on Your Accounts!

Many credits have been issued over the past year, which means you could register for a program using money that has already been applied to your account. To see whether or not you have a credit, you can log into your profile at this link - after logging in, click "My Account" and any credits will be listed under the "Account" menu on the left (see example image below).

Information on Scholarships

One of our goals here at Community Programs is to make our programming accessible to everyone. To help us reach that goal, we offer scholarship funding to anyone who may need it - all you have to do is apply!

If you are interested in applying for a scholarship (full or partial), we ask you to please submit our application form BEFORE registering for the program. The earlier we are able to process these requests, the better, as it helps us budget and plan our programming each season. You may submit your application/request to our office by emailing the completed form to cp@rsu5.org. All information provided will be kept confidential.

Adult Education

Don’t Miss Out on Free College!

The Free Community College benefit ends December 31 — which means time is running out! If you’re thinking about completing your HiSET (High School Equivalency Test), now is the time to finish and lock in this incredible opportunity! Complete your HiSET before the deadline and take advantage of tuition-free college while it lasts. Let’s make it happen!

Contact our Adult Ed Coordinator, Liza Gerber, at:

207-865-6171 x8322 or GerberM@rsu5.org

Laugh & Learn

Our Laugh & Learn programs in Durham, Freeport and Pownal have enjoyed our fall and spent lots of time playing outside, doing fall crafts and more! We enjoy having conversations with children about what the seasonal changes bring to each of them, and our community. 

In October, our Preschoolers stamped their classroom passports and began their journey of learning about different regions and cultures around the world- starting with India and Italy! While “visiting” India, children learned about the region’s people, animals, foods, transportation and the Diwali holiday that happens each year in October. Preschoolers are working their way through the alphabet one letter at a time and are already on letter “D”. What better way to end the month and celebrate Halloween than a Trunk-or-Treat? Thank you to our community members that joined in on the fun. Looking forward to what we have to explore through November!

Our Laugh & Learn team works hard to prepare an inclusive, educational and fun environment for children throughout the school year; we hope to grow and become even more involved in our school and local communities.



Registration for Laugh & Learn Preschool, Before and After Care is still open however spaces are limited for the 2025-2026 school year. Visit the Laugh & Learn page on our website for more details and to begin the registration process. Any questions? Reach out to: ChildhoodEd@rsu5.org

Registration for the 2026-2027 School Year: 

Preschool: Monday, February 2nd 2026

Before and After Care: Wednesday, April 1st 2026 

Laugh & Learn programs are growing so fast that we’re looking to add more teachers to our team! This fun and fulfilling position can be viewed and applied for by visiting this link. Questions? Please reach out to: ChildhoodEd@rsu5.org