Graduation has come and gone but the words of our guest speaker Mike Dauphinee will live on in our students forever.
Mike Dauphinee grew up in Patten, Maine, bagged groceries at Ellis Family Market and worked his summers at Cedar Valley Farm for Robert and Louise Guptill. He graduated from Katahdin in 1992 and went on to earn his degree in Communications and Public Relations and immediately went to work.
He spent a year and a half in San Jose, CA working a minimum wage job at a juvenile drug rehab facility for convicted felons. He worked his nights at Hewlett Packard call center until he worked his way up to global contracts negotiator. After 5 years, he left, he had no map and just kept moving.
In 2006, The Dauphinee Group was founded that was built into a global coaching and consulting firm with dozens of staff across seven countries. He has coached athletes you see on TV, World Series Champs, Olympic Teams, and national programs like U.S. Ski and Snowboard and USA Triathlon. He has been an advisor to tech and start up companies, sat at tables with executives from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and done leadership work in complex environments that included active conflict zones overseas. He has written a book, trekked the Everest Base Camp, crossed high passes in Peru, led expeditions through Patagonia, and started a nonprofit fighting poverty in Nigeria and Honduras.
And after everything he has seen and done, every bedroom, every mountain, every warzone, he is clear on one thing: It all started here. This place. These towns. These people. This school.
Thank you to everyone who makes this day possible and CONGRATS to the Class of 2026!
Photo Credit goes to:
Beth Somers, Kelly Birmingham, and all the Senior Moms!
Mike Dauphinee grew up in Patten, Maine, bagged groceries at Ellis Family Market and worked his summers at Cedar Valley Farm for Robert and Louise Guptill. He graduated from Katahdin in 1992 and went on to earn his degree in Communications and Public Relations and immediately went to work.
He spent a year and a half in San Jose, CA working a minimum wage job at a juvenile drug rehab facility for convicted felons. He worked his nights at Hewlett Packard call center until he worked his way up to global contracts negotiator. After 5 years, he left, he had no map and just kept moving.
In 2006, The Dauphinee Group was founded that was built into a global coaching and consulting firm with dozens of staff across seven countries. He has coached athletes you see on TV, World Series Champs, Olympic Teams, and national programs like U.S. Ski and Snowboard and USA Triathlon. He has been an advisor to tech and start up companies, sat at tables with executives from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and done leadership work in complex environments that included active conflict zones overseas. He has written a book, trekked the Everest Base Camp, crossed high passes in Peru, led expeditions through Patagonia, and started a nonprofit fighting poverty in Nigeria and Honduras.
And after everything he has seen and done, every bedroom, every mountain, every warzone, he is clear on one thing: It all started here. This place. These towns. These people. This school.
Thank you to everyone who makes this day possible and CONGRATS to the Class of 2026!
Photo Credit goes to:
Beth Somers, Kelly Birmingham, and all the Senior Moms!
Early dismissal on the last day of school June 10th at 11:15. Happy Summer!
Agenda for School Board Meeting on June 11, 2026.
The 5th grade class learned about Jellyfish and then had the opportunity to create their own!
Break the Cycle: Vote Yes to Support the RSU #89 School Budget
"A community that supports its schools is a community that believes in its future."
The Cycle: A loss of State subsidy leads to staff and program cuts. Fewer opportunities can result in lower enrollment as families seek schools with more options. Lower enrollment then leads to even less State subsidy, creating a cycle of continued funding challenges and reduced opportunities for students.
Katahdin High School Class of 2026 made one last trip through the halls of KES. Miss Bishops first grade class made posters of each of the graduates and gifted those to each of them. A special moment between our seniors and some of the youngest Cougars. Time travels fast! KES wishes our seniors the best as they are off to do amazing things in this world.
Our second grade students enjoyed the Orchard on Monday! What a joyful morning of creating, collaborating, exploring, discovering, and learning in nature!
Our 4th and 5th graders explored the Fort Knox Historic Site. Fort Knox is one of the best-preserved examples of coastal defense fortifications constructed in the mid-1800s. It is America's first fort named after Major General Henry Knox.
Kids eat free this summer!
This Friday, June 5th is the deadline to have Summer Academy enrollment forms submitted. There will be no exceptions. Summer Academy starts June 15th 8:00-12:00. If your child is enrolled by June 5th you will receive a letter the week of June 8th.
2026 Senior - Seth Tucker
Katahdin Elementary's Field day is June 5th.
A letter from our Food Director
2026 Senior - Dakota Teschendorf
Our Outdoor English 2 seniors proudly completed their community service project with the rededication of the Katahdin trail system. Family members and community supporters joined us for this meaningful event as we honored the memories of Dustin Harris, Nick Hall, and Bob Dyer through dedicated trails in their names.
This project was a wonderful way for our students to give back, celebrate the outdoors, and recognize the lasting impact these individuals had on our school and community. Thank you to everyone who attended and helped make the day so special.
This project was a wonderful way for our students to give back, celebrate the outdoors, and recognize the lasting impact these individuals had on our school and community. Thank you to everyone who attended and helped make the day so special.
2026 Senior - Bradley Swallow
Our National Honor Society students spent time planting flowers in barrels as a community service project to help beautify and line the streets of Patten. We appreciate their hard work, teamwork, and dedication to giving back to our community!
The Northbound buses are doubling up tonight (5/28/26). If you wish to change your student's after school destination, please call the school office.
2026 Senior - Calvin Richardson
Reminder: Join us tomorrow May 29th for the rededication of the trail system at Katahdin Schools. We will gather at the KMHS flagpole at noon to celebrate this special occasion. We hope to see you there!
Please be prepared for a short walk along the trails, and keep in mind that some areas may be uneven or muddy.
Please be prepared for a short walk along the trails, and keep in mind that some areas may be uneven or muddy.
