DIXFIELD – Two months after it received a $360,000 grant for after-school programs, SAD 21 is celebrating more good news.

It has won two new federal grants worth another $900,000.

“We’re just sort of shocked right now,” said Superintendent Thomas Ward.

SAD 21, which includes Canton, Carthage, Dixfield and Peru, has received $484,000 to pay for physical education equipment and a nutrition program. The school system will receive the money over three years and will share it with SAD 43 in Mexico.

SAD 21 has also received $420,000 to pay for a systemwide mentoring program. It will receive the money over the next three years.

Ward learned his 1,000-student school system won the highly competitive mentoring grant when he got a call from U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe’s office last Thursday morning. Hours later, he learned about the second grant from U.S. Sen. Susan Collins’ office.

With the grant received in August, SAD 21 has now won $1.2 million. It is the most grant money the school system has ever received at once.

“We were very hopeful,” said Thomas Starratt, principal of Dirigo Middle School. “You can move mountains if you work at it. And we’ve been working hard up here.”

The physical education grant will pay for new fitness equipment and health programs. Officials also hope to collaborate with a local ski resort to offer students snowshoeing, skiing and other activities.

The mentoring grant will allow the school system to expand and enhance a program already running in the schools. With help from Big Brothers Big Sisters and other agencies, SAD 21 will match up to 80 kids with advisers. Some younger students may be matched with high-schoolers. Older students will receive adult mentors from the community.

The money will pay for mentors’ background checks, training and monthly field trips for mentors and their charges.

“We’re going to be able to provide our students with some opportunities they wouldn’t have had before,” Starratt said.

All three of SAD 21’s grants were highly competitive. Officials believe judges were won over by the school district’s commitment to partnering with Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Child Health Center in Norway and other area agencies.

SAD 21 expects to receive the money for its latest grants in November.