Weekly Update - Friday, March 5, 2021
Dear RSU 71 Students, Families, Staff, School Board, and Community Members,
I hope that you have had a fantastic first week in March. We have the most number of school days in March than in any other month (23), which is helpful to continuity in teaching and learning. I'm continuing to see evidence of excellent teaching and learning happening throughout RSU 71 and will give voice to just one example of innovative education at the end of this letter, which will be Robo-emailed to families in the afternoon and posted on the district website and my blog.
Green and Yellow - We have had one confirmed case of the coronavirus in an individual associated with Belfast Area High School. All individuals who are close contacts have been notified. According to risk, Waldo County continues to be assessed as green in the state's color-classification system; indeed, the entire state is now green. I've been asked if the high school will become green (full-time in-person instruction) this spring. We still need to follow the six safety requirements, one of which is a social distance requirement of 3-feet between students when masked, 6-feet between students when not masked (to eat lunch, for example), and 6-feet between adults and all other people, even when masked. The high school classrooms and hallways are not large enough to implement this safety requirement if everyone comes to school simultaneously. So we won't return to full-time in-person instruction in 9- 12 until everyone wishes to receive the COVID-19 vaccine pandemic has been able to get one, and we reach herd immunity. Although all our K-8 schools are currently in green in-person mode, certain grade levels may need to move to yellow, as many students have returned to in-person instruction. In certain classes and grades, we are at the upper limit of what we can safely fit into a classroom; if we get even one more student in some grades, we will need to move to yellow/hybrid at that grade level (not for the whole school).
Vaccinations - Many staff members are eager to be immunized against the coronavirus. Maine has found a way to enable all staff to be vaccinated soon, which is another good news piece. Several folks have asked if the COVID-19 vaccine is required. It is not mandated for students or staff. Click on this blue link to see more information from Governor Mills, who released a statement about it.
Non-COVID 19 Vaccinations - While we are on the topic of vaccinations, the new law that requires all students to be immunized against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella, polio, and varicella will go into effect on September 1. Students enrolled in grades 7 - 12 must also be immunized against meningococcal. So schools will send parents and guardians of students who are missing vaccinations a letter explaining which ones their children will need to get by September 1. Here in the blue link is an explanation of which age groups need which vaccine:
LD 798 Implementation, Effective September 1, 2021
Rental Assistance - Due to the pandemic's impact on family finances, eligible families may qualify for up to one year of rental support. Click the link below for more information.
https://www.mainehousing.org/programs-services/rental/rentaldetail/covid-19-rental-relief-program
Food Assistance - Many families are struggling with putting food on the table during the pandemic. Many thanks to Bell the Cat and Riposta Funeral Home for their $1,700 donation to the RSU 71 Food Pantry. It would be terrific for families to share thanks with these two excellent community partners. Some of the funds ($1,200) result from their proceeds from the Our Town Belfast Ice Sculpture Event last weekend. An additional $300 was donated by community members this week. Many thanks to all who have contributed -- we really appreciate it!
Request for Honesty about Travel - Families are asked to contact school nurses when planning a trip outside Maine. Thanks in advance for being forthcoming. Nurses are happy to work with families to make it work. Travel requirements may be found here.
Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) - Our Food Services Program has received an additional $12,250 for FFVP for the following schools: Nickerson, Weymouth, East Belfast, and Troy Howard. Ames and CASS also receive FFVP funding. The funds are used to provide fresh fruit and vegetables to children outside of their school meals, usually at snack time. Our Food Service Team has done an excellent job applying for funding and giving students opportunities to try unfamiliar produce; students love this program! It also helps all families because these snacks are free. Another component of FFVP is the provision of educational materials to help students learn about nutrition.
Remote Learning at Troy Howard Middle School - Despite a thirteen-hour time difference, remote 8th graders correspond with students in Bali, Indonesia, via Zoom, thanks to THMS teacher Guy Hamlin. The introductory session was on February 10, and the second meeting was on February 24. There will be two more sessions in March. Students and teachers have talked about the origins of our names. In Bali, children are named using their birth order as a part of their official name. They've also discussed how routines have changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Indonesian students shared information about school uniforms and their Hindu faith (Indonesia, overall, is the largest Muslim country globally, whereas Bali is about 87% Hindu). The next session will focus on food and holidays. There has been lots of activity in the chat boxes during sessions, too. And many of the students have shared Instagram information and stayed in touch outside of the sessions. Students on both sides of the exchange have had positive things to say about what they learned. Kudos to Mr. Hamlin for making this intercultural learning possible!
Congratulations and Good Luck, BAHS Lions! Congratulations to the Cheer Team on completing their KVAC routine Wednesday night. The final result can be watched on our YouTube Channel RSU71 TV. We are awaiting the final scores, which are being tallied virtually.
The Boys Varsity Basketball Team takes on Oceanside tonight. You can watch the game on RSU3's Vimeo channel.
Our Boys JV Basketball Team finished their season last night against Temple. All our home games can be watched on RSU71 TV.
This update will be emailed to the staff, school board, and press at 11:30 am, Robo-emailed to all families at 2:30 pm, and then posted on our district website and my blog.
With best regards for our entire community and warm wishes for a safe and happy weekend,
-Mary Alice
