Weekly Update Friday 4/30/21

Friday, April 30, 2021

Dear RSU 71 Students, Families, Staff, School Board and Community Partners, 

I hope that everyone had a good April break. My short retreat at the hermitage in Windsor, Maine was restorative as always (I've been going once or twice a year for twenty-five years), and I was also grateful to be able to spend some fabulous time at home with my husband, our two sons, and our dog, Reb, who was delighted with my unusually present schedule and got lots of walks and trips to the dog park with me. And we had a chance to visit with local friends we haven't seen in over a year, due to the pandemic. I'm so thankful for this time!

Pandemic Updates - Waldo County is still in Green according to the state's color-coded risk assessment.  This week in RSU 71, we have had three positive cases of the coronavirus, two individuals associated with the high school and one individual associated with the middle school. At BAHS, there were no close contacts that needed to go into quarantine, while at THMS, two staff members and eleven students were close contacts and needed to go into quarantine. There is still no evidence of transmission in any of our schools and sites. Keep up the good work, everyone! (Let's not wreck our record when we are so close to the light at the end of the tunnel! )

About masks outside:  I've received quite a few questions about whether masks are now required outdoors. We are awaiting the state's updated safety requirements, which will be published tomorrow. The MPA (Maine Principals' Association) issued these directives today: "Based on the recent announcement regarding the wearing of masks at outdoor events, the following guidelines will be in place for those events overseen by the MPA … Masks are not required for outdoor practices and competitions. Masks are recommended when a 6-feet of physical distance is hard to maintain (e.g., athletes on the bench. They are also required when individuals go inside (e.g., to locker rooms, restrooms, or on a bus). Spectators are not required to wear a mask at outside events if they can maintain 6-feet of distancing."

Lots of Good News!!!

BAHS

• Best High Schools - US Ranking 2021 - Yesterday, we received the good news that Belfast Area High School has been selected by US News and World Report as one of the best high schools in Maine, ranking 7th in the state. It is great to make the top ten this year! Congratulations to BAHS Students, Families, Teachers, Support Staff, and our Awesome Administrators and School Board!! Heres' a link to the criteria for selection: How We Rank the Best High Schools

• NHS - Congratulations to the following students for being inducted into the BAHS National Honor Society!

• Seniors: 

• Steven Friel

• Emily Hills

• Lillie Mitchell

• Juniors:

• Zahraa Al-Matrouk

• Haley Black

• Sarah Cournoyer

• Natalie Curry

• Ronin Deschamps

• Grace Hall

• Alexia Hopkins

• Taylor Lemon

• Jonah Lovejoy

• Josie McCain-Cowles

• Ada Potter

• Anna Schortz

• Reagan Seekins

• Matthew Shelton

• Madison Shorey

• Kristin Staples

CASS 

• Here's the latest newspaper published by CASS students for CASS students -- enjoy!!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OH5WJUyDgdbY0c3nOg-ce-5OI7-D4RpqgayIAZjajqg/edit?ts=608a945f

• Congratulations to Jon Thurston!! Last night he received the Maine Service to Youth Award from the MPA to recognize his work on the beautiful school gardens and outdoor learning spaces at CASS!

• CASS Chess State Championship in the News - https://rsu71news.blogspot.com/2021/04/cass-chess-team-wins-state-champtionship.html

Elementary Geography Bee - This year's RSU 71 Elementary Geography Bee just wrapped up.  Although the National Geography Bee was not offered this year due to the pandemic, our fourth and fifth-grade students enjoyed the opportunity to challenge themselves and expand their knowledge of the world in a geography bee organized by the RSU #71 Extended Learning Program. Photos highlighting each school's top three finalists may be found on each school's website. It was a very tight race. Kudos to all who participated! And special congratulations to the following students!

Ames:

Third place: Zoey Levesque

Second place: Opal Woodbury

First place:  Sarah Allen

Kermit Nickerson:

Third place: Caleb Anthonis

Second place: James  Falconer

First place:  Braylon Stover 

Captain Albert Stevens Elementary:

Fifth Grade

Third place: Gabriella Gardner 

Second place: Freya Dahlmann Gothlin and Miles Flemming   

First place:  Lucy Enstrom

Fourth Grade:

Third place: Lizzy Bahner

Second place: Pierson Dietz

Congratulations to First Place and RSU 71 District Winner:   Eliot Fowler!!

Sports Round-Up:

Baseball - https://rsu71news.blogspot.com/2021/04/belfast-baseball-swings-past-oceanside.html

Track - https://rsu71news.blogspot.com/2021/04/belfast-boys-girls-track-teams-place.html

Track - https://rsu71news.blogspot.com/2021/04/first-things-first-lions-grab-plenty-of.html

Tennis - https://rsu71news.blogspot.com/2021/04/on-road-lions-earn-split-decision.html

Belfast Adult Ed -

https://rsu71news.blogspot.com/2021/04/adult-education-news.html

https://rsu71news.blogspot.com/2021/04/where-are-they-now-adult-education.html

THMS Archery Tournament! 

Congratulations to all the students that participated in the Troy Howard Archery Tournament! The girls' division's top performances were Hailey Levangie in 4th place, Jocelyn Valleau in 3rd place, Navaeh Martin in 2nd place, and the girls' champion was Allison Hooper in 1st place.

The boys' division's top performances were Michael Box in 4th place, Dillon Clark in 3rd place, Tucker Marden in 2nd place, and the boys' champion was Theodore Fowler in 1st place.

 

We'd also like to offer a special thanks to Mr. Bouchard and our longtime volunteer archery instructor, Mr. Rusty Emerton, for offering this opportunity!

Educator Appreciation Week is Next Week, May 3 - 7 - Please join me in expressing appreciation to our teachers and other staff for doing an excellent job during a very, very tough school year!

That's it for this week. This update will be emailed to the staff and school board this morning and, this afternoon, posted on my blog and Robo-messaged to all families. We will send the next weekly update on Friday, May 7, unless there is urgent information to convey before then. As always, please feel free to be in touch with our wonderful staff and with me, with ideas, questions, concerns, and appreciation.

Sincerely Yours,

- Mary Alice

Mary Alice McLean

Superintendent of Schools, RSU 71

(207) 338 - 1960

Important Correction to An Earlier Message

Vaccines will be administered on a first-come, first-serve basis at Maine Health in Belfast in the former MBNA/Bank of America building on TUESDAY, May 4th, from 8:00 am - 12 noon and again from 12:30 pm - 3:00.

In an earlier message today, I said this was happening tomorrow, Thursday, April 29. There are indeed 300 shots still available for tomorrow, but Maine Health would ask you to sign up for a specific time by going to the website (see link below); they will not likely need to turn anyone away, but it would be helpful if you could schedule a time.

https://vaccine.mainehealth.org/

I'm sorry to have inadvertently spread misinformation! 

   Mary Alice

--

Mary Alice McLean

Superintendent of Schools, RSU 71

(207) 338 - 1960

Vaccine available tomorrow on a first-come, first-serve basis:

Dear RSU 71 Students, Families, Staff and School Board, 

Here is some information about 300 doses of the Moderna vaccine available tomorrow, Thursday, April 29, on a first-come, first-serve basis at the Maine Health Belfast site (the old MBNA building).  No appointment is needed any time between 8-2.  Just bring a photo ID. No insurance is needed.  Moderna is a two-dose series, so the clinic will help you set up 2nd dose appointments appropriately.

This opportunity is for tomorrow only.  Please spread the word if you know of anyone still in need of a vaccine!  

Many thanks!

Mary Alice

--

Mary Alice McLean

Superintendent of Schools, RSU 71

(207) 338 - 1960

Monday Message from RSU 71 Superintendent

Monday, April 19, 2021

Dear RSU 71 Students, Families, Staff and School Board,  

This letter informs you that there is an outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) at Troy Howard Middle School. It is essentially the same letter as was send about the outbreak status at BAHS at the end of March.

An outbreak means that within a school, there have been three or more cases of COVID-19 within 14 days. The school is already closed for April break, so there is no need to shut anything down. All students at THMS may return as planned on Monday, April 26, 2021, at the end of spring break. THMS Principal Bailey and Nurse Mailloux will call individuals needing to quarantine until Friday-- 17 students and five staff members -- today. There is no evidence of transmission in the school itself or any school or site in the district.

Please monitor yourself/your student for signs and symptoms. Call a health care provider if symptoms start. You must call a healthcare facility before you show up in person. COVID-19 is a respiratory illness that ranges from mild to severe. It can be more severe in adults 60 years and older and in those with underlying conditions. The virus mainly spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes and an uninfected person breathes in the virus. Signs and symptoms include:

 • fever or chills 

• cough 

• shortness of breath or difficulty breathing 

• fatigue 

• muscle or body aches 

• headache 

• new loss of taste or smell 

• sore throat 

• congestion or runny nose 

• nausea or vomiting 

• diarrhea. 

Please keep in mind that many things can cause respiratory illness, so students and staff should be up-to-date on influenza and routine vaccinations. Maine DOE or a school representative will contact you directly if you are identified as a close contact of someone who tested positive. Close contacts will be asked to quarantine for ten days from the last exposure to the positive individual. A negative test result does not get an individual out of quarantine. Maine CDC recommends preventive measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. These measures include proper handwashing with soap and warm water, which is especially important after using the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. When soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, and avoid close contact with people who are sick. Cover your cough or sneeze into a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe. 

Questions for the school can be directed to Bruce Bailey and Robyn Mailloux by calling the school or emailing them: bbailey@rsu71.org and rmailluox@rsu71.org.

.

For general COVID-19 questions, dial 211 (or 1-866-811-5695). You can also text your ZIP code to 898-211 or email info@211maine.org. Call a health care provider for questions about your symptoms. More information can be found at www.maine.gov/dhhs/coronavirus or www.cdc.gov/coronavirus. 

Many thanks to all members of our community who have worked hard to follow protocols and stay safe. Please continue all efforts at mitigation of this serious and potentially deadly disease. We are getting closer but not yet out of the woods and able to take a break from masks and social distancing.

Sincerely, 

Mary Alice McLean

RSU 71 Superintendent of Schools

mamclean@rsu71.org

(207) 338-1960

CORRECTED Update - Friday 4/16/21- 12:44 pm

Friday, April 16, 2021

Dear RSU 71 Students, Families, Staff, School Board and Community Partners, 

Well, it's the Friday during which April break begins (after school today). The forsythia and magnolia buds in our yard look very nearly ready to bloom.  Ramadan in the Islamic calendar is observed through May 12 when Muslims in our community and worldwide observe a period of fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. There will be no weekly update next week unless there is an emergency, with the next weekly update being next sent on Friday, April 30.  

Pandemic Update - There have been two positive cases associated with Troy Howard Middle School since last week. In one case, there was no need to quarantine because affected staff and students at THMS had been in Red/Remote Mode. The second case required us to go to Red/Remote in one pod of students and staff. At the high school, we have had one confirmed positive case since last week. In several schools, we are awaiting additional test results for several individuals. As a district, we are still in Green/In-Person mode in grades K-8 and still in Yellow/Remote mode at the high school. There has been a serious uptick in the number of new positive cases of COVID-19 in Maine amongst young people.  So I continue to implore everyone in our community not to let your energy abate when it comes to observing safety protocols, especially wearing masks and socially distancing ourselves.

I had my second shot earlier this week, and apart from slightly flushed skin for a few hours and a minor soreness in my arm, there were no ill effects, and I could continue to work all day and into the evening all week. Please call your health care provider if you or anyone in your family shows signs of COVID-19: sore throat, fever, chills, stuffy or runny nose, shortness of breath, or new loss of taste or smell. Also, be aware that other symptoms may include muscle pain, headache, fatigue, vomiting, diarrhea. These symptoms may not be allergies. Please notify your school if your child tests positive for COVID-19. Please also remember to let your school nurse know if you are traveling during the April break.

I will be going to the Transfiguration Hermitage in Maine for a few days of solitary and silent retreat and renewal. You can reach me in the event of an emergency by calling the central office. The nurses can be reached over vacation by emailing them -- their email addresses are on their School Nurse website.

Good News 

Here is a link to our latest RSU 71 Students Shine Show featuring high school teacher Mr. Dave Thomas and several of his students in the Projects in Engineering class. They share information about their Sea Level Monitoring Project in Belfast Harbor.  It is an excellent example of the rigorous, highly engaging, and relevant learning in our school district.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T25YwtkssG0&list=PL_Mm-bVlxwNtcuIIeUoKaAvfhi37pcJ7v&index=1

Here's a piece by me in the Pen Bay Pilot about "Silver Linings:"

https://www.penbaypilot.com/article/year-pandemic-silver-linings-public-education/145647?amgee-source=dh

Congratulations to the Maine Science Fair competitors from BAHS Chelsea Gaiero, Jonah Lovejoy, and Grace Hall!  The competition had over 200 competitors throughout the state and covered a broad range of categories.  Chelsea's project is investigating the possibility of using invasive green crabs for lobster bait.  Jonah's project has been designing and implementing tidal sensors that accurately record sea-level rise in the Belfast Bay area to help Maine data. Chelsea and Jonah presented at the Science Fair even though they are still gathering data for their investigations and will continue to work this summer toward completion. Grace's project looked at small changes in temperature on the development of zebrafish embryos.  The concern is that as our ocean temperatures are slowly increasing, there are ramifications of developing fish embryos even with small temperature changes.  She completed her investigation and has ideas to continue working with zebrafish in the next year.  Although a junior, Grace decided to challenge herself with scholarship interviews to prepare for next year's competition, and she was pleased she did.  Grace won scholarships at five colleges with her completed project and interviews. 

USM- A partial scholarship

UNE- $5,000 for four years

Saint Joseph's- $2,500 for four years

Husson- $1,000 can be used to take classes there without being enrolled

FULL 4-YEAR TUITION SCHOLARSHIP at the University of Maine.

CASS Wins State Tournament in Chess!

On Saturday, April 10, the Maine Scholastic Team State Chess Championships were held online via chess.com. Teams of students in grades K-8 from 14 Maine schools came together online to participate in this rigorous competition. Students competed from their schools directly supervised by a local certified tournament director. Each site's games were monitored and coordinated by the President of the Maine Chess Association, Michael Dudley, via zoom. 

Ten chess players in grades 4-8 from CASS, Ames, and THMS participated, down from 28 participating students last year due to the inability to hold after-school and recess live practices at schools. While the CASS team had enough players to make the team, the THMS team was short 2-players, which took them out of the running for a trophy. Belfast and Camden were neck and neck in the K-5 division throughout the tournament, with the final games determining the outcome. Belfast defeated Camden by one point, with Brunswick placing 3rd.

RSU#71 teams, players, and results:

Captain Albert Stevens School (K-5 division): 1st Place State Champions!

Lucas Canning: 3.5 wins

Alex Miller: 3 wins

Silas Ociepka:  3 wins

Avery Gobin: 3 wins

Avery Adams: 3 wins

Pierson Dietz: 1.5 wins

Miles Fleming: 1 win

Troy Howard Middle School (K-8 Division)

Rohan Joseph:  2.5 wins

Brogan Mcavoy:  2.5 wins

Ibis Bird: 1 win

Our students showed outstanding sportsmanship, worked hard throughout the school year, and played beautifully at the tournament!! Thanks go out to all the parents for helping out with lunch, snacks, playground supervision, and helping students get started with each electronic game. And hearty THANKS to Team coaches: Jean Lawlis and Jacquie Gage!

Thanks also to Bruce Haffner for providing intermittent chess lessons for RSU#71 students and weekly free zoom lessons open to any midcoast youth chess player.

State Champions 2021: Avery Gobin, Silas Ociepka, Lucas Canning, Miles Fleming, Avery Adams, Pierson Dietz, Alex Miller

That's it for this week!   With warm wishes to everyone for a great break,

-Mary Alice

Mary Alice McLean

Superintendent of Schools, RSU 71

(207) 338 - 1960

--

Mary Alice McLean

Superintendent of Schools, RSU 71

(207) 338 - 1960

The information transmitted herein is intended only for the person or entity addressed and may contain confidential material.  Any review, retransmission, or taking any action in reliance upon this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is strictly prohibited unless permission is granted, in writing, by the original sender.  If you received this in error, please contact Mary Alice McLean --  mamclean@rsu71.org -- and delete the e-mail and any attachments from any computer.

Weekly Update 4/9/21

Weekly Update - Friday, April 9, 2021

Dear RSU 71 Students, Families, Staff, School Board, and Community Members, 

I hope this update finds you well and -- at long last -- enjoying spring.

Pandemic Update - Waldo County continues to be designated as GREEN. Categorization as "green" suggests that the county has a relatively low risk of COVID-19 spread and that schools are safe for in-person instruction, so long as all safety requirements are followed. Reminders:

• Outside - As the weather warms, we can go outside again for mask breaks and instruction.

• Travel - Please let the school nurse know if you are planning to travel over the April vacation. You can find guidelines here.

• Food Service - Today is the last day to sign up for a week's worth of free breakfasts and lunches over April break. Please contact Director of Nutrition Perley Martin (338-3320 or pmartine@rsu71.org) to sign up for a box (1 per family) of free breakfasts and lunches over the April vacation.

• Vaccines - All Mainers 16 and older are now able to be inoculated against the coronavirus.

Statement of Solidarity - The Maine Department of Education has made a statement to speak out against violent attacks on Asian American and Pacific Island Community Members. I wholeheartedly believe that we must all do our part to confront hatred and promote a love for and respect of all Mainers. Race-based violence has no place in our society. We actively stand in solidarity with our Asian American and Pacific Island American brothers and sisters. DOE has created a resource page and a website Personal, Student, and Staff Reflection and Engagement to help promote understanding and dialogue.

Good News - Here are some good news stories from the last week:

• Ruby Day - We are so proud of BAHS senior Ruby Day! https://rsu71news.blogspot.com/2021/04/a-belfast-teen-didnt-think-shed-go-to.html

• Ames Speaking Contest - Yesterday was the Ames Elementary School Speaking Contest, a great tradition dating back at least 68 years. Students did a great job speaking in the gym while being live-streamed to a large audience. It is one of the best examples of Celebrations of Learning in RSU 71 and grows confidence in speaking publicly at an early age. Principal Smail told of a student from Ames who credits this Speaking Contest as allowing her to go into the field of public speaking as a young adult.

• Service Learning - Students at BAHS, THMS, CASS, and Nickerson, Ames, and Weymouth Elementary Schools partnered with the Belfast Lions Club's Chip Lagerbom, a BAHS social studies teacher, to do good in the world: https://rsu71news.blogspot.com/2021/04/spirited-competition-reinvigorates.html

• Shooting Stars - Kudos to BAHS basketball standouts -- Jaiden Philbrook, Halle Tripp, Chris Kelley, and Jason Bartlett  - invited to the MCAS Tournament!

https://rsu71news.blogspot.com/2021/03/shooting-stars-high-school-basketball.html

That's it for this week.  I'll send the next weekly update on Friday, April 16, and then again on the Friday after vacation on April 23. In the meantime, please feel free to be in touch!

With Kind Regards, 

• Mary Alice

--

Mary Alice McLean

Superintendent of Schools, RSU 71

(207) 338 - 1960