Weekly Update
Friday, May 7, 2021
Dear RSU 71 Students, Families, Staff, School Board and Community Members,
It has been another lively and rewarding week in RSU 71!
Pandemic Update - This week, we have had two positive cases of COVID-19 in individuals associated with the Captain Albert Stevens School. All close contacts have been contacted and are in quarantine. Waldo County is still classified as being GREEN and safe for in-person instruction, according to today's noon announcement of Maine's county risk levels. There is an increasing amount of good news about upcoming vaccine availability for our young people ages 12 - 15; my hope and prayer is that as many students, families, and staff members get vaccinated as are needed to speed the arrival of herd immunity and the return to more normal ways of educating our students. The new case rate in Maine schools in the last 30 days is 46 per 10,000, which is about 40% lower than the statewide total of 78 cases per 10,000.
Teacher Appreciation Week - This year, we appreciate our RSU teachers and all staff as never before! As Commissioner Makin says in the video linked below, it has been the hardest year in the history of public education. Yet, the RSU family of staff members has risen to the challenge, keeping students and families engaged from the end of August of 2020 and throughout the 2020-2021 school year. Our teachers have been Rock Stars and Super Heroes during this pandemic. They have been amazingly dedicated, showing a veritable constellation of gifts and strengths. These include:
Creativity
Collaboration with students, colleagues, administrators, support staff, families, and one another
Engagement of students in high-quality instruction
Adaptability, especially in learning new instructional technology
Special abilities in helping students: acts of caring, kindness, encouragement, advice, consolation, coaching, inspiration, and building spirit and camaraderie within and between students
Helping students individually and collectively on many levels (academic, social, emotional, and in their habits of scholarship)
Motivating students to achieve their academic goals, emphasizing a growth mindset, and showing how hard work can help them get even smarter, stronger, and more accomplished over time
Commitment to helping students identify their strengths and grow even stronger in areas of challenge
Respect for students' ideas and perspectives
Energy!
Flexibility!
Good Humor!
I hope that each of you has been able to reach out and express thanks this week -- remember that it is never too late to express appreciation! There is really nothing that means more to teachers than recognition and gratitude from their students.
On June 10th (Records Day), there will be a Special Celebration of Educators school-by-school for all our teachers as well as all the other front-line educators in RSU 71, including administrative assistants, secretaries, educational technicians, bus drivers, bus aides, food servers, cooks, nurses, counselors, administrators, technology integrators, library-media specialists, custodians, maintenance workers, social workers, psychologists, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, and physical therapists. Stay tuned for more information.
Maine Commissioner of Education Pender Makin's Teacher Appreciation Message: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3BvWupx4kQ
Testing Season - Next week, testing season is upon us: the NWEA, Science MEA, Alternative Assessment, and Advanced Placement exams. Please encourage all the young people in your lives to get enough rest, remember to eat, and do their very best.
Tick Season - The ticks are fierce and out in full force this spring!! All our sites are being treated next week by Modern Pest.
Elementary Reorganization - We are at the beginning of a process to study elementary reorganization. There will be ample opportunities to present ideas, discuss, answer questions, and have tours of the location being considered. In the meantime, here is the Powerpoint presented to our district's LRPC (Long-Range Planning Committee) and School Board:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ku17IjQSFce13JJkOWxmMSfllw0NO5v9t1OA0AnZNpk/edit#slide=id.p
Good News -
THMS: https://rsu71news.blogspot.com/2021/05/thms-in-doe-news.html
Track: https://rsu71news.blogspot.com/2021/05/high-school-track-and-field-lions.html
That's it for this week. This message will be emailed to all staff and the school board after 12 noon today and, a couple of hours later, all families will be Robo-messaged the same.
Stay safe, stay hopeful, stay strong, and feel free to touch with members of the staff and me with any questions, ideas, or concerns.
Sincerely, - Mary Alice
