Weekly Update
Friday, May 14, 2021
Dear RSU 71 Students, Staff, School Board, and Community Members,
Tragedy - We are saddened to our core by Wednesday's untimely death of a Troy Howard Middle School student. The medical examiner has not yet determined the cause of death. Some rumors speculate about the cause. We are investigating these and ask for your help in being careful about speculation. Additional support has been put in place for both students and staff members, and many helpful sources of comfort and fortification have arrived at THMS in this time of deep distress. The entire school community has been grieving, yet all staff members have responded with grace, compassion, and emotional intelligence both with students and with one another while keeping students engaged in wholesome and healthy learning, gardening, and activities. An optional Parent Night for THMS families is being planned. Expert staff from NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Maine has been on hand to help us plan our response and outreach to students, staff, and families.
Pandemic Update - We have had three positive cases of the coronavirus in the past week. The first was an individual associated with Belfast Area High School, a second an individual with the Captain Albert Stevens School, and a third in an individual associated with Troy Howard Middle School. Parents of students who are close contacts have been notified, and staff and students impacted are in quarantine and getting tested.
Broadband Benefit Program: FCC is launching the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, which provides a discount of $50/month to eligible households for broadband access ($75/month if the household lives on Tribal lands. Click on the blue link below for more information.
https://www.fcc.gov/emergency-broadband-benefit-outreach-toolkit.
Good News - There were many pieces of good news in RSU 71 in the past week, which I'll share in next week's Friday Update.
Please feel free to reach out to our RSU 71 staff family members and me with questions, ideas, and concerns.
Sincerely yours,
Mary Alice
