Friday, September 24, 2021
Dear RSU 71 Student, Families, Staff, School Board and Community Partners,
September is one of the most beautiful months in Maine. It is officially autumn this week, the calendar affirming what we see and feel: brisk fresh air, the roster of fall sports in full swing, and foliage tinting into shades of orange, red, and gold.
The fall musical at BAHS will be Rent, directed by THMS teacher Jason Bannister. Many thanks to him and the many teachers, coaches, and administrators who continue to enable a wide selection of co-and-extra-curricular activities -- despite the coronavirus -- to keep our students actively engaged and learning in fun ways! We have 20 BAHS and THMS students involved with the fall musical. They rehearse four times per week, with opening night scheduled for November 12. Written by Jonathan Larson, Rent is a Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical that played for twelve years on Broadway. Here is a photo of a rehearsal:
Pandemic Update:
Data - Here is this week's coronavirus pandemic data:
Pooled Testing Update - We thank you for your continued patience. We have discovered many challenges with the start-up of the online portion of this program. Please know that many other districts are experiencing similar frustrations. We want to ensure that it goes as smoothly as possible as we launch our pooled testing program. For this reason, we will delay our start date to ensure all of the kinks are worked out. So far in RSU 71, we have received consent forms for 363 individuals. We are looking forward to getting the program up and running as soon as possible. Please stay tuned for more information from your child's school. We have lots of information about the Pooled Testing Program -- and a video showing how it is done -- on our district website:
Important Reminders to all Staff, Students, and Families about the RSU 71 COVID-19 Prevention Plan:
RSU #71 Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in our K-12 Schools Approved 8_23_2021.pdf
Please do symptom screening every day before coming into the schools; stay home if you are sick and symptomatic. (Please refer to the Pre-Screening Tool for School Attendance on page 6 of the Prevention Plan by clicking the blue link above.)
Please call the school if your child is staying home due to being ill or symptomatic.
Remember that we have a layered approach to coronavirus prevention. Each intervention strategy is imperfect; multiple layers improve success rates:
Good News and Information
Captain Albert Stevens School - Click the blue link below to see an excellent article about the Adventure School at the United Farmers Market; it is a testament to the beautiful community partnerships that benefit the students at CASS and other schools in RSU 71. The last day at UMF was last Friday, and though it was a fun adventure, staff and students are very happy to all be back home at CASS. Captain Albert Stevens students were able to attend in-person classes during trying times of the repair work at the school. There were many hoops to jump through to get the school and the temporary Farmers Market locations up and running. Thanks to Cindy Rumney, Richard Christensen, Lisa Rediker, Scott Packard, Travis McAvoy, and Derek Hustus. Job well done! The ServPro team and H.T. Winters contractors exhibited outstanding professionalism and met all our expectations. There is still much work to be done before we are at 100%, but we have the best people on it."
https://waldo.villagesoup.com/2021/09/21/with-help-from-community-cass-adventure-school-thrives/
Troy Howard Middle School - This week's outdoor Open House was very successful. It was well-attended by families and staff stationed around the grounds sharing conversation, information, and delicious fruits of this years' bounteous harvest from the THMS gardens. There was a lot of produce from the gardens for families to take home, too, as well as a "Sharing Shed" newly painted by students and chock-a-block full of canned goods and other non-perishable food items. There was a strong feeling of community on a beautiful evening.
On Tuesday, Mr. Coombs and Ms. Conway-Cole's ELA classes started writing "Seedsavers Poems" in the garden. THMS students were observed using five senses note-taking. The garden is full of pollinators and gorgeous blooms.
Belfast Adult Education - From Dr. Darrell Gilman, Director - "Belfast Adult Education opened the fall semester with several new learners who wish to work on either the high school diploma or high school equivalency testing program. Eleven learners have joined our diploma program this fall. Six learners have enrolled in the Equivalency testing program since September first. Three learners earned their equivalency diplomas over the summer. The program has also reinstituted The English Language Learner program. General enrichment enrollments are up significantly. The program is pleased to announce that academic tutors are now available to assist classroom instructors with additional support for learners."
Professional Development - Based on district data, one of our Comprehensive Needs goals is to increase teacher instructional math strategies as a way of better supporting student achievement in math. K-8 math teachers will be working with Cheryl Tobey and Becky Tapley from the Maine Math and Science Alliance this year. Teachers will work with an instructor seven times throughout the school year as they focus on professional learning experiences, building a common language around concepts of mathematical fluency and mathematical practices. There will also be time to continue work on grade-level curriculum-specific materials, planning, and assessments. This work takes place on early release Fridays.
Wellness Committee - This RSU 71 Wellness Committee met for the first time this year. It consists of teachers, nurses, parents, student representatives, board members, and administrators. The Wellness Committee serves as an advisory committee to the School Board regarding student wellness issues and makes recommendations related to the wellness policy, wellness goals, administrative or school regulations and practices, and raising awareness of student health issues. The committee is working to identify 1or more goals for the district, and a survey will be shared asking for community, family, student, and staff input.
Maintenance / Custodial Services: From our Director of Facilities, John O'Neill: "The Maintenance and Custodian teams have demonstrated a great deal of dedication, hard work, and flexibility ensuring the Captain Albert Stevens School students were able to attend in-person classes. Splitting the school up between the CASS school and the Farmers Market to ensure both locations were clean and safe was a tall task."
Tri-Town Ames and Gladys Weymouth Elementary Schools - From Principal Smail: "Routines are in place, and teaching and learning are taking place in all settings. PAW Pride abounds! The Tri-Town students are demonstrating cooperation, positivity, responsibility, and grit throughout the day. Each student is an amazing individual who has so much to offer! In second grade, they are learning about and trying restorative circles. What an amazing experience to honor each child's words. MANY Monarch butterflies have been released from Weymouth and Ames School! Some from Ames have also been tagged and entered into the Monarch Watch Tagging System (https://monarchwatch.org/tagging/.
This past week we received a donation from the Neighborhood House in Belfast; backpacks provided by Veracity Chapel in Morrill were delivered filled with school supplies. Many thanks!"
Nursing: This week, RSU 71 Nurses received a generous donation from the Waldo County YMCA to support our district food cupboard. A huge thank you to the YMCA and our community members for your ongoing support. We live in a fantastic community and truly value your partnership.
Another community partnership our district has is with our area healthcare teams. This week we hosted our area Walgreens pharmacy team and offered flu vaccines to over 175 staff members.
RSU 71 Emergency Response Plan - Please click the blue link below to see the district's Emergency Response Plan template. Each school has its specifics but follows this outline:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hbPKpKJLtsnRDzZOdlJVDl6oOG7YoQMX/view?usp=sharing
That's it for this week. This message will be sent to all families, staff, the school board, and community partners and posted on our district website. The next update will be on Friday, October 1. Please feel free to contact our nurses, administrators, and me with questions, concerns, ideas, and suggestions.
With warm wishes for a great week ahead,
Mary Alice
