Weekly Update - October 1, 2021
Dear RSU 71 Students, Families, Staff, School Board, and Community Partners,
We are just finishing our fourth week of school. In addition to information and data about the coronavirus pandemic, this week's update contains information about our DEI work and snippets of good news.
DEI Work
DEI stands for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, something we very much care about in RSU 71. Our goal is to enable every student, family, and staff member to feel cared for, respected, safe, and invested in our schools as full-fledged, well-loved, contributing members of our school and district communities.
The most critical barrier to equity for our students in RSU 71 is socio-economic -- even more of a factor than race, religion, politics, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc. -- an issue now being emphasized at both federal and state levels. If students can't do their work and therefore can't be successful, the cycle of poverty persists through generations. Growing up, I was fortunate to live near the public library where I could go for the quiet needed to succeed at school and get my homework done.
In RSU 71, we have worked hard to level the playing field for our low-income families. For example, we have recently used federal ESSER 3 money to get additional hotspots after a survey showed that families need even more of them than last year. But, unfortunately, families without reliable internet service to meet the needs of students in the home -- for homework and remote instruction during quarantine, for example -- do not have the same opportunities for their children to be academically successful. If you have not yet completed the survey but need help with internet service, please complete this survey. From our Director of Technology, Dr. Dave Fournier: 2021-22 Broadband and Hotspot Survey. This survey only has to be done once, so if you have already completed the survey, thank you! We will keep the survey open over the weekend for those who have not taken it yet.
All students may continue to eat meals at school free of cost, and our district's Food Pantry continues to be stocked with healthy unperishable food to which families can help themselves.
Pandemic Update
This week's data reflects our data since the last update on September 24 and as of 9:00 am today. (There have since been additional data points, which will be reflected in next week's update. All staff, students, and families impacted have been contacted.)
Good News and Information
BCOPE
Here is an excellent article about new BCOPE staff member Randy Nichols:
https://waldo.villagesoup.com/2021/09/25/new-bcope-music-teacher-finds-common-ground-with-students/
BAHS
Homecoming 2021 is Next Week
Monday 10/4:
- Dress Up Day - blue & gold day
Tuesday 10/5:
Dress Up Day - dynamic duo/twin day
Girls Soccer v. Oceanside
Wednesday 10/6:
Dress Up Day - decades day
Bonfire - lower dirt parking lot - 6:30
Thursday 10/7:
Dress Up Day - PJs day
Field Hockey v. Erskine (possible fan bus)
Friday 10/8:
Dress Up Day - class theme day
Assembly - football field
Football Game
The winning class announced at half-time during the football game
Dance - outside (enter @music wing door out front) 9 - 11:00 pm
Olympia Snowe - BAHS welcomed five tenth-grade girls into the Olympia Snowe Leadership Program. The new Olympia Snowe Leaders are Eliot Andrews, Danielle Hicock, Nevyn Harvey, Alex Robishaw, and Sophie Taylor. Their mentors are Shannon Coombs and Ellen Sabina. Congratulations to all the girls! And many thanks to their mentors and to program organizer Tonya Ballard!
Marine Studies - Here is an excellent article about the professional collaboration of BAHS teachers Lisa White, Chip Lagerbom, and Dave Thomas, who have worked together on a Marine Studies Course. Students have been netting plankton in Belfast, practicing using the ROV (remotely operated vehicle) in the BAHS swimming pool, and exploring local maritime-related history, economics, and ocean science.
https://rsu71news.blogspot.com/2021/09/belfast-area-high-schools-marine_27.html
Heidi O'Donnell - BAHS Art Teacher Heidi O'Donnell is honored for her work with youth:
East Belfast - Ms. Merrow's 2nd-grade class, has been investigating and learning about the life cycle of Monarch butterflies. The class enjoyed watching the stages and releasing nine butterflies beside our East Belfast Garden. Learning continues daily with science exploration connected to ELA standards with students writing about their wonderings.
Kermit Nickerson School - The gardens are going gangbusters! On Monday, the lunch salad was made with student-harvested greens. Radishes will be harvested Friday.
Troy Howard Middle School - Mr. Lavalle shares that his classes had the opportunity to spend time making cider with our Garden Program Coordinator David Wessels and his predecessor Jon Thurston. Our 7th graders harvested apples from trees in our orchard that are bursting with fruit this season.
Gladys Weymouth -- Over the weekend, one of Mrs. Ray's kindergarten students at Weymouth was gifted a watermelon grown in the THMS garden. This student asked to share the watermelon with his class. He brought it in, and Ms. Liz cut it up for us to enjoy. While they snacked, they read some neat facts about watermelon. Students were surprised to learn that watermelon is actually a vegetable, although it has a sweet flavor. It belongs to the "cucurbit" family and is "related" to pumpkins, cucumbers, and squash!
Professional Development - K-12 staff throughout the district, are reading 10 Mindframes for Visible Learning - Teaching for Success by John Hattie and Klaus Zierer. School leaders work within their schools to explore how teachers think about student learning and their role in influencing student engagement. This book identifies ten mindframes that teachers will explore to maximize student success. The school-level discussions have been fabulous. It is exciting to see teachers discuss and reflect on strategies they currently use and new strategies to incorporate into their teaching repertoire.
That's it for this week. This message will be Robo-sent to all families. Please feel free to be in touch with our principals, nurses, and me with questions, ideas, feedback, and concerns.
Sincerely,
-Mary Alice
