Friday, November 12, 2021
Dear RSU 71 Students, Families, Staff, School Board, and Community Partners,
This past week included Veterans Day, a federal holiday to honor those who have served in the United States Armed Forces. In our family, that includes my husband and father.
Pandemic Update
Pooled Testing Program - We are launched in all eleven schools and locations: BAHS, BCOPE, THMS, CASS, Ames, Weymouth, East, Nickerson, Adults Education, Bus Garage, Central Office. Here is a video of Nurse Johndro and her daughter; it shows how pooled testing works. Click on the blue link here to watch. Pooled Testing at CASS It's never too late to sign up for pooled testing. There will be no testing the week of Thanksgiving.
Vaccination Clinics - We are excited to partner with PCHC to offer COVID vaccines for students K-12 and booster doses for eligible staff. Clinic dates are Friday 11/19 (dose #1) and Friday 12/10 (dose #2). Both clinics will run from 12:30-3:30 pm at THMS. Students will need to attend both dates to be fully vaccinated. Please see our website home page for vaccine consent forms and additional information: if parents and students need transportation to come to the clinics, please let your school nurse know. If interested, please download, complete, and return this form to your school nurse by Monday, November 15. https://www.rsu71.org/departments/school-nurses/clinics
Winter Sports and Performing Arts - Click on the blue link to see the plan for winter sports, the fall musical, and winter concerts. The document reflects the collaboration of mid-coast superintendents and RSU 71 nurses, athletic directors, principals, and school board. Winter Sports/Performing Arts
Data - Here's a summary of this week's data from Friday, November 5 at 9:00 am through Friday, November 12 at 9:00 am:
Good News and Information
Central Office - Please encourage people you may know to apply as RSU 71 Executive Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent and Board of Directors. Mrs. Christine Guerette is going back to school to finish her degree; we thank her for her service and wish her the best! We are looking to replace her with another administrative assistant experienced in public education and, ideally, in working with superintendents and school boards.
Curriculum - October was a busy month for our students and teachers. K-11 students participated in the fall NWEA (NorthWest Education Association) assessments. These assessments are adaptive and provide insight for both students and teachers into skills that students are strong and confident and skills they will need to practice more. In addition, students and teachers will use the data to set goals for the next few months of learning. Winter assessments will take place in late January. Teachers will review and revise the social studies standards/curriculum this year based on the Maine Learning Results. Kindergarten, first grade, and second-grade teachers have met (virtually) to discuss the standards and create a map for implementation for the 2022/2023 school year. The finalized curriculum will go to the Board of Directors for approval next spring.
Professional Development - Grades 4/5 and 6-8 teachers participated in Math Professional Development this afternoon with facilitators Cheryl Tobey and Becky Tapley. This group is also building their understanding of fluency and shifting their instruction to match these new ideas.
Captain Albert Stevens School
Repair from Flood Damage - We are getting closer to the library reopening, the last big move in our return from the water damage over the summer. We would like to recognize the patience and creativity of our library staff, Kristen Byrer and Kristy Raymond. We would also like to thank the Belfast Free Library and their children's librarian Stephanie Holman, who have exceeded expectations in accommodating us while our library is under renovation. Unfortunately, Mrs. Martell is also displaced for a while longer, as are the fourth and fifth resource room students and staff. It has been difficult for staff members who have had to relocate, but these folks have shown impressive resilience in dealing with this situation. Although Mrs. Martell has been without her office this school year, this has diminished neither her enthusiasm nor her ability to serve the needs of our student body, which she does with grace, tact, and energy.
CRT Activities - On Friday, November 3rd, the CASS Civil Rights Team enjoyed joining Civil Rights Teams across the state in celebrating the 3rd Annual Day of Welcome. "A wonderful opportunity to celebrate and promote that our school communities are for everyone," according to Governor Janet Mills
CASS Staff Ride the Bus with Students - CASS staff have started riding school buses in the morning to
greet children. This week Mr. Hoffmann, Ms. Brita, and Mrs. Reynolds rode Ms. Deb's bus!
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CASS Students at Belfast Free Library - Library-Media Specialist Kristen Byrer has shared two photos of third-graders enjoying a picnic lunch after checking out books at the BFL. We are traveling down to the BFL three times this fall while our CASS library is under construction. Students could sign up for a new library card if they needed one to borrow books, meet our new Children's Librarian, Stephanie Homan, and deepen connections with their community library. We are having a great time!
Troy Howard Middle School
Unified Arts - With the beginning of the 2nd quarter, students' Unified Arts classes: technology education, theater arts, visual arts, and world language/Spanish, have rotated. In addition, students participate in general music one day each week.
Mr. Wainer shares that band lessons (for students who would like them) are in full swing. The THMS music department has been busy issuing instruments, folders, and music to students and getting these kiddos playing instruments and singing again! ( lots and lots of kiddos!)
The Thrive Team - Teacher Kathie Gass shares that The Thrive Team at THMS has grown from the Belfast Reduce, Refuse, Reuse, and Recycle (BRRR) begun at CASS, THMS and now in place at AMES Elementary (ARRR). The team works to build awareness of our environment, its value, needs, and human impact. Students at THMS have engaged in several actions to create positive change in their school community, including successfully lobbying to stop using plastic cutlery, transforming an annual garden into one that features pollinator-friendly perennials, making and selling Bee Friendly signs. Currently, students are developing educational and inspirational public announcements and studying the district's history of commitment to the environment.
Announcing the Thrive Team 2021-22 Leadership Team:
President: Sam Potter
Co-Pres: Caroline Wisniewski
Secretary: Katie Bitely
Co-Secretary: Lily Martinelli
Treasurer: Ibis Bird
Co-Treasurer: Clair Gilchrist
Congratulations and Thanks to Technology Integrator Melinda Larrabee - AthenaHealth, Twelve Consulting Group, through a philanthropic program called Empowering Leaders, recently selected our school to receive a $1,000 donation towards technology programs and resources. We look forward to sharing more about how this is benefitting our school soon!
Civil Rights Team Co-Facilitator Miriam Lobo - invites interested students to join the group right after school on Monday. "The time is always right to do what is right." - Martin Luther King.
Winter Sports - Our winter sports season is set to begin; however, we are still looking for one more 7th grade coach. We have pretty good numbers of 7th and 8th graders already signed up for basketball tryouts on 11/15 and 11/16. For more information, see our THMS Athletics Webpage.
Belfast Area High School
Musical - Come see the BAHS Fall Musical!
Winter Sports Tryouts Begin November 22nd - This winter, we will offer five competitive sports: basketball, cheer, indoor track and field, swimming, and wrestling. In addition to these, we are offering non-competitive extracurricular activities to help students stay fit and active throughout the winter, including the BAHS Outing Club and weekly downhill ski/snowboarding trips to the Camden Snow Bowl. Preseason matchups commence the following week, and the first league contests are scheduled to start on December 10th. Permission forms, medical requirements, etc., can be found on the athletics webpage: https://bahs.rsu71.org/athleticsactivities/athletics.
Contact Matt Battani at mbattani@rsu71.org if you have any questions.
Waldo County Technical Center - It is awesome observing students actively engaged in applied learning in their culinary arts, building construction, and welding technology programs at WCTC. RSU 71 welcomes Mr. Rick Amero, the new Director of WCTC!
That's it for this week. This update will be emailed to staff, the school board, and community partners, and Robo-sent to all families this afternoon. Please feel free to be in touch with the staff and me with questions, ideas, concerns, and feedback.
With warm wishes for good health, deep engagement, feelings of fulfillment, and tons of fun this weekend and in the week ahead,
Mary Alice
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