Friday, January 7, 2022
Dear RSU 71 Students, Families, Staff, School Board and Community Partners,
Today is our first remote snow day this year; reports from schools suggest a high student attendance rate. Thanks to federal funding, we have provided 1:1 devices for all our students and "hot spots" to families that need them.
This week our fantastic school nurses, administrators, and athletic directors have been working hard to make sense of the revised SOP (standard operating procedures concerning the coronavirus pandemic) issued by the Maine Center for Disease Control (CDC) on December 30. As a result, we have revised our RSU 71 Guidance and sent it to our fantastic RSU 71 School Board, who will deliberate, discuss, and vote on our recommendations at the school board meeting on Monday.
Please know that several protocols are being used in the community, as not everyone has yet had a chance to adapt to the new CDC guidance: pediatricians, community partners, such as the Waldo Y, and Maine's pre-K decision-makers.
Pandemic Update
Information
There have been two significant developments regarding the coronavirus pandemic:
The hold on requiring immunization or weekly testing for employees was dissolved, so the next step is for BOSH (the Maine branch of OSHA) to vote on state standards.
CDC's revised SOP contains two significant changes:
First, students and staff will no longer have to quarantine from school if they have been in close contact with an individual who tested positive for COVID-19. This is because the schools have a universal masking policy whereby all individuals wear masks when inside the school building. (Community quarantine is still required.) If we did not have a universal masking protocol in place, all students and staff in close contact with positive cases would still need to quarantine from school classes and school activities.
The isolation period has been changed to 5 days instead of 10 days in the case of individuals who have tested positive. Days 6 - 10 masks are still required when out in the community.
The number of children hospitalized with the coronavirus has risen sharply.
The death rate is three times higher in the least vaccinated counties: COVID-19 death rates are three times higher in Maine's less vaccinated counties - Portland Press Herald.
Why masks work: view this video to understand better the benefits of masking: Why masks work.
Here is some information about how to wear masks correctly: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/effective-masks.html.
This Week's Pandemic Data
Good News and Information
Ad-Hoc Committees - The Board of Directors created three Ad Hoc Committees this week to first research and then make recommendations to our Board of Directors on the needs of our K-5 schools, our Athletic Fields, and our Transportation Bus Garage. Meetings are scheduled for Wednesday evenings at 5:00 via zoom. More information on meeting dates and agendas can be found on the district website.
Ames Elementary School - Here's a photo of Ames' teacher Mrs. Brennick receiving her award as Teacher of the Year by the Veterans.
Captain Albert Stevens School - Here's the latest edition of the student newspaper. Eliot Fowler, the student editor and advisor Mrs. Nickerson will share a few of their experiences at the school board meeting on January 24. The CASS Times Third Edition, Volume 2
Troy Howard Middle School
Teacher Kathleen Gass shares that a display of miniature doorways inspired by the Belfast Tiny Doors community art project created by a group of THMS 8th graders is currently displayed in the library. It's been fun to listen to students share which doorway they'd like to open and why. Enjoy!
Jason Bannister shares that after a two-year absence, it looks like we're going to be able to bring back the THMS musical. Auditions for Matilda happened this week, and the cast is learning lines and songs!
Wendy Reed and Henri Bouchard share that we are in their second year of introducing Nitroball to PE classes. Nitroball is an upside-down version of volleyball. Each class is also working on maintaining and improving our fitness levels.
Susan Duff shares that in 7th grade, math kids are learning a Decimal/Place Value version of the popular game Yahtzee. "I find that kids enjoy games similar to games that they already know and love to play. And frankly, I like that it's (usually) faster to teach them those games, which means that less learning time is wasted on explanation." Each student receives a series of cards indicating the number of dice for four(4) scorecards with different versions (3-digit numbers, 4-digit numbers, 5 -digit numbers, and 6-digit decimals). You could even assign different levels to different students, such an easy way to differentiate instruction.
Materials needed:
Decimal/Place Value Yahtzee score sheets (see below)
Dice (the number of dice needed depends on the game level being used)
3-digit numbers = 3 dice
4-digit numbers = 4 dice
6-digit numbers = 6 dice
Decimal numbers = 6 dice
Pencils
GOAL: to roll a larger number than your opponent. The cards state where each dice will go within the decimal.
Belfast Area High School - Clubs and Activities at BAHS
One of the best ways to help students succeed in school is to offer a variety of student activities to spur engagement in areas of interest beyond the classroom. There is a lot on offer at BAHS! BAHS Clubs and Activities 2021-22
Athletics Calendar: All events are posted on the calendar here: https://www.mpaschedules.org/public/genie/1142/school/1525/date/2022-01-07/view/week/.
Live streaming links, ticket information, fan allowances, masking details, bus times, locations, etc., can be found at the link above for all sports and seasons. Viewers can subscribe, filter by week, day, team, or sport. The latest details are all posted on this calendar.
Belfast Community Outreach Program in Education
BCOPE student Mia Fay was selected after an in-depth application process to attend an Agriculture Education conference in Washington, D.C, in March. Mia was selected after attending a 4 H leadership series sponsored by the Cooperative Extension this past Fall and an application process that included essays and a teacher recommendation.
BCOPE's garden program was also the recipient of a book donation from the Belfast Garden Club - there are articles in the Penbay Pilot and Republican Journal this week. https://waldo.villagesoup.com/2022/01/04/garden-club-donates-record-number-of-books-to-library-schools/.
Special Services - Members from the BAHS special education department participated in training presented by the Maine Department of Special Service on B13 this week. B13 is the transition planning part of students' IEP's who are in 9th grade or 16 years of age. The IEP team develops the transition plan to help prepare students for independent living, transition into the workforce, and postsecondary education. We received great resources and tools to use with our students and guidance to ensure our transition plans comply with state and federal requirements.
That's it for this week. As always, please feel free to be in touch with staff members and me with questions, ideas, and feedback.
Enjoy the snow, and stay safe!
Mary Alice
