RSU #71 Monthly Update - August 26, 2022

GREETINGS, RSU 71 COMMUNITY!

We look forward to welcoming back all our students and staff next week! Staff have been hard at work hiring staff, cleaning buildings and getting ready for a new school year. A big change in our opening this year is that the coronavirus is not center stage. We will start the year simply following the recommendations of the US Centers for Disease Control, treating COVID-19 (like we have always done for infectious diseases), notifying our community only if we go into "outbreak" status. While no special mitigation strategies will be put in place to start the school year, all students, staff and families are encouraged to show good sense by staying home when feeling ill, and washing hands. We will also start the new year with a newly articulated RSU 71 motto, vision, mission and education plan for RSU 71, a product of the "Future Search" conducted this spring, which involved getting feedback from hundreds of community members, including the entire school board, students, parents, staff, community partners, and municipal officials.  This summer every principal met with teacher leaders to create a "work plan" for the 2022 - 2023 school year that is aligned with the RSU 71 Education Plan. These work plans will be shared, along with the Education Plan itself, with all staff at our district meeting on Tuesday, August 30. Directors will meet with their departments in September to develop similar work plans for our departments of Transportation, Food Service, Maintenance, Adult Education, Special Services, and Technology, as well as with the Central Office Team.   In lieu of weekly updates this year we'll be sending monthly updates with information and good news about goings-on in our school district, focusing especially on our progress meeting the 2022-2023 goals articulated in the RSU 71 Education Plan. As always, please feel free to be in touch with questions, suggestions and feedback.   The first day of fall isn't until September 22, so we have several weeks to still enjoy summertime in Maine.   I send warm wishes for a fabulous start to the 2022 - 2023 school year and a happy end-of-summer season,   Mary Alice McLean, Superintendent of Schools

 

Good News, Reminders, Information

DUCKTRAP DONATES 100 BACKPACKS!!

From left: Mary Alice McLean, Susan Totman, Meagan Rankin, Jim Philbrook,
Toni Story, Jennifer Williams, Laura Miller

We have received an incredibly generous donation of 100 backpacks to students in our district!

Jim Philbrook and Meagan Rankin delivered the backpacks to Central Office this week.

We would like to thank all the folks at Ducktrap for their kindness and generosity to the students of RSU 71.

TROY HOWARD MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS

A COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE GAME LOFT AND TROY HOWARD MIDDLE SCHOOL TO RAISE THE ASPIRATIONS OF RURAL MAINE YOUTH

The Game Loft and RSU 71 are partnering to bring the I Know ME (IKME) program that has been successfully piloted at Mount View Middle School to Troy Howard. ESSER III grant funds will support a program to raise the aspirations of rural Maine kids by allowing them to explore and learn more about our great state! Cohorts of ten kids beginning in the 7th grade are being offered this unique opportunity to learn about Maine. They’ll visit state parks, attend Maine’s food festivals, meet with representatives at the State House, and enjoy other one-of-a-kind opportunities to learn more about Maine’s people and history. Programming focuses on field trips, educational enrichment, helping kids become comfortable with themselves and others, games, conversations, decision-making and travel.

THMS and Game Loft staff collaborated on a successful recruitment drive just before the end of school and programming is under way. They’ve shared these great photos from the first IKME2 trip to Hurricane Island in July. 

HOW A BELFAST TEACHER HELPED A UKRAINIAN COUNTERPART ESCAPE WAR

Anna Maymeskul, left, of Bucha, Ukraine and Martha Conway-Cole of Belfast Credit: Courtesy of Patrick Hurley When a Belfast middle school language arts teacher and an English teacher from Bucha, Ukraine, virtually met in the winter of 2021, their purpose was to connect their classrooms.   Read full article: https://www.bangordailynews.com/2022/08/04/news/midcoast/belfast-teacher-helps-ukrainian-counterpart-joam40zk0w/

 SIT DOWN BELFAST- THMS ART STUDENT'S CHAIR

Art students at THMS have had the great opportunity to participate in “Sit Down Belfast” a project made possible by Our Town Belfast and the generosity of various area businesses and loyal citizens. “Sit Down Belfast” is a creative community project that has brought more seating to the heart of Belfast for travelers, locals, and shoppers to sit a spell and take in our special little city’s beauty. 

The following THMS students gave their time and creative energy to produce a lively and exciting chair:

Flora Baer, Landon Coombs, Gabriela Gardner, Ari Goguen, Savannah Lepow, Rowan Megquier, Sophia Solebello, Siena Sommer, and Caroline Wisniewski.

We also were lucky enough to have a few future THMS students make their mark on the chair as well: Leila Fowler, Retta Megquier, Maggie Maheu, and Elena Sommer.