RSU 34 -

The Maine Broadband Coalition has launched a statewide internet speed test mapping initiative. The goal of the “Get Up To Speed” initiative is to gather data from across the state to generate the most comprehensive map of both the presence and quality of internet in Maine to date. Residents are being asked to help the initiative by taking this less-than-a-minute test to map their own speed through the Maine Broadband Coalition’s website - https://www.mainebroadbandcoalition.org The Maine Broadband Coalition will aggregate, document, and visualize the speed testing information to provide users and state officials with up-to-date service maps. Participants can view their results (while personal information remains confidential) and watch the public map of Maine grow in real time.

RSU #34 is planning 2021-2022 school year budgets for the programs funded under the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (Title IA, IIA, IV-A). To be involved, please email Jon.Doty@rsu34.org This budgeting will be one of the agenda items at the February 1st Board Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Committee meeting. We welcome input; to provide written input or for a video link to that meeting please email Jon.Doty@rsu34.org Thanks for your input!

Our latest issue of Community Connections is off to the printers! Many thanks to the staff and community members who shared pictures and articles. Here's a link: https://5il.co/oswv

Dear RSU #34 Community, On Friday Maine updated the COVID-19 School Health Advisory System. Statewide evidence continues to indicate lower transmission of COVID-19 in schools relative to the general population. We greatly appreciate the hard work of our staff, students, and community to follow our screening and safety protocols! Please be sure to continue the habit of daily home screening; the screening questions are on our COVID-19 page at rsu34.org (http://rsu34me.apptegy.us/o/rsu-34/page/covid19--2). Our quarantine requirements are posted at the same page, along with the weblink to our COVID hotline (you can also call 827-7171, option zero). Please don’t hesitate to use the COVID hotline to let us know of positive or suspected cases of COVID-19 in our school community so we can take appropriate steps. If you need general guidance, please call the state of Maine’s help line at 211, or email that helpline: info@211maine.org THANK YOU so much for your tremendous hard work to keep our students, staff, and schools safe! Direct link to screening questions: https://www.maine.gov/doe/sites/maine.gov.doe/files/inline-files/Pre-Screening%20Tool_11.pdf

Dear RSU #34 Community, On Friday Maine updated the COVID-19 School Health Advisory System. Statewide evidence continues to indicate lower transmission of COVID-19 in schools relative to the general population. We greatly appreciate the hard work of our staff, students, and community to follow our screening and safety protocols! Please be sure to continue the habit of daily home screening; the screening questions are on our COVID-19 page at rsu34.org (http://rsu34me.apptegy.us/o/rsu-34/page/covid19--2). Our quarantine requirements are posted at the same page, along with the weblink to our COVID hotline (you can also call 827-7171, option zero). Please don’t hesitate to use the COVID hotline to let us know of positive or suspected cases of COVID-19 in our school community so we can take appropriate steps. If you need general guidance, please call the state of Maine’s help line at 211, or email that helpline: info@211maine.org THANK YOU so much for your tremendous hard work to keep our students, staff, and schools safe! Direct link to screening questions: https://www.maine.gov/doe/sites/maine.gov.doe/files/inline-files/Pre-Screening%20Tool_11.pdf

Re: Opt-Out of Maine’s Sara Alert System Good morning, This is a proactive message sent to all RSU #34 families and staff, regarding the ability to opt out of Maine’s Sara Alert system. Please see information below about the purpose of Sara Alert, and what to do if you would like to opt out. -- If you are a staff person or a student identified as a close contact of a confirmed positive case of COVID-19 at school, you will be notified by the school through a phone call or email and provided initial guidance on next steps, including quarantining and testing. Once you have received notification from the school, the Maine CDC’s Sara Alert system will begin sending you follow up guidance via text messages. Sara Alert is an automated system that uses daily text messages to help people who have been identified as close contacts to monitor for symptoms after exposure. All students and staff will be enrolled in Sara Alert if they are identified as having been in close contact with a COVID-19 positive person while at school. There is nothing required of you to be automatically enrolled in this service. If, however, you would like to opt out of Sara Alert, please complete this brief form by January 15: tinyurl.com/y3ayqxsw. If you do opt out of the Sara Alert system, and are later identified as a close contact to a positive case, you may receive follow up phone calls to confirm you have opted to not receive the automated text messages from Maine CDC. Additional assistance is provided to Maine residents who have been identified as a close contact of a COVID-19 positive person, and need support during quarantine. You may request this assistance by using this online form: https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/form/covid-19-referral-form Additional information about community care and social support is available here: https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/coronavirus-resources/support-for-isolation-quarantine, or you can send an email to dhhs.covid.socialsupport@Maine.gov On behalf of our RSU #34 team, thank you for your hard work to help keep the spread of COVID-19 slow!

Dear RSU #34 Community, The purpose of this message is to provide an update about where we currently stand with community transmission of COVID-19. At the time of this writing, while we do have students and staff who are not attending school as they have either confirmed exposure, symptoms or have tested positive for COVID-19, there is no known school-based transmission of COVID-19 in RSU #34 schools. Although this is concerning, it is not surprising coming back from the holiday break. Community transmission has increased statewide and we are continually assessing our status to keep our students and staff safe and support our families who are afflicted. To this point, in the entire school year, there has been one known incident of school-based exposure, related to an extra-curricular event at Old Town High School during the holiday break. We do not yet have any evidence of actual transmission occurring from this exposure, and are hopeful that the safety protocols in place at that event will have prevented transmission. All of those close contacts who were potentially exposed were immediately notified when this came to our attention, and have been participating in school remotely since we resumed school on Monday. Additionally, we shared community-wide notification of the exposure at www.rsu34.org and on our social media page. If a person in any of our buildings were to test positive, we would immediately reach out to all of the families of students/staff who have been in close contact with that person to notify them. If you do not receive a phone call, you would have no reason to be concerned. We greatly appreciate the efforts of staff, students, and the families of all for working so hard to follow our protocols and keep our schools safe and open. Beyond our schools, as you know, the spread of COVID-19 has been greatly increasing in Penobscot County, in Maine, and beyond. Our school nurses and COVID hotline have been busy this week as we assist with contact tracing for those exposed to COVID-19 outside of school. Much like the now-famous Millinocket wedding on August 7th ultimately led to many cases beyond those who attended the wedding, our contact tracing has identified single incidents attended by members of our school community that have spilled over to result in positive cases for people who were not present at the events. Again, these known transmissions have occurred outside of school, not in our care and not following the safety protocols we have in place at school. RSU #34 schools remain open, and we continue taking great care with daily symptom screening protocols, hand hygiene, social distancing, and mask wearing. Our students and staff are doing a wonderful job following these protocols. Over the course of the summer and fall we implemented many facilities modifications such as Plexiglas barriers and ventilation system upgrades to further reduce the chance of school-based transmission. The data have supported, in Maine and across the world, that with such precautions in place school-based transmission is unlikely. If you have questions regarding exposure times or clearance back into the building due to travel, illness, or exposure call our school nurses for guidance or email them. School nurses can assist you with return dates to school for all Covid-19 related scenarios. We continue to urge all members of our community to follow the recommendations of disease experts in slowing the spread of COVID-19: https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/coronavirus-resources (simple summary: stay home with any COVID symptoms, wear your mask, wash your hands, keep your distance). Thank you for your efforts! General Information: As always, please remember to conduct daily screening, and use our COVID hotline when you learn of a positive or likely case of COVID-19 in our school community. The web hotline can be accessed through www.rsu34.org, or you can call 827-7171 and choose option zero. For general Covid-19 questions, please dial Maine’s helpline at 211 or 1-866-811-5695. You can also text your zip code to 898-211 or email info@211maine.org. Please call your healthcare provider with questions about symptoms. More information can be found at www.maine.gov/dhhs/coronavirus or www.cdc.gov/coronavirus. Covid-19 is a respiratory illness that may range from mild to severe. Some people may be asymptomatic (no symptoms at all,) but may still test positive. Covid-19 may be more severe in adults 60 years and older and anyone with underlying health conditions. The virus mainly spreads through droplets and aerosols, such as when an infected person coughs or sneezes and an uninfected person breathes in the virus. Signs and symptoms of Covid-19 may include: Fever or chills, new or uncontrollable cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, and nausea/vomiting/diarrhea. The Maine CDC recommended preventative measures to help prevent the spread of Covid-19. This includes: · Wearing a mask in public. · Washing your hands with soap and warm water after using the bathroom, before and after eating, after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. · When soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. · Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands and avoid close contact with people who are sick. · Cover your cough or sneeze and disinfect your hands afterwards. · Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaner or wipe.

To learn more about the local, state, and federal assessments done in RSU #34, please don't hesitate to reach out to your school's administrators or to RSU #34's Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment (Dr. Doty: jon.doty@rsu34.org). We'll be happy to provide all applicable information, including policies, procedures, and what to do if you wish to opt out of an assessment.

Dear RSU #34 Community, Throughout the day today (Monday, Jan. 4th), a number of families have let us know of exposures to COVID-19 that occurred outside of school during the holidays. Some of these are confirmed positive cases through testing, others have not yet been detected by testing but are very likely COVID-19. We greatly appreciate being quickly brought into the loop so we can assist with contact tracing to keep our school community safe. At this time, it appears that all families have appropriately quarantined and there have not been any exposures at school today. As you know, there is currently widespread community transmission of COVID-19 in Maine and the United States, and Penobscot County is being closely monitored due to a high case positivity rate. We urge all of our school community to continue erring on the side of caution, being diligent in our adherence to safety measures and vigilant in our daily screening in order to keep the spread of COVID-19 slow. Please continue acting with a great abundance of caution if you or a family member present with symptoms similar to COVID-19. Our daily screening questions for all who enter our schools are on our COVID-19 page at rsu34.org (http://rsu34me.apptegy.us/o/rsu-34/page/covid19--2). Please be sure to carefully look back and consider ALL close contacts during the school vacation. Our updated quarantine requirements are posted at the same page, along with the weblink to our COVID hotline (you can also call 827-7171, option zero). Please don’t hesitate to use the COVID hotline to let us know of positive or suspected cases of COVID-19 in our school community so we can take appropriate steps. If you need general guidance, please call the state of Maine’s help line at 211, or email that helpline: info@211maine.org THANK YOU so much for your tremendous hard work to keep our students, staff, and schools safe! Direct link to screening questions: https://www.maine.gov/doe/sites/maine.gov.doe/files/inline-files/Pre-Screening%20Tool_11.pdf view image General Information: Covid-19 is a respiratory illness that may range from mild to severe. Some people may be asymptomatic (no symptoms at all,) but may still test positive. Covid-19 may be more severe in adults 60 years and older and anyone with underlying health conditions. The virus mainly spreads through droplets and aerosols, such as when an infected person coughs or sneezes and an uninfected person breathes in the virus. Signs and symptoms of Covid-19 may include: Fever or chills, new or uncontrollable cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, and nausea/vomiting/diarrhea. The Maine CDC recommended preventative measures to help prevent the spread of Covid-19. This includes: · Wearing a mask in public and increased hand hygiene measures. · Washing your hands with soap and warm water after using the bathroom, before and after eating, after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. · When soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. · Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands and avoid close contact with people who are sick. · Cover your cough or sneeze and disinfect your hands afterwards. · Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaner or wipe.

Dear RSU #34 Families and Staff, This email is to inform you that RSU #34 has identified a likely positive case of COVID-19 at Old Town High School. All close contacts have been notified and advised of next steps such as quarantine, symptom checking, and testing. School will open as planned for the Monday in-person students on Monday, January 4th. As always, please remember to conduct daily screening, and use our COVID hotline when you learn of a positive or likely case of COVID-19 in our school community. We thank you for your efforts to keep our schools safe and open! For general Covid-19 questions, please dial Maine’s helpline at 211 or 1-866-811-5695. Questions for the school nurse may be directed to Nurse Jana by emailing Jana.Caron@rsu34.org or by calling 207-827-3910. You can also text your zip code to 898-211 or email info@211maine.org. Please call your healthcare provider with questions about symptoms. More information can be found at www.maine.gov/dhhs/coronavirus or www.cdc.gov/coronavirus. General Information follows: Covid-19 is a respiratory illness that may range from mild to severe. Some people may be asymptomatic (no symptoms at all,) but may still test positive. Covid-19 may be more severe in adults 60 years and older and anyone with underlying health conditions. The virus mainly spreads through droplets and aerosols, such as when an infected person coughs or sneezes and an uninfected person breathes in the virus. Signs and symptoms of Covid-19 may include: Fever or chills, new or uncontrollable cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, and nausea/vomiting/diarrhea. The Maine CDC recommended preventative measures to help prevent the spread of Covid-19. This includes: · Wearing a mask in public and increased hand hygiene measures. · Washing your hands with soap and warm water after using the bathroom, before and after eating, after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. · When soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. · Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands and avoid close contact with people who are sick. · Cover your cough or sneeze and disinfect your hands afterwards. · Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaner or wipe.

Dear RSU #34 Community, Happy New Year! We hope you had a very festive and safe holiday season. Our schools resume session Monday, January 4th; we look forward to seeing our students! Please be sure to get back in the habit of daily home screening; the screening questions are on our COVID-19 page at rsu34.org (http://rsu34me.apptegy.us/o/rsu-34/page/covid19--2). Please be sure to carefully look back to all close contacts during the school vacation. Our updated quarantine requirements are posted at the same page, along with the weblink to our COVID hotline (you can also call 827-7171, option zero). Please don’t hesitate to use the COVID hotline to let us know of positive or suspected cases of COVID-19 in our school community so we can take appropriate steps. If you need general guidance, please call the state of Maine’s help line at 211, or email that helpline: info@211maine.org You may have noticed in the news that Penobscot County remains “green” in the state’s advisory system for schools, but that Penobscot and Aroostook counties are being closely monitored due to recent high case positivity rates. THANK YOU so much for your tremendous hard work to keep our students, staff, and schools safe! Direct link to screening questions: https://www.maine.gov/doe/sites/maine.gov.doe/files/inline-files/Pre-Screening%20Tool_11.pdf

Dear RSU #34 Community, THANK YOU so much for your tremendous hard work to keep our students, staff, and schools safe and open throughout the fall! Our schools resume session Monday, January 4th. Please note that many of our email and voicemail inboxes are NOT monitored during the school holiday. To report a COVID-positive case, or close contact with someone who is COVID-positive, please use our district COVID reporting hotline which IS monitored daily during the school vacation. You can call 827-7171 extension zero, or use the webform on the COVID-19 page at www.rsu34.org Please remember that it’s important to let us know of positive cases, even during the school vacation, so we can be sure anyone in our school community who’s been in close contact can take appropriate steps. If you need general guidance, please call the state of Maine’s help line at 211, or email that helpline: info@211maine.org Thank you, and please have a very happy and safe holiday!

Congratulations to the OTES musicians for a wonderful concert! Old Town Elementary Winter Band Concert 2020: https://video.link/w/UhkBb (14 minutes) Old Town Elementary Sing Along 2020: https://video.link/w/9KlBb (8 minutes)

Our LMS musicians worked hard to put on a heck of a Virtual Holiday Concert - here's the link! https://video.link/w/cnI9b

TO: All Parents SUBJECT: WINTER WEATHER AND SCHOOL Regional School Unit No. 34 maintains a policy of keeping school in session under all conditions; except when weather and road conditions are hazardous and therefore jeopardizing student safety. In general, when bus schedules are disrupted due to road conditions, schools will not be in session. Regardless of our decision to open or not open schools, we respect the right of parents to make the decision not to send your child(ren) to school when you feel their safety is at risk due to travel conditions. In these cases, the absence will be excused when we receive a note from you stating you chose to keep your child at home for safety reasons. NO-SCHOOL announcements will be made using our Emergency Call system and posted on our website www.rsu34.org. We will also notify area television stations that accept early morning school closing notifications. Under most circumstances children are kept in school for the full day once they have reported to school. Early dismissal of students would occur only when weather conditions would appear to be too hazardous to remain the full day, loss of power for an extended period or when travel conditions are predicted to significantly worsen prior to normal dismissal times. In this case, students would be dismissed early. Parents who are not at home during the day should make early dismissal plans for their child(ren) and make the school aware of these emergency plans. Advance planning for a neighbor, friend or family member to care for your child(ren) if they are dismissed early is critical. We may also delay the start of school if travel conditions so warrant. This too might require advance planning on your part if your child(ren) are not boarding the bus at their usual time and/or the school is not open to accept students until a later time. I STRONGLY URGE all parents to make plans in advance before the winter season. Feel free to call my office (827-7171) or any of the school offices if you have questions or if we can assist you with making plans for your child(ren). The safety and wellbeing of your child(ren) is most important to us. David A. Walker Superintendent of Schools

Elementary school parents/caregivers, we seek your input! RSU #34 has some dedicated grant funds at the elementary school level, focused on engaging families in education. Please let us know your thoughts here! https://forms.gle/moeyjGv4JbpHDYQ77

Our River Runners youth at OTHS and LMS are excited to share their November newsletter. Get it here! https://5il.co/nojh

Dear RSU #34 Community, Our team has followed up today regarding a report from an individual associated with Old Town High School that they tested positive for COVID-19. The individual was last in-person at OTHS several weeks ago; there is no risk of transmission to our students and staff. The individual / family will remain in isolation/quarantine until cleared by the CDC. We appreciate the prompt notification so we could assess the situation and ensure that we’d done all needed for the safety of our school community.

We hope everyone had a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving! We look forward to welcoming our students back on Monday morning. As always, please be sure to do the home screening each and every day before you send your child to school, and please continue to act out of an abundance of caution. In the screening process please be especially sure to remember the out-of-state travel considerations, as well as thinking through all of your child's close contacts for the past 14 days. At www.rsu34.org (click COVID-19) you can easily access our COVID reporting hotline, the screening questions to ask at home, and links to the precautions recommended by the Centers for Disease Control. Together we will keep our children and community safe as we navigate the pandemic. We thank you for your vigilance and your support!

A shared message from Northern Light Health It's Up to All of Us to Stop the Spread of COVID-19 Across Maine, we are seeing a sharp rise in the number of COVID-19 cases. No longer limited to spread at large events, we’re now seeing the virus spread rapidly through smaller gatherings in the home. As we get ready for the holiday season, we all must take steps to keep our friends, family, and ourselves safe. Often, people contract COVID-19 from someone who doesn’t have symptoms, either because they haven’t developed them yet or because they will never have them. Just because someone does not appear sick does not mean that they cannot spread the virus to others who may develop a more serious illness. When making plans this holiday season, make sure you’re not accidentally inviting COVID-19 to join you. Think carefully about how and with whom you celebrate. Try to keep indoor celebrations limited to people in your household or already in your social bubble. And make sure you know who is in the bubble of the people you invite. It can be hard to change traditions, but this could be a year to try something new. Rather than a big dinner indoors, consider an outdoor, physically distanced activity to connect with others. A walk, a hike, or even some time around the fire pit telling stories is a great way to connect more safely and get in some physical activity. If you celebrate with friends and family from outside of your household, take steps to limit your risk of infection like wearing masks, keeping physical distance, and practicing good, frequent hand washing. Do not have people over if you or anyone in your household has symptoms of COVID-19 or a known exposure, and ask guests that they stay home if they are sick.