We're proud of our River Runners youth mentoring cohort! Here's their October Newsletter: https://5il.co/mslf
RSU #34 Calendar & Storm/Snow Days (re-post from mid-October)
Please remember that RSU #34 revised its school calendar at the end of the summer; the calendar can be accessed at the link below. That calendar lays out the school holidays, such as Veteran’s Day on Wednesday, November 11th.
The last scheduled day of the school year is Monday, June 14th. We continue to guide families to anticipate a typical number of storm/snow days; with several storm/snow days school would end Friday, June 18th.
We will continue to announce storm/snow days through the RSU #34 app and through our website. We know that major storm/snow events often come paired with power outages, internet outages, and other challenges that make a full day of remote learning difficult.
When there’s a storm/snow day, we encourage our students to help shovel out a neighbor, build a snowman, play a game, and do other wonderful things.
If during the year we begin to accumulate an unusually large number of storm/snow days, we may consider shifting to some remote learning days for moderate storm/snow events.
Link to calendar: https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/871751/2020-21_Student_Calendar_Revised.pdf
A reminder: This year, much of our instruction can be viewed by families online. If you have a question about content, discussions, or activities that you see online, please contact that teacher to inquire about the purpose and context of the lesson. You can also explore RSU #34's curriculum at our public curriculum portal: https://rsu34-public.rubiconatlas.org/Atlas/Public/View/Default
In order to protect student privacy, please do not take photos, screenshots, or videos of your child’s class.
FOOD BOX DISTRIBUTION AT OLD TOWN HIGH SCHOOL
Area families will have the opportunity to pick up 30# boxes containing fresh produce, dairy products, fluid milk and meat products on Friday, October 30th, beginning at 9:30 AM at the OTHS student parking lot.
More details about this program may be found here: https://americanfarmpublications.com/food-box-program-links-farmers-families/
Oct.. 29th, 2020, 7:53 PM
Dear RSU #34 Community,
We write this notification out of an abundance of caution. We DO NOT currently have a confirmed case of COVID-19 in RSU #34.
However, we ARE learning more and awaiting test results regarding a situation where we have seen a pattern of illness with COVID-like symptoms, as well as information that raises our concern that one of our families MAY be dealing with a positive case of COVID-19.
All of the families of children and staff directly involved with that possible exposure through the class or bus have been directly notified through our email notification system. If we were to learn of a confirmed positive case of COVID-19, we would again contact those close contacts and take additional steps.
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. 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.
Sincerely,
RSU #34 Administrative Team
David Walker, Superintendent
Good afternoon RSU #34 community,
As we see cases of COVID-19 increase around Maine, please remember the importance of home symptom screening before school each and every day! The Maine Department of Education has adjusted home screening criteria for students and staff based on the latest medical guidance, shown in this image. The screening flowchart can also be found here: https://www.maine.gov/doe/sites/maine.gov.doe/files/inline-files/Pre-Screening%20Tool_11.pdf
Students may also continue to use the Northern Light screening tool (https://covid.northernlighthealth.org/covidsportscheck).
When students cannot attend in-person due to symptoms, please help them participate remotely for the day!
Please remember to promptly contact RSU #34 with information about a confirmed case of COVID-19, so we can take appropriate action to keep the spread slow and protect our community. You can report a confirmed case by calling 827-7171, or go to www.rsu34.org and click “Covid-19”.
Thank you for helping us to keep our schools and community safe! Please wash your hands, wear your mask, and practice social distancing.
The RSU #34 Board returned to an "in-person" format for it's October meeting. We did a trial run using new technology to record the meeting. Here is the video of the meeting: https://5il.co/mdac
We will continue to work to improve both video and audio quality.
It is our hope/plan that future meetings, if held "in-person," will be streamed as well as recorded.
Good afternoon RSU #34 Community,
There are several important topics below, which can also be viewed at this link: tinyurl.com/y3lrot5r
Please review this message for new information about screening, attendance, planning for remote-only, quarantine states, holidays, school calendar, and storm/snow days.
Screening for Symptoms
The Maine Department of Education has adjusted home screening criteria for students and staff based on the latest medical guidance. The new screening flowchart can be found here: https://www.maine.gov/doe/sites/maine.gov.doe/files/inline-files/Pre-Screening%20Tool_11.pdf
Students may also continue to use the Northern Light screening tool (link).
When students cannot attend in-person due to symptoms, please help them participate remotely for the day!
If students develop symptoms of illness at school, school staff will use similar guidance (link and link) to guide decision-making. Please remember to contact RSU #34 with information about a confirmed case of COVID-19, so we can take appropriate action to keep the spread slow and protect our community. You can report a confirmed case by calling 827-7171, or go to www.rsu34.org and click “Covid-19”.
Attendance and Going “Full Remote”
Regular attendance by students is as important as ever, whether the student is attending remotely or in-person on any given day! Attending school is closely tied to success. RSU #34 schools will not be doing typical “perfect attendance” awards this year, because we know everyone needs to prioritize an abundance of caution with symptoms common to COVID-19. However, our schools are devising ways to celebrate student engagement and recognize kids’ hard work to fully participate remotely and in-person.
We urge families to keep making backup plans for safe and effective remote learning. Our community has done a phenomenal job of following safe practices; this is to be celebrated! We know from looking around the state that outbreaks can occur in the blink of an eye, forcing families, schools, or even whole counties to change gears rapidly.
Should a classroom, school, or the whole district need to go “full remote” for a period of time, please anticipate that the first few days will include some disruption to the normal schedule as we help distribute learning materials to students from their schools and get them connected remotely. As quickly as possible we’ll resume a predictable school-day schedule with our full curriculum. Please be proactive by: gathering simple learning resources at home, planning for a safe and focused learning space, planning for child care, trying to address internet access and device access, and making sure contact information is up-to-date with the schools.
Travel and Holidays
October, November, and December are a special holiday season! As families make holiday plans, we encourage thinking ahead to keep the spread of COVID-19 slow, protecting your loved ones and our community. Here are some holiday planning tips from the Chief Health Improvement Officer of MaineHealth: https://t.co/UAMKUCJbXL?amp=1
Please also remember to include in your planning the necessary quarantine or testing measures when returning from other states. Maine’s requirements and state exemption list can be found here: https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/infectious-disease/epi/airborne/coronavirus/travel.shtml
RSU #34 Calendar & Storm/Snow Days
Please remember that RSU #34 revised its school calendar at the end of the summer; the calendar can be accessed at the link below. That calendar lays out the school holidays, such as Veteran’s Day on Wednesday, November 11th.
The last scheduled day of the school year is Monday, June 14th. We continue to guide families to anticipate a typical number of storm/snow days; with several storm/snow days school would end Friday, June 18th. We will continue to announce storm/snow days through the RSU #34 app and through our website.
We know that major storm/snow events often come paired with power outages, internet outages, and other challenges that make a full day of remote learning difficult. When there’s a storm/snow day, we encourage our students to help shovel out a neighbor, build a snowman, play a game, and do other wonderful things.
If during the year we begin to accumulate an unusually large number of storm/snow days, we may consider shifting to some remote learning days for moderate storm/snow events.
Link to calendar: https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/871751/2020-21_Student_Calendar_Revised.pdf
Thank you for your hard work for our community’s children!
Remote Learning at the Old Town Orono YMCA
Dear Parents/Guardians:
Please take a moment to complete a very important form in order to provide information needed by the Maine Department of Education to determine RSU#34‘s eligibility status for State Economically Disadvantaged funds available under the Essential Programs & Services Funding Act. Data in this form is not for school lunch purposes, only to determine our school district economic disadvantaged status and our eligibility for additional State and Federal funds.
The form is available in the documents section of the website under PARENT/GUARDIAN-ECONOMIC STATUS FORM. If you have any questions, please call Barbara Grindle at 827-7171 ext. 3. The due date to return this form is October 15, 2020. Thank you for your cooperation. You can sign the form electronically and email it to esf@rsu34.org or return the printed form to your child's school.
Sincerely,
David A. Walker, Superintendent
The University of Maine Black Bear Tutoring program has a parent request form, which can be accessed here: https://umaine.edu/volunteer/parents/tutor-request-form/
DISTANCE LEARNING CLOSE TO HOME
Remote Learning Assistance OLD TOWN - ORONO YMCA
The Old Town - Orono YMCA is partnering with RSU #34 to offer remote learning assistance free of
charge for all RSU #34 students and families that could use help navigating the new and unique
educational landscape.
The YMCA will be staffed from 7:30a to 2:00p everyday with volunteer tutors and staff to support
students who require assistance. Working closely with RSU #34 educators and administration, our
goal is to provide a safe and supportive environment for your student. Breakfast and lunch will be
provided at no cost by the RSU #34 Food Service Department.
There is limited space and priority shall be given to children of essential workers as well as
those families with financial need. The funding for this program is provided through a federal
grant that is guaranteed through December 30, 2020.
For More Information please contact your child's school or Andrew Walker at the Old Town - Orono
YMCA.
Stay Connected with the Y on Social Media
OLD TOWN - ORONO YMCA
472 Stillwater Ave Old Town, ME 04468 P (207) 827-9622
www.otoymca.org
RSU #34 Guide to Great School Communication
SUBSTITUTE TEACHER APPLICATION IS ONLINE!
Check out the documents section of our website.
Our River Runners program has released their September newsletter! You can meet the newest Program Manager, learn about how 7th graders can jointhe program, and more here! https://5il.co/lbfo
River Runners is a partnership with the YMCA, and is inspired by Trekkers, Inc. and their 10 Youth Programming Principles and is part of the Emanuel and Pauline A. Lerner Foundation’s Aspirations Incubator Program (a pilot initiative focused on establishing long-term, mentoring-based youth development models in eight rural communities and small cities across Maine).
RSU #34 is holding a substitute educator training this Thursday, Sept. 24th, from 1-2 PM (by videoconference). Substituting can be a great fit with your schedule and a great way to help kids! To sign up for the training please email jon.doty@rsu34.org
Dear RSU #34 Community,
Our community, inside and outside of school, is doing a fantastic job of keeping the spread of COVID-19 slow. We greatly appreciate the efforts of our students, their families, our staff, and the community around us to help keep people safe and avoid school disruptions. Thank you!
Please remember how important it is to do home screening every single day; this is required for all students and staff. Here are the questions to ask:
https://www.maine.gov/doe/sites/maine.gov.doe/files/inline-files/Pre-Screening%20Tool_2.pdf
(in addition to those COVID-related questions, please also stay home until 24 hours after vomiting/diarrhea - like in any year!)
There are two tools that can guide this screening, and help speed up the entry process at our schools. Anyone can use our screening tool on a smartphone or computer: https://forms.gle/DYu3rGgMsyfmFvym7
Northern Light makes a similar screening tool that is also OK: https://covid.northernlighthealth.org/covidsportscheck
It is extremely important that public health experts can follow up quickly with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19. Two of our staff members are on-call 24-7 to get information from the CDC about local cases, and use that information to help keep our students and staff safe. To report a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 in the RSU #34 community, call 207-827-7171 and choose menu option Zero. You can also report a confirmed or suspected case using this webform: tinyurl.com/y4hsp7k3
You’ve likely seen in the past weeks how much a small handful of positive cases have impacted learning at other Maine school districts and at post-secondary institutions. We’ve seen statewide, nationally, and worldwide how quickly the novel coronavirus can spread when given the opportunity. For more information about how to protect the people around you, and yourselves, please visit the Maine CDC website:
https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/infectious-disease/epi/airborne/coronavirus/index.shtml
Thank you for your hard work to keep our schools and community safe!
*Substitute Teaching in RSU #34*
Have you ever thought of being a substitute teacher in Alton, Bradley, or Old Town? Here is a short list of some of the benefits:
*A second income that can certainly come in handy for the upcoming heating season.
*Flexibility: You get to pick the age level of the students, and which days you’d like to work!
*An excellent opportunity to gain experience in the teaching field - especially if you are considering teaching as a career.
*You will quickly become immersed in the school community and truly have an impact on the lives of children.
*There is no better job reference than one that involves experience working with children.
*RSU #34 kids are amazing!!!
Applications are available at the Superintendent’s Office located at Leonard Middle School. Call 827-7171 for more information.
Free Meals for All Children Through December 2020
RSU #34 Food Service staff is working hard to keep up with the demands and changes that have come our way, and we would like to send a huge THANK YOU to RSU #34 students, parents, staff, and community members for your continued support over the last six months.
We will continue to offer meals both in the classroom and curbside throughout the fall season. These meals, both breakfast and lunch, will be free to all students (including full time, hybrid, and fully remote learners) as well as non-students and siblings up to and including the age of 18 and regardless of enrollment or eligibility, through December 31, 2020.
However, we do still need to have families with enrolled students submit a meal application in order to continue to qualify for this benefit, so please submit as usual prior to October 15th, or at any point during the school year if you experience a drop in income. Applications have been sent home with students, may be obtained by calling the Food Service Office, or may be completed online at www.nlappscloud.com.
Our curbside distribution is at Old Town High School, 203 Stillwater Ave., Old Town, from 9:30 – 10:30 every school day. Both breakfast and lunch will be provided. If your child is in school that day, they will be offered meals in school. On the days that the student is not in school, either the student or the parent/guardian may pick up the meals for that day. Calls to reserve meals by 6:00 AM on the pickup day will be greatly appreciated so that we can meet the demand. One call for the week is sufficient if you are planning to pick up every day. If your child is a student in RSU 34 and has documented allergies on file with us, please let us know ahead of the pickup day.
For students who are in school for learning, we will be delivering meals to the classrooms. Please let us know about any food allergies by completing the Medical Statement for Special Dietary Needs, even if they are bringing their meals from home. These forms must be completed by your child’s medical provider and returned to our office for us to provide the requested substitutions.
A la carte items are available, including extra milk or milk purchased to go with lunch brought from home. Very soon options will increase at the high school level. To purchase these items, there must be funds available on your student’s account. We will not be handling money while we are delivering meals to the classrooms, so please pay by check or online. You may either send in a check payable to RSU 34 Food Service to your child’s school office, or mail it to RSU #34 Food Service, 156 Oak Street, Old Town, Maine 04468. You may also pay online at www.myschoolbucks.com.
My School Bucks is a simple online payment service that provides a quick and easy way to add money to your student’s meal account using a credit/debit card or electronic check. You can also check balances, and set-up low balance alerts for FREE! My School Bucks provides:
• Available 24/7 on the web or with the Mobile App for your iPhone, Android, or Windows phone!
• Make payments for all your students, even if they attend different schools within the district.
• Set low balance alerts, view account activity, set up recurring/automatic payments, & more!
• Make payments using credit/debit cards and electronic checks.
• My School Bucks adheres to the highest security standards.
• Enrollment is easy!
1. Go to www.MySchoolBucks.com and register for a free account. You will receive a confirmation email with a link to activate your account.
2. Add your students using their school name and student ID.
3. Make a payment to your students’ accounts with your credit/debit card or electronic check.
4. A program fee will apply. You will have the opportunity to review any fees and cancel if you choose before you are charged.
Please do not hesitate to call our office if you have questions or concerns that are not addressed here. Information, applications, menus, and all forms may also be requested by calling the RSU #34 Food Service Office, 207-827-3908, or they may be found on our web page, http://rsu34me.apptegy.us/o/rsu-34/page/food-service--124
Wishing you all a successful school year,
Stephanie Salley, Food Service Director, and Kim Hayward, Food Service Clerk
Non-Discriminatory & Civil Rights Information: In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English. To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: program.intake@usda.gov. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
The Maine Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination because of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, religion, ancestry or national origin. Complaints of discrimination must be filed at the office of the Maine Human Rights Commission, 51 State House Station, Augusta, Maine 04333-0051. If you wish to file a discrimination complaint electronically, visit the Human Rights Commission website at https://www.maine.gov/mhrc/file/instructions and complete an intake questionnaire. Maine is an equal opportunity provider.