RSU 34 -

Dear RSU #34 Community, You may know that Superintendent Walker is retiring at the end of this school year, after 17 years of service to the RSU #34 community. The School Board has formed a committee to conduct the search for RSU #34’s next Superintendent. We seek your input in the search process! The Board has contracted with Maine School Management Association to assist with the search; MSMA will host a community input forum on Wednesday, January 26th, at 6:30 PM, by videoconference. If you’d like to attend the forum, please email Jon.Doty@rsu34.org for the video link. Board members serving on the committee are Hunter Umphrey (chair), Moriah Geer, Howard Jack, John Milligan, Laura Sanborn, and Dave Wollstadt. Staff representatives serving on the search committee are Brenda Dahlbergh, Kerri Dexter, Jon Doty, and Scott Gordon. Input about strengths, needs, and priorities can also be provided via a survey. The survey can be done anytime between now and February 4th through this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RSU34SuptSearch Thank you in advance for your input!

1/21/2022: RSU #34 has released new COVID protocols. Please read them in full here: https://5il.co/14l6n On 1/18/2022 the state released further clarifications to its requirements that need to be in place in order to complete part of the 10-day isolation and quarantine periods in school.  Supply to schools of rapid antigen tests has also increased, which opens an opportunity for us that we did not have in our earlier-January communication.  We have adjusted our most recent district protocol in the places highlighted on the full document.  Student athletes and coaches, for “return-to-play” considerations please pay particular attention to the isolation flow-chart and to the appendix.  Summary of Key Points (details at https://5il.co/14l6n ): *There is currently great community spread of COVID-19 *Vaccination / boosting, participation in pooled testing, and reliable mask wearing remain key factors in slowing COVID spread and in avoiding quarantine *Those who test positive but meet certain criteria, including reliable mask wearing, may request an early return to school.   *Those who have exposure but meet certain criteria, including reliable mask wearing, may request an early return to school.   *Amidst this great surge in cases RSU #34 will be doing more notifications by group messages rather than individual calls/emails. *RSU #34 will accept clear, named, and dated home-based tests as an alternative to lab-based tests. *Continuous exposure to positive household members requires additional precautions.  *Evidence continually supports that with precautions in place, schools are very safe locations.  

Dear RSU #34 Community, You may know that Superintendent Walker is retiring at the end of this school year, after 17 years of service to the RSU #34 community. The School Board has formed a committee to conduct the search for RSU #34’s next Superintendent. Board members serving on the committee are Hunter Umphrey (chair), Moriah Geer, Howard Jack, John Milligan, Laura Sanborn, and Dave Wollstadt. Staff representatives serving on the search committee are Brenda Dahlbergh, Kerri Dexter, Jon Doty, and Scott Gordon. We seek your input in the search process! Input about strengths, needs, and priorities can be provided via a survey, or via a community forum. The survey can be done anytime between now and February 4th through this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RSU34SuptSearch The Board has contracted with Maine School Management Association to assist with the search; MSMA will host a community input forum on Wednesday, January 26th, at 6:30 PM, by videoconference. If you’d like to attend the forum, please email Jon.Doty@rsu34.org for the video link. Thank you in advance for your input!

RSU #34 is beginning development of the 2022-2023 ESEA Budget in parallel with the local budgeting process. Through ESEA (the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act), RSU #34 applies for and receives funds in Titles IA, IIA, and IVA. Title IA generally funds some of our intervention services to disadvantaged students, Title IIA is generally focused on professional development, and Title IVA includes three sub-funds: Safe & Healthy Schools, Effective Use of Technology, and Well-Rounded Education. For information on how to be involved in needs assessment and the application planning process for ESEA, please contact Jon.Doty@rsu34.org

Our January 2022 issue of Community Connections is now available! Many thanks to those who contributed to the issue. Please note that page 2 has info about several ways the community can provide input to inform next steps for our school district. Community Connections will arrive in mailboxes in the next week or so; the web version can be accessed at this link: https://5il.co/14dsp

1/14/2022: The state has released two rounds of changes in recent weeks, and RSU #34 has developed new COVID protocols, which will take effect when school resumes on Tuesday, January 18th, 2022. Please read them in full here: https://5il.co/14byt Thank you for your support in helping to keep the spread of COVID-19 slow, and helping to keep our schools open in-person!

Schools in RSU#34 will be closed today, Friday January 7, 2022.

Dear RSU #34 School Community, At the end of December, the state released a major revision to the “Standard Operating Procedure for Investigation of COVID-19 Cases in PK-12 Schools” (SOP). The SOP is the primary set of rules/procedures that schools must follow with regards to COVID exposures, isolation, and quarantine. The full revised SOP can be found at this link: https://www.maine.gov/doe/covid-19/sop The fundamentals are still the same: We urge all members of our school community to seek vaccination, and to talk with their primary care provider if they have any questions about vaccination. COVID vaccines are available for anyone five years old or older. We urge those who are eligible for vaccine boosters to get those promptly We urge all of our families to be diligent, each and every day, about conducting home screening before getting on the bus or going to school (link: https://www.maine.gov/doe/sites/maine.gov.doe/files/inline-files/Maine%20DOE%20Pre-Screening%20Tool%20for%20School%20Attendance%2010.19.2021_1.pdf ) We encourage all students and staff to participate in our weekly pooled testing With symptoms or exposure, we encourage families to seek out lab-based tests at one of these sites: https://www.maine.gov/covid19/testing (RSU #34 uses the lab-based test as the start date for quarantine or isolation…with symptoms or positive results on a home-based test, please seek a lab-based test to follow-up) Most of our precautions underway are still important under the revised SOP, as they greatly reduce the frequency of quarantine and the spread of COVID-19. These include: assigned seating, universal masking, increased ventilation, and hand hygiene. Evidence continually supports that with precautions in place, schools are very safe locations. As a whole, the state’s revisions to the SOP will greatly reduce the frequency and length of quarantines from school. Please remember, if your child has had an exposure to COVID-19 over the holiday, to leave a message at our COVID hotline: 827-7171 extension zero. We thank our community for your hard work and diligence in helping to keep our students, staff, and community safe. We know those in the healthcare field greatly appreciate all efforts to keep the spread of COVID-19 slow, keeping hospital capacity available for those who need treatment for any reason. Happy New Year!

The weather forecast for tomorrow, Wednesday December 22, 2021 includes morning snow transitioning to sleet and freezing rain making for icy road conditions during the day tomorrow. RSU#34 schools were scheduled to dismiss at noon on Wednesday making travel to and/or from school, potentially dangerous. With that in mind, schools in RSU#34 Alton, Bradley and Old Town will be closed tomorrow Wednesday December 21st. It is our hope that making this decision this evening will ease the challenge of planning for tomorrow. We wish all RSU#34 families a peaceful, happy holiday break. We appreciate your continued cooperation and support as we navigate the storm of COVID19. We look forward to 2022 and continued brighter skies. See you on Monday January 3, 2022.

Winter Holiday Contact Tracing Adjustments ================================== RSU #34 will adjust contact tracing procedures for the duration of the school holiday, in order to meet CDC guidance while recognizing that many families and staff will be hard to reach. If we learn of a positive case of COVID-19 in our school community, we will continue to trace back to their previous 48 hours to identify close contacts at our schools and on school buses. Please note that 48 hours after school/busing ends on Wednesday extends well into December 24th, Christmas Eve. We will rely on email notification to get the word out to close contacts; if your contact information has changed please be sure to promptly notify your school office. Because less information will be available than typical, we anticipate that we will be sending some messages advising that children/staff “may have been close contacts” –reminding families of symptoms to watch for and recommending testing. We will not have staff available over the holiday to provide advice for specific children’s circumstances; please use the information available through the Maine CDC’s website (links below) and contact your primary care provider with questions. Please use our COVID hotline to report positive cases of COVID-19 (827-7171 ext. zero). The school offices’ and nurses’ phone/email inboxes may not be checked until school resumes in January. If you are involved in an extra-curricular activity that meets during the holiday, please also be sure to promptly inform the coaches and athletic director. With COVID spread in Penobscot County and in Maine extremely high, contact tracing incidents are a daily occurrence. We urge our school community to continue conducting daily home screening before students get on the bus or attend school, and we urge our school community to continue erring on the side of caution. If you do learn of a positive case, please let us know promptly. We have seen repeatedly and first hand in our community how sneaky a disease COVID-19 is, causing no or minor symptoms for some, while devasting or ending the lives of others. Please keep helping our community, and our overwhelmed hospitals, by acting with an abundance of caution. ============================= Maine CDC Website: https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/infectious-disease/epi/airborne/coronavirus/index.shtml What to do if you have COVID-19: https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/infectious-disease/epi/airborne/documents/Isolation-CO.pdf What does quarantine mean? https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/infectious-disease/epi/airborne/documents/Quarantine-CO-v2.pdf Where can you go to get tested? https://www.maine.gov/covid19/testing

Many thanks to our partners at Penobscot Community Health Care, and our staff and student volunteers who helped us put on a successful vaccination clinic last night! Those students who received a second dose last night can count down the 14 days until they're considered fully vaccinated! Those who received a first dose last night can seek a second dose after three weeks. Many local pharmacies and doctor's offices can provide this: https://www.maine.gov/covid19/vaccines/vaccination-sites

The US Dept. of Education is offering a webinar about the COVID vaccine for ages 5-11. Please see more information below. If you would like to sign your child up for our upcoming evening COVID vaccine clinic, please contact your school office. WEBINAR: COVID-19 Vaccines for School-Aged Children: What Parents and Families Should Know Please join the U.S. Department of Education and National Association for Family, School and Community Engagement for an informational webinar following the approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech age 5-11 vaccine. Thursday, December 9, 2021 At 8:00PM EST This is a such special time of year, and this year, we all have one more thing to be grateful for: Kids ages 5 to 11 are now eligible to get vaccinated. The vaccine is safe and effective, specifically formulated for young kids. And getting your child vaccinated is the best way to keep them safe from COVID, including the Delta variant. This is great news for parents and families. During the webinar, esteemed panelists including United States Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten along with representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics will address common concerns and worries among parents and families about the COVID-19 vaccine for their child(ren) ages 5-11. Parents are invited to submit questions about the vaccine on the registration form. Pre-submitted questions will help plan the content of the session. Time will also be reserved for live questions and answers at the end of the event. Register in advance for this meeting here! https://maine.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a582edd6473e477ef6307c769&id=2bf870595a&e=86e6eca0a1 After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. For further information please contact cdchealthyschools@cdc.gov or visit https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/

The US Department of Education is offering a free informational webinar about the COVID-19 vaccine for ages 5-11; please see more information and a registration link below. If you would like for your child to receive the COVID vaccine at our upcoming evening clinic, please contact your school office. WEBINAR: COVID-19 Vaccines for School-Aged Children: What Parents and Families Should Know Please join the U.S. Department of Education and National Association for Family, School and Community Engagement for an informational webinar following the approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech age 5-11 vaccine. Thursday, December 9, 2021 At 8:00PM EST This is a such special time of year, and this year, we all have one more thing to be grateful for: Kids ages 5 to 11 are now eligible to get vaccinated. The vaccine is safe and effective, specifically formulated for young kids. And getting your child vaccinated is the best way to keep them safe from COVID, including the Delta variant. This is great news for parents and families. During the webinar, esteemed panelists including United States Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten along with representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics will address common concerns and worries among parents and families about the COVID-19 vaccine for their child(ren) ages 5-11. Parents are invited to submit questions about the vaccine on the registration form. Pre-submitted questions will help plan the content of the session. Time will also be reserved for live questions and answers at the end of the event. Register in advance for this meeting here! https://maine.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a582edd6473e477ef6307c769&id=2bf870595a&e=7cc548ab39 After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. For further information please contact cdchealthyschools@cdc.gov or visit https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/

We hope all had a very happy Thanksgiving, and we look forward to welcoming our students back on Monday! Please remember to carefully screen for COVID symptoms/exposures before getting on the bus or attending school in the morning.

Many thanks to our community partner, Penobscot Community Health Care, and to our staff and student volunteers who worked together to put on a great vaccination clinic this evening! If you missed out on the clinic tonight and seek vaccination (ages 5 & up), you can find appointments through many pharmacies, grocery store pharmacies, and through your primary care provider. We will hold our follow-up clinic in three weeks so tonight's 5-11 year old participants can receive their second dose.

What's Going On In Your Child's Brain When You Read Them a Story? https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/51281/whats-going-on-in-your-childs-brain-when-you-read-them-a-story?fbclid=IwAR1hbk4W8LF-0Dg6vg6qUMDAa454XuZIcbwJx_sFcnOj_D-BpsNQuAJzQgQ

RSU #34 and Penobscot Community Health Care are partnering to offer COVID-19 vaccination clinics for 5-11 year olds. The clinic is open to our students, OTO-YMCA, and other local schools. The first dose is Thursday November 18th, at an after-school clinic hosted at Old Town High School. Parents/caregivers must accompany the child, and signed consent is required. Two weeks after the second dose, the child is considered fully vaccinated and will be exempt from quarantine in almost all circumstances! An electronic version of the flyer and consent forms can be found at this link: https://5il.co/11vqa Here are some resources that you may wish to check out to learn more about the vaccine. With specific questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to your child's primary care provider or your school nurse: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/COVID-19/Pages/The-Science-Behind-the-COVID-19-Vaccine-Parent-FAQs.aspx https://healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/COVID-19/Pages/Getting-Your-Child-Ready-for-the-COVID-19-Vaccine.aspx

RSU #34 and Penobscot Community Health Care are partnering to offer COVID-19 vaccination clinics for our 5-11 year olds. The first dose is Thursday November 18th, at an after-school clinic hosted at Old Town High School. Parents/caregivers must accompany the child, and signed consent is required. Two weeks after the second dose, the child is considered fully vaccinated and will be exempt from quarantine in almost all circumstances! We will soon be sending home paper copies of the flyer and consent forms; an electronic version can be found at this link: https://5il.co/11n37 Here are some resources that you may wish to check out to learn more about the vaccine. With specific questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to your child's primary care provider or your school nurse: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/COVID-19/Pages/The-Science-Behind-the-COVID-19-Vaccine-Parent-FAQs.aspx https://healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/COVID-19/Pages/Getting-Your-Child-Ready-for-the-COVID-19-Vaccine.aspx

Save the date! RSU #34 is partnering with Penobscot Community Health Care to offer a COVID vaccination clinic for our 5-11 year olds. It will occur on Thursday November 18th, outside of school hours, and parents/guardians must accompany the child. We will share more information as details fall into place.

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 Notification 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